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The aim of a Masterclass is to provide highly specialized content on a particular technique, thanks to a speaker specialized in this field.
I chose Stéphane because of his teaching skills as a fishing instructor-guide, but also because of his "competitive" side, making him a specialist in this technique, which he practices and teaches to his trainees.
What about line nymph fishing?
Fly fishing is often done with dry flies, i.e. flies that float on the surface. But it's also common to fish underwater with nymphs, which are more or less realistic imitations of aquatic larvae. There are several techniques for nymph fishing, but the most common is called line nymphing, where the (coloured) line is used as a touch indicator to show when the fish has taken our imitation.
Wire nymph fishing has been on the rise for several years now, due to the increasing scarcity of hatchlings, but also to the development of equipment that enables fishing in a different way. Top-level competitors have played a major role in developing this technique, which is practised more or less differently in Europe (euronymphing), and in promoting it among anglers and the general public.
This technique requires a number of skills, including learning or relearning to cast (without line), reading the water and understanding how currents work, knowing the positioning of fish, their feeding and behavior, but also knowing how to fish in 3 dimensions with these flies that will descend into the water layer.
Because of its technical nature, it's a good idea to learn from professionals who can help you learn and perfect the art of creating perfect drifts to lure trout, whatever the season or water level.
Two Masterclasses organized in Brittany
We were able to organize two consecutive courses to offer as many people as possible this opportunity and this type of Masterclass, never before organized in Brittany.
We have set up two groups of 4 anglers only, to offer a quality course to our participants from different backgrounds, all of whom are already trainees of Jean-Baptiste Vidal, the organizer.
They came from Brittany and the Greater West region, with Patrice travelling from Normandy, and Jean-Luc from Charente for the farthest away.
The course is organized with full-board accommodation in Elliant's charming chambres d'hôtes, with single rooms to ensure maximum comfort for participants. The course will begin with a welcome evening with an aperitif dinner to get to know the instructor and each other, followed by two full days at the water's edge, ending with a debriefing in the room and a meal together at the table d'hôtes.
The course
Stéphane Legentilhomme, the instructor for these two Masterclasses, concocted a highly pedagogical program, starting with an assessment of each participant's level, then building on a solid foundation. This first group was made up of anglers who already had all the equipment and had practised in the past.
Thanks to the first welcome evening the day before, we were able to find out more about their levels and expectations, so as to adapt the course content. The aim was to provide them with group content that was also personalized.
Stéphane will start by taking them through the basics of throwing, on grass (and carpet), one by one, followed by advice on how to throw accurately and start a good drift. We'll look at straight and backhand casts, and then at casts with or without the aid of a back anchor. Throwing is much more technical than it looks, and this was appreciated by all participants.
After lunch, we'll get out on the water to see how everyone feels about reading the water, choosing the right nymph or nymphs for the position (depth, current speed) and applying the casts we've seen previously.
Then we'll move on to different stations throughout the afternoon to learn how to present your nymphs according to the context and profile of the river.
The following day will be based on group practice in the morning, followed by individual nymphing and nymph-drying exercises, with advice tailored to each participant's needs, abilities and shortcomings.
A complete program that enabled each participant to perfect his or her technique in an excellent, well-organized atmosphere.
