Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn Special 2019 i Trout & Salmon

NO. 14 The Country Life Library Of Sport: Fishing. Edited by Horace G Hutchinson. Published in two volumes in 1904, The Country Life Library... formed a comprehensive handbook on fishing methods at the time, produced to the highest standards and written by the finest angling writers. Volume One is of particular interest to the game-fisher, with important sections on salmon fishing and the salmon fly by J J Hardy, dry-fly fishing by F M Halford, and Norwegian salmon fishing by C E Radcliffe. Halford’s chapters stand alone as an excellent condensed version of his classic works, with first-rate colour plates of his dry-flies. Hardy’s work is also well-illustrated and includes a very good colour plate of six Hardy’s Rover salmon flies. This volume also included a good and seldom-read chapter…

BEACH HOLIDAYS ARE NOT MY thing, but my wife was yearning for something away from a river, if only for a few days; somewhere with white sandy bays and azure sea. I had just the ticket. It’s hard to find better beaches anywhere than those in the Outer Hebrides. For no other reason than we’d never been there, I chose North Uist. We were heading north anyway for a fishing trip to the River Oykel in Sutherland. The rods and the rest of the gear were packed and we brought a beach bag and tanning lotion for good measure. We left Hampshire bathed in sunshine, but, not long after the Scottish border, a curtain of cloud descended and by the time we reached Lochmaddy, the thermometer had fallen to single…

IN THE AUGUST EDITION, the Editor’s Letter mentions a magic day for three happy salmon-fishers on the River Carron at Gruinards on the Glencalvie Estate in Sutherland. No less than 21 salmon were caught on Monday, May 27 and, almost unbelievably, 15 were landed by just one, no doubt, charming and modest fellow. So, what on earth was going on with the fishing conditions on that special day — the day after a good spate? Traditionally, a spate heralds perfect salmon-fishing conditions, and as the river settles after a rise, the salmon come on to the fly; the conclusions being that a rise in the river encourages fresh fish into the pools and as these fish jostle into new lies, they take a fly out of territorial aggression. A good…

THE LAST GREAT Goldrush to Alaska and the Klondike kicked off in 1897, attracting thousands to one of the remotest and harshest corners of the globe. For all but a few of those who survived their first harsh winter, the gold they scraped from the ground hardly covered their travel and mining expenses. Among those arriving to test their luck in 1900 was Charles Wulff from Brooklyn New York, where his family had a coal delivery business. He was later joined by Lilly — a Norwegian immigrant to Staten Island — and they married. Charles failed in his search for gold, so sought other employment. By the time Leon Henry (Lee) Wulff was born in 1905, Charles was Deputy Sheriff in Valdez, Alaska, along with producing a local newspaper. Lee…

Don Stazicker thanks Kevan Stephenson for his expert local knowledge and effective fly patterns and Derbyshire County AC for allowing him to sample the historic waters fished by Walton and Cotton. Membership DCAC does not offer day-tickets, but club membership (£295) represents fair value in the area, especially given the club's access to many waters. There is a joining fee, £365, which can be paid over two years. Members are given six guest tickets. Membership is from April 1-March 31. The season differs on individual waters. Vacancies are available. Only a few anglers may fish Wolfscote in one day. This is controlled by placing a membership tag in a returns box in the beat car park. Among its other waters, DCAC has six miles of fishing on the River Manifold,…

DON’T GO LOOKING FOR LLYN Gwgia on a map of Wales. It takes an expert to find it on a map of Llyn Gwgia. It is small and remote. Not an-eleven-mile-yomp-overthe-south-col sort of remote: you can drive to the side of Llyn Gwgia in the right sort of car — a 4x4, say, or a hire car. But first you have to find it. Gwgia — there is no “Llyn” on the OS map — is part of the Gregynog Estate. Matthew and I arrived at the magnificent mock-Tudor pile of Gregynog Hall on a hot July afternoon and followed the estate groundsman to a back gate and then along a couple of miles of small lanes, narrowed in the full blousy growth of summer, to a gate beside a…

If you don’t accompany a guide, finding fish can be difficult because good bass locations are often not divulged. Helping you to make a start, Mike Handyside recommends these three marks in north-west Wales. 1 DWYFAWR MOUTH Follow the A497 west out of Criccieth, but do not turn for Llanystumdwy. Instead cross the Afon Dwyfawr and take the first left, passing over its tributary the Dwyfach. Park near the bridge and proceed downstream on the right bank of the Dwyfach, past its confluence with the Dwyfawr, to the mouth. This is a delightful place to fish on shingle, alongside a small boulder reef. You are likely, also, to observe sea-trout creeping up riffles, as the sea floods the mouth on incoming tides, especially at dusk. A long walk is…

It’s almost the end of summer and that can only mean one thing to the keen angler – the Glasgow Angling Centre Autumn Open Weekend is just around the corner! This year, Scotland’s largest FREE angling event will be held on the 27th, 28th and 29th of September, and this one is already shaping up to be the best yet! The team at GAC will be making a few changes to the format this year, but all your favourite features will still be there. Every major tackle brand in the industry will be in attendance with their newest gear on show and well known experts on hand to talk you through the latest developments in fishing and tackle. There will be FREE tuition available for all types of angling, from…

England & Wales BORDER ESK THE river has had a stock of sea-trout for a few weeks but salmon have been thin on the ground. The Burnfoot beat on the lower river bucked the trend with catches of 33 salmon to 22lb up to late July and 79 sea-trout; 49 in July. On the Buccleuch Estates beats salmon sport has been slow but sea-trout catches have been encouraging. As I write (July 25), Esk is fining down after two good lifts of water. On Monday, it rose to 6ft 6in at Canonbie and then again to 3ft on the Wednesday. On the Willow Pool sea-trout were caught by: Alan Murray (two of 2lb); Richard Booth (eight over several visits to 4lb 8oz); David Dixon from New Zealand (2lb 8oz, 3lb);…

Llandovery AA, River Towy There are ten miles of mainly double-bank fishing on the Towy above and below Llandovery. Because there are no major obstacles to prevent fish running from the sea to the upper Towy in little more than 24 hours, sewin can be caught as early as May. However, fish are more numerous in July and August. Later in the season would also offer a better opportunity of catching a salmon. Day tickets for 2019 and 2020 for sea-trout and trout are available for £25. Contact: Tom Carter, FishPal. Tel: 01573 470 612. Buy tickets online: fishpal.com…

Discover your favourite dram. The Whisky Exchange has a guide to whisky by flavour, split into eight categories, including: malt and honey; fresh fruit and vanilla; elegant and floral; maritime and smoky; and peat and fruit. Why not buy a bottle and have a tasting session with friends on a back-end salmon trip? Visit thewhiskyexchange.com Collect tackle. There are four upcoming auctions full of fascinating lots. September 20. Moore, Allen and Innocent's  Hunting, Shooting and Fishing Sale, Cirencester, Gloucestershire. October 5. Angling Auctions' Autumn Sale, Romsey, Hampshire. October 31. Bonhams' Sporting Sale, Edinburgh. November 1-2. Mullock’s Auctions' Antique & Modern Fishing Tackle, Church Stretton, Shropshire. Beware: one bid may lead to obsession. Book prime-time grayling days. The Fishing Passport run by the Wye and Usk Foundation has an incredible choice…

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…

Roosting cormorants on the River Tweed will be dispersed by lasers this autumn. After a successful trial by fishery officers, selected boatmen will be supplied with pencil lasers that emit green light — the only colour that works. “The laser is not pointed at the birds,” explained Fay Hieatt, clerk to the River Tweed Commission. “They are spooked by the green light moving up the tree in the low light at dusk or dawn.” Cormorants don’t like flying in the dark. In the trial, the number of birds using a roost fell by more than 75 per cent. Cormorants feed at sea in the summer but when they return in winter they eat salmon fry and parr — 750g of fish every day. Their numbers are increasing on the Tweed,…

Hook Fulling Mill Competition Heavyweight Black Nickel or Kamasan B175 or B170 Body Flat silver tinsel Rib Fine or medium black wire Thorax Red seal’s fur Hackle Natural grizzle hen Thread Black LOCH LEVEN, MID-MORNING, around the turn of the century (the one before last). A narrow shaft of warming sunlight punches a hole through the rapidly dissolving haar to reveal a boat and two anglers. A diminutive figure rides high in the bow creating a strong silhouette against the light, conjuring an almost Melvillian scene. The anglers slip by on the gentlest breeze, the silence punctuated only by the swish of a three-fly cast on a long rod and a short, silk line. The anglers gradually merge into remnants of the murk - and then they are gone. Moments…

THE RIVER ITCHEN AT MARTYR WORTHY By George Edward Mann £35 Hardback. 512 pages. George Mann Publications. Tel: 01962 779 944. E-mail: georgemann@gmp.co.uk If the cover looks familiar then you will have read You Should Have Been Here Last Thursday, Ron Holloway’s autobiography, which traces his life as a river keeper, largely on the Itchen. George Mann, like Ron, has chosen to pose in the same river at Martyr Worthy, exchanging a weed scythe for a camera. And therein lies the essential difference between the two books. George is not a keeper. Nor a scientist. In fact, he is a publisher, the man who bought Ron’s book to print. He’s not even an angler. But he is a man who turned a two-month observation project of this 1km…

JUSTIN ANWYL Justin is a saltwater guide based in West Sussex, catering for novice and experienced fly-fishers. Web: bass-fishing.co.uk MIKE BRYANT Based in mid-Cornwall, near the Camel estuary, Mike offers a guiding service on the north and south coasts of Cornwall, including estuaries. E-mail: mcbryant@btinternet.com JOHN GEORGE South Wales guide John has more than 40 years’ experience. Web: bass-fishing.co.uk/en/ guide-john-george.php PAUL HALDENWANG Weather permitting, Paul offers a mix of wading and boat fly-fishing on a beautiful stretch of the south coast of England around Chichester Harbour. Web: sportfish.co.uk/tuition/ fly-fishing-lessons-and-courses/bass-fishing-days NICK HART Nick covers the north Devon coast and runs River to Rock courses. E-mail: nick.hart@farlows.co.uk…

After many years, my wife and I decided to revisit the Game Fair. Our last visit had been to Blenheim, and far in the past we went to Stowe and Broadlands. What a disappointment! In summary, the Game Fair is now a marketing exercise for lifestyle products. The once great Fishermen’s Row is now euphemistically called the Fishing Village and consists of a double row of ten stands over about 30m. Where were the tackle makers, fishing pressure groups, retailers and other exhibitors? The 666 trade entries were topped by food-and-drink exhibitors (112) and then clothing (88). Shooting ranked highly (73). Home-and-lifestyle (63) and dogs (40) were close behind. Fishing was the pitiful 17th-ranked category with only ten entries. The Game Fair is now little different from every county show…

Glasgow Angling Centre is just two minutes’ drive from junction 16 of Glasgow’s M8 motorway, at Unit 1, 29 Saracen Street, Glasgow G22 5HT. It has a huge car park and is also easily accessed via public transport – just contact them and the guys will tell you how best to get there. But don’t worry if you can’t make this event, the Centre is open seven days a week, so you can drop in at any time. Alternatively, order by phone using their hotline number 0141 212 8880 or visit the easy-to-use website at www.fishingmegastore.com – Glasgow Angling Centre also operates a bustling, multi award winning mail-order department, sending out hundreds of parcels every day to customers all over the world, and giving valuable advice to anglers who aren’t…

Tweedswood, River Tweed Tweedswood is a renowned and picturesque beat on the middle stretches of the River Tweed, which provides one mile of double-bank fishing with eight named pools. The banks are regularly maintained allowing good access to pools and safe wading for the guests. The majority of the salmon are caught from August onwards. There is a fully-equipped heated fishing hut with kitchen, dining, and toilet facilities. Edinburgh is 34 miles to the north, and the market town of Melrose is two miles to the west. Day tickets for salmon start from £125 plus vat. Contact: Tom Carter, FishPal. Tel: 01573 470612. Buy tickets online: fishpal.com…

Clyde UCAPA, River Clyde This association enjoys a long tradition of river and fisheries management, principally on the River Clyde and a number of tributaries. All funds raised through the sale of fishing permits are wisely reinvested on the management of UCAPA licensed waters. Clyde brown trout are famous for their quality and size. Large specimens are caught every year (3lb-9lb) and there are stories of larger trout fought and lost. Atlantic salmon have been returning to the river in reasonable numbers for several years. The Migratory Fish Permit is valid on that part of the main stem of the River Clyde between Stonebyres Falls and Motherwell Bridge with the exception of certain restricted areas. Day tickets: Salmon, £30; wild brown trout, £10. Contact: Tom Carter, FishPal. Tel: 01573 470…

Lower Birgham, River Tweed The beat offers three-quarters of a mile of private, tranquil, double-bank fishing from both the Scottish and English banks, which are split into three sub-beats. There are 12 named pools fished by three rods, two from the boats. The third rod has easy and extensive wading from both banks. The differing character of these pools means that good fishing can be found in both high and low water conditions. There are two well-appointed huts, one on the Scottish bank and one on the English bank. Both have heating, cooking facilities, fridge, picnic tables, barbecues and ample parking. There is a concrete path leading to a landing stage on the Scottish bank making it an excellent beat for disabled and less-agile anglers. Day tickets for salmon start…

IF ANYTHING IS likely to wake a sleepy toddler, it’s a tussle with a big Norwegian salmon. This extraordinary picture shows television presenter, guide and instructor April Vokey with her sleepy daughter Adelaide on the River Gaula in July. Adelaide often joins her pioneering mother in the river, who has previously addressed obvious safety concerns, offering advice on baby carriers, shallow wading, casting styles, equipment and landing fish. Of the magical moment, April said, “All I wanted on this trip was to catch a Gaula fish with my family, so we had a powwow and decided to put in the full 6pm to midnight session over a campfire BBQ with a very giggly little girl. “At 11:51pm, right as our beat was about to end and Adelaide’s eyes were about…

IT IS NOW THREE MONTHS SINCE news of the biggest water pollution scandal in years hit the headlines. Southern Water, the private company charged with treating the wastewater and sewage that flows into the rivers and seas of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent, was issued with financial penalties totalling £126m by the regulator Ofwat. Criminal prosecutions are under consideration. The newspapers that carried the story are by now just so many fish ’n’ chip wrappers so it is worth reminding ourselves of just what happened. Essentially, Southern Water was guilty of not one but two crimes. Firstly, it discharged wastewater into the environment from its sewage plants that breached the industry code - it wasn’t as clean as it should be. If that wasn’t…

Glenn Delporte offers a full guiding service and can arrange permits for the Nive and its tributaries together with fly-fishing for carp, bass, barbel and pike. Web: madeinriver.fr Facebook: facebook.com/ MadeinRiver He’s a formidably-qualified instructor who can give lessons in French nymphing and other techniques. There’s accommodation in centres such as St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and St-Etienne-de-Baigorry but our base in St Michel, the Xoko Goxoa Hotel and Restaurant, was ideal, with comfortable rooms and excellent food. Web: xoko-goxoa.com Try the local cheese, Fromage de Brebis de St Michel, and Axoa, a spiced meat-and-potato stew. For trout fishing, rods of 8ft-9ft rated 4wt-5wt would be fine, though leader-to-hand enthusiasts might want to take specialist tools. A fly-box should carry beadheads representing caddises, standard nymphs, and dry-flies in sizes 18-20. We found Klinkhåmers, F-Flies,…

Davie and David McMillan This father and son from Shetland have both fished at international level. Father Davie – with two Scotland caps – has recently retired and spends his time targeting big wild brown trout from his boat on Unst’s Loch of Cliff. Son David has five caps for Scotland at youth level and is obsessed with developing imitative methods and flies for wild brownies. Having a young family means his fishing trips to the mainland have taken a back seat, but after he's got the kids to sleep he takes advantage of the 24 hours of daylight provided by a Shetland summer to fish local lochs. Father and son have also fished at the Lake of Menteith, Carron Valley, Loch Leven and Rutland Water. LIME GREEN HEDGEHOG Hook…

Q I have a weak casting arm and often feel undergunned when fishing next to anglers who can cast to the middle of the lake. How can I improve my casting? Peter Fanshaw, by e-mail A Casting a long way is not always about strength and it’s often unnecessary. Learn to make the rod do the work and increase line speed by hauling with your other arm. As your timing improves, so will your distance. What’s more important is developing better watercraft than those anglers casting to the middle. It is true that the angler casting farthest may reach trout less disturbed by angling pressure, but there is another area of the fishery where trout have discovered more peace: the margins. I recently met an angler who is perfectly capable…

Cornish lampreys I was interested to read about the Tweed salmon caught with a sea lamprey by Stephen Bolton (Letters, September). Stephen said that not one of the 300 people who replied to him on Facebook had caught a salmon with a lamprey. I find that surprising. In the 1960s and ’70s I fished the River Lynher in Cornwall, then mainly a spring river. I caught salmon with lampreys, and salmon with the marks left when lampreys drop off. Mr Bolton says that his fish was carrying sea-lice and very fresh, which is exactly what we encountered in Cornwall. We also noticed that these fish were very aggressive towards a lure or bait; as were fish damaged by nets and seals. We have lost our spring run and it seems…

Reels designed to hold a five-weight line are among the most popular on the market. This is because the flexibility of the line size suits chalkstream, river, loch or reservoir dry-fly fishing. But there is a difference between a reel designed for 3-5 lines on small rivers and streams and a 5-6 reel aimed at a large river or stillwater. Weight, size, backing capacity and drag quality all play a part when considering the reels’ suitability. Some anglers will also take brand values into account.The quality of the build and components are equally important to the long-term performance and reliability of the reel. This is often reflected in the price: quality purpose-made components cost more than off-the-shelf parts. All ten of the reels we’ve reviewed › are new for 2019.…

Historic salmon fishing on Mull The legendary Mull Salmon, weighing 45lb, was caught in 1911 on the Aros, a spate river that flows for five miles before entering the sea on the Isle of Mull’s east coast. Now fishing on more than two miles of the Aros is for sale with the placing on the market of the Glenaros Estate. Originally part of the Duke of Argyll’s estates, it is situated between Salen (two miles) and Tobermory (nine miles) and offers stalking, a small established game shoot, and extensive salmon and sea-trout fishing. The original house, Tigh Beg, is thought to date from 1720 and now forms part of Glenaros House, the front of which was added when the Duke sold the property in 1819. There are four reception rooms,…

Kirkby Stephen & District AA, River Eden Kirkby Stephen & DAA control nine miles of fly-fishing on the River Eden with a further four miles on the River Belah and Scandal Beck. Upstream of Kirkby Stephen, the River Eden runs briskly with fast glides and deep pools with the occasional longer smooth runs. Downstream of Kirkby Stephen the river takes its time and flows through beautiful countryside. There is plenty of double-bank fly-fishing for wild brown trout up to 5lb. The fish are wild and a very careful approach is necessary. Day tickets for wild brown trout £20 and grayling £10. Contact: Tom Carter, FishPal. Tel: 01573 470 612. Buy tickets online: fishpal.com…

SOMETIMES I FEAR FOR THE future of our sport. I think it’s only natural. It feels, from time to time - actually most of the time - as if we are besieged. There is growing resentment about the private ownership of almost anything. There are demands for access to this and that both here and there. Everything seems to be getting more and more expensive. And then there are the poor old fish. Or rather there aren’t. Climate change, predation, the Great North Atlantic Oscillation, pollution, fish farming, dams and hydro systems: you name it and our beloved salmon have to overcome it. All of which is very worrying, but what concerns me more is where the next generation of anglers is going to come from. Those of us who…