FLY FISHING IN ITALY

Dear Ferdy,

As I don’t have access to Instagram, I just shoot a text via WhatsApp:

“ Not knowing the Valltelina region Ferdy did an excellent job introducing me to various beautiful spots along the Adda but also to the lovely creeks up in the mountains.

He was very passionate in finding the best spots, although the water conditions have not been easy. He gave me all the necessary insights into the techniques and the best working flies.

We had a perfect fishing day and beyond the fishing itself Ferdy has been a great companion „

Ferdinando una guida speciale, la conoscenza del territorio e le sue esperienze di vita ti conducono in un viaggio unico tra i posti più belli della Valtellina immersi in una natura sconfinata alla scoperta delle meraviglie di questa tipologia di pesca un grazie infinito per i giorni trascorsi insieme che non scorderemo mai

Eduardo F.

I’d like to tell you about a bona fide flyfishing lesson and my first meeting with Ferdinando, an expert angler ready to guide me to a sublime world of fishing. We had a truly memorable experience along the banks of the Sermenza mountain stream in Valsesia in September.

As soon as we arrived, Ferdinando explained how to use the tackle and introduced me to the fly-fisher’s philosophy, our goals, landing and casting styles and the differences between dry fly and nymph fishing.

Flyfishing by rivers, mountain streams and alpine lakes is for anglers seeking prestigious fish such as marble trout and brown trout.

Ferdinando attaches a lot of importance to releasing every fish caught. Several practical precautions enabled us to always apply this philosophy, causing no harm to our fish friends who are thus able to return to their natural environment.

Catch and release has now become a widespread custom and is often mandatory in many reserves throughout Europe; flyfishing has always championed this method. In this way the basic premise behind fishing has been overturned: from a predatory activity it’s become a reason to get the best from a particular environment without causing any damage.

During the day I spent with Ferdinando I asked him a very simple question: what appeals to you most about fishing?

“Two things: total immersion in the natural environment because anglers have a deep love for the great outdoors, and, secondly, an attempt to relate to fish, thinking and acting like one.

Fishing disengages me totally from everything; I go to the river, I try to catch a fish and at the end of the day I’m tired yet happy and relaxed.

Ferdinando is a careful observer of the environment and favours locations which have a high natural value such as alpine streams and which demand a high level of angling expertise.

The season, the temperature, wind, water levels and the time of day can all create conditions which may clash with one another. But after years of experience alongside rivers and streams, Ferdinando knows how to “read” these elements with great proficiency.

A day spent flyfishing with Ferdinando – in close contact with nature in spring, summer and autumn – is an amazing experience.

It’s perfect for anybody wishing to spend a day by the river and who is inspired by the essential criteria of ecology and sustainability.

My experience of fly fishing was limited to the chalk streams of Hampshire and Wiltshire in England ..the River Test ,the Itchen the Nadder and others where supposedly the water is “gin clear” and the fish are stalked and presented with a dry fly .. upstream only..

In truth , over the last few years I cannot say that the chalk streams have been particularly clear or that I have limited myself to the use of only dry flies as more often than not the fish would not rise and so an emerger or nymph would be the order of the day in order to entice the fish …

Chalk stream fishing is most pleasurable, it is relaxing and the water flows very gently and more often than not you are fishing in wonderful meadow land surrounded by the odd grazing cow or sheep…

Now I come to my introduction to fly fishing in the Italian Alps with my good friend and great fisherman Ferdinando dal Pozzo …

Techniques on the mountain streams are very different to those of the gentle English Chalk Streams..

The water is fast running and footwork is challenging … you need to have your wits about you as things can turn dangerous quite quickly if you are not careful.

Ferdinando is a patient guide, he shows me how to cast in places where you can expect to find a fish.. hiding behind a boulder … in the parts of the stream where the current is not too strong .. he shows me how to sight a fish in the clear cold mountain water.. the technique could not be more different than that used along a chalk stream..Ferdinando teaches me to cast downstream and to make the fly dance and bounce gently on the white water as you draw in the line … he chooses the flies carefully in accordance with what is hatching ..everything is perfect.

I am so grateful to my good friend Ferdinando for introducing me to the delights of alpine stream fishing. Not only is the fishing excellent fun but the trout are beautiful and bright in colour .. the picture of good health and strong fighting fish.

The fish are returned to the water to fight another day.

In truth fishing is not only about catching fish .. it is about the joy of friendship and sharing a special moment with people whose company you enjoy … it is about sharing things that you have in common ..the love of the fresh air – the beautiful mountains – the incredible fast running streams, the glorious food and wine found in those little Trattorie, which , if you do not have an intimate knowledge of where you are, you just wouldn’t find.

I have met many wonderful local people during my days fishing with Ferdinando, and that makes the moments so much more pleasurable because if you meet and talk to local people it feeds into the whole experience and enjoyment of the locality in which you find yourself and Ferdinando has a great way with people, they warm to his kindness and to his enthusiasm and they really enjoy meeting the people he introduces to their fishing locality..

I must say, I have many wonderful memories of my days on the water with Ferdinando and I look forwards to many more in the coming years.

Agreat way of communing with nature is to go fishing.

Fishing helps us release tension and reconnects us with our inner selves, elements which we are steadily losing in our frenetic lives. The flow of water, its bubbling sound, its “scent” resonate with that part of us that harks back to an earlier era. Fishing is an experience which at the end of the day puts us in a much better frame of mind.

In my opinion, a day well spent is one where we can live this experience, not just on our own but with friends, preferably other like-minded anglers, who share our respect for the “River Spirit”, its inhabitants and its fish, and who have no wish whatsoever to indulge in “slaughter” of the river’s denizens.

If you’re fortunate enough to go fishing with Ferdinando Rodino Dal Pozzo D’Annone, you’ll surely find that fishing adventures based on “wit” and fun, are – in my experience – the rule and not the exception.

Ferdinando is an excellent fly-fisher and is always ready to offer technical advice as well as remarks and observations about nature, He organises fishing trips to splendid locations and the fish are equally splendid though not necessarily easy to catch.

When fly fishing, and I’m referring to the use of dry flies, catching a fish is never down to pure chance; it’s the result of reasoning associated with observations of the insects flying low over the water, how they hatch, the climate, cloudiness, temperature…. Whatever the subject, you can discuss it with Ferdinando, to optimise your choice of which fly to use to catch a certain fish. Something which can never be taken for granted.

None of us likes to show off; nobody tries to outshine anyone else and everything is in harmony: anglers and the River. This is the best way to enjoy what nature offers. If at the end of the day you hook a fish, you land it in your net and maybe you let it go, that’s what it’s all about. You tip-toe to the river, try to glimpse and understand what the river is telling us. Ferdinando doesn’t skimp on recommendations but he never preaches with that certainty so typical of those who “know best”; he simply wishes to share his experience and the joy of fishing and to have fun with friends.