Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Trout & Salmon

NO. 11 JOHN GODDARD (1923-2013) John Goddard was a successful big-game fisherman and the manufacturer of Efgeeco tackle-boxes for coarse anglers, but he is better known to most of us as an expert in aquatic entomology, and an innovative fly-tyer. Halford, Mosely, Skues, West and others showed us the importance of imitating the natural fly in its various stages, but as an expert photographer Goddard was able to take this much further, publishing Trout Fly Recognition in 1966, and following it with Trout Flies of Stillwater in 1969. Later he refined this information in his Waterside Guide, and the encyclopaedic Trout Flies of Britain and Europe. In 1980 he teamed up with co-author Brian Clarke and publisher Timothy Benn to produce The Trout and the Fly: a New Approach,…

The amount of grayling reared at the Environment Agency’s National Fish Farm last year. The fish were stocked into 11 English rivers, although the agency declined to name them. Regional EA departments must “prove that stockings will benefit a fishery” and the numbers the farm produces is adjusted on a three-year rolling programme. The farm’s work is funded by the fishing licence. Interestingly, by contrast, in 2018 360,000 salmon and 20,000 sea-trout were released from the Kielder Salmon Centre into River Tyne tributaries to compensate for the building of the Kielder reservoir which cut off the salmon’s access to spawning grounds.…

ARGUABLY, NO salmon fishery in the UK has done more to attract anglers in recent years than Meikleour and Upper Islamouth on the Tay. The beat, near Perth, marks the transition from the lower to the middle river and begins at the mouth of the Isla, a huge natural holding pool. The beat is “new” because its enterprising owners added the upper half of Islamouth bend to the linear Meikleour beat six years ago. This was the first step in a transformation of the fishery. At the helm throughout has been co-owner Claire Mercer Nairne. As many salmon fisheries face troubled times, we asked her what steps she has taken to ensure her beat continues to thrive. T&S: You’ve made big changes in recent years – how did it all…

■ It’s a Kate Maclaren with a pinch of gold dubbing in front of it. It really is that simple. ■ Dub the Lite-Brite or Ice-Dub as finely and tightly to your thread as possible, then wrap the rope as tightly as you can to form the head. This will make a more durable fly. ■ As always, when using seal fur and Ice-Dub, give the dubbing a good raking with velcro to bring the pattern to life. ■ To accentuate the natural curve of the golden pheasant topping, wet the selected feather, then place it on the corresponding curve of the neck of a wine bottle and leave it to dry.…

BLACK UV BACK Hook Size 8-12 Kamasan B175 or Tiemco 2457 Body Black thread Rib 0.09mm silver wire Back Medium UTC ice blue tinsel Cheeks Medium orange holographic tinsel Thorax Black thread Varnish 3-4 coats over whole fly QUILL BUZZER Hook Size 10 Kamasan B175 Body Black 6/0 Uni thread with natural stripped peacock quill wound over in open turns Rib Silver wire Thorax Black 6/0 Uni thread Cheeks Sunburst goose biots Collar Red holographic tinsel Varnish 3-4 coats over whole fly COPPER HOLO CURLY BUZZER Hook Size 10-12 Kamasan B175 or Tiemco 2457 Body Black thread Rib 0.09mm silver wire Cheeks Fine copper holographic tinsel Thorax Brown thread Wingcase Black floss Varnish 3-4 coats over whole fly CORRIB OLD SCHOOL Hook Size 10-12 Kamasan B175 or Tiemco 2457 Body…

Q With the sedge season on rivers approaching, can you explain in more detail the “sparkle” effect of pupae rising to the surface, referred to in a previous Surgery, and how I might replicate it? Derek Yardley, by e-mail AI was referring to Gary La Fontaine, an American entomologist, fly-tyer and fisherman who would go to great lengths to solve problems arising from catching feeding trout. He would lie on the riverbed in his diving gear and watch the river from the fish’s viewpoint. He noticed that ascending pupae sparkled as they made their way to the surface. Further investigation showed that the sparkles came from air bubbles trapped around the body of the pupa. Experiments with reflective materials did not produce a similar effect underwater so another solution had…

IN THE SUMMER WHEN YOU are faced with a lack of hatching insects you should fish earlier and later in the day. Sometimes much earlier and much later. I used to fish hard and go home exhausted mid-afternoon until an experienced angler suggested that I waited for the evening rise. I did and I enjoyed a fantastic evening rise to emerging midges. You are more likely to see insects emerging early or late because low light levels reduce predation. Don’t confine your fishing to the evening. In the early morning, midges emerge and fish mop up spent spinners from the previous night Night fishing can be weird. In New Zealand I fished a rip where a small river entered Lake Taupo. Swinging silicone smelt patterns through the current brought heavy…

We are delighted to report that our disabled anglers’ platform on the River Moy has produced its first salmon. The successful angler is 83-year-old Celia Fry from Wiltshire. She tempted the 10lb fresh-run fish with a worm and battled the strong salmon for almost 15 minutes from her wheelchair. Celia and her brother Reg Bishop are regular visitors to the Moy in Foxford, Co Mayo. For 30 years they made the journey to Ireland a few times every year, eventually buying a holiday home here so they could spend more time fishing their beloved river. Shortly after Celia landed her springer, another UK disabled angler, Barry Prince, hooked another big springer, but after playing the fish for a few minutes the springer made good his escape. John O’Connor, East Mayo…

West Coast wilderness With spectacular rugged scenery, clear coastal waters and an abundance of wildlife, the Knoydart Peninsula on Scotland’s west coast in Inverness-shire is one of the last great wildernesses on mainland Britain. Since there is no road network, access is via the Mallaig-Inverie passenger ferry. Inverie is on the north shore of Loch Nevis and on the north-western boundary of the Kilchoan Estate, which is now for sale. Situated 55 miles north-west of Fort William and 108 miles south-west of Inverness, it extends to just under 11,000 acres with sporting leases on a further 2,160 acres and a small in-hand farm of 20 Highland cattle. There are seven houses and cottages, most of which form part of a self-catering holiday letting business. Kilchoan is renowned for its red…

RIVERFLY EMERGENCY Salmon & Trout Conservation has published the Riverfly Census National Report, the conclusion of three years of professional sampling and analysis of invertebrate life in 12 English and Welsh rivers. Its benchmark results are stark: • 75% of caddis fly species are in decline • 54% of stonefly species are in decline • 44% of dragonfly and damselfly species are in decline • 40% of mayfly species are in decline. It identifies chemical pollution, fine sediment and phosphorous as the main “pressures” on insect life. More than 300,000 chemicals are currently in use in the UK, but rivers are only checked for 45 of them. Soil is being lost from land ten times faster than it is being created. Some 45 per cent of rivers in England exceed…

April 1 saw the passing, aged 65, of Anthony Bolstrum, of Baile-na-hAbhann in Galway, Ireland. He was a popular regular and a gillie for many years on the Costello and Fermoyle fishery. Anthony claimed he was taught to fish by a monk from the Christian Brothers, and was fascinated by the long traditions of fishing for “white trout” and salmon in the Fermoyle lakes, made famous by Kingsmill Moore’s classic A Man May Fish. He was devastatingly effective with a team of three huge Bumbles fished on a short line from a drifting boat. Anthony was great company and always immaculately turned out in a tweed hat. He would proudly show fellow fishermen his antique collection of early 20th Century sea-trout flies. He will be remembered for his wry sense…

Trout & Salmon has teamed up with The Game Fair to give away ten pairs of adult tickets (worth £68 per pair) to one day of the countryside festival, being held this year on Friday-Sunday, July 26-28. Now in its 61st year, The Game Fair will have plenty to hook fishermen when it returns for the second time to Hatfield House in Hertfordshire. For those who want to learn how to cast a fly-rod, tie a fly or simply catch a fish for the first time, the three-day annual celebration of the great British countryside is the place to be. Keen anglers can pick up tips and advice from some of the best in the business; watch expert demonstrations from celebrity fishermen and women; get old fishing tackle valued; win…

Releasing a salmon quickly and preserving the memory with a photograph can be tricky. Follow these guidelines to make sure your fish has the best chance of survival. Before fishing a pool, identify where you can land the fish safely. Somewhere without sharp rocks or grit, which can harm the fish’s protective mucous and scales. Play and land fish quickly to avoid exhausting them. Using a net is preferable and keep the fish in the water at all times. Do not drag it up the bank. Use a net with fish-friendly knotless mesh. Never lift the fish by its tail or gills. Ensure your hands are wet. Use long-nosed forceps to remove the hook quickly and minimise contact with the fish. If a fish is deeply hooked, near its gills,…

Helmsdale season: January 11–September 30. Rods on the private beats are rarely available from April onwards, but there are occasional openings in February and March when there's a good chance of a fish. Chris fished on the Kildonan Estate. Check availability through Roxtons sporting agency. Tel (James Dent): 01488 689 788. E-mail: info@roxtons.com Web: roxtons.com Helmsdale Angling Association. This 1.5-mile town beat picks up plenty of fish and is especially good in low water. Tickets: £25 a day; £100 a week. Half-price for over-65s. From Glencoast tackle-shop (Yvonne Grant), Dunrobin Street, Helmsdale. Tel: 01431 821 372.…

I WAS PONDERING THE KNOTTY problem of knees. My knees specifically, right knee in particular. I’ll have to get something done about it sometime. I could really do with a new knee. But here’s the thing: a new knee, apparently, lasts about 20 years. Now, I’m planning to live a bit longer than 20 years. So, do I get a new knee now and start saving for another one? Or do I put up with the pain for a few years and then get a new knee - but I’d be really cross if, after putting up with the pain, I didn’t last 20 years. I was pondering this dilemma as I stumbled along the shore of Llyn Berwyn through a maze of bog and mossy tussocks that wrenched and…

THERE’S NOTHING FANCYOR startling about this fly. It’s back to basics with a twist. It was inspired by my friend, the head gillie on the Thurso, Geordie Doull. For those that don’t know Geordie, he’s a Caithness man born and bred. He’s been fishing in the Highlands and further afield for many years despite being (relative to me) a young man. About 35 years ago I lived and went to school in Tain and fished the Kyle of Sutherland and other nearby rivers. Having dallied on the Tweed for back-end salmon over the past 25 years, I returned to the sport with a vengeance around seven years ago. I’m now lucky enough to fish the Thurso at least twice a season and more if I get the opportunity. It was…

IN THE FAR northern wilderness of the Province of Quebec in Eastern Canada, two streams form the headwaters of the Grand Cascapedia river. The Lake Branch joins the Salmon Branch at the famous Forks pool. This is the beginning of the main stream of the Grand Cascapedia that runs swiftly through a succession of beautiful, mountainous landscapes and magnificent forests of fir trees and birches on its way to meet the sea in the Bay of Chaleurs. Many would describe the Grand Cascapedia as a near-perfect salmon river. In reputation, it ranks alongside the Alta in Norway and, like the Alta, its reputation was built on the backs of mighty Atlantic salmon. It holds the record for the heaviest average weight of fish among the Canadian rivers. In the early…

LAST SEASON WAS TOUGH. Long periods of unusually dry weather left many rivers low and clear. In these conditions fish naturally become more wary and the fishing become more challenging because migratory species are generally not in the river in the numbers they would be were there more water. This is something understood by anyone who fishes for salmon or sea-trout. However, why is it that salmon tend to move upstream when the flow increases? If, like last summer, the flow remains low for long periods, how does this affect fish attempting to swim upstream to spawn? TRIGGERS TO SALMON MIGRATION There has been much investigation into the factors that stimulate salmon to move upstream and studies have found myriad triggers, including the state of the tide, temperature, time of…

Write to the editor Trout & Salmon, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Or e-mail: troutandsalmon@bauermedia.co.uk Please include name, address, work and home telephone numbers. A handful of beads I have just bought some tungsten beads that were packed in a small plastic bag, which was inside a larger plastic bag with the producer’s name and information on it. This was then put in a small plastic carrier bag and handed to me over the counter. Three layers of plastic for a dozen small beads. I refused the carrier bag. As fisher folk we all benefit from the abundance nature offers us. Without healthy rivers, lakes and seas we have no fish and no fishing. Our sport would die out. We now all know that single-use plastic is seriously damaging…

England & Wales BORDER ESK THE season opened on April 1 but conditions have been far from ideal. There was a small spate on April 5 and this encouraged some anglers on to the riverbanks. No fish were reported from the Esk and Liddel Angling Club waters. Usually the first flood in May brings in some early sea-trout and salmon. Each subsequent rise of water will encourage fish to run. I did hear of two spring fish caught on the Burnfoot beat in rather testing conditions. Buccleuch Estates bailiff Peter Kinstrey told me that that things were very quiet on the river. No fish seen and very few rods out. This will change after the next good spate. It is expected that decent runs of fish will come on the…

West Learmouth, Coldstream The beat is two-thirds of a mile long just above Cornhill-on-Tweed and is fished by two rods. It fishes well in medium to low water and enjoys a good arrangement with the opposite bank (Learmouth) where the two best pools, Learmouth Stream and Back of the Wall, alternate each day on am/pm basis. Therefore you do not have any opposition when fishing these prime pools. There is a hut with toilet, plenty of parking space and easy access from the main road. A boat is available with a full-time experienced gillie. Contact: Tom Carter FishPal, 01573 470 612. Buy tickets: fishpal.com…

THOSE OF US WHO UNDERTAKE the art of the angle are often asked by those who don’t what the point of the whole thing is. “Why,” they cry, “do you do it?” And in the present circumstances it is becoming an increasingly difficult question to answer. Especially in the context of salmon fishing. I have just come back from another fishless expedition. The weather was adequate. The water was fine. The temperature and pressure were aligned. We had rods, lines, tips and leaders and boxes and boxes and boxes of flies. More flies than you could shake a stick at. All that was required to complete the picture was a few fish and of these there was no sign whatever. So there we were, standing in a very senior river…

Deer legs are being used to attract insects to feed salmon fry in an Aberdeenshire Dee tributary. Bundles of five or six legs have been pinned to the streambed in 16 locations on the River Muick. The three-year trial is being led by scientists from the James Hutton Institute working with the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and Trust. The number of returning salmon has fallen in recent years and it’s hoped the legs will compensate for the lack of spawned-fish carcasses that naturally provide food for invertebrates. Where rivers lack dead adult salmon there are fewer insects, fry are smaller and belong to fewer genetic families. A lack of genetic diversity can threaten salmon survival. The legs of the deer are locally butchered and would normally be buried. Acting…

For charm and tradition, tweed has no equal. It will keep you warm and dry, provide camouflage and outlast synthetic clothing. Could this be the year you treat yourself to a sporting jacket or suit? Gillies know the benefit of tweed and many are clothed by The Guardians of Tweed, Campbell’s of Beauly, near Inverness – tailors and country outfitters since 1858. Campbell’s was awarded a Royal Warrant to HM The Queen in 2017 and has made clothes for members of the Royal Family, famous faces, as well as many a gillie and gamekeeper. The firm is owned by John and Nicola Sugden, who employ a team of seven in the shop’s bespoke tailoring workshop. Customers can choose from hundreds of tweeds, differing in yarn, weight, pattern and style. The…

CHARLES DICKENS MUST HAVE fished for spring salmon. Whatever else could have inspired his opening to A Tale of Two Cities? “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I’ll spare you the age of foolishness, the winter of despair and the spring of hope. There’s a long way to go, I fear, before we see improving salmon runs. And yet, amid the gloom, there were personal memories this year to illuminate the darker months ahead, not least a 22lb fresh-run beauty caught on the Spring Home Beat at Darnaway on the Findhorn in April. We’d had some success on the Monday with fish hanging around after a spate before heading up to the gorge sections of the beat, but the water was falling, with no…

THE SEA-TROUT FLIES WITH which I experiment most are undoubtedly surface lures. The reason is simple: they are the hardest to get right – and they need to be right to maximise their effectiveness and hooking efficiency. Surface lures are deadly. If you enjoy night-time fishing for sea-trout then you probably have a handful in your arsenal. If you don’t, it’s something you need to rectify because they will often get a reaction and prevent a blank night. They work throughout the year and are worth trying in all conditions, but they are most effective when the water is warmer and later in the season. The most important attribute of a surface lure, beyond creating a wake, is that it fishes “in” rather than “on” the surface. This may sound…

IN NOVEMBER 2015 IN THIS column, I shared the stupefying news that the Kate Maclaren had been improved. I suspect some of you are still shocked. Well, sit yourself down and take a deep breath because here comes another Kate variant. If you read my Improved Kate piece at the time, you’ll recall that the so-called improvements were just minor tweaks that harmonised the colours and, to my mind at least, made the fly a viable option in a wider variety of situations. My confidence in the pattern was renewed and boosted - an improvement for me, heresy for some. This variant, the Lite-Brite Kate, was lifted from the box of friend and T&S contributor Colin Riach on our first Orkney trip in 2011. Colin wasn’t sure of its exact…

IT IS 1912 AND THE CARRIAGES clatter over the first river bridge in the valley. Excitement grows in one carriage, almost in harmony with the train’s increasing speed. England quickly fades as Wales comes into full view. The railways are to carry men to darker destinations in a Europe thrown into turmoil, but, for now, the holiday mood is happy, much discussion taking place about newly-tied creations and the latest cane rods with which to wield them. The gentlemen gaze down at coppiced banks, festooned with bluebells above dark deep pools, and wonder… Wonder they might, for this very private lower water is inaccessible to them. They are members of the Upper Tanat Fishing Club (UTFC), based near the river’s headwaters, whose first meeting was held in 1905 after what…

Bright, thin and waxy Semperfli has launched a lightly waxed and lightly twisted thread in fluorescent orange, red, yellow and green. Importantly, it comes in three sizes, including regular 8/0 and 6/0, but also in 12/0 (thinner) for smaller and more intricate patterns. Being lightly twisted the thread lies flatter and is easier to split to form a dubbing loop than most other threads. It is also strong with 20 per cent stretch. The amount of wax helps to grip materials and the hook shank. We can’t fault it. With 240 yards on each bobbin, it’s a snip at £2.99. Use it for hot-spots, tags, ribs, bodies and heads on everything from tiny dry-flies to salmon and saltwater patterns. SEMPERFLI FLUORO CLASSIC WAXED THREAD £2.99 Semperfli. Tel: 01757 333 001.…