We had again about twenty participants and again “Benelux” and “UK” team.

I was fishing mainly in the Vltava 29P, I remember one afternoon, when after a very hot day came a short storm with heavy rain which flushed pray from trees to the water which was followed by amazing activity of fish and we caught a lot of brown trouts and brook trouts. I also remember that I explained to one group from the UK team, that they had to be very careful during wading in the water, as bottom was slimy and pools were very deep and after this speech I made one step and I slipped and fell to the deepest pool in this section and only my cap was flowing on the surface. Guys very appreciated this suggestive demonstration and after they stopped laughing, they helped me out from water

Second day I had another group from UK and there were two women. Susan Sissons, member of Lake Ladies Team of England, and Chandra Brown. I remember a lovely afternoon, when we were sitting with Susan and her husband Paul on the boulders and trying to catch rising fish, which absolutely ignored our flies till I found in my box the right pattern (sedge size 18 with pearl tag) and we caught few nice browns.

Chandra had a special waistcoat with incorporated lifejacket with automatic system (later I found, that it is relatively common in UK), and I was fishing with her husband Robert and she was in front of us in a relatively deep pool. She hooked a good trout and when she tried to land the fish, the sensor touched the water and activated itself, Chandra flew out from water like a balloon and could not get to the bank as her legs lost contact with bottom. I and Robert could not help her, as we were laughing and could not move, finally she luckily “anchored” behind a stone and Robert said: a new bottle to the jacket costs 80 pounds

One week after the Masterclass my son František was born, so it was very good June.

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It was the first Masterclass taking part in Rožmberk. We had 23 participants and they could be divided to three groups:  “Benelux” team, “UK” team and team “Australia” traveling to the World Fly-fishing Championship in Norway. Guys from Australia had never seen grayling before, so they wanted to see that fish species and learn how to catch it and also to learn tactics for nymphing in large rivers. I remember, that we came to the Vltava river close to Dobra (Vltava 33) and they found a good grayling from the bank and one guy caught it by the really first cast.

I found during this course a good friend Robbie Bell from England. I visited Robbie the following summer during my family trip to Scotland and he also helped the Czech team as a guide during World Fly-fishing Championship held in Scotland. We spent a nice day together at Vltava 33, we caught few nice graylings and I remember that I explained to him, that grayling usually stays in the middle of the river comparing to brown trout, which prefers places close to banks, trees and stones. Except the situation, when there is a shallow part in the middle of the river and deep pool is close to the bank, like in that place in front of us. Since Robbie is a competitor and doesn´t like chattering, he said, “Really? OK Milan, lets show me the graylings”. I casted nymphs just behind a big stone close to the bank and the fish was there, lucky day…

I also met for the first time keen Belgian fishermen Mark Soncks and Paul Sinaert, who have not missed any next Masterclass.

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