I always look forward to fishing fairs. The knowledge, the anglers, watching the kids starting out on their journey and many times watching the adults beginning theirs. Very much on my journey myself i enjoy watching other exhibitors listening to their analogies and approach to demonstrations.
Ardaire springs is a venue i go to quite a lot with my son Anthony. We both enjoy fishing there, the setting is spectacular, the fish are always in great condition and fight hard. Another huge factor is the staff in Ardaire.I remember filming with George Mcgrath for Gundog and fly, it was freezing literally. Ned invited us in to sit by the stove and gave us all a cup of tea, its small gestures like this that give a fishery a unique feel. It was of course a tough job to get Anthony to sit down when there was such a nice lake 20meters away.
Last year at Ardaire springs angling fair i was lucky enough to be part of the kids casting event. What a superb event and the kids were fantastic.They would come out with their fly that they tied at the Apgai stand with Joe Stitt, Trevour Greene and Arthur Greenwood. Three absolute gentlemen and legends, their teaching methods and understanding is second to none.What a foundation of knowledge for any angler to be able to tap into,looking forward to seeing them again this year.
I am very much looking forward to doing it all again this year. With an invite from Ned himself to give a demo on Carp on the fly. I will also be with Apgai helping with the kids casting and Cadence, who i am delighted to be involved with.
Looking back at the fair last year it was an absolute hive of activity. People meeting and greeting each other, trying out fly rods, looking at some of the latest tackle creations and of course some taking it all in as i was. It was great for people to be able to get out and cast some fly rods on the water, I am a great believer in getting to try out a fly rod before its purchased. Getting to try it out on water is a huge bonus making the Ardaire springs angling fair the perfect place to try out your chosen rod. Lines are very important too so it’s a good place to perhaps try a line at one of the try before you buy stands.
For me it’s great to meet all my angling friends as once the season starts, we generally only ever get to speak over the phone, email or zoom. Getting to see each other is brilliant and watching the angling community come together to celebrate our sport is second to none.
I do hope to see a lot of you at the fair this year, my demo slots are on the line up board. I will also be with Cadence and Apgai.Really looking forward to seeing all the young anglers having a cast again this year, meeting up with other anglers to discuss some techniques and of course tricks.
For all travelling to the fair i wish you all a very safe trip, I look forward to seeing you all.
It’s finally here, this weekend all roads lead to Ardaire springs. The line-up is superb. Looking forward to meeting everyone and having a chat about our wonderful sport. Make sure an bring the kids along for some fly tying and fishing at the kids’ corner.
