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About Martin Cottis
Profile
There are few
anglers in England who can match Martin's expertise
on Chew Valley and Blagdon Lakes. He is an undisputed
expert and renowned throughout the country for his
dry-fly fishing skills.
Martin has an
unmatched record of having won the B.R.F.F.A. (Bristol
Reservoirs Fly Fishers Association) Orvis competition
no less than four times, and has also won all of their
other domestic competitions. He has represented England
at Loch Style Home International level and fishes
for the Bristol Reservoirs Fly Fishers Association
team, who are undoubtedly the most successful outfit
in British competition fly fishing. With the team,
Martin has won two Benson and Hedges Gold Medals and
one Silver Medal. He was also in the Wychwood Team
Challenge winning side of 1995 and was a member of
the team that won the Welsh Water Championships in
1995 and 1996.
Biography
My fishing career
started very early, when I accompanied my father,
a keen coarse angler, on regular trips to the River
Thames, Tring Reservoirs and the Hampshire Avon. As
an enthusiastic bird watcher and insect collector
(I daren’t say entomologist!) I soon realised
that fishing was a great way of following all of these
interests and it was not long before I was venturing
out by myself or with a couple of school friends to
the numerous gravel pits in the area, on the edge
of London, where I grew up. As our fishing progressed,
we ventured further, the River Mole being a particular
favourite bike ride (over fifteen miles from home,
but worth it as there was something special about
our club stretch!)
Soon we were
booking trips to Ireland, and on one such visit, I
was introduced to the gentle art of fly-fishing. Within
twenty minutes of starting this strange new technique,
I was fortunate enough to have a sea-trout grab my
fly and show me what I had been missing for the first
thirteen years of my life! I progressed - if that
is the word, to the reservoirs around London - Barn
Elms, Kempton Park (my particular favourite in the
early days, and handily convenient for me at only
a mile and a half from my house), and later on the
Queen Mother. I was at college in Kent when Bewl Bridge
reservoir opened, and it wasn’t long before I
started to fish the amazing sedge hatch-evening rises
on a regular basis.
Having qualified
as a teacher, I moved on to Wiltshire, where I was
very lucky to get the exclusive use of a small stretch
of Upper Avon, and I spent many happy seasons watching,
fishing and enjoying the river and its occupants.
Work moved me on to Bristol, and my love affair with
the Bristol reservoirs began - such quality fish,
so free-rising, so hard fighting! But a challenge
to catch when they were high in the water as evening
set in!
I had the opportunity
to realise a dream in 1998, and took a teaching post
in New Zealand. I worked in a small town on the South
Island, and had the most amazing fishing year of my
life! Trout to over fifteen pounds from the rivers
(mostly on dry-fly), polaroiding the gin clear shallows
of the lakes, eels to twenty pounds plus from almost
any river, amazing variety of sea fish on flies (including
escapee Atlantic salmon!). It’s a wonder that
I actually came back to England!
On my return,
in 1999, I took my Salmon and Trout Association national
certificate in trout fishing and casting instruction,
and in fly tying. I left teaching and set up as an
instructor/guide on my local waters. I have a fantastic
‘office’ in Chew Valley and Blagdon lakes,
and consider myself a lucky person to have such a
job.
I fish the local
river for chub and pike and many a Sunday evening
as dusk approaches, you will find me and my two children,
Philip and Claire fishing our favourite spots with
great hunks of cheese paste out in expectation!
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