welcome to tonyhern.co.uk

This website is dedicated to the noble arts of flyfishing and flydressing.

I began fly-fishing at the age of 9, on the streams and rivers running off Dartmoor.

Fernworthy reservoir in the Teign catchment was a favourite venue during the 70s, and I began flyfishing using such fabled patterns as the Red Tag, Peter Ross and Teal Blue and Silver.

It quickly became clear to me that it wasn’t always possible to obtain flies of the right calibre, size, weighting ....... and quality, so, fly dressing moved on to my agenda!

I also count myself as being extremely fortunate in having been able to intertwine fly-fishing within a career in fisheries management, throughout my working life.

In that time I have been able to compile a set of patterns to include in my tried and tested flybox for brown and rainbow trout.

My working portfolio began as an underkeeper on the River Test on the Leckford Estate at Longstock, Hants.

A two year college course followed at Sparsholt (Winchester, Hants), with complimentary work on the family fishery at Watercress Farm (Chudleigh, Devon), before moving on to manage Rockbourne Fishery at Fordingbridge, Hants.

Since 1992, I have been employed as fishery manager, developing the

Albury Estate Fisheries in Surrey.

My choice of fishing venue now tends to take me away from stocked waters, to areas where catches are less predictable and high on challenge.

My favourite fishing still returns me to the streams and rivers running off Dartmoor holding

brown trout and sea trout.

Meanwhile, down on the south coast, I am currently exploring opportunities for coastal flyfishing................

At the start of 2012, with the help of a fishing colleague Roger Sharp, I co-founded

'Fishability UK', a charity dedicated to helping ex-forces rehabilitate by using fishing as a therapy.

By pooling together donated resources such as a beat of a river, a lake for the day, or perhaps some guiding or instruction, we can arrange tailored fishing experiences for up to 20 veterans

FishabilityUK gets out and about once a month to offer fly fishing trips, coarse fishing adventures, and latterly, some sea trips too.

For further information, please visit www.fishabilityUK.org

I stepped down as a FishabilityUK trustee in August 2017 and am currently putting together plans for a new venture with an even wider charitable remit.

So, for your individual fly requirements, information on flycasting instruction, fishing on the Albury Estate, helping with charity flyfishing, and much more,
please get in touch.

I very much hope you enjoy visiting my website............and Tightlines !

Tony Hern

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Twitter: @blueflashdamsel