I fished the Teign for many years as a member of UTFA when I live in Trusham. Now live in Australia so loved this video. Sea Trout fishing after dark was fantastic. You mentioned Roddy Rae....had a lesson with him one evening when I first got into the Sea Trout and was clueless at the time. Lovely guy. John Getliff I think was the other guy I always used to bump into on the members stretch at Upperton Weir.
Thanks for the comment Gary, I know we all look back with Rose tinted glasses but there's no doubt the runs of fish on the Teign (and everywhere really) have drastically reduced over the years. John Getlif pretty much lived on Upperton as I recall and he has a memorial bench there now. Ofcourse he was lucky enough to have a key for the gate so he could drive right up to the pool! I believe Rods son Ben emigrated to Australia but it was a long time ago so I might be getting confused. It was a shame that Rod left us so early, I would have liked to have fished with him now, he would have been a natural on camera. All the best Chris
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 lucky I live within reach of numerous excellent trout rivers in the Snowy Mountains and we are having a couple bumper years as we’ve had so much rain. Look at Thredbo or Eucumbene Rivers on RUclips. I always found it hard on the Teign in the conditions you had on your video. The larger fish I think stay in their holes.
Cheers Gary ill have a look on youtube, last year was tough the first time I've known the Teigns fishing closed because of the weather. Hopefully this year will be better but our rivers are already crying out for some rain🤔
I was listening to a podcast last night from the fly culture about this river, that’s how I came across the video. Lovely looking river. I’m lucky enough to have a stunning river like this on my doorstep in Northern Ireland! Only problem is the trout are also this small lol! Loved your story telling that was worth a watch alone! Tight lines 2024
Many thanks, David. I also enjoyed the fly culture podcast about my childhood river. I don't fish it as much these days, too many memories, but it's a beautiful river, I do hope the club attracts some members from the podcast.
Your very welcome, hopefully I can get back there this year in more favourable conditions, as I'm sure you know the Teign can fish much better than on this particular day.
Lovely spot. It looks like the stream I learned to fish on when I was a kid. Not with the fly though. Half the time I was using wine bottle corks as floats and bent pins as hooks. It's always good to go back to your roots and recapture the excitement you felt when it was all new. I found that it helps me offload some of the cynicism I've accumulated over the previous couple of seasons.
Hi Chris, thank you for showing us these Devon streams. You mentioned Mike Weaver. I bought his book when it first hit the shelf and managed to get it signed and I always follow his jottings in the T&S each month. lovely video
Thanks Peter, it was great as a kid having Mike as club chairman, here was guy who wrote for T&S and fished on "your" river. Not surprisingly I also have a signed copy of his excellent book. Speaking to him two or three years back about the lack of hatches were now experiencing he remarked that he wouldn't be able to write it now! But nature is nothing if not resilient if we would just give it a break from us!
Thanks for the video it was lovely and I'm not trying to put you down or call you but it makes me feel a bit better as I have only just started fly fishing and been about 5 time's still not had any luck but keep on keeping on thanks again
It's tricky at the moment with the low water levels, the fish can see you coming a mile off. As I said in the video you would think there were no fish left in the river! I'm sure it will happen for you soon if you keep at it. If your fishing rivers my advice would be to concentrate on the fast water at the head of the pools. Good luck.
Sick video man!! Looks like a great creek for sure!! I also like making fishing video and really enjoyed your content!! Liked and subscribed!! Keep up the good work!! 🤝🤝
Thanks Fred, yes we're getting a bit desperate now for rain to come and save this season, but none in the forecast unfortunately. The Teign is a lovely river and I must have spent hundreds of hours there as a kid/young adult. It was never easy to find the better fish amongst the small stuff but in these conditions next to impossible. Maybe a tightline nymph expert might get some but that certainly isn't me!
Hi Chris, absolutely great video and do I ever envy your rivers just stunning , dry fly still no use in my waters so by coincidence I have just made some original ptn to use with spider dropper. Can't wait for your next video , this one though has made my afternoon, thanks Mike
Many thanks Mike, I think us fisherman are all still kids at heart, it was really nice to get back and fish the Teign, I will definitely return when/if the conditions improve. The pheasant tail was always my go to nymph before the advent of tungsten, beads. Interested to know how you get on with them. Chris
Chris, here is a fly that I tie which does get them taking yet it is so simple, a bit of tail fibres then some hares ear dubbing in either light tan or yellow, I use both, then a couple of turns of partridge soft hackle in proportionate size. You can use it as a superb spider or with a bit of floatant makes a great dry, the yellow is brill if you have yellow sally's about. cheers Mike
Not a bad session after all! This is your best video yet, Chris, I loved the reminiscing and tales of yore! Stunning moorland river, even if the clay vale streams gave you larger trout. I'm off to see my cruel mistress tonight, looks like mayfly is done, I may even tie on a streamer to tempt a bruiser!🤣 Soon the sedge will be out as it warms up.👍
Thanks David, how are your rivers holding up? It seems like we've gone straight into late evening only time without much "proper" spring fishing because of the low water. No real Mayfly action at all?
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 mayfly has been OK on my local stream, but came quite early. Its reservoir fed so is pretty low from March to Oct controlled by comp water. So it rains, it rises a few inches then drops within hours. There are much larger fish than the dry fly caught ones on my vids but I think I need a dusk, or coloured water approach, soon after rain, with streamers to catch them. I've had some very nice browns on sea trout surface lures at night from there. I always wonder about the "right time" around now, but it's been cool during the day and no evening rise really. Mayfly was best around 6.30/7.30 pm a week or two back, as the spinners dropped down to lay eggs. I've fished on the yorkshire aire too but it's incredibly difficult with the water so clear and low, but there's been a 4 pounder caught last week but one on a dry. I've just managed small stuff there so far.
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 the bustard is a North Cumbria thing, similar prociple, but I use a 2" piece of black neoprene with a black hackle lashed to a size 8 longshank lure hook, pinched barb of course! Up, down, across, fast, slow, there's no rules, just cast it into the blackness where you can and let it swing if there's a fast current, otherwise strip back and wait for fireworks, especially with sea trout! Chub will nail it too, often big ones. I gave some to a friend who used them on a Highland Loch in daylight on windy days, with lots of brownies going for them. I'll do a tying video of it soon. It will last about 2 mm minutes !🤣
Hi Chris, fab video. New subscriber here! I am hoping to fish this stretch of the Upper Teign in just over two weeks time, weather permitting. Any tips or suggestions for fishing it earlier in the season? Thanks
I used to fish down and across with a couple of wet flies early season on the Teign. Soldier palmer, b and p spider that sort of thing. If that failed then duo or indicator with a beaded/tungsten nymph. Having said that I read on Instagram that there were rising fish and a few caught on dries just after opening day so as always keep an eye on the weather/temperatures leading up to your visit you could get lucky and have some rising fish to go at👍
hi Chris, I got mine from notheast angling supplies on ebay....Veniard english partridge grey neck hackles, since then I have found that Steve at Cookshill fly tying is a superb source and particularly for natural wild feathers , where he goes for days to pluck them at a game dealers isn't far from me. I would really recommend him, have a look on his website and if you give him a call and tell him what you want he will see that's what you get and his cdc are brill. Hope this helps, Mike
Cheers Mike, yes I've found Cookshill cdc to be excellent. I might have to bite the bullet and buy one of his whole partridge skins, then I can pick which feathers I want like you would on a cape. Not cheap though!
Hi Chris, I love your videos and have watched almost all of them now. I only began fly fishing at the start of the season when I moved home and have fallen hook, line & sinker (sorry) for it. Your videos have helped me enormously so far and I’m still finding my way with what works best for me on my local urban river (I’m lucky enough to get out almost every day as it’s about 30 yards from my house) as well as the River Almond just outside Edinburgh. I wondered a couple of things; what fly line do you use, it seems to shoot beautifully, and what camera do you use? The quality of your videos are really good and I’d quite like to film my journey as I learn. Hope to hear from you and please keep posting! Paul
Hi Paul, many thanks for your kind words. Erm the fly line is a budget Maxcatch m.maxcatchfishing.com/weight_forward_floating_fly_line.html?search=Fly%20line&description=true&category_id=104&sub_category=true&page=2 They actually sent it free with a rod I purchased (needless to say I've ordered some more). One thing I find helps with shooting the line is using some sort of line treatment like the Snowbee or Scientific Anglers stuff. Also cleaning and polishing the rod/rod rings with silicone spray ( done at your own discretion, my rod is only a cheap Wychwood). The camera is an old Gopro 6 black, but if you have the money I would go for an 8 or above as they don't require a housing and therefore the audio is much better, I've had to dump loads of footage because something was rubbing on the case and causing a right din!! I hope this helps, my advice would be to go for it and see how it takes you, I quite enjoy doing the editing stuff and if you've caught a good fish you sort of get to catch it all over again. Tight lines Chris
That’s great Chris thanks for the reply! Budget line works for me at this stage so I’ll definitely follow your advice on the line treatment etc! I just need to have a few less mishaps and I may well start posting some stuff myself so will look at camera budget soon I think. Catching some lovely fish between 8-12 inches on my local Water of Leith so might be nice to share what I’m learning in the hope somebody finds it useful. Thanks again, I may well pick your brains again sometime! 😁
Just about, evenings/early mornings are best at the moment although the temperature has dropped this week. Like a lot of rivers ours could do with a good flood to liven things up a bit.
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 I hear that the Teign can be quite busy with non-fishing river enjoyers. Is there a way to avoid that? Early mornings? Some places where there is no walking along river? Thanks.
Yes, early and late can help to avoid the crowds. Definitely week days as opposed to weekends if you can. Will you beat the summer holiday brigade? Clifford bridge will be quieter than Fingle but still busy. There is also some fishing up around Chagford (Warcleave cottage) which is meant to be quiet but I haven't ever fished it so can't really comment. Might have some rain this week so maybe things will pick up. Tight lines.
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 Will be there 1st week August. Probably not before "summer holiday brigade"? Am I correct to note that Warcleave cottage is really the upper boundery of the licence provided by the Upper Teign FA? Any nice alternatives to the Teign you know of? Thanks.
@@Shapingthoughts yes that's the top of the UTFA water ( Chagford Bridge upstream about 1/4 of a mile). Lots of water on the Duchy fishery, East and West Dart etc... Tavy, Walkham and Ply fishery £15 for a week, Westcountry angling passport and ofcourse the Crediton club has day tickets available from the tackle shop in Crediton.
Watching another man walk down memory lane with enthusiasm is a good thing to see 😎
Devon looks like such a beautiful serene part of the world to world to fly fish for trout.
I fished the Teign for many years as a member of UTFA when I live in Trusham. Now live in Australia so loved this video. Sea Trout fishing after dark was fantastic. You mentioned Roddy Rae....had a lesson with him one evening when I first got into the Sea Trout and was clueless at the time. Lovely guy. John Getliff I think was the other guy I always used to bump into on the members stretch at Upperton Weir.
Thanks for the comment Gary, I know we all look back with Rose tinted glasses but there's no doubt the runs of fish on the Teign (and everywhere really) have drastically reduced over the years.
John Getlif pretty much lived on Upperton as I recall and he has a memorial bench there now. Ofcourse he was lucky enough to have a key for the gate so he could drive right up to the pool!
I believe Rods son Ben emigrated to Australia but it was a long time ago so I might be getting confused. It was a shame that Rod left us so early, I would have liked to have fished with him now, he would have been a natural on camera.
All the best
Chris
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 lucky I live within reach of numerous excellent trout rivers in the Snowy Mountains and we are having a couple bumper years as we’ve had so much rain. Look at Thredbo or Eucumbene Rivers on RUclips. I always found it hard on the Teign in the conditions you had on your video. The larger fish I think stay in their holes.
Cheers Gary ill have a look on youtube, last year was tough the first time I've known the Teigns fishing closed because of the weather. Hopefully this year will be better but our rivers are already crying out for some rain🤔
I was listening to a podcast last night from the fly culture about this river, that’s how I came across the video. Lovely looking river. I’m lucky enough to have a stunning river like this on my doorstep in Northern Ireland! Only problem is the trout are also this small lol! Loved your story telling that was worth a watch alone! Tight lines 2024
Many thanks, David. I also enjoyed the fly culture podcast about my childhood river. I don't fish it as much these days, too many memories, but it's a beautiful river, I do hope the club attracts some members from the podcast.
What beautiful clear water..checking in from colorado...looks like nice 3wt water
Enjoyed your memory which it was for me as haven't fished there for many years. Thank you.
Nostalgia for early rivers (or 'becks')... I can relate.
I spent four amazing years living in Chagford (2012-2016), and fished the upper Teign daily. Thank you for this video - it made me smile. 🤡
Your very welcome, hopefully I can get back there this year in more favourable conditions, as I'm sure you know the Teign can fish much better than on this particular day.
Cant beat an old skool pint glass with a handle!!! Really enjoyed this one, thanks
Lovely spot. It looks like the stream I learned to fish on when I was a kid. Not with the fly though. Half the time I was using wine bottle corks as floats and bent pins as hooks. It's always good to go back to your roots and recapture the excitement you felt when it was all new. I found that it helps me offload some of the cynicism I've accumulated over the previous couple of seasons.
Lovely video, thank you. Caught my smallest fish at that bridge just above the Anglers’ Rest, on a weekend trip a few years ago.
Thanks Karl, I bet alot of anglers have started their fly fishing journey in that very spot, I know I did.
Hi Chris, thank you for showing us these Devon streams. You mentioned Mike Weaver. I bought his book when it first hit the shelf and managed to get it signed and I always follow his jottings in the T&S each month. lovely video
Thanks Peter, it was great as a kid having Mike as club chairman, here was guy who wrote for T&S and fished on "your" river. Not surprisingly I also have a signed copy of his excellent book. Speaking to him two or three years back about the lack of hatches were now experiencing he remarked that he wouldn't be able to write it now! But nature is nothing if not resilient if we would just give it a break from us!
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 Can't agree more Chris. Nature is a powerful force and we should work with it not against it.
Very enjoyable. I used to fish for flounder in the Teign estuary, but I've always wanted to fly fish it for trout.
Good to hear you mention Fitton's Wry fly, great video.
Thanks Paul, there's nothing really new in this game is there. Anymore Yealm videos on the cards?
I enjoyed this I'm still a noob I've only been once fly fishing to my local stream
Thanks for the video it was lovely and I'm not trying to put you down or call you but it makes me feel a bit better as I have only just started fly fishing and been about 5 time's still not had any luck but keep on keeping on thanks again
It's tricky at the moment with the low water levels, the fish can see you coming a mile off. As I said in the video you would think there were no fish left in the river! I'm sure it will happen for you soon if you keep at it. If your fishing rivers my advice would be to concentrate on the fast water at the head of the pools. Good luck.
Sick video man!! Looks like a great creek for sure!! I also like making fishing video and really enjoyed your content!! Liked and subscribed!! Keep up the good work!! 🤝🤝
A lovely river and a super video Chris. Just like us it looks like you need some water though. I find that when the water is low the fish are small.
Thanks Fred, yes we're getting a bit desperate now for rain to come and save this season, but none in the forecast unfortunately.
The Teign is a lovely river and I must have spent hundreds of hours there as a kid/young adult. It was never easy to find the better fish amongst the small stuff but in these conditions next to impossible. Maybe a tightline nymph expert might get some but that certainly isn't me!
Hi Chris, absolutely great video and do I ever envy your rivers just stunning , dry fly still no use in my waters so by coincidence I have just made some original ptn to use with spider dropper. Can't wait for your next video , this one though has made my afternoon, thanks Mike
Many thanks Mike, I think us fisherman are all still kids at heart, it was really nice to get back and fish the Teign, I will definitely return when/if the conditions improve.
The pheasant tail was always my go to nymph before the advent of tungsten, beads. Interested to know how you get on with them.
Chris
Chris, here is a fly that I tie which does get them taking yet it is so simple, a bit of tail fibres then some hares ear dubbing in either light tan or yellow, I use both, then a couple of turns of partridge soft hackle in proportionate size. You can use it as a superb spider or with a bit of floatant makes a great dry, the yellow is brill if you have yellow sally's about. cheers Mike
Hi Mike where do you shop for small partridge feathers? Say size 14/16, most of my packets always seem too long.
Not a bad session after all! This is your best video yet, Chris, I loved the reminiscing and tales of yore! Stunning moorland river, even if the clay vale streams gave you larger trout.
I'm off to see my cruel mistress tonight, looks like mayfly is done, I may even tie on a streamer to tempt a bruiser!🤣 Soon the sedge will be out as it warms up.👍
Thanks David, how are your rivers holding up? It seems like we've gone straight into late evening only time without much "proper" spring fishing because of the low water. No real Mayfly action at all?
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 mayfly has been OK on my local stream, but came quite early. Its reservoir fed so is pretty low from March to Oct controlled by comp water. So it rains, it rises a few inches then drops within hours. There are much larger fish than the dry fly caught ones on my vids but I think I need a dusk, or coloured water approach, soon after rain, with streamers to catch them. I've had some very nice browns on sea trout surface lures at night from there. I always wonder about the "right time" around now, but it's been cool during the day and no evening rise really.
Mayfly was best around 6.30/7.30 pm a week or two back, as the spinners dropped down to lay eggs.
I've fished on the yorkshire aire too but it's incredibly difficult with the water so clear and low, but there's been a 4 pounder caught last week but one on a dry. I've just managed small stuff there so far.
Night time fishing for brown trout used to be quite popular I believe on your northern rivers, was it bustard patterns I've read about?
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 the bustard is a North Cumbria thing, similar prociple, but I use a 2" piece of black neoprene with a black hackle lashed to a size 8 longshank lure hook, pinched barb of course! Up, down, across, fast, slow, there's no rules, just cast it into the blackness where you can and let it swing if there's a fast current, otherwise strip back and wait for fireworks, especially with sea trout! Chub will nail it too, often big ones.
I gave some to a friend who used them on a Highland Loch in daylight on windy days, with lots of brownies going for them. I'll do a tying video of it soon. It will last about 2 mm minutes !🤣
Hi Chris, fab video. New subscriber here! I am hoping to fish this stretch of the Upper Teign in just over two weeks time, weather permitting. Any tips or suggestions for fishing it earlier in the season? Thanks
I used to fish down and across with a couple of wet flies early season on the Teign. Soldier palmer, b and p spider that sort of thing. If that failed then duo or indicator with a beaded/tungsten nymph. Having said that I read on Instagram that there were rising fish and a few caught on dries just after opening day so as always keep an eye on the weather/temperatures leading up to your visit you could get lucky and have some rising fish to go at👍
Brilliant, thank you!
hi Chris, I got mine from notheast angling supplies on ebay....Veniard english partridge grey neck hackles, since then I have found that Steve at Cookshill fly tying is a superb source and particularly for natural wild feathers , where he goes for days to pluck them at a game dealers isn't far from me. I would really recommend him, have a look on his website and if you give him a call and tell him what you want he will see that's what you get and his cdc are brill. Hope this helps, Mike
Cheers Mike, yes I've found Cookshill cdc to be excellent. I might have to bite the bullet and buy one of his whole partridge skins, then I can pick which feathers I want like you would on a cape. Not cheap though!
Hi Chris, I love your videos and have watched almost all of them now. I only began fly fishing at the start of the season when I moved home and have fallen hook, line & sinker (sorry) for it. Your videos have helped me enormously so far and I’m still finding my way with what works best for me on my local urban river (I’m lucky enough to get out almost every day as it’s about 30 yards from my house) as well as the River Almond just outside Edinburgh. I wondered a couple of things; what fly line do you use, it seems to shoot beautifully, and what camera do you use? The quality of your videos are really good and I’d quite like to film my journey as I learn. Hope to hear from you and please keep posting!
Paul
Hi Paul, many thanks for your kind words. Erm the fly line is a budget Maxcatch m.maxcatchfishing.com/weight_forward_floating_fly_line.html?search=Fly%20line&description=true&category_id=104&sub_category=true&page=2
They actually sent it free with a rod I purchased (needless to say I've ordered some more). One thing I find helps with shooting the line is using some sort of line treatment like the Snowbee or Scientific Anglers stuff. Also cleaning and polishing the rod/rod rings with silicone spray ( done at your own discretion, my rod is only a cheap Wychwood).
The camera is an old Gopro 6 black, but if you have the money I would go for an 8 or above as they don't require a housing and therefore the audio is much better, I've had to dump loads of footage because something was rubbing on the case and causing a right din!! I hope this helps, my advice would be to go for it and see how it takes you, I quite enjoy doing the editing stuff and if you've caught a good fish you sort of get to catch it all over again.
Tight lines
Chris
That’s great Chris thanks for the reply! Budget line works for me at this stage so I’ll definitely follow your advice on the line treatment etc!
I just need to have a few less mishaps and I may well start posting some stuff myself so will look at camera budget soon I think. Catching some lovely fish between 8-12 inches on my local Water of Leith so might be nice to share what I’m learning in the hope somebody finds it useful.
Thanks again, I may well pick your brains again sometime! 😁
Fishing still doable given the low water levels? Will be in that region within a month... :-) Thanks.
Just about, evenings/early mornings are best at the moment although the temperature has dropped this week. Like a lot of rivers ours could do with a good flood to liven things up a bit.
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 I hear that the Teign can be quite busy with non-fishing river enjoyers. Is there a way to avoid that? Early mornings? Some places where there is no walking along river? Thanks.
Yes, early and late can help to avoid the crowds. Definitely week days as opposed to weekends if you can. Will you beat the summer holiday brigade?
Clifford bridge will be quieter than Fingle but still busy. There is also some fishing up around Chagford (Warcleave cottage) which is meant to be quiet but I haven't ever fished it so can't really comment.
Might have some rain this week so maybe things will pick up. Tight lines.
@@chrismatthewsflyfishing7724 Will be there 1st week August. Probably not before "summer holiday brigade"? Am I correct to note that Warcleave cottage is really the upper boundery of the licence provided by the Upper Teign FA? Any nice alternatives to the Teign you know of? Thanks.
@@Shapingthoughts yes that's the top of the UTFA water ( Chagford Bridge upstream about 1/4 of a mile).
Lots of water on the Duchy fishery, East and West Dart etc... Tavy, Walkham and Ply fishery £15 for a week, Westcountry angling passport and ofcourse the Crediton club has day tickets available from the tackle shop in Crediton.
ah the Upper Teign, a great river
Yes Chris, not showing her best on this occasion (just like yourself on the Usk she needs some water) but a lovely place to fish.