Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Trout & Salmon

I’M SITTING IN MY FLY-TYING ROOM LOOKING out at the rain. Will I get a cast tonight? The forecast says there’s a 79% chance of rain at eight o’clock, 67% at nine and 58% at ten, by which time I’ll be in trouble again. I’m often late for supper at this time of year because the hatches aren’t predictable. They’re often late, too. It’s not that I need to go out, and yet I must. You see, I didn’t catch anything last night or the night before, and I must make amends. On the previous three evenings I caught like billy-o on a single fiery brown Shipman’s — the original that Mr Shipman reminded us of last month. I landed a brace of three-pounders, and a few much bigger fish…

BOOKING Historically, Horncliffe has been most productive from late summer to early October in low water. With Tweed salmon running earlier, prospects in the spring and early summer have greatly improved. Despite this, the beat is often lightly fished. It can accommodate up to 18 syndicate rods and there are still some available until the end of July. Prices £395, plus vat. Daily rod prices are £35-£135 plus vat, available through FishPal (fishpal.com). Note: lower pools can be affected by a high tide and must be rested for an hour or two. TACKLE 14-15ft rods are ideal unless there is very low water and light winds. All the usual Tweed flies work from small doubles to heavy tubes and skagit lines, according to conditions and time of year.…

The need for diversity The recent wave of protests in the US and across the world has highlighted an issue that has long dismayed me and, I know, many others: the almost total lack of diverse faces and voices in fly-fishing. I cannot, for instance, think of a single non-white brand ambassador for any of the major fishing marques. The busy, babbling corner of YouTube dedicated to fly-fishing is starkly, worryingly white. If we as a fishing community fail to do everything we can to make this wonderful sport as welcoming, inclusive and approachable as possible to all people then not only will it not have a future, it will not deserve one. It’s not enough for brands, clubs and publications like this to acknowledge that they “need to do…

“I started fishing Llandeilo as a junior with my father Tony. A memorable moment was catching my first sewin. My husband and children are members now and we fish as a family.” Club member Sioned Jones “My first fishing experience was with my father at seven years old … 48 years on, I still enjoy fishing the Llandeilo club water, which says it all really” Committee member Robert Hall “I started fishing when I was four with my neighbour Mr Rees. Growing up, I fished as much as possible. Llandeilo is a friendly club. I enjoy introducing new members.” Club member Phil Harris…

CLARET BUZZER Hook Size 10-14 Kamasan B100 Thread Black Rib Claret Spanflex Body Pearl Mylar Wing buds Fine orange floss A team of three or four buzzers, with the heaviest on point, is my preferred approach on reservoirs. This pattern may not look particularly special, but it came about after observing chironomids in white sampling trays. This enabled me to tweak the standard design. While this probably makes no difference to your average trout, it gives me confidence, which is all that matters. The Spanflex rib creates a clearly defined segmented body, and the pearl tinsel underneath resembles air bubbles. The wing buds, or cheeks, are teased out and when varnished, they look like breaking wings with air bubbles behind. Claret is the dominant colour of the naturals on my…

Q Many dry-fly hooks are fine-wired and bend if I hook big fish. Are there stronger models suitable for stillwater trout flies? Peter Kelly Traditionally, dry-fly hooks were made with fine wire to reduce the chance of the delicate feathers used to support them being swamped. While there is always going to be a trade-off between weight and strength, there are hooks that occupy the middle ground. Heavier and stronger hooks can still be used for dry-flies if you dress them with the right materials. Made with relatively fine wire, the straight-shank Partridge Dry Fly Supreme (L5A) lends itself to many dressings and has the strength to cope with larger trout. If you prefer barbless hooks, the Partridge SLD2 is worth consideration. For emerger-style patterns, or buzzers that loiter in…

AS THE HUGE MI-8 helicopter chugged its way across the Russian tundra, our cabin was filled with nervous silence. The flight didn’t bother us, it was the sight below — the mighty Varzina was carrying an extra foot and resembled a giant water meadow. I clung to rumours of hatches beyond my wildest dreams, but I’d been bitten once before. A few years ago, my hopes had been dashed the moment I had arrived. I’d been a week too late and pictures of the departing Scandinavian group clutching huge trout they’d caught on dry sedges had haunted me ever since. We’d had a flight of two halves. We took off amid squally showers and a chilly breeze, but as we landed the clearing skies revealed a high Arctic sun. This…

England & Wales BORDER ESK THE Fauld and Burnfoot beat had a great start after the resumption of fishing with 17 salmon caught on the first day. Conditions were not ideal, with persistent low water but fish were present in numbers. Up to June 23 the beat had recorded 35 salmon and 24 sea-trout. As I write, Esk and Liddel AC’s season has just got going. Low water for three months has resulted in a warm river with lots of “glit” about. Sea-trout were seen but have been very difficult to tempt. Esk regular Jackie Allan had a brace of 2lb sea-trout one night in early June. John Park had a couple fishing at dusk. Anglers are desperate for a good flood to get fish running and scour out the…

SEDGE HOPPER Hook Size 10-12 FM Super Grub Thread Brown 8/0 Body Stripped peacock quill Collar Orange holo tinsel Legs Knotted PT fibres Wing Deer hair with three plumes of CDC over Thorax Hare’s fur SHERRY PETER Hook Size 10 Dohiku 302 Thread Uni red 8/0 Tag UV reflective floss No.06 or 14 Rib Uni extra small gold oval tinsel Body Bann Valley sherry seal fur Body hackle Whiting Farms Hebert Miner brown hen Wings Hen pheasant quill Hackle Whiting Farms Hebert Miner brown hen BLACKDIAWLBACH Hook Size 10-14 B175 Thread Black Tail Black hackle fibres Rib Medium red holo tinsel Body Peacock herl Throat Black hackle fibres Cheeks Split jungle cock…

In the event of it being difficult to buy a print copy of Trout & Salmon in a newsagents, your favourite magazine is still available on digital platforms. So, if you can’t find us in stores, or if you’re stuck inside, please consider: • Downloading our Trout & Salmon app from the iOS or Android app stores. We have superb one-off subscription offers with discounts of up to 50%. You can also purchase single-copy issues if you wish. If you’re a Kindle Fire user, you can download our magazines from Amazon Newsstand. • If you are a print subscriber and we cannot deliver issues to you owing to the Covid-19 situation, please visit: greatmagazines.co.uk where clear updates will be given. We appreciate your support and readership during this period of…

“I was rummaging around in the tree branches the other day and saw cinnamon sedge and a mass of black sedge” IT HAS BEEN AN EVENTFUL FEW weeks. The School has started guiding again and we’ve had some fantastic days with our clients, some of them beginners and others returning customers. The trout have been much more active, so hopefully things continue on this upward trajectory. The weather in late May was much cooler and the levels were steady. We usually get a flood around now that enables salmon to reach the upper sections of the river, but as I write this has not happened yet. All good things come to those who wade! I went for a day’s fishing with my friend Andy Beeman and much to my delight…

Llandeilo Angling Association was formed in 1893 when a group of tradesmen came together to try to secure angling for themselves and other locals. Despite two world wars the club continued to go from strength to strength, renting further water on the main river Towy, as well as its tributaries the Dulais and Cennen. In 1964 the club became a Company Limited by guarantee and purchased its first stretch of water, Closglas, which was to form the foundation of its fishing. Collecting tins were taken around local hostelries and anglers asked to bulk-buy season tickets in advance in an effort to raise monies. Local anglers lent the club money and a loan was organised with the bank. All loans were repaid within two years. More water was bought year on…

Run tying thread down the shank and stop opposite the hook point. Catch in a length of medium-width pearl tinsel and apply a pinch of pearl dubbing. Form the pearl dubbing into a thin rope and wind it two-thirds of the way along the shank to form a slim body. Wind on evenly spaced turns of the tinsel. Secure the loose end of the pearl tinsel then trim off the waste. Add three short lengths of pearl Flashabou then a pinch each of white and blue-green bucktail. Secure the wing with tight thread turns. Tie in three strands of smolt-blue Crystal Flash over the blue bucktail. Add a slim pinch of black bucktail over. Fold and secure a length of blue-and-black barred rubber to form a pair of legs. Cast…

Hook Size 10-12 Partridge Wet Heavy Supreme Thread Black, 6/0 Abdomen Tying thread Collar Two turns of medium flat silver Thorax Tying thread The Meenister is remarkably successful for this Leven style of fishing. For my point fly I use black wire to create both abdomen and thorax. Given that you are tying on one of the heaviest fly hooks, this greatly adds to the weight and will get your leader into position fast. There are times when a red lurex collar instead of a silver one will work well, so give it a try. Give the finished fly at least three coats of varnish, and you are ready to go.…

YOU ARE FISHING WITH A FRIEND AND ONLY ONE OF you is catching fish. Usually your friend. Exchanging locations and rods changes nothing — swap back and the successful angler catches again. Obviously, this is unrelated to position or equipment. The only remaining variable is how the flies are being retrieved. Two anglers will never retrieve their flies in exactly the same way, however hard they try. Movement implies life. Trout see moving flies about 20 per cent further away than static flies. Retrieving flies moves them through a greater volume of water, allowing more fish to see them. Surely then, fast retrieves should always be more successful as more fish will see your fly? If only it were that simple. Wind and water-induced motion Stillwaters are never still, wind…

A PARADOX OF TYING AN imitative fly pattern is that creating a true-to-life effect by adding every feature of an insect is rarely, if ever, successful. However, what does work is the process of identifying one or two major recognition points, and then using a combination of materials to create something that not only looks quite like the real thing but can be made to act like it, too. Those who understand how these two factors combine, and who have the ability to translate them into practical and effective artificial flies, are surprisingly uncommon. Paul Procter and Oliver Edwards spring to mind, though there are, of course, others not quite so well known, and one of them is Norwegian fly-fisher Bjørnar Skjevdal. Much of his understanding comes from simple fieldcraft;…

Everything about the Trout LL feels delicate and wand-like. The blank is slim, loads quickly and smoothly but still has a “snap” about it. Its action provides good feedback during the cast and although forgiving, the tip is stable enough to give excellent results when accuracy is more important than distance. The handle profile allows good control without feeling clumsy. When playing a trout, the blank takes on a lovely curve, right into the butt if you tempt a big fish. The through-action soaks up the trout’s lunges so you can really enjoy the fight on light tackle.…

DEADLY RED Hook Size 4-10 Partridge Nordic Tube double or size 2-10 standard double Thread Red Feelers Three red boar bristles Rear hackle Large scarlet red hackle flank feather with four strands of red Lureflash (optional) Body Red holographic tinsel Rib Fine silver wire Eyes Veniard black fly eyes(small) Hackle Fine/small red boar bristles Head Red varnish MINI MONKEY Tube Clear plastic Tag Mirage tinsel Body Red or chartreuse Glo-Brite floss Wing Black fox or similar mobile hair with Mirage Flashabou Eyes Small 3D eyes superglued and varnished over…

SENIOR BADGE WINNERS All fish listed were caught after the governments’ stay at home orders were relaxed. England ■ ALBURY ESTATE FISHERIES, Guildford, 07976 810737 1 Trevor Tye, Surrey, 11lb 4oz rainbow, Red Chewing Gum Worm. ■ AVINGTON TROUT FISHERY, Winchester, 01962 779312 1 Timothy Mellish, Alton, 14lb 14oz rainbow, on fly. 2 Joseph Hellman, Middlesex, 12lb 4oz rainbow, Light Cahill. 3 Anthony Brown, Bishopstock, 11lb 0oz brown, Fritz. 3 William Dawes, London, 11lb 0oz rainbow, Black and Gold Lure. ■ BESSY BECK TROUT FISHERY, Cumbria, 01539 623303 1 Malcolm Proudlock, Stanley, 6lb 0oz rainbow, Tinny. ■ BLITHFIELD ANGLERS, ABBOTS BROMLEY, 01283 840284 1 Geoffrey Allsop, Rugeley, 4lb 0oz rainbow, Orange Lure. ■ BRANSFORD GAME FISHERIES, Bransford, 01905 830548 1 Mike Sinclair, Eveshall, 7lb 12oz rainbow, Damsel. 2 Simon Batten,…

ENGLAND ALDIN GRANGE LAKES, Durham, 07957 831711 BRICK FARM LAKES, Herstmonceux, 01323 832615 DRAYCOTE TROUT FISHERY, Rugby, 01788 812018 HIGHAM LAKE TROUT FISHERY, Ponteland, 07950 428159 LAKEDOWN TROUT FISHERY, Burwash, 01435 883449 LANGLEY DAM, Langley, 01434 688846 LEIGHTON RESERVOIR, Ripon, 07815 114890 LENCHES LAKES, Evesham, 01386 871035 MOORHEN TROUT FISHERY, Warnford, 01730 829460 NEW MILLS TROUT FISHING PARK, Brampton, 01697 741115 NORTON FISHERY, Stapleford Tawney, 01708 688525 PATSHULL PARK FISHERY, Wolverhampton, 01902 700774 RIB VALLEY FISHING LAKES, Ware, 07812 464323 SYON PARK, Brentford, 07956 378138 TENTERDEN TROUT WATERS, Tenterden, 01580 763201 THORNWOOD TROUT FISHERY, Epping, 07588 669255 TOFT NEWTON TROUT FISHERY, Market Rasen, 01673 878453 WASHBURN VALLEY FISHERIES, Harrogate, 01943 880658 WESTLOW MERE, Congleton, 01260 270012 WOOLASTON COURT TROUT LAKES, Lydney, 07979 761123 SCOTLAND ACHAGOUR FISH PONDS, Nairn, 01309 651259…

Youth ENGLAND AMPORT FISHERY, Andover, 07775 953273 1 Edward Ursell, Amport, 4lb 6oz rainbow, on fly. 2 Charlie Westmacott, Salisbury, 4lb 3oz rainbow, on fly. 2 Freddie Covill, Andover, 4lb 3oz rainbow, on fly. BRANSFORD GAME FISHERIES, Bransford, 01905 830157 1 Luke Loturco, Cardiff, 3lb 2oz rainbow, Clan Chief. HOLLIES TROUT FARM & FISHERY, Honiton, 01404 841428 1 Alex Venn, Cullompton, 5lb 2oz rainbow, Patchy. SCOTLAND ALDERNEUK FISHERY, Dumfries, 07901 602020 1 Lewis Dempster, Penpont, 5lb 5oz rainbow, on fly. BORLAND RESERVOIR (BAIT), Cumnock, 01290 420981 1 Olim Kerr, Cumnock, 4lb 10oz rainbow, Powerbait. BORLAND RESERVOIR (FLY), Cumnock, 01290 420981 1 Jamie Steel, Ayr, 7lb 6oz rainbow, Black Beetle. KINROSS TROUT FISHERY, Kinross, 07376 762057 1 Cameron Craik, Errol, 13lb 8oz rainbow, Yellow Dancer. WALES GRAIGLWYD SPRINGS, Bangor, 01492 622338…

IF THERE IS ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT that is critical for me at this time of year it is my tin of Mucilin dry-fly grease. And it is a tin. One of the red ones. It must be 50 years old because I inherited it, along with much of my fishing tackle, from the late Ageing Progenitor and it still has a price label on its base which firmly states that the purchaser should have 1/3d ready at the check-out. When I take the lid off, the shiny silver bottom of the tin is visible in the middle of the ring of white grease under the scrap of fabric applicator, so it is not as if this example has not seen plenty of use. It has. However, there are reasons…

SALMON AND SEA-TROUT SEASON April 1-October 17. TICKETS Day ticket, £25. Valid for 24 hours from time of purchase. Available online via fishingpassport.co.uk, link from club website. Adult week ticket, £75. Valid for seven days from time of purchase. Day and week tickets are also available Monday to Sunday from Nice Price News, 95 Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo. E-mail: geraint.p@hotmail.co.uk Cash or cheque only. MEMBERSHIP Adult, £100 per season, plus £50 joining fee for new members. Student, £70 per season (aged 19-22 in full-time education or apprenticeship). Junior, £25 per season (aged 16-18). Under 16s, £1 per season. Membership applications, club rules and byelaws, new NRW rules for 2020, maps of club waters, including parking, newsletter and catch reports, are available on the excellent club website: www.llandeiloangling.co.uk or by e-mailing llandeiloangling@gmail.com…

1. DEERSTALKER In an era when most anglers seem to use baseball caps, I have studiously remained loyal to the deerstalker as my headgear of choice. It is better suited to dealing with Caithness gales. I am unsure how long this one was in use before it entered retirement a couple of years ago, but there is a picture in my diary dated October 1990 in which I am wearing it. It had a hard life in all weathers. 2. PLASTIC RETRACTING SCISSORS On occasions, gillies and colleagues have politely or otherwise enquired why I was using such a cheap pair of scissors when much better were available. In fact, they were not cheap — they were acquired free of charge. They came my way many years ago as a…

I WAS A BETTER FISHERMAN WHEN I smoked. I was never a very classy smoker. Not like the oldish bloke I saw while fishing Galway Weir. It was a Saturday evening in late June and the famous Weir Beats had all been booked for months. But this was 1990 and that evening Ireland was playing Italy in the quarter finals of the World Cup: the Weir Beats were all but deserted and I got to fish for free. The bloke hooked a fish. It was a good fish and he was in no hurry to land it. He held the rod high with his left hand and reached into his jacket pocket. He got out the makings and, with one hand, rolled a cigarette, stuck it in his face, flipped…

LAKEDOWN TROUT FISHERY, created in 1981 by The Who frontman and rock legend Roger Daltrey, is entering a new era — but is staying firmly in the family. Roger’s son Jamie has taken over the reins of this much-loved and stunningly beautiful fishery, which is one of the most popular waters in the south of England. His aim is to sympathetically enhance the complex of four lakes that form an integral part of Roger’s 400-acre farm in deepest East Sussex. It’s where Jamie grew up, and although he made a successful career in London, and lived there for many years, he has now settled back into the countryside way of life. Having previously worked on the farm he clearly has the necessary outdoor skills and told me his simple ethos,…

If you are fishing imitative patterns and you want all the flies on the leader to fish properly, then they need to be imitations of creatures that naturally move at the same speed. Fishing a bloodworm on the point with two buzzers on droppers or fishing a team with caddis pupae on the point and bottom dropper and a caddis emerger on the top dropper makes sense. We can fish them static or with a gentle sink and draw motion. Conversely, a leader with a stick fly (caddis larva), a buzzer and a damselfly nymph will always result in two out of three of the flies acting unnaturally, as they all require different retrieves at different depths. The retrieve is crucial to making attractor patterns and lures behave as their…

Run the tying thread a short way around the hook bend then catch in three ostrich mini herls and a length of fine, green wire. Secure the loose end of the wire along the shank then take a bunch of marabou fibres and trim off the very fine tips. Catch them in at the base of the tail. Park the tying thread a short distance from the eye. Twist the marabou fibres slightly to form a thin rope, and wind them along the shank in close turns. Secure and trim off the ends of the marabou. Apply open turns of wire, wound in the opposite spiral to the marabou, so that they cross. The wire should lock the turns of marabou in place. Secure and remove the loose end of…

Hook Size 12-16 Fulling Mill Ultimate Dry Black Nickel Thread Red Uni (Luboš says this is important) Tail 6-8 strands of pearl Crystalflash Body CDC fibres spun in a dubbing loop and then wound up the body Head Red Uni thread, varnished Place hook in vice and attach thread. Tie in Crystalflash using neat turns of thread and cut tail to length. Push two CDC feathers into a clip by their stalks. Trim feathers and stalks at each end of the clip. Grip the fibres of the CDC feathers into a second clip, release the first clip and then trim the feather fibres from the stalks. Form a dubbing loop with your thread. Place the butts of the CDC feathers into the dubbing loop and then spin. Then wind the…

S&TCS DEMANDS STRICT SEA-LICE LIMITS The wild fish charity Salmon & Trout Conservation Scotland has published a document explaining why sea-lice levels must be capped on salmon farms. It aims to “inform debate and counter misinformation” just as the Scottish Government’s Technical Working Group, responsible for developing practical arrangements for improving the regulation of salmon farms, prepares to report its findings. The S&TCS document outlines why a precautionary approach on sea-lice is essential; how there is already domestic, international and industry support for a strict sea-lice ceiling; why adaptive management, by itself, as proposed by the Salmon Interactions Working Group, is not enough; and why the Scottish Government’s sea-lice reporting levels are not enough. S&TCS says, “We believe it is imperative any new regulatory regime includes a strict adult female…

Jonathan Dugdale caught this 12lb summer salmon from the Bywell beat on the River Tyne. The fish took an Ally’s Shrimp on Jonathan’s second cast of the day.  Seven-year-old Sonny Foster holds his first sea-trout, a lovely fresh-run fish of 4lb from Egton Estate on the Yorkshire Esk. Sonny took the fish on a small blade. Newtyle regular David Gardner landed this sea-liced 10lb salmon on a fly from the Boil pool on the River Tay. It was his third fish in two days from the beat. Ollie Hoskin caught the best fish of the month from Siblyback Lake, Cornwall — a 5lb 9oz rainbow trout. Ollie was fishing a black and orange lure on an intermediate line from the bank between the Stones and Stocky Bay. Two stunning fish…

1942-2020 The Isle of Harris lost one of its most colourful characters in May 2020 when Samuel Macleod, known throughout the islands as Sammy, passed away aged 77. Although in failing health recently he remained as positive and humorous as ever and his passing came as a shock to his family and his many friends. The Lacasdale Lochs lie two miles east of Tarbert, Isle of Harris, and are easily accessed from the road that takes you across the Scalpay bridge to that busy little island. To anglers in the Western Isles these have been “Sammy’s Lochs” for the past 30 years. Sammy took over the lease of the lochs from the Harris Hotel in the 1980s. The hotel proprietors, the Cameron family, had spent a lot of time and…

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 Troutmasters Fish of the Month, H Bauer Publishing, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. *Please follow your national government’s social-distancing rules. ■ The Airflo Superflo fly-line is high-floating, durable and has almost zero memory. Its slick coating and super-thin running line will enable you to generate fast line speeds. It has a low-stretch core that will keep…

In addition to the monthly Troutmasters badge, anglers can also win Gold, Silver and Bronze badges. Gold is awarded to anglers who win monthly badges from ten different fisheries during the Troutmasters season, Silver to anglers who win badges from five different fisheries, and Bronze for badges from three different venues. This month a Silver badge is awarded to Les Plaster, from Chelmsford, for catches at Rib Valley, Thornwood, Narborough, Coltsford Mill and Springhill. In the Junior section a Silver badge goes to Ewan Loturco, from Cardiff, for success at Tyn-y-Graig, Ynys-y-Fro, Eisteddfa, Bransford and Sandford Pool. www.troutandsalmon.com/troutmasters…