ABOUT FLYRUN FISHING HOLIDAYS

FLYRUN Fishing Holidays was founded by James Hatto with a simple idea: good fishing trips do not happen by accident. They happen when anglers are on the right water, at the right time, with the right people.

James’s own fishing story started long before travel, lodges, guides, and far-flung rivers came into it. It began at a local pond, float fishing with worms and spending as many hours as possible by the water. As a young man, he was introduced to fly fishing on a small stillwater fishery. He still remembers his first rainbow trout taking a straight-lined buzzer so hard it nearly pulled the rod from his hands. That moment turned fishing from an interest into something much harder to shake.

When his family later moved to mid-Wales, James spent his teenage years exploring the rivers and lakes of the Elan Valley, learning to fish for wild trout and grayling. River fishing did not come easily at first. There were plenty of blank days, missed takes, poor decisions, and long walks home wondering what he should have done differently. But those years shaped the way he thinks about fishing: watch carefully, adapt to the conditions, and never underestimate the value of local knowledge.

Since then, James has spent more than 15 years fly fishing. He operates his own guiding business on the Welsh Wye and Usk, helping anglers of all abilities understand the water in front of them. He has also lived and worked a season in New Zealand, fished across Europe, New Zealand, and Asia, and planned remote backcountry expeditions where the day’s fishing depends on extensive research and being prepared for all eventualities.

FLYRUN Fishing Holidays exists because travelling anglers often face the same problem: there is a huge difference between going somewhere that looks good on paper and being there when the fishing is actually right. The wrong week, the wrong river section, or the wrong guide can turn an expensive trip into a frustrating one.

Our role is to close that gap.

We match anglers with trusted local guides, suitable destinations, and seasonal opportunities that fit the kind of fishing they actually want to do. Whether that means technical trout fishing, wild rivers, remote backcountry water, or a guided holiday somewhere less obvious, every recommendation is shaped by experience, research, and honest conversations with people who know their home waters properly.

Flyrun is also built on transparency. There are no hidden mark-ups. You pay the same rate as booking direct with the lodge or operator, and our service costs you nothing extra. If there is a promotion or better deal available, we will tell you.

We also believe fishing travel should support the places that make it possible. That is why 10% of FLYRUN’s profits go towards wild fish conservation, including organisations such as the Wild Trout Trust and the Wye & Usk Foundation.

At its heart, FLYRUN is for anglers who want more than a trip that simply looks good online. It is for people who want to arrive with confidence, fish with purpose, and spend their time on water that truly suits them.