William Marshall
Along the many rivers and waterways of Scotland you will find people fishing, many of whom will be practicing the art of fly fishing, where a weighted line and an artificial fly is used to lure fish. These delicate and intricate flies are made by fastening feathers, hair and fur, with other materials onto a hook. Flies are tied with differing patterns and colours to match the local prey that the trout would naturally be attracted to. The way that you cast the line differs greatly from other forms of fishing and involves wading into the water and precisely controlling the rod allowing you to pinpoint the location where you wish to place the fly on the water. This movement helps to mimic the natural movements of the trouts prey. Fly fishing takes a large amount of skill and practice to become accurate with your casting. The angler has to whisk the fly into the air, back over their shoulder, until the line is nearly straight, and then forward. This movement loads, or bends, the rod tip with energy which is then transferred into the line, resulting in the line being cast the correct distance. The appearance of this action is extremely graceful and almost dance like.
William Marshall makes casting look easy, as a keen angler, he has vast amounts of experience fishing the diverse waterways of Scotland. But even the most skilled anglers, like William have to rely on a little bit of luck! On some occasions the fish won’t bite or the hook won’t stick. All of this is a part of the process when you are trying to catch these wild animals.