I was at my fly tying class one week and I was asked the question that I just hate trying to answer. Before I tell you the question maybe I should say that I am being slightly hypocritical as I asked this question at the start of my forays on the river bank. To be fair I only asked it a few times before I realised the answer was staring me in the face.

Where is a good place to fish on the River Kelvin ?

I mumbled something about the Vet School being good only to be told that the person had read my blog and the Kelvin website and knew that I thought it was pretty poor. Well, I said, it is good at the start of the season (the truth)- the person did not seem to believe me and I gave some vague directions to other parts of the river. What this person probably went away thinking was: this guy knows absolutely nowt about the river My problem was in fact that I know so many good spots on the Kelvin how can I possibly say them all in a quick conversation before a fly tying demonstration. A lot of the nice spots I have found have been found through hard work involving trial and error, sweat, blood and torn waders and generally getting scratched by jaggy bushes. Should I give these spots up easily to someone I hardly know?

There is also an element of ethics involved here as well, I often go fishing with other people who show me there little sweet spots on the river and I dont think its right that I give them away so easily. If I were to post specific places on the river that I have been taken to then I would surely find that the next time I go for a nice fish there could be a dozen guys all fishing my pool. The same goes for other rivers I fish. I am sure my friend Alberto is still cursing the day he introduced us to his little sweet spot on another river. I have been sworn to secrecy and will never reveal its name or location on pain of- well whatever the hell Alberto does with people that turn up with a bus load of people to his spot. Where is a good place to fish on the River Kelvin? It is also the top question that I am asked via email as well my reply is always get your waders on, get a bottle of water and climb over a fence, mucho effort is involved but it is worth it!

Enjoy