Born in France, but living in Ireland most of my adult life, I carried
the fishing bug since the tender age of three.
I went through all styles of fishing and species, but I quickly
caught the Esox virus …
It's the pike fishing that orientated me towards fly fishing. I used to
be a lure angler and bait drowner but after some years fishing this
way I needed a new challenge and a more fish friendly way to
catch and release my favorite fish. And with every challenge
usually comes rewards!
I was fed up following the crowds of lure fishing. Not the
fishermen but the companies that come up with a new “design”
every six months, you know the one .. yes that one, and if you
don't have it you will never get that big trophy fish that you so
desperately chase in your dreams. In my days of lure chucking, I
wouldn't be happy to go out without all my collection, the sink
one, the fast sink one , the slow sink one, the green with red spots,
the yellow one …. and so on.
Nowadays I can very happily go fly fishing for pike with only
three flies in my pocket and I feel ever so confident that I will
catch.
So fly fishing was my next step and with this came fly tying. I
have never bought a fly for pike in a shop, (and there were none in
any of my local shops anyway) .
I actually bought a vice before my first fly rod and I quickly tied a
bunch of awful flies to try … but no rod .. or reel .. or anything for
that matter. I already knew at that stage that this new thing was
going to completely engulf me to the dark side.