AFTER being stored away for the past five months, rods and reels are appearing for the trout fishing season.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all about the wrist action.

If you want to use your tackle well, a flick of the forearm gets the best results.

I’m standing on the banks of the River Tamar in Devon, trying to hook a trout from the fast-flowing water – and this is the advice from angling expert David Pilkington.

David and his 40-odd years experience of fishing these parts come as part of a package when staying at Britain’s most famous fishing hotel, The Arundell Arms, Lifton, close to the uplands of Dartmoor.

Patient and deeply passionate about his sport, David is an excellent teacher for beginners.

Whatever your level of fishing, he has seen every mistake dozens of times over and is a true gent sharing his expertise.

So after starting the day thrashing away like Miss Whiplash with a rod and giving myself Repetitive Strain Injury, David comes to my rescue.

He shows me how to make elegant “s” shapes with my line in the air, so I can plop my hook into the water almost 10 metres out.

Next I work on my range and my accuracy.

It’s no good just flinging out your fly and expecting a bite. Rivers are full of predators and fish don’t hang about where you, or bigger fish, can see them.

Fish like hiding in shaded areas under trees, where they can blend in, or in fast-flowing waters.

The more insights like this I get from David, the more competitive I become. It fuels my desire to hook a trout, outwit it, fight its pull and reel it in. This is the “sport” part, which more than 5million people in Britain are addicted to.

Fishing is so much more than sitting, bored for hours, at the side of a river, waiting for fish to take a fancy to your fly.

It’s about your tackle, your technique, getting inside the head of a fish and taking it on at its own game – that’s the thrill.

Dubbed the “contemplative man’s sport”, it’s about the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside – the sanctuary it provides from modern life.

In more than 40 years of ownership, Anne Voss-Bark has made The Arundell Arms, an 18th century coaching inn, a fisherman’s – or woman’s –  paradise.

The hotel owns more than 20 miles of private rivers for fly-fishing, which hotel guests have exclusive use of, as well as the three-acre Tinhay Lake containing brown and rainbow trout.

The hotel garden boasts a tackle shop in the form of a 250-year-old cockpit. Stock up on equipment or pop down and pick the brains of experts like David for tips.

After a day on the river bank, the hotel is a cosy place to retire to. The bar, with its roaring fire, is the perfect spot to discuss the day’s events and, in typical fishing style, exaggerate about the monsters that got away.

For dinner there’s Cornish sea bass or Devon ruby beef in the dining room, plus there’s pub grub in the bar.

Staying in a country hotel is always a pleasure, but coming away with a new passion in life makes this trip unforgettable.

PRICES

Parkmore Holiday Cottages
Luxury 4 star self catering accommodation located in the heart of Speyside, Scotland. Save up to 50% by booking a holiday or short break now
www.parkmorecottages.com

Hotel Cornwall Express By Holiday Inn ...
£59. Continental Breakfast. The newly refurbished Express by Holiday Inn Exeter...

Return Flight to ALICANTE from LONDON ...

Doubles start from £170 for bed-and-breakfast. A spring trout fishing break costs from £255 per person including two nights dinner, bed-and-breakfast and two days’ trout fishing.

To book visit arundellarms.com or ring 01566 784666.