Welcome Charles Jardine!!!

[Charles Jardine]

We toured with the likes of Slade, Hawkwind(now that was an experience, very early Quo (around Pile Driver era)) Stray and so on....it was carnage.

So, wait a second...Are you telling us that we now have one degree of separation from the late Lemmy? The things you find out on Sexyloops! And Charles, I would have taken you more for a Simon and Garfunkel opener. Now I have to wrap my head around this galactic shift for the next week.

Get your head around it, My fine friend... playing the Marquee during the early seventies was about as good...not quite... as my first cast on the Madison or Henry's Fork.

[Charles Jardine]

Mr. Jardine,
Congratulations on starting your fishing for schools program.

In the U.S. the cost to get started in fly fishing is a big impediment to getting started in the sport for kids. This being the era of video games, spotting a teenager fishing here in the U.S. is about as likely as seeing a Unicorn.

Gordy

Gordy, I am utterly committed and determined to bring another generation into our sport. Whilst I sort of gave up on Unicorn sightings (we are back to the seventies again aren't we.....) I hold out a firm belief that Kids still love to fish. The opportunities just are not there like they used to be. Why? Simple. The pressure on family life is colossal. I accept your point about cost implications. It is not insurmountable, but somehow, we simply must meet the pastoral needs of inner city folk and offer the Urban psyche, a rural mind set. I am sure that there is a way. We are, given communications like these here, able to look at issues globally: and importantly, collectively. We must set up these "global" worships to address the issues. It is not impossible. Opportunities exist - the river Wandle in South London is one, I am sure that opportunities exist in many North American cities. Young guides have made our sport "skate board cool" : we must capitalise on that facet to the max. I live in hope.

[Charles Jardine]

Naaaah, Charles and I have been Facebook friends for some years, and I'll add - friends out there in the real world for much longer, thankfully, and I have seen bits and pieces here and there on Charles' Facebook-page that lets one know that Charles likes rock :-).

I have a question: We all know of your angling and casting prowess, and I suppose most know also that you are one of the finest artists and illustrators in the flyfishing business. Right behind me now stands the first non-Danish book I bought on fly fishing - Dark Pools, and I love it still. Every little illustration is a work of art. But the question - have you ever done any art or illustration that is not flyfishing related?

Great to have you here, and thanks for breaking your self-induced forum hiatus :-). Breaking that hiatus by joining this Board is probably not the wisests decision you'll make in 2016 :-).

Lars

Lars, I am honoured...and revelling in being even considered; let alone asked. Re. Illustrations, I have done a number of hunting and natural history based themes - not so much books, but illustrations of one form another. A life full of doing just one thing would be stupefyingly dull. I was never asked to illustrate the Joy of Sex however....just as well.

[Charles Jardine]

Welcome Charles, I'm pleased to have you here. I saw you at a fair in Stockholm some 7 or 8 years ago and I enjoyed your demo. That was before I took an interest in flycasting but I don't think I remember anything from demos I had seen before.

I read that you took a part in the start of the flycasting instructor part of the FFF. How were those meetings?

Many of the flies you cover in Ff & Ft are quite simple. Is it important to you that flies are easily tied? I'm still tying rather complicated flies because it's more fun. Not that the fish cares but I like the challenge.

Which is your favourite presentation cast?

Cheers, Mathias

Oh! the start of the FFF ....interesting. I think Bruce (Richards) would concur; it was an embryonic meeting of minds and a true desire to codify casting for the good of everyone. Also raise the bar and ensure good practice. That I believe, continues. Yes, of course there were differences, you cannot help but have "issues" given the robust characters involved. I think the vital thing is to ensure that the various casting differences are acknowledged, sincerely. We, all of us, are built differently and thus cast differently. The ends, however, tend to justify the means. Having a flexible standard is what counts. I believe that the FFF do.
Now Flies: Yup...simple does, as simple do. Because of my increasing work with young people, and now having taken on directorship of the England National junior squad, it s vital to have patterns that are simple and that work. When one is in a hotel room, working to produce thirty of more flies in a few hours , under the burning light (SIC) of a table lamp...the last thing one needs, is to dress a cluster of fully dressed Jock Scot's. How well i remember Ollie Edwards explaining, that his flies are not difficult, so much as learning the basic procedures, then following a route. Anyway, I would far rather fish a fly, than spend hours tying it, only to send the perishing thing into a branch on the first cast - and that has happened. Give me simple. Indeed, I want people to be able to do the patterns and not overly worry. I would hate for anyone to say "nah...way too complicated" . That does not mean one should not learn and embrace new techniques...but make the whole thing accessible.

[Massew]

Welcome Charles, I'm pleased to have you here. I saw you at a fair in Stockholm some 7 or 8 years ago and I enjoyed your demo. That was before I took an interest in flycasting but I don't think I remember anything from demos I had seen before.

I read that you took a part in the start of the flycasting instructor part of the FFF. How were those meetings?

Many of the flies you cover in Ff & Ft are quite simple. Is it important to you that flies are easily tied? I'm still tying rather complicated flies because it's more fun. Not that the fish cares but I like the challenge.

Which is your favourite presentation cast?

Cheers, Mathias

Oh! the start of the FFF ....interesting. I think Bruce (Richards) would concur; it was an embryonic meeting of minds and a true desire to codify casting for the good of everyone. Also raise the bar and ensure good practice. That I believe, continues. Yes, of course there were differences, you cannot help but have "issues" given the robust characters involved. I think the vital thing is to ensure that the various casting differences are acknowledged, sincerely. We, all of us, are built differently and thus cast differently. The ends, however, tend to justify the means. Having a flexible standard is what counts. I believe that the FFF do.
Now Flies: Yup...simple does, as simple do. Because of my increasing work with young people, and now having taken on directorship of the England National junior squad, it s vital to have patterns that are simple and that work. When one is in a hotel room, working to produce thirty of more flies in a few hours , under the burning light (SIC) of a table lamp...the last thing one needs, is to dress a cluster of fully dressed Jock Scot's. How well i remember Ollie Edwards explaining, that his flies are not difficult, so much as learning the basic procedures, then following a route. Anyway, I would far rather fish a fly, than spend hours tying it, only to send the perishing thing into a branch on the first cast - and that has happened. Give me simple. Indeed, I want people to be able to do the patterns and not overly worry. I would hate for anyone to say "nah...way too complicated" . That does not mean one should not learn and embrace new techniques...but make the whole thing accessible.

Hi, thanks for your reply. I suppose it must have been exciting days back then and a cool thing to have experienced.

You are absolutely right about simple flies, as for tying, learning and fishing them. I have never had the need to quickly produce a large amount so I can afford to fiddle about, thinking about what if I remove that, add this, change that colour and so forth. I rarely tie the same fly twice (which can be a problem if I lose one to a fish and don't remember how that version looked).

Oliver Edwards' Clinger Nymph (the Heptagenia), I'm not sure it's called that, is one of the least simple flies I know of but I suppose he's right about learning the basics first. He has invented some wonderful patterns at any rate.

I have a follow up question to the flies you present in Ff & Ft. Many times they are flashier versions of classic wet flies, I think. A strand of mylar added, a pearly body and something similar in that general area. Is that approach common in Britain or is it something you are especially fond of? I should say that I get inspired by that, how colours and sparkle are added, because I get tired of making the same old olive, grey and brown flies. A bit of bling makes me a happier flytyer. This goes for dries, wets and nymphs of course.

As for your art work, I can only think of one artist that is as good as you at painting fish in its natural habitat and that is the Swede Tommy Gustavsson. I'm sure you know of him. The both of you are fantastic in depicting trout in motion.

Cheers, Mathias

[Viking Lars]

Charles, in Denmark we have the same challenges with bringing in youngsters and new blood to the sport, and there's a sense of giving up beforehand and stating the usual: "It's impossible to compete with the computers and the internet".

I acknowlegde that young people have a plethora of options that "we" didn't have, but I still say that basically, I think fishing is as attractive as it's always been.

What your sense on the youngsters coming through your program - will they stick with it, or do they take the experience and move on?

Lars

[Paul Arden]

Hi Charles, can you tell the Board your past I'm Flyfishing please? I know that could be a long subject but I believe you were a competition angler? And of course a great presenter at numerous angling fairs for Sage!

Have you had other careers outside Flyfishing? Still running?

Cheers,
Paul

[petevicar]

We toured with the likes of Slade, Hawkwind(now that was an experience, very early Quo (around Pile Driver era)) Stray and so on....it was carnage.

So, wait a second...Are you telling us that we now have one degree of separation from the late Lemmy? The things you find out on Sexyloops! And Charles, I would have taken you more for a Simon and Garfunkel opener. Now I have to wrap my head around this galactic shift for the next week.

Get your head around it, My fine friend... playing the Marquee during the early seventies was about as good...not quite... as my first cast on the Madison or Henry's Fork.

Hey Charles
What was the name of your band?
I probably saw you play sometime.

Pete

[Charles Jardine]

Pete, We were variously called CWT, Rats....Look: I know....and I PRAY to god you didn't hear us.

Charles

[Charles Jardine]

Charles, in Denmark we have the same challenges with bringing in youngsters and new blood to the sport, and there's a sense of giving up beforehand and stating the usual: "It's impossible to compete with the computers and the internet".

I acknowlegde that young people have a plethora of options that "we" didn't have, but I still say that basically, I think fishing is as attractive as it's always been.

What your sense on the youngsters coming through your program - will they stick with it, or do they take the experience and move on?

Lars

Lars, I agree. In the ten years I have been operating Fishing 4 Schools - we now number over 50 schools and the Foundation has an operational budget of over 100K, I can honestly say that you could count on your one hand those that did not want to participate in angling. The vital thing is to make it easy. Don't put them with an MCI or other high brow technical fly caster (no matter how brilliant or well meaning). Don't expect them to do high standard spey casts etc...etc. However do take them somewhere where they will catch something. I have come away from the idea of a fly fishing only programme and use a god deal of pole fishing with bait for silver fish, carp = instant gratification. They need that.
As for retention, Lars, I will be honest I have no idea. All I, indeed anyone can do is "put it out there" in the hope that the youngster either takes up and continues or returns to the sport in later life. One thing is certain if we don't show people our sport and do so in a favourable light, then they will ever know. Nor will the be evangelical about it to peers.
If we think, honestly, as to when we became enmeshed into angling. We may have been introduced to it by a family member (the groups I work with, more often than not, do NOT have a family per se) and we were taken and nurtured, we then, generally, stopped fishing during the later teens to follow more hedonistic pursuits, returning later to truly engage with fishing - and on so many levels.
America - and to some extent Scandinavia - has been wise in projecting Fly fishing in much "cooler" light than others - the young are being portrayed as Icons of the sport. However, be careful for what you wish for; and not alienate the larger older purchasing power of the forty somethings plus. Lovey to see a pretty college girl fly fishing (reverse, I suspect, if you are lady fishier of certain years, but pretty damning, that one later learn that she/he has got endorsements based on age and looks and possibly only two seasons experience - if that. That does NOTHING for our sport in the long term.
But in closing our sport can and does inspire...but we simply MUST move forwards and find ways to take it into communities and NOT expect folk come to us.