There has been quite a lot of interest in fly fishing recently with several bookings from interested beginners. Margaret Forrest is shown here teaching casting.

We also had Bob and Vera Carlson and Edwin and Michelle Owen (all fly fishing instructors) testing out a new weight forward line which makes casting easier for beginners.

On both occassions there was a lot of sedge hatchings in the margins.

Recently spotted this flower on the fishing lake and didn’t know what it was. Looking in the guide books suggests a Common Hemp nettle Galeopsis tetrahit .

Staff from Myerscough college recently held an away day at Forrest Hills which included a morning of fly fishing with instruction by Margaret Forrest (who often teaches at Forrest Hills) followed by an afternoon of golf.

The swallows nesting in the resource centre are progressing and looking slightly less alien. It is amazing how much they develop in a week. Meanwhile others in one of the older buildings have already fledged. One particular family can usually be seen as a gang of four sitting together on a wire fence or in a tree, occasionally still being fed by a parent.

This year there seems to have been more swallows, swifts and house martins than usual. They are a pleasure to watch in the evenings as they fly low over the ground and in amongst the buildings.

Spotted this damselfly on the edge of the fishing lake. It is probably a relatively common Blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura elegans though other suggestions welcome.

On June 18th Steve Rajeef was at Forrest Hills where he demonstrated his distance and accuracy casting skills, which have won him various world titles.  The afternoon, organised by G-Loomis and Shimano Felindre, included the chance to try out equipment.

On Friday 18th June 2010 there will be a fishing demonstration at Forrest Hills organised by Shimano Felindre. Drop in between 2 and 7pm to see the equipment and demos. The fishing lake will be open as normal for our customers.

Our rescued bat was returned fit and well by Gail Armstrong on Friday. He was much livelier than when we last saw him. Gail is a licensed bat handler and runs courses for people interested in knowing more about the techniques.

A vigilant fisherman spotted this soprano pipistrelle bat hanging from one of the trees round the fishing lake with a hook in its mouth. After cutting it down Gail Armstrong our local bat consultant came to the rescue and cut the hook away and gave it some water.

Gail took it with her to keep an eye on its recovery and hopefully it will be returned in the next few days.

With the lake finally thawing, the last few days have seen a few people out and their efforts have been rewarded with plenty of fish caught. Sinking lines seem to be effective with montanas and damsel nymphs most successful.

This past Sunday the 15th of March, forrest hills welcomed the north-west fly fishers for a fishing competition on our lake.

The weather (although not showing on these photographs!) was clear and bright, perfect for a day of fishing.

Between them the North-West fly fishers caught an impressive 55 Rainbow trout!