Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i Trout & Salmon

I’M NOT USUALLY SPARING WHEN I POUR from a bottle of whisky but when Stuart Martin stood next to me on the Penny Brig and emptied an entire bottle of 12-year-old Aberlour into the River Spey, I felt a pang of regret, even though I knew it was the right thing to do. It was 9am on February 11 and we were taking part in the traditional blessing of the Spey’s opening day. Stuart was performing his duty because he’d caught a 24lb opening-day springer at Arndilly last year. I’d been invited to address an assembly of anglers who, in truth, were champing at the bit to go fishing up and down that glorious valley. It was an honour for me, made more fitting by the biting wind, flurries of…

While I enjoyed reading Mike Handyside’s article “King of Clubs” in the February edition I was rather disappointed by his remarks about over-fertilized fields and the temporary eyesore of film-wrapped silage bales. If he is the enquiring environmental fisheries photojournalist he claims to be, then he must know that if the field in question is in England, then it will probably fall within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) and as a result there is a complicated process that the farmer would have to follow to calculate and then match the amount of fertilizer applied to the anticipated yield of the crop. Farmers in NVZs also have to map their farms and highlight non-fertilizer-spreading areas adjacent to watercourses, take account of annual rainfall, the aspect of the slope and its severity,…

Carlisle Angling Association was established in 1852. Formed by a small group of gentlemen in a local pub, its aim was to offer cheap salmon and trout fishing for the ordinary working man, providing the same opportunities to fish as more affluent citizens. Its members were — and still are — from a wide cross-section of occupations, from chip shop owners to bus drivers, painters and decorators to railway men and civil servants. The association’s history has been documented in two club books. The first, Carlisle Anglers — A history of the Carlisle Angling Association, by Edgar Cave is not to be confused with the more recent Carlisle Angling Association — A 150th Anniversary, published by Walter Graham in 2003. Still available, the latter is a wonderful pictorial celebration of…

Burr the end of the liner tube, and slide on a US tube. Cut the liner so it’s 4mm longer than the US tube, then burr the front end to stop the thread slipping off. Run on the tying thread. Wind further turns of thread on to the liner tube immediately in front of the metal tube. Take a small pinch of gold dubbing and apply it to the thread. Wind on two or three turns of the dubbing close to the metal tube then, using a dubbing needle or a piece of velcro, tease out the fibres to create a sparkling ruff. Prepare a dyed orange hen hackle and catch it in by its base in front of the gold dubbing. Wind on two close turns of the hackle…

1. FLY-TYING VICE Some years ago, my wife Monika presented me with this second-hand vice made of brass that she’d bought at a tackle-shop in Germany. It is magnificently heavy and has few moving parts. I suspect it made Volkswagens in a former incarnation. I once even did a fly-tying demo with this vice. While other fly-dressers — some of them so famous that there were spotlights and groupies — tied 12-inch-long pike streamers for the cameras, I tied size 16 loop-winged John Storeys in a dim corner. Fortunately, I wasn’t invited back, although the vice now has its own agent. 2. BALANCE This miniature Little Samson dates from c.1970 and weighs up to 4lb. I’ve never calibrated the thing so have no idea whether it’s accurate. In 1970 I…

THE UPPER REACHES OF WILTSHIRE’S River Avon embrace Manningford Trout Fishery. It is a longstanding relationship, a diversion of clear fertile water that is expertly harnessed by fishery manager Malcolm Hunt. We’ve been friends since his days at Sparsholt Agricultural College. Now 43, he has settled with his young family in a lovely home close enough to overlook Manningford’s two attractive lakes, Manor and Squire’s, which are part of a large, 3,000-acre farming complex in picturesque Pewsey Vale. “This is my dream come true,” he told me, “a fishery I’m so proud of, and which I can share with my children as they grow up in this fantastic part of the country.” Working fishery managers always seem to have a rake in their hands and as we walked the banks…

THE DEPTH AT WHICH A FLY IS fished and its path through the water column is often more important than its colour and size. Choosing the right fly-line is therefore vital, but with so many lines on the market, it’s hard to know what to use and when. I have three types of sinker in my tackle-box, 12 lines in total, with sink rates of between three and eight inches per second (eg S3-S8). This gives me total control of my flies at between 5ft and 20ft below the surface, depending on conditions. Depth at which fish are holding Early in the season when fish are deeper, it’s safe to assume high-density lines (eg S5, S7) are best. Later in the year, line choice is more critical because you must…

ROB EDMUNDS Highly successful competition angler, reservoir bank and boat specialist. RONNIE GLASS Tweed Commissioner and a Scottish national champion on rivers and stillwaters. STEVE CULLEN Guide, instructor and all-round game angler with a wealth of knowledge. PETER GATHERCOLE Photographer, expert tyer and chairman of the Fly Dressers' Guild. PAUL PROCTER Cumbrian-based AAPGAI instructor. Prefers the imitative approach. GARETH JONES Welsh international and stillwater expert. Has fished all over the world. PETER COCKWILL Small water expert with more than 40 years’ fly-fishing experience.…

Beware of books that only cover streams of a particular type, especially those that describe fishing the southern chalkstreams. These books may cover very specific situations where heavy hatches of aquatic insects and rising fish are the norm. If you follow their advice on acidic upland streams and rivers with less profuse fly life, you’ll wonder why you are going wrong. When I started, many of the books I read covered chalkstream fishing and while some advice applied to the rivers I fished in Wales and the Peak District, many aspects of the fishing were quite different. I spent hours vainly looking for rising fish when searching with traditional wet-flies or prospecting with a nymph or dry-fly would have bought me success. There is much to be said for first…

The reel deal While we’d all love to own a beautifully engineered fly reel, something that we could appreciate as a piece of angling art every time we fixed it to our rod, many of us cannot afford to invest in such piscatorial pampering — especially when a more reasonably priced reel will do more or less the same job. The Fuze from Stillwater meets the main needs of a modern fly-fisher: it’s made from light aluminium, has a large arbor and a reliable disc drag. True, it doesn’t have the Swiss watch detail or Space Age finish of the prestige brands but it is strong and durable. The reel foot, handle, drag knob and captive spool-release nut are aluminium, not plastic, and are finished in eye-catching green. The drag…

KEMNAY AC, DON The Kemnay Angling Club beat in the middle reaches of the River Don is nestled between Monymusk and Fetternear Estates. There is more than a mile of south bank fishing and a short section of north bank fishing. The club has around 20 members and the beat is fished relatively lightly compared to its neighbours. There are wide, fast-flowing rapids, deep, slow pools and most variations in between. It holds a good number of salmon throughout the season. It also does very well for sea-trout from June onwards. Wild brown trout are abundant, with some 5lb-plus specimens common. The water is easily fished by wading or from the bank in high water conditions. Day tickets for salmon, £30. Wild brown trout, £15. Contact FishPal. Tel: 01573 470…

Junior ENGLAND ■ CHIPHALL LAKE TROUT FISHERY, Fareham, 0777 6256792 1 Jack Ainslie, Fareham, 3lb 6oz rainbow, Damsel. ■ KNITSLEY MILL, Consett, 07960 747417 1 Hollie Huggins, Northumberland, 5lb 4oz rainbow, Eggstacy. ■ LOYNTON TROUT FISHERY, Stafford, 01785 284261 1 Matthew Edgerton, Sutton Coldfield, 7lb 12oz blue, Green Beaded Lure. 2 Matthew Edgerton, Sutton Coldfield, 6lb 8oz rainbow, Green Beaded Lure. ■ THRUNTON LONG CRAG TROUT FISHERY, Alnwick, 01665 574400 1 Ryan Foggon, Northumberland, 3lb 0oz rainbow, Cat’s Whisker. SCOTLAND ■ RAEMOIR TROUT FISHERY, Banchory, 01330 820092 1 Ryan Taylor, Aberdeen, 2lb 8oz rainbow, on fly. WALES ■ LLANDEGLA TROUT FISHERY, Wrexham, 01978 755851 1 George Clarke, Tarporley, 2lb 0oz rainbow, on fly. Youth ENGLAND ■ AVINGTON TROUT FISHERY, Winchester, 01962 779312 1 Maya Cragg-Hine, London, 9lb 0oz brown, Damsel.…

The Sharpe’s of Aberdeen Fish of the Month competition celebrates your great fishing achievements. If you’ve caught a big fish, you could be one of our monthly winners. But it’s not always the captor of a big fish that triumphs — other factors that make the catch special are taken into account: the water in which the fish is caught, method and circumstances (perhaps it’s your first fish. Perhaps you’re a young angler). There are two categories — salmon and trout (brown, rainbow or sea). The trout winner receives a Sharpe’s single-handed rod. The salmon winner receives a double-handed rod. Both winners will also receive a landing net or wading staff of their choice. Sharpe’s welcomes the opportunity to discuss the prize choice with each winner (view tackle at sharpes.net).…

BOOK THE BEAT Toby fished the South Penquite beat on the De Lank, part of the Westcountry Rivers Trust fishing passport scheme. The beat can be booked using the Trust’s new app — Fish Pass. It provides information about all the beats, enables anglers to buy tokens for fishing and book beats. Download it through the app store on your phone. The passport scheme is also online at westcountryangling.com or call 01579 372 140. WHERE AND WHEN The South Penquite beat (No.40 in the Fish Pass scheme) is 1,400m of left-bank fishing; catch-and-release only. Season: May 1-September 30. GEAR AND FLIES The river requires technical, small-stream fishing skills. The water is gin clear, so approach softly and make careful casts. A short rod, 7ft-8½ft, 1wt-3wt, is ideal with a decent…

What happened to goodwill? The advice offered by the Angling Trust about dealing with canoeists is sadly many years out of date (“Problem with canoeists?”, March). The River Dart in Devon is one of the top white-water rivers for canoeists in the UK and attracts visitors from all parts. There was a time a decade ago when riparian owners would negotiate access agreements for canoeing during the months of October to March, leaving anglers to enjoy their season in peace. There was goodwill all round. The Dart is a narrow rocky river and cannot be shared by anglers and canoeists except on a seasonal basis. Thanks to a change of policy by the canoeists’ national body, Canoe England (CE), access agreements are now banned.CE maintains that all rivers are legally…

I’ve thought of more names to add to your list of famous fly-fishers (First Cast, March): Frankie Vaughan, singer and actor; Bob Carolgees, comedian and TV presenter; Mike Harding, comedian and singer; Sir Michael Horden, actor; and Diana Rigg, actress. I was in showbiz (not famous)! Ron Pilkington, by e-mail I think Ian Gregg deserves to be on your list of famous fishers as a representative of the business community. Ian was chairman of the board of Greggs the bakers prior to his retirement but has also been chairman of the Tweed Commission and chair of the Rivers Trust. Paul Neate, by e-mail Our dear king, His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, fishes for salmon every summer on the Lærdal, the queen of salmon rivers. Runar Warhuus, Oslo May…

SALMON SEASON January 15-October 14; Sea-trout: April 1-September 31; TROUT SEASON March 15-September 31. TICKETS Local resident, salmon, £80 per season (plus one-off £35 joining fee). Visitor, salmon, £150 per season. Day-ticket salmon, £25. Weekly salmon, £130. Local resident, trout, £30 per season. Visitor, trout, £40 per season. Day-ticket trout, £10. Weekly trout, £25. Under-16s, free. 16-18 years or those in full education £17.50. 65 and over with ten consecutive years of membership, £17.50. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Mr Nigel Austin, Honorary Secretary, Carlisle Angling Association. Tel: 01228 592 745 Web: carlisleanglingassociation.org.uk BENEFITS AND LOCAL TACKLE SHOPS The club has two AAPGAI-qualified instructors who offer discounted rates to members. It also runs an exchange ticket scheme with other clubs on the Eden, allowing members to fish other waters free of charge.…

THE NEW SEASON DRAWS NIGH! IF you’re anything like me, then opening day means heading for your favourite quiet corner and getting down to some serious nymphing. Both our coldblooded quarry, and the invertebrates they seek will be responding to lengthening hours of daylight and a slight lift in temperature. There will be no speed records broken by either party, so I’ll be keeping my retrieve measured and slow — figure-of-eight with a few slow pulls to mix it up. When I’m swinging buzzers or nymphs around on the breeze, then a ‘static’ presentation will reap rewards. Whether fishing from boat or bank, I’ll be looking for large areas of consistently shallow water which will be starting to warm up and hold feeding fish, eager to take your delicately presented…

TICKETS Two-fish catch-and-kill is £30; four fish are £40. There are also top-up options. River Avon beats are £55 a day for trout and £35 a day for grayling in winter. Manningford can provide tuition, and organise club and corporate days (there’s also space at the lodge for private meetings). CONTACT Tel: 07544 801 844. E-mail: fisherymanager@ manningfordtroutfishery.co.uk Web: manningford troutfishery.co.uk DIRECTIONS Manningford Bohune, near Pewsey, on the A345 in Wiltshire. Sat-nav: SN9 6NR.…

OUR FLY-FISHING progression is not linear; some steps are hard to surmount. The transition from stillwaters to rivers is one that I found very difficult. Using books and magazines, I taught myself to fish reservoirs and small stillwaters. Once I felt reasonably competent, I tried river fishing. I had bait-fished for sighted chub in small streams and assumed that my stillwater skills would work on rivers. How wrong I was. I could see fish in the river, I could see fish when they rose, but despite trying many flies, could I catch them? No. I drew the obvious conclusion: I must have the wrong flies. I tied virtually all the patterns in John Goddard’s Trout Fly Recognition to prepare for any eventuality. Result? No increase in success whatsoever. For four…

IN STILLWATERS WHERE SHRIMP DO WELL, they can provide almost 90 per cent of trout food in the first six months of the year. The shrimp (gammarid) become active early in spring, grazing on algae-covered stones and rocks, and searching open water for a partner. At this time, apart from the odd midge hatch in clement weather, shrimp-feeding trout are our major target. Traditional retrieve techniques on intermediate or floating lines with slim, palmered patterns are all that’s needed. Most shrimp then withdraw to marital quarters under the stones. But some swim in open water — these are afflicted by a parasite (Pomphorhynchus) that dramatically affects their behaviour. Healthy shrimp are photophobic (avoiding bright light) but parasite-infected shrimp will come out to play in the sunshine, making them susceptible to…

FISH OF THE MONTH This lovely 12lb 7oz trout was caught at Tavistock Trout Fishery by Torpoint, Cornwall angler Dave Minall. He fished a White Nomad on a 6lb leader and a slow sinker. Dave’s catch wins him an Airflo Superflo line. WHAT YOU CAN WIN Each month Trout & Salmon will award an Airflo Superflo floating fly-line worth £69.99 to the captor of the best fish of the month caught from a Troutmasters water. Trout & Salmon will judge the catch based on fish quality and tactics used. The winner will be the pick of those submitted for that month. The Editor’s decision is final. E-mail your catch pictures to troutandsalmon@bauermedia.co.uk or post to Trout & Salmon Fish of the Month, H Bauer Publishing, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2…

ENGLAND ALBURY ESTATE FISHERIES, Guildford, 07976 810737 AMPORT FISHERY, Andover, 07775 953273 BLITHFIELD ANGLERS, Abbots Bromley, 01283 840284 BRANSFORD GAME FISHERIES, Bransford, 01905 830548 BRICK FARM LAKES, Herstmonceux, 01323 832615 DRAYCOTE TROUT FISHERY, Rugby, 01788 812018 HOLLIES TROUT FARM & FISHERY, Honiton, 01404 841428 KILNSEY PARK FLY FISHERY, Skipton, 07765 688780 LEIGHTON RESERVOIR, Ripon, 01765 689270 MEON SPRINGS, Petersfield, 01730 823134 NARBOROUGH FISHERIES, Narborough, 01760 338005 NORTON FISHERY, Stapleford Tawney, 01708 688525 SANDFORD POOL TROUT FISHERY, Lydney, 07931 115301 SYON PARK, Brentford, 07956 378138 TENTERDEN TROUT WATERS, Tenterden, 01580 763201 TOFT NEWTON TROUT FISHERY, Market Rasen, 01673 878453 WASHBURN VALLEY FISHERIES, Harrogate, 01943 880658 WESTLOW MERE, Congleton, 01260 270012 WOOLASTON COURT TROUT LAKES, Lydney, 01594 564624 SCOTLAND ARTLOCH FISHERY, Huntly, 01466 799410 BURNS TROUT FISHERY, Tarbolton, 01292 540214 DRUMTASSIE FISHERY,…

TERRACED BENEFITS Thanks to the generosity of John of Gaunt, more than 100 households in Hungerford, Berkshire, benefit from Common Rights. He granted them when, in 1362, he acquired, through marriage, the vast Lancastrian estates of which Hungerford formed part. They provide access not only to grazing and shooting rights locally, but some 4½ miles of prime chalkstream trout fishing on the rivers Kennet and Dun and another three miles of coarse fishing on the Kennet and Avon canal. One of these houses (and the Common Rights go with it) is now for sale. Number 85 High Street is a listed grade II terraced cottage in Hungerford’s main thoroughfare. There’s a sitting room with exposed beams, a kitchen/breakfast room, two bedrooms and a bathroom, and a fair-sized garden at the…

YOU MAY RECALL THAT, IN THE DIM and distant, I related how I purchased a set of dining chairs at the auction house in town. I needed chairs; there were chairs in a sale; I bid; I bought chairs. It was a satisfactory outcome. So satisfactory, in fact, that I have become something of an auction junkie as the result. There are general sales every month and the stuff you can find veers from the merely eclectic to the downright bizarre. You can see why people might want to get rid of dining chairs after all, but what is a stuffed buffalo head shot on the Little Big Horn only five years after General Custer lost his hair doing in a sale room in East Anglia? From time to time…

IT’S ALWAYS A DELIGHT TO SEE THE first snowdrops breaking through frosty blades of grass. After a few days of fishing in the wind, rain and chill, I welcome those first flowers on the riverbank. A sign that spring is starting to bloom. Fishing through winter can be rewarding if you persevere, and often that reward is a beautiful grayling, once an underrated fish and now regarded as a prized catch. One of my most memorable days was with Beni Albertini, a guide at the Northern Fishing School on the Swinton Estate. We had an exciting time in one of our favourite spots on the River Burn where the grayling were sipping minuscule midges off the top. Lady Luck and persistence provided me with one memorable, shimmering fish to a…

SPRING IS A FICKLE MISTRESS THAT keeps us on our toes. One morning you draw back the curtains to much-needed sunlight and a whispering breeze, the next you’re shovelling snow from the driveway in a howling gale. Last April was a case in point. Settled conditions prevailed for weeks, but these consisted of relentless sunshine and unseasonable warmth. Rivers shrank at an alarming rate, bringing an abrupt end to hatches of March browns and large dark olives, which form the cornerstone of early season dry-fly fishing in Cumbria. Anyone who pins their hopes on these hatches will be the first to tell you that upwing flies are not fans of bright conditions. Making matters worse, winter floods had flushed out the rivers, ridding them of suspended solids and leaving them…

FLOATING SNAIL Hook Size 12-14 Kamasan B100 Grub Thread Brown Semperfli Ultra Body Knotted booby cord (white, black, brown or green) Head Peacock herl Horns Natural Flexi-Floss (burnt with a lighter at the tips) My inspiration for this fly was an article in Trout Fisherman more than 15 years ago. Italian angler Alberto Salvini wrote about a floating snail pattern he used on lakes and slow rivers. I thought “I can use that in my fishing,” knowing that the trout at Rutland and Grafham feed heavily on snails, which migrate in July and August by floating in the surface drift. This pattern is particularly effective around weed beds in summer, even in bright, hot conditions. I target moving fish with a single fly on a 10ft 3wt rod, Snowbee Thistledown…

Q What are the best early-season tactics on reservoirs: lures or more imitative patterns? Jake Wright, by e-mail “Black or dark lures are particularly good in dirty water” It may sound obvious but you should always fish to the conditions. In particular, consider any changes in water levels in the preceding months as this will affect your tactics. For example, it is standard practice for water authorities to pump huge quantities of water into a reservoir over the winter months to ensure it is at maximum capacity for the summer when there is a greater demand for water. This lift can change the temperature by two or three degrees and may switch the fish off, or push them deeper. It can also lead to the reservoir colouring up with visibility…

Stillwater patterns are usually too big for rivers; most river insects are small, size 10-22. A wide size range is more important than many different patterns of the same size. Seen at a distance, flies look bigger than they are. If in doubt, choose a smaller pattern. Dry-flies 1. Parachute Adams (size 12-20) 2. Elk Hair Caddis (14-18) 3. Black CDC F fly (14-20) 4. Tan Klinkhamer (10-16) Nymphs 5. Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear unweighted ( 14-18) and bead head (14-18). 6. Pheasant Tail Nymph (14-18). Read fishery rules. Often, lures are banned and there may be a limit on hook size and number of flies used. Some fisheries are dry-fly only, some only permit casting upstream and the use of nymphs after a certain date.…

BEAVERS: THE GOOD AND THE BAD The Wild Trout Trust (WTT) has published a summary of the effects of beaver re-introductions on UK trout populations. It follows the end of a five-year study by the University of Exeter into the reintroduction of beavers to the River Otter in Devon. WTT explains that while beavers and trout co-evolved and once coexisted in the UK, the “landscape, flora and fauna have all changed markedly since beavers last interacted freely in the environment”. WTT lists the positive effects of beaver reintroductions. For example, beaver dams do not obstruct 100 per cent of a river’s flow and some dams are passable by all sizes of trout. The dams also impound sediment and pollution, and by causing scouring they improve fish habitat downstream. Beaver pools…

All you have to do is visit a registered Troutmasters water and catch a fish. Fill in the official form, which you will find at the fishery, and then post the form to us. Senior, Youth and Junior forms are available. Captors of the three biggest fish from each fishery each month win an exclusive Troutmasters badge. For a full list of entry details and rules go to: www.troutfisherman.co.uk/troutmasters SENIOR BADGE WINNERS All fish listed were caught during the period December 21, 2019 to January 20, 2020. England ■ ALDIN GRANGE LAKES, Durham, 0191 384 6090 1 Phil Green, Leadgate, 2lb 5oz rainbow, on fly. ■ AVINGTON TROUT FISHERY, Winchester, 01962 779312 1 Chris Garlinge, Whitchurch, 11lb 0oz brown, on fly. 2 Tim O’Hare, Oxon, 9lb 0oz brown, Stalking Bug.…