Two sprightly Avon Grilse rise to a long trotted prawn at Tizard's and Broadmeade Pools on the Hampshire Avon. Filmed by PGTV with music provided by www.bensound.com
Hi Paul. Not long to wait for the start of the season now ! Can you please advise me on buying a Skagit line and the tips I may need to fish the Avon ? My rod is 4 meter AFTM 10/11 .... I don't understand the way the Skagit lines are calibrated ... their weights go from 450 to 700 ... what is that ?!!! Thanks in advance
youman58 hi youman58. Yes we are all looking forward to getting out on the Avon with our fly rods. I’m getting super excited ordering new lines, rods and tying up flies. Banks are being strimmed and those big Avon springers are on their way! It’s like Christmas is coming round again! Skagit lines are very effective on the Avon in big water as you need to get a heavy fly or sink tip down fast. The swing is so short that the skagit allows the fly to work quickly. They come in different grains or weight sizes to match your rod, sink tips and fly weights. The 450 is the lightest grain and can be used as you scale down for lighter water conditions. The 700 grain is a heavy line that will allow you to thrown some very heavy sink tips and weighted flies providing your rod tolerance will take it! Check with your manufacturers tolerance level before trying as you can break your rod if you go too heavy. As you are using a 12 foot 10/11 weight I would go with a mid range grain between 550 and 600., If river flow stays at about 65 to 70 on the east Mill flume counter. We are expecting rain to come in the next few weeks and that may be require stepping up your rod length to a 15 footer to allow for heavier lines, easier pick up and better mending on faster water. If you make contact with a large springer you have to beef up to land the fish safely. The smaller lighter rods can lead to disaster for your tackle and exhaust the fish to its death! We play the fish hard with robust tackle and use 20 to 30 lb breaking strain Fluoro carbon. Short 3 to 4 foot leaders are required in winter and spring to get the fly down quickly during the small swings. Rio are my preferred make of fly lines and tips. The other thing to get right is to match the weighted tips with the grain size of the skagit. Lighter tips for lighter grains. Heavy mowtips for heavier grains. Also buy the best running line that you can find. Once your tackle is in balance and you get into a nice rhythm it will be a joy to fish with very little effort. It’s a bit like getting that perfect swing on the golf range! Hope that helps! Hope to see you on the Avon soon!
