Team UKMA Profile

Ron Sharp

I started fishing as a young boy, first for perch in the local pond, then for pike in a nearby reservoir.  However, living in Scotland, the natural progression is usually towards fly fishing for trout and as most of the still waters here are fly only, I’ve spent most of my fishing career doing just that.

However, when the trout season ended, I would always look forward to at least a few winter outings for pike.  Even when rainbow trout fisheries began to stay open all year, I still preferred to do something different until the “proper” trout season began again.  I also took up winter Grayling fishing, usually long trotting baits from a centre pin reel. This complete change in fishing technique was great, firstly because it involved learning a completely new set of skills, but also as many (ageing) fly fishers will know, constant fly casting takes it toll on shoulders and elbows – and you need a rest in the winter to ready yourself for next season’s punishment!
About ten years ago, at the same time as I started Fliesonline, I started getting into fly fishing for pike, which for someone like me who enjoys all sorts of fishing, was great.  Many of our trout waters have some cracking pike in them, and it meant that I could combine a day’s trout fishing with a bit of pike fishing – ideal! 

I now have a house in Spain, and like to spend some of the close season over there fishing for barbel in the local reservoirs.  My latest challenge is fly fishing for the Spanish carp.  They will happily take the fly from the surface, but I have yet to hook one, as they instantly spit the fly back out when they realize that it isn’t food – either they are very fast or I am very slow – the latter I suspect!

I also spend quite a lot of time (and money) standing up to my waist in freezing cold Scottish rivers, being laughed at by passing salmon.