Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Trout & Salmon

I’VE JUST RETURNED FROM THE TWEED. IT WAS IN many ways a trip to remember. We had a slight lift — all of nine inches — which, given recent low water, was celebrated with gold medal applause. Reports of fish waiting in the wings had spread throughout the catchment, and even the gillies were excited, promising a run of fish and an improvement in catches as the sediment cleared. When your gillie says on the first morning, “We’ll have four today and one sea-trout” it sharpens your focus. Whether this was a ploy to get his rods to fish hard I’m not certain, but it worked. Light rods and flies were put to task, and we ended the day only one salmon short of the target. The water cleared on…

Caught a memorable fish? Send us a picture and a brief story to troutandsalmon@bauermedia.co.uk Each picture published (p10-11) will receive a Sharpe’s of Aberdeen cap. The captor of the Fish of the Month will receive a Sharpe’s rod of their choice. Our winner may have recently landed a big fish, first fish or unusual fish. They may simply have told a wonderful tale. The editor’s decision is final.For terms and conditions, visit: bauerlegal.co.uk/competition-terms.html For our Privacy Policy: bauerdatapromise.co.uk…

MENTION SEDGE TO any fly-fisher and they are whisked away to lazy summer evenings when the bugs emerge in unfathomable numbers. So overwhelming is their presence, the fluttering flies may crawl down your shirt neck. While we dream of these occasions, we’d do well to remember this activity is short-lived, often lasting an hour at most. “When suddenly the water erupts around … nothing” There are 201 species of caddisfly in the UK (most traditional UK anglers call the adult fly “sedge”; scientists and overseas fishers prefer “caddis” or “caddisfly”). Though not every species exists on every river, it’s likely a stream near you will contain a handful of the more common types. It’s well known most sedge go about their business in the wee small hours when most of…

“Often the best fishers are multi-disciplined or have been at one time” TONY BLACK HAS BEEN A GILLIE ON the Tay for 36 years, and in that sense, salmon fishing is his profession. But, and I think this is telling, when he’s not working at his beloved Murthly Two, he will most likely be out fishing. Exploring a different river or a new beat. You might say he’s obsessive, driven to catch. Tony has now landed a few short of 5,000 Scottish salmon. If you were making a list of living souls with a higher tally, you wouldn’t need a very long bit of paper. It’s a staggering tally. If we add the many salmon that he’s helped his rods to catch, then Mr Black must surely stand as one…

ROB EDMUNDS Highly successful competition angler, reservoir bank and boat specialist. RONNIE GLASS Former Scottish champion on rivers and stillwaters and curator of the Tweed Salmon Fishing Museum. STEVE CULLEN Guide, instructor and all-round game angler with a wealth of knowledge. ALASTAIR & WILLIAM PEAKE Brothers Al and Will (AKA TwinPeakes) have a casting school and tackle shop in Crathes on the Aberdeenshire Dee. 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 60 years’ fly-fishing experience.…

A TAPERED COPOLYMER LEADER separates fly-line from fly, providing an almost invisible link between the thick, highly obvious, coated fly-line and the fly, which we would like to pretend is not attached to a fly-line at all. The leader should present the fly accurately, delicately and allow it to act naturally when it reaches the fish. With a dry-fly, the length, taper, and diameter of a suitable leader will do that for you. When presenting a wet-fly or nymph to a fish then we may need to modify the leader to present our fly at depths varying from suspended in the surface film to hard on the riverbed. Modifying the leader can help the angler locate the fly and see when a fish has taken it. This applies to subsurface…

If you don’t tie your own flies, what should you look for when buying an Oykel GP in the shops? • Make sure the hook is strong. • Salmon hooks with a wide gape and short shank hook securely. • Ensure the fly is not overdressed with too much material. • The golden pheasant feathers should be tied in line with the top of the shank of the hook otherwise the fly will “spin” in the water. • Look for a tidy head as this shows tying skill and usually means the rest of the fly will be tied correctly.…

TROUT MASTERS Plus this month’s badge winners from Europe’s largest fly-fishing competition England & Wales BORDER ESK ANGLERS on the Burnfoot beat struggled at times in the low flows during July and early August. Catches were at 67 salmon and 99 sea-trout by August 19, well down on last year’s total. Given a few spates the situation could change very quickly. Night-fishers were the only anglers to experience success on the BELAC beats during low flows. Dave Wildey had caught 30 sea-trout up to early August and has fished some very low waters. His fish ranged from 1lb to 5lb. Jackie Allan had a few at night too. Early August saw the Esk rise a foot or so and salmon and some sea-trout ran upstream in numbers. Ross Currie caught…

UPS AND DOWNS Scottish Government has published its proposed salmon conservation assessments for the 2022 season. Notable movers are the Lochy and Laxford rivers and North Uist lochs, which move from Category 2 to 3 (mandatory catch-and-release). Rivers no longer requiring catch-and-release are the Ailort, Etive, Leven, Morar, Water of Girvan and Water of Luce. In Category 1 rivers, “exploitation is sustainable”. In Category 2, catch-and-release is strongly promoted. In Category 3, catch-and-release is mandatory. In practice, catch-and-release is strongly promoted in Category 1 rivers, too. The 2020 season was affected by restrictions imposed by the pandemic, which reduced rod effort and the numbers of fish caught. To gain a more accurate assessment of fish stocks and dictate the conservation status of each river in 2022, Marine Scotland evaluated historic…

ROBBIE was born Robert Kerr MacGregor on October 14, 1948, the youngest of four children (older brother Kerr, brother Ally and sister Annie). Holidays were taken in Glen Esk, near Edzell, and it was there, on the River North Esk, that Robbie’s love of fishing was founded. Later holidays, from about eight years old, were taken at Castle Sween and then at their Uncle Jimmy’s house at Chapel Bay on Loch Caolisport in Argyll. Robbie’s love of the outdoors and of fishing grew there with many hours spent in the hill lochs amid gales and midges. Robbie took up work for the RSPB, which took him to such places as the Isle of May and Fetlar in Shetland. He loved the work and it gave him the opportunity to draw…

England ■ ALDIN GRANGE LAKES, Durham, 0191 384 6090 1 Duncan Elliott, Durham, 10lb 6oz rainbow, GRHE. 2 Duncan Elliott, Durham, 6lb 3oz brown, Claret Hopper. 3 Leonard Broxson, Co Durham, 3lb 7oz rainbow, Montana. ■ BRANSFORD GAME FISHERIES, Bransford, 01905 830548 1 Michael Duckett, Crowborough, 3lb 10oz rainbow, Diawl Bach. ■ LANGLEY DAM, Langley, 01434 688 846 1 Matt Lumley, Stanley, 6lb 3oz rainbow, Squirmy Worm. ■ LEIGHTON RESERVOIR, Ripon, 01765 689270 1 Neil Coulson, Northallerton, 3lb 12oz rainbow, Snake. ■ MARSTON WYSE TROUT FARM, York, 01904 738383 1 James Marr, Linton, 9lb 6oz rainbow, Daddy. 2 Phil Green, Leadgate, 6lb 3oz rainbow, Damsel. 3 Phil Green, Leadgate, 5lb 10oz brown, Damsel. ■ MEON SPRINGS, Petersfield, 01730 823134 1 Stephen Vine, High Wycombe, 8lb 10oz rainbow, on fly. 2…

ENGLAND ALBURY ESTATE FISHERIES, Guildford, 07976 810737 AMPORT FISHERY, Andover, 01264 771233 BESSY BECK TROUT FISHERY, Cumbria, 01539 623303 BLITHFIELD ANGLERS, Abbots Bromley, 01283 840284 DRAYCOTE TROUT FISHERY, Rugby, 01788 812018 HIGHAM LAKE TROUT FISHERY, Ponteland, 07950 428159 LENCHES LAKES, Evesham, 01386 871035 LOYNTON TROUT FISHERY, Stafford, 01785 284261 RIB VALLEY FISHING LAKES, Ware, 07812 464323 SIBLYBACK LAKE, Liskeard, 01566 771930 TENTERDEN TROUT WATERS, Tenterden, 01580 763201 THRUNTON LONG CRAG TROUT FISHERY, Alnwick, 01665 574400 WITHERN MILL TROUT FARM, Alford, 01507 450356 SCOTLAND DUNLICHITY TROUT FISHERY, Inverness, 01808 521442 TARVIE LOCHS, Tarvie, 01997 421250 WELLSFIELD TROUT FISHERY, Denny, 01324 822800 WALES ELAN VALLEY, Rhayader, 01597 810383 GRAIGLWYD SPRINGS, Bangor, 01492 622338 LLYN GWYN, Rhayader, 01597 810383…

AT THE END OF OUR WEEK, THE RAIN came. Good for the river, perhaps; good for the fish. Not, however, good for anglers. With the temperature in single figures and the sleet coming at us in waves, we decided to pull stumps at lunch. Even the Great Red Bearded Gillie seemed not to think any less of us, which tells you how the weather lay. Angling is supposed to be fun; and this wasn’t. So, we pulled off our wet gear, found some dry clothes and took ourselves off to town in pursuit of more agreeable pursuits. We visited a local woollen mill, where we fondled the cashmere-and-silk suitings and bought some rather more affordable stockings. As we were leaving, we were accosted by a fellow who pointed to the…

When your season is over and you decide to put your tackle away for winter, think about that first trip of spring when you pull line from your reel and curse the tight coils. You can do something about this. Head to the shed or garage. We recommend an old bicycle wheel. Remove the tyre. Apply gaffer tape to the rim to form a smooth bed. It’s a good idea to clean the line first by passing it through a soft cloth in a bucket of warm, soapy water. Avoid twisting the line. Spool the line around the wheel rim with only enough tension for it to stay put. Again, avoid twisting. Thread string through the looped end and secure it around the rim. Tie more string around the coils…

LATE IN THE SEASON, WHEN THE salmon are preparing to spawn but there may be a few runners making a last-minute dash upstream, one of the most popular fly patterns is the Red Frances. I understand its appeal, but I’ve noticed it can spook fish. Ironically, I think this is because it is overused — salmon have seen it too many times and associate it with danger. To combat the problem, in recent years I’ve fished with smaller, drabber flies, and the change has paid dividends. I want a fly that doesn’t “shout” at the fish but still shows up against the washed-in leaves of autumn. A small shrimp fits the bill. One of my favourites is the Oykel GP. It is simple to tie yet effective in all conditions.…

UP AND RUNNING After being flooded off for the first two days of their trip, Fred Brown from Blairgowrie, Perthshire, returned with his brother Hugo to the Upper Home beat at Darnaway, River Findhorn to find the waters dropping and fish running in good numbers. “We saw fish showing after lunch in Craigie Pool below the hut. We were getting regular pulls and boils to the flies,” said Fred. He lost four fish before managing to land this silver 15-pounder. “My brother also hooked and lost fish including a very big one that threw the hook as he tried to scramble down the rocks and lead it into quieter water.” Fred’s fish took a magenta and orange tube at the tail of the Craigie Pool before going on a long…

ALARM BELLS HAVE BEEN ringing on Speyside at news of the SNP coalition with the Scottish Green Party. At first glance, it seemed positive that part of the Green’s manifesto pledged to phase out and block the expansion of traditional salmon-farming practices until environmental and animal welfare concerns are addressed. Delving deeper though, they also pledge to end all fieldsports. If this includes angling, it will not only mean the loss of income to rural economies but also a loss of livelihoods and a way of life. Fishing is the UK’s biggest participant sporting activity. According to the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association there are over 2,300 salmon and sea-trout fisheries in Scotland alone and 4,300 full-time equivalent jobs. Together with the new UK Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which states that animals…

WITH AUTUMN COMES a welcome change in the weather. The dry, oppressive heat of summer is losing its grip and the dew clings to the grass past sunrise. More importantly for the stillwater fly-fisher, this is daddy long-legs time. We love this big clumsy insect with its six long legs and wings that appear too small for it to fly. Born a leatherjacket grub, it munches its way through grass roots before emerging and blundering about the bankside. A strong offshore breeze will cause it to trip across the lake’s surface, just asking to be eaten by trout. Various species are found in late spring and summer including, noticeably, a small yellow one, but it’s in the latter part of the year when numbers of the larger varieties build to…

1. TROTTING BAG Bought with my spends at an Army and Navy Stores in 1960, this bag served me well as I learnt to catch roach, perch and rudd. Now, it still houses my winter grayling trotting gear — a JW Young centrepin reel, a snazzy Grayling Society leather tube housing floats from Chris Lythe, The Grayling Society and self-made, plus other bits and pieces, and finally, a maggot bag, circa 1970. All perfect for the mobile trotting angler. 2. “GRAYLING” BY REG RIGHYNI In the very early 1970s I found, at the local library, the book Grayling by Reg Righyni, one of the founder members of the Grayling Society. Enthralled, I had the book on “permanent loan” promising myself that I would buy a copy when I could afford…

HARE’S EAR RUBBER LEGS Hook Size 16-8 barbless jig (your preference) Thread Black Sheer 14/0 or fluoro fire orange 8/0 Uni-thread Legs Six Veniard brown mini centipede legs Rib Uni-wire, small copper Body Hare’s ear or fox squirrel dubbing Bead Silver or copper Fulling Mill tungsten This jig fly — which fishes upside-down — was given to me many years ago by my friend, the twice Scottish River Champion, Simon Cocker. Its natural colours and leg movement in the water are second to none. I would not be without it as a point fly on my three-fly cast. It can be fished all-year round, attracting not only winter grayling but also big brown trout. I adjust its weight to ensure I’m bouncing it along the bottom where the big fish…

Using the tiniest pinch of the skinniest barbs from the very top of the plume seems to be de rigueur these days (Red Cormorant, above left). I'm not a fan. The barbs at the very tip of the plume have next to nothing in the way of barbules to help catch the movement of water and fly. Avoid. The other extreme of overloading marabou wings and tails is counterproductive. Excessive bulk limits movement and translucency. This olive Cormorant (above right) is seriously overdone. Also, trimming marabou is not a great look and achieves nothing. To roughly align wing and tail tips, simply pluck with forefinger and thumb. This claret plume is prepped for “doubling”: tying a hackle or plume in by the tip then effectively folding it in half by…

Hook Size 6-14 gold up-eyed salmon double Thread White 8/0 Tag Gold oval tinsel Tail Orange bucktail and gold Krystal Flash Over tail GP red breast feather Tag Glo-brite floss No.12 (chartreuse) Body Orange seal’s fur and synthetic flash dubbing (Frodin’s Hot Orange SSS) Body hackle Orange cock hackle, palmered Rib Gold oval tinsel Wing GP tippet dyed hot orange with GP red breast feather over Head Glo-brite floss No.3 (scarlet) varnished Fix the hook in the vice and run thread down to where the bends diverge. Tie in a length of gold oval tinsel, apply three turns as a tag then secure the loose end. Tie in a long slim tail of orange bucktail plus two strands of gold Krystal Flash. Prepare then catch in a golden pheasant red…

The boot is fastened by pressing the dial on the tongue and turning it clockwise. With a series of clicks this tightens the flexible woven-steel lace and locks it in place when the required tension is achieved. The boot is released by simply pulling the dial forward. The process is quick and easy — a major attraction. Reliability is generally good with steel laces — breakages are rare — but it’s good to know Orvis offers replacement lace kits and a dial parts kit should hard wear eventually take its toll.…

A GENIUS at fly-tying, entomology and communication, not only with the written word but also through his travels, club nights and shows — that’s the best way to describe the character that we fly-fishers all know as Taff Price. Born Sydney Derek Price in 1934, he was raised at Barmouth on the mid-Wales coast, and then spent most of his life in what he lovingly described as “tropical Sidcup” in Kent. His idyllic, countryside upbringing very clearly nurtured his lifelong passion for insects, nature and fish. ‘“Taff”, as we all knew him, gained enormous respect for his deep knowledge and passionate use of all things fur and feather to create imitations of the insects he studied and researched. That was so evident in his masterpiece, Fly Patterns: An International Guide,…

VISITORS to the Tweed over the past 35 years who fished at Birgham Dub or Hendersyde will be saddened to learn of the passing, after a long illness, of Wattie Burns. Born in Kelso, Wattie’s passion for salmon fishing started as a young boy. He spent many hours observing the occupants of what seemed to him to be huge wooden boats as they honed their craft by casting a line along the river. He became a talented footballer, attending trials for Newcastle United, although, sadly, a broken ankle curtailed that career direction. After leaving school, he trained as an electrician. However, in his mid-thirties, the lure of his dream to become a gillie was so great that he changed tack and started work as a boatman at Hendersyde. Unbeknown to…

ENGLAND ■ BRICK FARM LAKES, Herstmonceux, 01323 832615 1 Aiden Lucas, Hailsham, 4lb rainbow, Pheasant Tail. 2 Henry Holmes, Worthing, 3lb 1oz rainbow, on fly. ■ KILNSEY PARK FLY FISHERY, Skipton, 07765 688780 1 Lexx Taylor-Loveless, Salisbury, 14lb rainbow, PTN. ■ MEON SPRINGS, Petersfield, 01730 823134 1 Bertie Donald, Newbury, 3lb 9oz rainbow, Blue-flash Damsel. ■ NEW MILLS TROUT FISHING PARK, Brampton, 016977 41115 1 Thomas Donkin, Newcastle upon Tyne, 10lb 4oz rainbow, Damsel Nymph. 2 Jacob Gale, Cumbria, 5lb 1oz rainbow, Black Leech. SCOTLAND ■ ALDERNEUK FISHERY, Dumfries, 07901 602020 1 Arthur Josey, Hungerford, 5lb 8oz tiger, Olive Bug. 2 Cole Carnegie-Tait, Dumfries, 3lb 2oz rainbow, Olive Bloodworm. ■ GLEN OF ROTHES TROUT FISHERY, Aberlour, 01340 831888 1 Matthew Bush, Moray, 8lb 10oz rainbow, Yellow Mop. 2 Riley McCrone,…

BUY A PIECE OF A GRAND ESTATE One of the lots in the sale of the 2,056-acre Auchenlongford Estate in East Ayrshire is just under two miles of single-bank fishing on the River Ayr, which rises at Glenbuck and flows into the Firth of Clyde through the town of Ayr. A noted brown trout river, it also has runs of salmon and sea-trout. Leased to the local angling club for nearly 90 years, fishing records are available on request. There are 14 acres and the asking price is £30,000. There are five lots in all (£8,250,000) covering 1,463 acres of forestry, 569 acres of farmland, Auchenlongford Farmhouse with two reception rooms and four bedrooms, a three-bedroom cottage with nine acres and traditional and modern farm buildings. Sorn is three miles…