Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i Trout & Salmon

Made with wild angelica, common bilberry and heather blossom, River Deveron Gin has been distilled to raise funds for the work of the Deveron, Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust. Trust director Richie Miller helped to refine the tipple’s taste and says that botanicals found growing on the banks of the river were used to “truly capture the Deveron’s essence”. To secure your bottle of Batch No.1 (£37.75, 70cl), call the trust office. Tel: 01466 711 388. Or e-mail: office@deveron.org The licenced sale day is July 27, but numbers are limited and you are advised to pre-order.…

CALLING ALL JUNIORS! Catch a salmon or trout and send us a picture of you and your fish, including details of its capture.…

NO. 13 TROUT AND SALMON FLY PATTERNS FOR IRELAND Traditional Irish flies, with their rough seal’s fur bodies and reliance on natural materials, were quite distinct from those of mainland Britain. There are few early written descriptions of them, but good information can be gleaned from the catalogues of tackle firms such as Hardy’s and Farlow’s. In the mid-20th Century two figures from the north of Ireland stand out. Tommy Hanna of Moneymore was an innovative designer of trout flies, particularly nymphs and dry-flies for the brown trout of the rivers of the north. His Fly-fishing in Ireland was published in 1933. Then, in 1946 the Derry Standard published local angler, E C Heaney’s Fly-fishing for Trout and Salmon on the Faughan. This (now scarce and expensive) little book…

THE KILLER SHRIMP, AN INVADER from Eastern Europe, was first discovered in Britain in Cambridgeshire in 2010. The name alone is enough to strike terror into anyone with an interest in preserving the ecological equilibrium of our waters. As it turns out Dikerogammarus villosus, to give it its fancy Latin name, is deadlier than originally thought but not only for the reason its nickname suggests. How it arrived here is unclear but the consensus seems to coalesce around the ballast water of commercial shipping. The shrimp, which originates from the Caspian and Black Seas, is hardy; it can survive out of water for five days, attaching itself limpet-like to boats, birds and the kit of anglers once in its new country. It is much bigger than our native Gammarus -…

Tickets: For anyone interested in hooking their own monster, the beat that Toby fished is part of the Wye and Usk Fishing Passport scheme and is called Bucknell: fishingpassport.co.uk/fishing/severn/ river-teme-bucknell Severn Rivers Trust plans to add fishing on the Teme to its passport scheme, so it will be worth checking its website in the future: severnfisheries.com/ Tackle: Standard river trout tackle (8ft 4wt) will suffice; however, due to the clear water Toby recommends long leaders through to 5lb tippet. Match the hatch with your flies, cover as much water as possible through the day and keep your eyes peeled for fish on station, as well as rising.…

AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, THE ART OF dry-fly fishing is poetry in motion. Human and rod become one; every movement appears effortless; every action happens without a second’s thought. But this elegance is only achieved after much practice. Dissect a skilled fisher’s movements and behaviour and you will discover important nuances. Here I’ve identified a few of these subtleties in the hope they may lead you to greater enjoyment on the water. 1 DON’T LIFT LINE IN FRONT OF A FISH Fly-fishing requires hand-eye coordination and mistakes are inevitable, but if you make a poor cast, let line and leader pass over the trout’s lie before lifting to make another cast. A fish is generally looking upstream when feeding and therefore lifting line within its window of vision warns it…

Wyresdale Anglers have seven miles of fishing on the River Wyre for salmon, sea-trout and wild brown trout. They also own three stocked lakes with five boats on Scorton Lake and the incomparable facility of Springfield, the Georgian country house in Scorton. Find more details at wyresdale-anglers.co.uk. For enquiries contact John Marsh on 07958 235 086 or e-mail: johnrmarsh27@gmail.com The club donates a day’s fishing for two rods to the annual auction of the Wild Trout Trust in March. Visit: wildtrout.org/content/auction-0…

Pickering Fishery Association has eight miles of river fishing on Pickering Beck, Thornton Beck and Oxfolds-Costa Beck. It also has two ponds: Paper Mill, which has two boats and is stocked with brown trout; and Pexton Pond, stocked with rainbows, but a few wild browns are present to over 6lb. The club has reciprocal tickets for rivers in Derbyshire, Yorkshire and the Tyne-Tees area. For a modest annual fee, the association offers a diverse range of excellent fishing – do consider joining this friendly club if you live within reach. Even if you’re not local, plenty of good accommodation is available for the visiting angler. Full membership is £145 per annum with a £72.50 joining fee. Disabled membership is £50 per annum with no joining fee. Junior membership is £15…

Sea-trout decline In the rush to save the salmon (Salmo salar) the iconic sea-trout (Salmo trutta), of the same family, seems to have been overlooked; certainly, that is the view of many anglers in North-east England who have seen sea-trout stocks decline rapidly in all North-east rivers over the last few years. As part of the recent Assessment of Salmon Stocks and Fisheries in England and Wales by the Environment Agency, all salmon stocks in English rivers were categorised as either At Risk, Probably at Risk, Probably Not at Risk or Not at Risk. In the North-east a similar exercise has been conducted for sea-trout stocks. The results are: The assessment of sea-trout stocks is significantly worse than the assessment of salmon stocks. So why is this happening and what…

When I heard the latest family story about my late Grandad Cosmo Barrett’s fishing fly – the Professor – I was encouraged to write. Recently, my first cousin Peter Barrett, Cosmo’s other grandson, travelled to Australia to visit his son Luke, with the personal challenge of catching a wild brown trout on a Professor in Tasmania. After finding a small stream, Peter and Luke set up their rods and noticed trout rising. After only ten minutes Peter had caught a small trout, followed by another soon afterwards. The next day father and son moved to another mountain stream and Luke hooked a trout only for it to get off before it could be landed. The Professor had tempted the fish to the surface. Cousin Peter recalls that his father Brian…

Sporting por retreat ghl in the Highlands If you seek solitude, Loch Monar, in Wester Ross on its boundary with Inverness-shire, is one of the most remote and spectacular places in the Highlands. At its western end, accessible only by boat, is the Pait and West Monar Estate that is now for sale. Beauly is 22 miles and Inverness 36. Monar, some 7½ miles long and half-a-mile wide in places, is a natural glacial loch enlarged in the 1960s when it was dammed at the eastern end to provide electricity. Ownership of Glenfarrar, in which it lies, is divided among three estates with access via a single-track tarmac private road open to the public between April and October with a limit of 25 cars a day. In winter months only…

DROP IN THE OCEAN Salmon & Trout Conservation believes the recent fine imposed on Southern Water for polluting waterways with wastewater is indicative of a wider pollution problem within the water industry. The utility was fined £3 million in June and will also pay each of its customers a rebate of £61 – a total sum of £123 million over five years. But the company has not been fined for the harm it has caused the environment, though the Environment Agency has begun a criminal investigation. S&TC says, “Although we have no evidence of similar operating practices in other water companies, it is fanciful to think they are all lily-white in their performance since privatisation. Some £55 billion has been paid to shareholders since privatisation, which would suggest the greatest…

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,…

The first pink salmon caught in the UK and Ireland this season was landed at Melly’s High Bank at the Drowes Fishery in Ireland on June 26. Hundreds of pinks (also known as humpbacks) were caught in UK and Irish rivers in the summer of 2017. A Pacific species, they are believed to have strayed from Russia or northern Norway where they were first stocked in the 1950s. They have a two-year life cycle and were expected to return this season – but how many? In 2017 they deposited eggs, but it’s thought unlikely that conditions are viable to support a breeding population. If you catch a pink – they are edible if very fresh – remove it from the river and report your catch to Inland Fisheries Ireland, the…

OU DON’T NEED TO HAVE READ OR experienced much in our sport to understand the underlying regard for aesthetics in appreciating a perfect day on the water. Yes, a fish always helps and some would argue quite reasonably that a handsome catch is the be-all-and-end-all of a successful fishing trip. For some the anticipation is enough, the feeling of what might be or, alternatively, what could have been after a fishless day. So many ingredients feed in to our love of fishing, not least the companionship of friends, a stimulating conversation over lunch and the ambience of our surroundings. I’ve fished in one or two grotty spots, particularly within the industrial landscape of West Yorkshire where I spent my youth, dodging old bikes and supermarket trolleys in streams lined with…

ON THE PENINSULA OF HIGHER land that juts into the sea just north and east of Lochmaddy on North Uist there are a string of hill lochs that make for a fine day out. Not least because the one furthest from the road, and back down at sea level on the southern tip, has a reputation for producing better-than-average trout. Known locally as the Lighthouse Loch, it’s named on the Ordnance Survey map as Sgapal. The easiest way to reach it is by boat from Lochmaddy village, most likely steered by an employee of the fish farm that lies offshore. On principle, however, given my view of the damage caused by these intensive farms, the only way to reach it was by Shanks’s pony, over the moral high ground, if…

Q I’ve been frustrated by the small number of taking fish that I hook when fishing down-and-across with Spiders and nymphs compared to upstream dry-fly or Spider and nymph fishing with an indicator. How can I improve my hooking rate? Eamon Delaney, by e-mail A As a schoolboy, I learned much from watching my father fish. He tried to teach me how to fish wet-flies downstream. With a 10½ft greenheart rod and silk line I simply cast out and let the current drift the flies. Such a heavy rod was always going to be held low despite my father insisting that I keep the rod-tip high to create a sag in the line that would allow a fish to turn on a fly before it felt much resistance. It was…

A CLASSIC GREEN HIGHLANDER, meticulously tied, such as the one sent to me by the editor (above), deserves its place in a frame. You might wish to mount a modern salmon fly, a family of trout patterns or a fly that’s lured a memorable fish. It might be destined for the study wall or a gift for a friend. Whatever your reason, framing a fly is something that anyone can achieve at minimal cost and with little preparation by following a few simple guidelines. There are many ready-made frames on the market suitable for the project. Look online or, better, visit an art shop where you can check dimensions and colours by eye. Most of the materials and tools I use can be bought from art shops. The most important…

Kincardine is a four-rod beat, offering more than two miles of right-bank fishing with 19 named pools. There is a fishing hut and one boat. Fishing: May 29-April 26, £250 per week. May 31-July 26, £1,050 per week. May 3-24, August 2-30, September 6-27, £750 per week (prices 2019). Contact: International Big Game and Bird Hunting Ltd. Tel: 01540 661 496 or 07710 238 750. Web: kiltarlity.com email: alihutchens@btinternet.com Tackle: Take a light double-hander or switch rod: 11ft-13ft, 7-9-weight. Apply midge-repellent if you’re fishing for sea-trout at night. Accommodation: Croft Kincardine is a luxury Scandinavian-style timber lodge overlooking the fishing, available separately, sleeping eight. Prices from £1,099 per week. Book at: greatnorthlodges.co.uk…

Bob Mortimer (“First Cast”, July) ought to ask his chum Paul Whitehouse to introduce him to the “art” of deep buzzer fishing under a bung. He’d have a float to watch and, hopefully, burnt fingers from a few reservoir bars of silver. And he wouldn’t need to cast very often. It’s a great way to get someone into fly-fishing, fairly undemanding and, importantly, usually successful. All the rest of the stuff we love can come later. Richard Barlow, Llandysul doesn’t affect people in their day-to-day lives because farmed salmon are still available in supermarkets and the threats to wild fish are not well known to the public. This is partly because government ministers and companies try to ‘quieten’ these ethical issues and also because it is a relatively recent issue…

Take the plunge this summer Paul Procter in his article “Trouting Under the Sun” (T&S August) extols the virtues of wet wading for summer trout. To remain mobile and explore upland rivers in the heat he advises using lightweight boots and neoprene socks combined with fast-drying shorts rather than hot, restrictive chest waders. It’s standard practice in the US and may become more common here as summers get hotter. Simms Flyweight boots are incredibly light and built for long hikes in and around the water. Their low cut gives freedom of movement and works well with neoprene wading socks (see picture). Vibram Idrogrip rubber outsoles provide good all-round grip and accept short Hardbite screw-in studs if you want extra traction. EVA midsoles cushion the impact of rocky ground and make…

England & Wales BORDER ESK ALMOST the day after I submitted my last report, the Border Esk came away in spate and the season began. Some good runs of sea-trout and some salmon entered the river. Sport got going on the Willow Pool on June 1 with David Laidler catching sea-trout of 1lb 8oz, 1lb 8oz and 2lb 8oz. P Laidler caught a 2lb sea-trout on fly while Simon Laidler landed a 5lb sea-trout. Colin Hudson caught a 2lb sea-trout on fly. Up on Mid Irvine House beat Barry Faunders caught a 2lb 8oz sea-trout on spinner, Bob Smith had one of 1lb 8oz while Steven Dunston had three smaller sea-trout. Steve Mitchell had one of 1b 8oz and four other smaller sea-trout. Cyril Gaskell landed a 3lb sea-trout, Paul…

Upper Annandale The beat is 5.5 miles long and has ten named pools. Much of the fishing is set in mature woodlands and pastoral land. The river is relatively narrow on this beat and responds best to anglers who can be very quiet in their approach to pools. On the upper part of the river the relative shortness of the River Annan means that fresh salmon and sea-trout are caught. Specimen trout and grayling in excess of 4lb are caught most years on dry-fly. Day and evening permits for salmon, wild trout and grayling start at £9 plus vat. Contact: Tom Carter, FishPal. Tel: 01573 470 612. Buy tickets online: fishpal.com…

CAN IT REALLY BE THAT WE ARE nearing autumn already? It seems only moments ago that we were bemoaning the lateness of spring’s arrival. Where were the duns? The iron blues? Has anyone seen a sedge? And now look at us. I would like to say we are lean and fit and tanned from long days rowing back and forth across great lakes and up and down swirling rivers pausing only to do titanic battles with silver salmon of epic scale and dappled brown trout almost as broad as they are long. But it is not so. Where have the weeks and months gone? The trouble is that the summer is so busy. These things come in waves, of course, and I am - socially speaking - surfing one as…

MELTON MOWBRAY ROD Stephen Bolton caught more than he bargained for when landing this 7lb salmon on the Ladykirk beat of the Tweed in June. While salmon sometimes show signs of lamprey damage, it's unusual for one to remain attached in freshwater. Stephen said, “I can only assume the fish was fresh in off the morning tide as evidenced by several long-tailed sea-lice.” The lamprey was removed and the salmon swam away strongly, although it was left with a puncture mark in its belly following the unfortunate encounter. Stephen posted the picture on Facebook and despite 300 replies, no-one else had caught a lamprey in this manner. However, he said, “One respondent recounted that his waders had been damaged by a lamprey while fishing.” The salmon took a half-inch golden…

■ Fly-fishing in Ireland. Thomas J Hanna, 1933. First edition: £80 to £150. 2003 Smith Settle edition: standard £10; de luxe £150. ■ Fly-fishing for Trout and Salmon on the Faughan. E C Heaney, 1947. A rarity! £600 to £1,000. ■ Irish Trout and Salmon Flies. E J Malone, 1984. First edition: £40 to £80. Flyfisher’s Classic Library edition 1993: £75. 1998 paperback edition: £15. ■ Trout and Salmon Flies of Ireland. Peter O’Reilly, 1995. First edition: £30. Reprints: £20. ■ Tying Flies in the Irish Style. E J Malone, 2000. First edition: £50. Reprints: £40. ■ Irish Mayflies: a Fly-fisher’s Guide. Patsy Deery, 2007. First edition: £25. ■ Farlows Salmon Flies. Martin Lanigan-O’Keeffe, 2017. First edition: £50.…

Season The best time for brown trout is late May onwards, when the water has warmed. Accommodation Fin and Euan stayed at the Lochmaddy Hotel run by John and Lorna Docherty. John organises the fishing for North Uist Estate and guests at the hotel are given priority for the fishing. Tel: 01876 500 331. Web: lochmaddyhotel.co.uk Tackle: For the hill lochs, a 9ft-10ft rod and five-weight floating line is ideal. All traditional patterns will work. Don’t be without Kate Maclarens or Bibios, sedges and dry emerger patterns, as well as point lures for tempting bigger trout. For the salt, pack a 10ft six- or seven-weight rod. Shrimp and sand eel patterns, Sparklers and lures, Muddlers and Goat’s Toes are effective. Take care: it's easy to get caught out by the…

AS I DROVE NORTH, A MIST covered the Derbyshire Wye - it was chilly for late May. A stoat hunting young rabbits moved with sinuous grace across the road. I was heading towards the ancient market town of Pickering in Ryedale where I was to fish the Pickering Beck, a small stream that flows south through the town to join the Costa Beck and hence, via the rivers Rye, Derwent and Ouse, into the Humber estuary. My host was Pickering Fishery Association. Formed in 1892, it has fishing on eight miles of North Yorkshire Moors becks and two stillwaters. Dave Southall, a great friend and an angler of formidable learning and expertise, was my guide. I have fished with Dave often enough to know that fishing under his scrutiny on…

My preferred tying sequence is: Tie in the wire, starting just 2mm-3mm back from the eye to provide an even bed for the holographic tinsel. Cover the wire with touching turns of thread, working back to the bend, leaving 2in-3in of wire for the rib. Tie in the holographic tinsel close to the eye, then wrap it down to the bend, then back up to the eye. Tie in the black hen at the eye and then palmer it down to the bend. Then add the wire rib. Add the eyes using tight figure-of-eight turns. Add a spot of varnish to the thread above and below the eyes. Search online for videos of Booby-eye forming techniques.…

I can’t remember how long ago it was that Trout & Salmon issued a free first-aid kit complete with hook extractor. It is quite some time and I have carried it with me every fishing trip since. At the end of June, on our first salmon trip of the year, I finally had occasion to use it on one of our party. Having the correct tool for the job gave me a little confidence. It worked a treat and the hook flew out to the great relief of all concerned. Many thanks for a really useful first-aid kit. Tony Uttley, Glossop, Derbyshire…

PUT THEM BACK OR ELSE… Anglers in England have been asked to release all the salmon they catch this year or face mandatory all-season catch-and-release (C&R) in 2020. The warning was given following the June publication of the 2018 Assessment of Salmon Stocks and Fisheries in England and Wales by the Environment Agency following a public consultation. Since 1999, C&R of salmon has been mandatory throughout England until June 16. In England this year, mandatory C&R of salmon applies all season on rivers categorised as At Risk or Recovering. On rivers categorised as Probably At Risk, voluntary C&R targets in excess of 90 per cent are required. Only four of the 64 principal salmon rivers in England and Wales are categorised as Probably Not At Risk (Tyne, Wear, Cumbrian Esk…