Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2018 i Trout & Salmon

It’s a show-stopper. The BF (big fly) reel has been dropping jaws since it appeared a few months ago. It is meticulously machined, sealed and anodised in the style of other premium US saltwater fly reels but with one notable difference. It has a drag lever by which you can pre-set braking strength for fighting powerful fish. There is also a huge handle and deep spool that can hold miles of backing for offshore encounters. The fine detail extends to the reel’s sail-cloth bag with rope drawstring and wooden box with images of big-game fish (GT, tarpon, tuna and sailfish) on four sides. Built for the salt, the BF has a little brother that would suit the salmon-fisher. The MF (£750) is made for 8-10-weight rods. Web: finandgame.com Tel: 01573…

The total rod catch of salmon in 2017, as recently reported by Scottish Government. Ninety per cent of salmon were released (98 per cent of the spring catch). Some 2,113 salmon were taken by netsmen. The total rod catch of sea-trout was 18,296 with 84 per cent released. For historical comparison, 50 years ago, 1967, during the UDN outbreak, some 77,796 salmon were caught by rods, with 526,894 taken by nets. In 1992, 82,897 salmon were caught by rods and 101,620 were taken by nets.…

Despite its name the Welshman’s Button ( Sericostoma personatum ) can be found on stony wave-lashed lake shores and in fast-flowing rivers and streams throughout the British Isles. The larvae create a smooth, slightly curved, horn-shaped case out of grains of sand. When they are ready to emerge they typically make the journey from their underwater life to adulthood in the afternoon. This is when they are most likely to be taken by trout. As they hang just under the surface, struggling to escape their pupal skin, they become easy pickings for hungry fish. The adults often appear in large numbers over the water surface. Their zig-zag flight is punctuated by momentary pauses on the water surface. After mating, the drab brown females find a partially submerged stone…

“The memory of a single, wary trout … caught with a skilful (or lucky) cast, will keep you smiling into winter” THE ENGLISH SUMMER. THERE is truly nothing like it; why was it necessary to invent that dreadful word staycation? Anyone with any nous knows there are few more glorious places to be than beside a chalkstream. Like a dog in the transition from overeager puppy to the wise old hound, we’ve ironed out our kinks by July. The enthusiasm of the opening days. The madness of the mayfly. The first real evening rise. All these are behind us. We’ve been there and done that. Now is the time to luxuriate in all those things that are special about fishing that transcend the fishing itself. So, while others head for…

The fishery: Cashla system catch figures for 2017 were 67 salmon and 689 sea-trout (59 salmon and 1,100 sea-trout in 2016). There are four fly-only river beats (two rods per beat) and four boats on Glenicmurrin. Boat engines are not supplied, but anglers may use their own. Other boats are available on Fermoyle and Clogher and, as the season progresses, on Carrick and Rusheen. Gillies are usually €100 per day. They provide their own lunches and engines on Glenicmurrin. Boat engines are not used on Fermoyle. Lunch huts are available on Glenicmurrin (Rock Hotel) and Fermoyle. Tickets: River beats and loughs. Feb-May: €20 (half day or evening); €40 (one day). Jun-Sep: €30 (half day or evening), €60 (one day). Book 3-5 consecutive days and get a 20% reduction; 6+ consecutive…

1 Futile flies Keep checking your fly. It might seem like hassle sometimes but if your first cast down a pool doesn’t turn over properly and lands in a slack heap, the chances are the fly has hooked the end of the leader and is facing backwards. You carry on oblivious for 40 casts but you’ve no hope of catching anything. 2 MAKE CASTING MORE INTERESTING When fishing down a pool, vary your casts. It’s easy to be robotic: repeatedly casting downstream at 45 degrees followed by an upstream mend. Instead, vary the angle of the swing by changing the angle of the cast; fish deeper (cast square and immediately move downstream two or three strides before the line tightens); speed up the fly (mend downstream); and give the fly…

TROUT FEEDING regularly during a heavy hatch present you with a chance to have a spectacularly successful day - but you can fail to catch fish and go home frustrated if you don’t know how to deal with the situation. Sadly, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. HEAVY HATCHES PRODUCE SELECTIVITY You use a search image when you are looking for someone. If you know them well then that search image will be very strong and you will easily pick them out in a large crowd. Trout develop a search image of their prey allowing them to optimally forage for food, capturing their prey in the most efficient way possible. When they encounter an insect in large numbers the search image is reinforced to the…

In most situations, we choose a rod to cover the river we’re fishing, then we choose a line for that rod to fish at a certain depth, and then we choose the fly to cover the pool we are fishing. If we were to use the same reasoning and just add a small fly to our usual 14ft–15ft rods (10- or 11-weights), we are putting ourselves at a disadvantage. Big rods and small hooks usually result in straightened hooks or pulled hook-holds. The rods are too powerful and stiff to protect and cushion during the take or the fight. That’s why I like to choose my tackle from the fly “backwards”... SMALL FLY As discussed, a smaller fly helps us to cover a fish without spooking it. Salmon also become…

RONNIE GLASS is a fishing specialist at Orvis in Kelso and a renowned fish modeller and carver. He is vice-chair of the Tweed Commissioners and chair of Kelso Anglers’ Association. He has been a national champion on rivers and stillwaters. Q I find it difficult to time my strike when fishing dry-flies on stillwaters. Have you any suggestions that might help? Dave Pearce, via e-mail A I love my dry-fly fishing. For me, the sight of a fish taking my dry-fly is what fishing is all about. There are days when I seem to hook everything and others when I feel the hookpoint has disappeared. The term “strike” suggests a movement that is too vicious for hooking a rising trout, yet there are times when I do react with a…

Costello-Fermoyle, part two Sea-trout and salmon in the footsteps of Kingsmill Moore CARRY ON MAYFLY Richard Baker celebrates the often ignored second hatch of fly on Lough Corrib WHEN THE RIVERS RUN THIN Catching trout in high summer The brownies of Bodmin Moor Tactics, flies and big high-summer brownies on Colliford Reservoir PLUS TROUT FROM THE SHADOWS Don Staziker’s guide to fishing in tricky spots GO DEEP FOR SUMMER SALMON Flies and tactics to save a blank BREAKFAST ON THE USK Trout flies for early-morning risers AUGUST ISSUE ON SALE JUNE 28…

LAURENCE CATLOW Having returned from a trip to Scotland, Laurence is happy to be fishing his usual twice a week on the Wharfe, along with fishing the Eden and Tees. He will be getting some Spiders ready for the Tees, although dry-flies have been doing better there of late, such as Klinkhamers and his Fancy flies. MALCOLM NEWBOULD Our Spey reporter Malcolm has plenty of fishing planned for the next few weeks, including Delfur on the Spey and Dochfour on the Ness. He’s also hoping for a trip down to the Lochy if the water picks up! Then it’s sorting out what to get ready for his trip to Norway in July. DAVID CARRICK This time of year means an annual pilgrimage to Sutherland's lochs for our North of England…

What better start to a day’s fishing than drinking a mug of Ghillie coffee at the hut? The new brew is the idea of brothers Byron and Darryl Pace, who are passionate coffee drinkers and well-known fieldsports film-makers. For every bag of coffee sold, the brothers will give £1 to Salmon & Trout Conservation and its fight against polluting open-cage fish-farming. Byron said, “We’ve worked a lot with conservationists and wanted to give something back.” The coffee is roasted and ground in Dundee and – aficianados take note – is a Vietnamese medium blend containing arabica from Quang Tri and bold bean robusta from Lam Dong. The brothers say, “It has the versatility to be enjoyed at any time of the day in varying strengths.” A 250g bag is £7…

“Today I have fished again in France!” So begins the prologue to Golden Days, one of the finest books in angling literature, written by the artist Romilly Fedden under lamplight in his billet on the Western Front as the guns thundered and biplane bombers hummed overhead. Fedden, a captain in the British Expeditionary Force, had escaped the slaughter for a “sunlit hour” of fishing for trout before driving eastward through the darkness back to the lines. That night he viewed the “pencil notes” he’d already made that would form his classic memoir of fishing in Brittany before the war. An idyllic, rustic life of friendship, wine, salmon and trout. He completes the prologue, “And when the end comes – as come it will for some of us – can we…

“Some of the choicest fishing properties never see the light of an estate agent’s window” ONE OF THE FIRST PAGES I TURN to when I pick up the latest copy of Trout & Salmon is the property section. I can’t be alone in dreaming of the stream at the bottom of the garden or the private beat with house attached. For this reason I have tried for years to persuade my wife to live in Scotland, harbouring a romantic notion of gillieing for others, passing on my knowledge and learning new approaches from visiting Scandinavians. The Scotland dream has taken something of a bashing over the past year or two. In Perthshire we looked at a beautiful old place, complete with its shiny red Aga - which she liked -…

THE BIGGEST FISH ever landed on Norway’s Suldal was a 75lb leviathan. It was caught on the fly in 1913 by an Englishman, Mr Greig, after an epic 12-hour fight. Much later, Neil Armstrong fished the river fresh from his cosmic adventures and pulled three salmon from its prolific pools. I like to think he spent his downtime in space assessing all of Earth’s salmon rivers . . . and chose wisely. The Suldal runs out of Suldalsvatnet lake through the sumptuous Rogaland region for 14 miles before spilling over an impressive five-metre waterfall and into a fjord at Sands. Despite being dammed and regulated, the Suldalslågen, to give its full title, has the largest flow of water on the west coast of Norway. You get the picture: it’s fast,…

PAUL PROCTER is a vice-president of the Wild Trout Trust, an AAPGAI master instructor, guide and renowned fly-tyer SOMETIMES, A SINGLE small trout caught on a tough day can be hugely rewarding. Even while you’re putting up your rod, there are some waters that ask if you have what it takes to pass their examination. It’s popular with salmon and sea-trout anglers, but at first glance the Lune looks like a tricky day out for trout-fishers. Polished bedrock dominates while the pots and swirling channels carved deep into the stone by centuries of spates seldom hold fly-life. Few places exist where nymphs can establish a foothold. The river and its many tributaries are also as transparent as a chalkstream. This sets them apart from nearby rivers and in a drought…

WARM-WEATHER WADING JACKET £159.99 When the forecast is warm sunshine with the chance of showers this cool, good-looking weatherproof jacket is the ideal alternative to heavier outerwear. It’s made from a lighter weight Climatex material and can be easily packed down and stowed in a tackle bag. FLY VEST £69.99 This smart and comfortable waistcoat has ample pockets for spools, boxes and tools. Fitted with a fly-patch, back D-ring and floatant holder, it’s made from lightweight, durable materials with robust zips and fastenings. MICRO QUILT JACKET £119.99 Worn on its own or beneath an outer shell, this modern, insulated jacket will keep you toasty warm. It is extremely light and showerproof, able to cope with all but the worse downpours. Made with Thinsulate insulating material with a DWR outer coating.…

Trout season: April 1–September 30. The fishery is split into two reservoirs. Tickets: Farmoor 1 is catch-and-release only. Day-ticket, £25; Half-day £17. It has one boat, £30 for one person, £60 for two. It must be booked in advance. Farmoor 2 is catch-and-kill and C&R. Six fish day-ticket, £30 (concession, £28); Four fish day-ticket, £24 (concession, £22); Two fish evening ticket (last three hours of day), £15. Full-day boats, £20; half-day, £15. One person sporting, £30. Two, £60. Contact: Web: farmoor.fishing@thameswater.co.uk Tel: 07747 640 707.…

“It is perverse to further legislate against anglers” Peter Gough of Natural Resources Wales makes his points well in his justification of the authority’s proposals for catch-and-release legislation in Wales. Like many others, I am concerned, but not surprised, by the issue that he doesn't address. I work within several organisations seeking betterment for our fisheries and the wider environment and often discuss issues with representatives of the Environment Agency, Natural England and various wildlife trusts. There is much common ground in such discussion but to mention predation is to change the atmosphere and (usually very quickly thereafter) the subject. It is a matter rarely, if ever, discussed in detail. I find this very frustrating as I believe that predation is a hugely significant issue. It is absurd that, nationally,…

Big eyes, good looking Fresh from Scandinavia, this extensive and expanding hook range is being talked about a lot on UK web forums. There are many models: for trout and grayling patterns; salmon fly or tube hooks, and saltwater and predator flies. The first thing we noticed was their perfect finish, mostly in black nickel. They are strongly made throughout, even in the small dry-fly and nymph models. An outstanding feature is the over-sized eyes on the trout hooks, which don’t look out of place and will be a bonus for those with diminishing eyesight. The salmon doubles come in black nickel and gold. They have great proportions, solid welding and perfectly-shaped upturned eyes. Other favourites include: Dry Fly Mini (size 18-22) for targeting big river and stillwater trout on…

Your own private trout fishery Hatchery House at Barrow in Suffolk, with far-reaching views over the surrounding countryside, is set in 11 acres with two large lakes. Bury St Edmunds is six miles and Newmarket nine. Built by the vendor’s aunt in the 1960s, this single-storey house, set around a courtyard that contains a heated swimming pool, provides three reception rooms, two offices, study, playroom, ten bedrooms of which six are ensuite, and two further bathrooms. The two lakes attract wildlife and in the past have provided good trout fishing that might be rejuvenated. £1,550,000 Jackson-Stops (Newmarket) 01638 662 231 Fish every evening rise on the Tweed Oliver Farm, in the upper Tweed valley, is a modern family house with a smallholding on the south-western edge of Tweedsmuir, about 36…

As we go to press, mandatory all-year catch-and-release (C&R) of salmon in England and Wales has been delayed until 2019 as a result of slow decision-making by Defra and Welsh Government. The proposed bylaws would have imposed 100 per cent mandatory C&R on salmon anglers this year on all Welsh rivers, and on English rivers that have been classified as being predicted to be “At Risk” in 2021: Tees, Stour, Yealm, Plym, Ribble, Wyre, Lune, Crake, Calder and Derwent. The existing law enforcing compulsory C&R of spring salmon, until June 16, is unchanged. Although the delay is welcome, Angling Trust says it is a double-edged sword because net fisheries – some of which would have been closed this year had the measures been introduced – will continue taking more than…

Robert Stuart was a great friend and mentor whose recent passing came as terrible shock to all who knew and loved him. Robert grew up in Kincardine, where he met his future wife, Grace, at the age of 17. His early working life was in the building industry, though his love of fishing and stalking soon took him and Grace to Sutherland. He started his stalking and fishing gillie career in the early 1980s, initially working through Stack Lodge on the Reay Forest Estate before moving to work at Glencanisp Lodge as a stalker and head fishing gillie for the Vestey family. In 2005 he became their river manager on the Inver and Kirkaig, a role which he enjoyed until his retirement in October 2016. Robert loved his life among…

I’M AFRAID I MUST REPORT THAT THE Ageing Progenitor has at last crossed the rainbow bridge and is now fishing from the other bank. I don’t know where the AP’s fishing career began because it was so long ago that it was forever shrouded in the mists of time but as a teenager home from school for the holidays he used to whip-in for a beagle pack and later for the otterhounds. Which tells you how long ago we are talking about. And I suspect that it was the otterhounds that fired his passion for the riverbank. Although, following an otter pack you are more in the river than beside it, a habit which he never altogether managed to break. He fell in a good deal. He fell in, he…

CALLING ALL JUNIORS! Catch a trout, grayling or salmon and send us a picture. Email: troutandsalmon@bauermedia.co.uk…

“He does not agree with Falkus’s half-time theory” STEFFAN Jones needs little introduction to modern sewin anglers, not least in his – and my – native West Wales. His articles and photography have been a regular feature in T&S for years and I think his new book, Sea Trout, will inspire novice and experienced sewin-fishers. Steffan explains what seem like complex theories with simplicity using analogies and clever photography. Once the book’s picked up, it’s difficult to put down. He has never been content to follow sea-trout fishing conventions and uses the knowledge he’s gained over many years of studying this mysterious fish to examine ideas raised in other books. He occasionally contradicts other authors: for example, he does not agree with Falkus’s half-time theory. Meanwhile, he has developed and…

“On D-day plus one … earning the Military Cross for his actions behind enemy lines” YOU ARE SITTING AT HOME in your elegant Kensington house one evening. Your spouse arrives home from work. So far, so normal until the announcement that the time has come to pack up the London life to head for the country - a fly-fishing business beckons. The details are vague. It might be a store. Or it could be a hotel. Nothing is precisely determined but the principle is decided. How do you reply? Well, I guess that might slightly depend on your circumstances but consider the person standing before you. He could be in no way considered unsuccessful or prone to flights of fancy. Educated at Winchester College, he left to join the King’s…

Tackle: Big rods for a big river – 14ft-16ft, 9wt-11wt. A selection of lines will be useful but floating and triple-density lines with sink-tips will cover most eventualities. Local favourites include Silver Blue, Green Highlander, Mar Lodge, Sunray Shadow and Silver Doctor. As usual, whatever gives you confidence. Black-and-yellow, Monkeys and Sunrays worked for us. Chest waders, life vests and wading sticks are all necessary. Lodge prices: NOK 1,395 per night on self-catering basis. Cabins (sleep up to six). Lodge facilities: Restaurant, bar, Bjørn’s own brewery, freezer, laundry room, equipment hire. Fishing prices: NOK 540 per rod per day (fishing from 6pm until 6pm the following day). The Mo Laksen beats can accommodate up to six rods. Flights: Direct from UK with SAS, Norwegian and Ryan Air. We flew the…

Sometimes the way to catch fish that are totally preoccupied with one insect is to show them something completely different. A trout feeding on tiny upwing duns can often be caught with a terrestrial imitation, such as a Beetle or an Ant. For a completely different approach, try fishing something shocking: a big Chernobyl Ant or a Streamer. These strategies have been successful for me when fishing for very selective fish on catch-and-release waters. However, the shock tactic will either provoke the fish to take or scare it away. It is therefore best used after trying imitative flies or small variations from the natural.…

Trout season: March 15–September 30. Tickets: Sedbergh & District AA, £20 per day, £50 per week. From Premier Express, 73 Main Street, Sedbergh LA10 5AB. Book online at fishpal.com Where to stay: The Dalesman Country Inn, Main Street, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5BN. Tel: 01539 621 183. Web: thedalesman.co.uk Daleslea B&B, Station Road, Sedbergh LA10 5DL. Tel: 015396 21789. Mob: 0785 631 3541. Web: daleslea.co.uk Ash Hining Farm B&B, Howgill, Sedbergh LA10 5HU. Tel: 01539 620 957. Mob: 07774 281 767. Web: ashhiningfarm.co.uk…

FRANCIS FRANCIS (1822-1886) was born Francis Morgan, the son of a Royal Navy Captain, but changed his name on coming of age and inheriting property. He had completed his articles as a civil engineer, but nevertheless decided to devote the rest of his life to sport and sporting literature. Francis was angling editor of The Field for more than a quarter of a century as well as contributing to other journals and writing the articles on angling in Chambers Encyclopaedia. He wrote 14 books including three novels and a number on fishing, the most widely read being: A Book on Angling: Being A Complete Treatise on the Art of Angling in Every Branch. His position with what was then the leading country publication helped him in his endeavours, as he…

AS WE MOVE into June and July, most rivers will be experiencing pushes of summer salmon, grilse and sea-trout. Conditions associated with this time of year are low and clear water. Fish will be eager to enter rivers on big tides and force their way upstream under the cover of darkness or cloudy days. Although not the best conditions, you can still expect to catch fish if you fish “appropriate” flies in an “appropriate” manner. Salmon can see better in clear water than dirty water, except perhaps on bright, sunny days when they may move into deeper or shaded water, or even better, fast runs or the tails of pools where rippled water protects their eyes from the sun. Here they feel comfortable and safe. In clear water, it’s better…

TO ANY NIGHT fisher, the Towy needs no introduction. One August afternoon - when I was exiled to a poky little flat in Peterborough and Jones-ing for sea-trout - South Wales seemed the sensible place to go. A four-hour drive later and I was leaning over a bridge, imagining how the fly might swing through the pool below. I fished until 2am, slept for a couple of hours in a layby and drove back to Peterborough. But I got one, so it was worth it. The next time I headed south, I found myself at Abercothi, arguably the best beat on the river, except the river was up and rain was falling on the rod room roof. Calling it a rod room doesn’t quite do it justice - there are…

Calling all landlords I realise I am probably preaching to the converted as all readers will be aware of the environmental disaster that is fish-farming. We’ve had 30 years of surveys, enquiries and constant decline, all pointing in the same direction. They say the definition of insanity is constantly repeating the same process and expecting different results. So why do we still keep fighting the same battle and pouring good money after bad when the result is always the same? Despite the quite damning report by the Rural Affairs Committee, planning permission and expansion of the industry just rolls on without so much as a hiccup. Successive governments just don’t listen. Perhaps it’s time for a change of tack? Perhaps we should think about what these companies need to survive:…

I read with great interest Finlay Wilson’s article “The Rise of Big Trout” (May). I, too, have documented brown trout captures over the past eight years, but mainly in the River Wharfe. I have catalogued and photographed repeat captures of bigger-than-average brown trout. On one day in May I landed such a fish, recorded in my fishing diary at 19.5in and weighing 3lb 8oz. Later that same day I had one of 20in and 3lb 12oz. Thirteen days later I caught fish number two again – identified by the spot pattern, mainly in the area of the gill cover. The fish could also be recognised by a fine split in the tail. About a year later I caught him again, and this time he measured 20.5in and weighed 4lb. So…

THERE COMES a time when a new piece of fishing tackle becomes hard to resist. You may see it in an advert or hear its name in conversation. When I heard “Spectrum Max Squid Ink” I was intrigued. It turned out to be a reel, a Sage reel. The “squid ink” referred to the fancy blue-black anodising on the spool release and within the drag knob. Nice! The Max bit made me part with my cash. My yearning for something modern and strong started when I saw a gap in my arsenal. That gap was a big-fish reel for single-handed salmon and sea-trout fishing. If I were to hook a huge salmon or sea-trout, I didn’t want that niggling thought that the reel wasn’t up to it, or the backing…

England & Wales BORDER ESK THE SEASON opened in terrible conditions. Cold nights throughout most of April didn’t help. Despite the adverse weather some sea-trout and salmon had nosed into the river. David Laidlaw caught a 2 lb 8 oz sea-trout in the Willow Pool on spinner on a falling water. Jack Golightly had a cracking 13 lb sea-liced salmon in the Willow Pool on April 24. He followed it up on May 2 with an 8 lb salmon off the Cauldron. Further upstream on the Mid Irvine House beat, Drew Murray caught a 10 lb salmon in the Tarras Flat on spinner. Buccleuch Estates bailiff Peter Kinstrey told me that there were a few salmon about but that it was too cold for the sea-trout. In fact, while giving…