..... and to fish fine, and far off, is the first and principal rule for trout-angling.

Izaak Walton (The Compleat Angler).

WATERSIDE COMPANIONS



For many, flyfishing is more than just catching fish. It also includes the awareness of the nature around us. Seeing plants and animals. The mist over the water, the smell of fresh cut grass. The company of good friends. And a good conversation after or during a fine meal combined with a good glas beer or wine.

On this page you will find some animals you might see at a trout stream, although spotting an otter probably is an event one will witness only once in a lifetime.



My little friend, the kingfisher. Rare in Holland. Like a shiny blue spark he passes by. Has a distinctive whistling call, so you might hear him coming before you see him.
The otter, very rare nowadays. Seeing one is an event most flyfishermen will cherish for a long time. In Holland, they were extinct, but since 2002 you can see them again.
Click here for information about re-introducing otters in Holland.

Foto: Stefan Ernst. http://www.naturfoto-online.de
The roe deer. Today there are much more of them in Holland than there used to be thirty years ago.
The dipper. It is much fun to watch one looking for nymphs and other creepy crawly in the stream.


Dipper by Rodger McPhail.
The grey wagtail. Where you see this bird, the trout is often not far away.




Grey wagtail by Rodger McPhail.
In the evening bats will cruise over the water. In Holland some kinds of bats are still quite common, like Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Myotis daubentoni.