With the Casting Weekend at Edinburgh Angling Centre Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August 2026 bringing together fly anglers, instructors and some of the biggest names in game fishing, we caught up with Jim Fearn to talk about his own angling life.
Jim will be joining Simon Gawesworth on Saturday and Martyn Robinson across the weekend, helping customers with their casting and showcasing the latest rods and fly lines from Sage, Vision and RIO Products. It is a chance to try a range of single and double-handed outfits on the store’s accessible 70ft casting pond, but Jim’s experience goes far beyond simply putting a longer line in the air.
From his early days on the River Ribble to guiding on Scotland’s great salmon rivers, Jim has built a lifetime around fishing, casting and helping other anglers understand what is really happening at the end of their line.
What got you started fishing?
“I’ve always been fascinated by fishing for as long as I can remember. My late uncle Tom taught me how to fly fish when I was about 12.”
Jim’s home water is the River Ribble in Lancashire, just a couple of miles from his door. By his mid-20s, after passing APGAI, now known as AAPGAI, he knew that he wanted to make his living in angling.
That instructor background has remained central to his career, taking him into guiding, casting tuition and eventually the development and demonstration of fly-fishing tackle for some of the sport’s biggest brands.
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What is the most common mistake you see?
Part of Jim’s beginner tuition is aimed at trout anglers making the step up to double-handed rods. In his experience, good trout fly anglers generally become good salmon anglers, although the change in casting style can take a little adjustment.
“From a Spey-casting point of view, trout fly fishers can struggle with taking the backward speed out of the cast. They’re so used to the relatively fast back cast of an overhead cast.”
It is easy to concentrate entirely on the cast, especially when learning to use a double-handed rod, but Jim believes that putting the fly out is only one part of the puzzle.
One of the most common corrections he makes with guiding clients has less to do with casting distance and more to do with what happens once the fly lands.
“It is surprisingly common amongst salmon fishers that they are not totally sure what their fly should be doing in terms of speed, depth and angles.”
Understanding how to manipulate those three things is also the lesson Jim wishes he had learned earlier. A beautiful cast may look impressive, but it still needs to put the fly in the right place and make it fish effectively.
If you could catch only one more fish, what would it be?
There was no hesitation from Jim.
“It would have to be an Atlantic salmon, fresh from the sea.”
One recent fish from the lower Spey shows exactly why salmon retain such a hold over him. It was the first fish of the week and, after being hooked, charged into a dead tree in the tail of the pool on the far side of the river.
Jim was convinced that the salmon had snagged him and was gone. Somehow, the fish came free from the submerged branches and the connection held. The reward was a sparkling fresh salmon of around 14lb to 15lb.
And what about the one that got away?
That fish came on Jim’s local river this spring. He had it on for some time and was preparing to net it when the hook pulled free.
It turned out to be his only chance of a local springer this season. Every angler knows that feeling, and the fish lost close to the net often stays in the memory just as clearly as the ones successfully landed.
Does it only count on the fly?
For salmon and trout, Jim is firmly a fly-only angler, but his wider outlook on fishing is refreshingly broad.
“To my mind, fishing is fishing and skills definitely transfer to different species. I’ve fly-fished for all the game species in the UK, but I also sea fish for cod in winter and I’ve really got into bass fishing over the last couple of seasons.”
Different styles of fishing teach different lessons. Reading the water, controlling a lure or fly, recognising a take and understanding how fish respond to conditions are skills that can travel surprisingly well between species.
How does Scottish fishing compare?
Jim has fished around the world, but he would still choose to fly fish Scotland’s great rivers over anywhere else.
“They’re steeped in fly-fishing history, and I always feel privileged to fish rivers such as the Spey, Dee, Tweed and Tay.”
The Tay is next on his own fishing itinerary, although his approach to angling has changed slightly over the years. The passion is still there, but he has become more relaxed about his own results and now takes genuine pleasure from helping somebody else catch.
What is the most important bit of kit in your tackle bag?
Jim rates the RIO MDC line highly because it casts well and covers a wide range of water heights and fishing techniques. His most treasured piece of tackle is a 12ft 6in Sage R8, while the discontinued item he would most like to see return is the Vision Ace Shooting Head.
His involvement in the tackle industry grew naturally from his work as an instructor and his passion for fly casting. It is also what makes an event like the Casting Weekend useful. Anglers can compare outfits, ask questions and actually cast the equipment before deciding what suits them.
What has fishing taught you?
“I have learned most of my life lessons from fishing. Humility and respecting the countryside are two that spring to mind.”
Jim remains positive about angling’s future, particularly after seeing fishing become increasingly popular with youngsters across northern England. They are the future of the sport, and accessible events, patient instruction and the chance to try fishing for themselves can all help turn that first interest into a lifetime on the water.
Casting Weekend at Edinburgh Angling Centre
Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August 2026
Join Jim Fearn and Martyn Robinson for a free weekend of fly casting, tackle demonstrations and the chance to try the latest equipment from Sage, Vision and RIO Products.
- Free casting advice and lessons
- Single and double-handed outfits available to try
- Adult and junior casting competitions
- Separate competition categories open to all abilities
- Prizes from Vision, Sage and RIO Products
- PLUS SPECIAL GUEST Simon Gawesworth Saturday 10am - 3pm
Go on, give us a wee secret tip...
“Keep the faith, keep fishing, embrace the learning and you will catch fish.”
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