Back To School

John Boon looks at life at the Devon School of Fly Fishing, and how it has become one of the busiest fly fishing schools in the country.

- John Boon

There aren’t a huge amount of full-time fishing schools in the UK, unlike in the States and Canada, where many guides and instructors are out on a daily basis. In this country there simply isn’t as much demand for it, but one school that is full-time is The Devon School of Fly Fishing (DSOFF), which as of this year I have had the pleasure of working for as head guide, alongside owners Pete and Emma, and fellow guide Duncan Raynor.

DSOFF is a well-established school, having formed in 2008 after owner and establisher Pete Tyjas, decided to go it alone after working with another company who distributed fly fishing tackle. The original idea had been for the company to run a school as a way of bringing in people to teach, as well as to help showcase their products. Sadly, this didn’t work out and their going out of business forced Pete’s hand to make a go of it on his own.

Finding The Right Water

One of the biggest problems for guides in this country is having suitable water to guide and teach their clients on. Each area of the country is different, in terms of what is available. In Devon, much of the water is tied up in syndicates as opposed to fishing clubs, making access significantly more difficult. luckily, DSOFF has, in effect, exclusive use of the Fox & Hounds Hotel’s water. This all came about after Pete had a chance conversation with the owners of the Fox & Hounds, in Chulmleigh. The hotel has an historic association with fishing on the Taw that dates back to just after the Second World War.