From small stream adventures to city river discoveries, the Fly Fishing Duo, Millie & Ewan, share how it all began, why they love fishing as a pair and what excites them most about the season ahead.
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For anyone discovering the Fly Fishing Duo for the first time, how did it all begin and what made you want to document your time on the water together?
It started pretty naturally to be honest. We were always taking little clips and photos just for our own memories anyway. We loved looking back on them, so we thought we may as well start posting them too.
A big part of it though was hoping it might inspire more young people to give fly fishing a go! We’d hardly ever seen anyone our age fly fishing, so we wanted to show that it’s something young people can get into too. Plus people seemed to really like the fact we were just a young couple out on the water together, not taking it too seriously. So we just carried on. It’s never felt forced, it’s just us sharing what we already love doing.
You’ve been fishing the Helios 8’6” 4wt since September, what kind of situations has it really come into its own and what have you enjoyed most about using it?
The Helios 8’6” 4wt has been unreal on smaller rivers and tighter, overgrown banks.
It’s light, really responsive and just feels so nice to fish with. What we’ve both noticed is how accurate it is. When you cast, it literally goes exactly where you want it to go. It sounds dramatic but it genuinely feels like magic sometimes. If you pick a tiny gap between branches or aim for a specific seam, it just lands there! It’s especially good on small streams and urban rivers where presentation matters more than distance. It just makes those delicate drifts and smaller flies feel effortless.
As you look ahead to the new season, what are you most excited about and do you have any fun trips planned?
We’re honestly just excited for trout season full stop. We’re really excited to fish more in Derbyshire this year and properly make the most of it. There’s something about those rivers that just feels special, especially at the start of the season when everything’s waking up again.
We’re also really looking forward to getting back on our town stretches to see how the river’s changed over winter. It’s always interesting seeing what fish are still there, what’s moved in, and how different it all feels compared to last year.
We’re really excited about trying somewhere a bit different again. Last year we went to Madeira, which isn’t somewhere you instantly think of for fly fishing, and it ended up being amazing.
We’d love to replicate that feeling of going somewhere people don’t really talk about, figuring it out ourselves and exploring new water. We’ve got a couple of northern, more wilderness type trips in mind, so hopefully we can make one of those happen and document it!
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You often fish in urban settings as well as more traditional venues, what is it about city fishing that appeals to you and how does it change the way you approach a day on the water?
There’s something really special about finding wild fish right in the middle of towns. Those stretches are often overlooked, but they can be just as beautiful and rewarding as any other venue.
What appeals to us is the accessibility and the challenge. You’re discovering these hidden pockets of nature between concrete banks, bits of litter and people walking past who have no idea what’s living beneath the surface.
It definitely changes how we approach a day on the water. You have to be more aware, think carefully about access and presentation, and adapt constantly. It feels more like working things out as you go, which we both really enjoy. It makes every session feel slightly different.
Fishing as a pair is a big part of your story, how do you think sharing the experience together changes the way you approach a day on the water?
Before I met Millie, I used to fish a lot on my own and I did love it. But not as much as I do now.
Now it’s about the whole experience. Adventuring together, catching beautiful fish and actually being able to appreciate it properly with someone who understands why it means so much. It just makes it better.
It’s changed how we approach a day on the water as well. We talk everything through, help each other spot fish, try different things and learn off each other. It’s less intense and more about enjoying it. Even if one of us has a slow day, it still feels like a good one because we’ve shared it. (Even though we do bicker sometimes!) It’s still good fun.
You can follow along on Millie & Ewan’s fly fishing journey on Instagram @theflyfishingduo.
