Pro Team Member

Neville William Broad – England

Neville Broad from England is a passionate fly fisherman particularly specialising in saltwater fly fishing.  

 

He is 54 years young and have a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, and has been a passionate fly fisherman for the past 25 years.

 

Neville started fishing at the age of 7 years, and was a junior competitor on the South East UK saltwater bait fishing match scene. He says: “I always remember winning a Christmas open completion at 10 years of age beating adults anglers to a significant first place, which the judges in their wisdom gave me alcoholic prizes and not the more significant cash winnings.”   

 

Where Neville lives in the South of England there are superb opportunities for bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) on the fly in saltwater, which is arguably his favourite species to fish for. He has had numerous bass on the fly, whether it’s using sinking lines from boats or topwater methods in shallow harbours.

 

He also love sight fishing for mullet – This can be quite a challenge but something he has conquered for both thin and thick lipped species in estuaries as well as the open coasts of England and Ireland.

 

Neville regard learning new techniques, innovative ways of thinking and meeting passionate anglers as very important.  

He has been blessed to have fly fished many parts of the globe including Canada (largemouth and smallmouth bass), Ireland (European bass, mullet, pollock, wrasse), Mexico (Bonefish and Tarpon), Norway (Coalfish, Cod, Halibut and Pollock), and the USA (largemouth bass, bluefish, bonita, false albacore and striped bass).  Neville is also a contributing writer for Sea Angler magazine.

 

Some of Nevilles proudest fly fishing achievements have been winning the UK Saltwater Fly Fishing Festivals of 2016 and 2017, as well as runner up in the 2021 Orvis UK Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival – as Neville says: “I guess I do have a competitive side!”

In September 2021 he caught a 164.5cm halibut in shallow Norwegian saltwater on a pink streamer pattern using a 12wt fly rod – as you can imagine it still feels like a dream (come true) for him….

The photo of that great catch is taken  by Stina Didriksen. In the photo you see Neville together with his Guide; Jonny Stephenson from “Wild Pursuit Guiding”. (If you missed the fish you need glasses…..)

 

Neville personally believe the future significant advancement in fly fishing will be radical fly line development, where he envisage thinner lines with enormous casting distance potential but not spooking fish upon landing and minimising glare…….just like we design most of the flylines at A.Jensen.

 

My Favorit Gear

Light Coastal – Mullet, Light Bass, Bonefish

Rod:

Diablo in 9′ #

 

I
love the lightness of this rod, though it is fast, it does have subtlety to
enable delicate placement of flies such as shrimps so as not to disturb weary
mullet.  it has a beautiful finish and benefits from oversized, quality
guides. 

Reel:

The NEWTON reel.

The perfect match to the Diablorod.

 

My Favourite flies:

Apps Bloodworm, Spectra Shrimp, Maggot fly, Crazy Charlie, small Clouser minnow

 

SALTWATER BASS AND POLLOCK

Rod:

Viper 8′ # 8 and 8′ # 9

These allow me to cast big and bulky flies as easy as possible, and to have a lot of power in the bottom of the rod to battle the big ones. At the same time the rod should be as light as possible, as tossing big flies all day can be hard work.

I mainly use the 9 wt unless the conditions are harsher (eg more wind). 

 

I love the fact that A Jensen has included 2 sections of rubber cork in the handle at points where you put most pressure while casting. This is to support the grip and you hand the best possible way.

Phantom 8′ # 9

 

This will for sure be my new “Go to” rod. Incredible light and powerful at the same time. Design and fittings are tailormade for this kind of fishing. 

 

Reel:

daVinci Reel

FAVOURITE FLIES:

 

Deceivers, Clouser Minnows, Bend Backs, Gurglers

Best catches

Saltwater

Bonita 4 Kg (From USA)

Bonefish: 2.3 Kg (From Turks and Caicos)

Cod: 9 Kg  (From Norway)

European Bass 3.4 Kg (from UK) 

False Albacore: 5.44 Kg (From USA) 

Halibut: 164.5cm (From Norway) 

Thick Lipped Mullet 3.4 Kg (From UK) 

Thin Lipped Mullet 1.81 kg (From UK)

Pollock 4.3 Kg (from Ireland)

Tarpon: 18.3 Kg (From Ascension Bay, Mexico)

 

 

 

Freshwater


Brown Trout: 4.54 Kg (From UK)

Chub: 1.8 Kg (From UK) 

Grayling: 1.35 Kg (From Sweden)

Largemouth Bass: 4.53 Kg (From USA) 

Rainbow Trout: 5.44 Kg (From UK) 

 

Smallmouth Bass: 2.72 Kg (From Canada)