Here's a Hello;

[Ard]

My name is Ard, some may be familiar through the SFF forum where I still use the original handle Hardyreels. I chose that name over 12 years ago when I was new to forums. I thought you had to use a screen name a the time and I was a collector and user of that make of reels. Back when the Hardy Company announced that they would begin producing some reels in South Korea (2007) or there about the market for the Alnwick reels went bonkers and people were willing to pay outrageous prices for British Made Hardys and I had every Lightweight and Marquis series reel most still unused. Add to those a bunch of right hand Perfects and St. George reels and I had a virtual gold mine in house here. so........... Big sale and lots of money, back then pay pal was free and average eBay charges for a $350 dollar sale was around 5 dollars so I moved out every reel I did not use.

When the dust settled I started to feel strange with my screen name. People would direct questions at me assuming I knew it all but without my reels for reference I had to answer from memory. Eventually I changed my screen name on the North American forum to Ard, yeah I'm there too. Sort of a Fish & Fly forums fanboy here I guess

I have joined your forum so I can become familiar with the software, rumor has it we may change to this platform on other forums so I'm here to learn and to get to know some of you posters. I live in Alaska and am getting old I guess. There's a long history of fly fishing behind me at this time and I am a traditionalist. I use real flies and real fly lines fishing for salmon, trout, grayling, char and steelhead trout with the occasional Pike in the mix.

I serve some people as a guide here and work only for 2 hand or single hand fly casters, no beads and bobbers and a catch & release guide only. I've been living here for 15 years now and know my way around pretty well. All the fishing access here where I live is by boat so I have a fairly slick jet boat that seats 2 passengers and myself as driver. Things here are changing fast, call it climate related or call it over fishing but I call it both. I'll be able to fish for our version of Sea Trout a few more times yet this year weather permitting and here they are sea run rainbow trout also known as steelhead trout.

Lot's of rods reels and lines here so I sometimes can be helpful explaining things with regard to match ups in general.

There is a rumor that I may be coming to your wonderful and historic country in 2020 to fish for salmon and sea trout. I've one friend who lives near the Border Esk (hope I spelled that correct) and another in Durham and still another in Scotland so I will be getting the grand tour. I am quite prepared especially with the decline in our salmon numbers I have become adept at fishing where they can be hard to come by. The trip is more about seeing the rivers and people tahn catching the fish but we all know that does make fishing tripps a bit better doesn't it

On to see the forum now,

Ard

 

[Thrasher]

The Border Esk is a nice river which you should enjoy casting a line on unless covid-19 gets in the way.

 

[T7]

Border Esk is lovely and can still produce. If you get down to Lancashire I’d be happy to take you in the Lune but seems like you have a good tour planned already!

 

[sewinfly]

Some nice rivers south to

Sewinfly.......................

 

[Ard]

Thanks for the replies fellows

I'm late checking this thread and forum because it's still an after thought with all the time spent on the other boards. Yes, this virus business appears to be something that may or may not ruin the plans I've made. I have wished to come to Scotland and to Ireland since reading a great deal about your lands and rivers way back in 2000 through 2002. Then I went and moved to Alaska and had before me an entirely new exploration to engage in.

16 years into the Alaskan thing I've come to realize that I'll never see it all so I decided to pursue my old dreams of coming to the UK. I could have easily made the plans to return to Western Alaska where there are still innumerable salmon and trout but the rivers of Scotland are just too beautiful not to be fished once in my life and so it was set in motion. Now there's this! Corona19 and as the days turn to weeks then months I've not lost hope but I could wish for a better run up to June than this.

If I must stay home I expect high water throughout the months of May, June and even July due to an unusually large amount of snow over this winter. When I say unusual I mean 10 foot of it and more in those mountains that surround me here. No worries over hitting bottom with the boat but it may put the fishing off for sure........

 

[Thrasher]

Lets hope you get here.