Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Trout & Salmon

FOLLOWING IN FAMILY FOOTSTEPS William Dale, aged 11, from North Yorkshire, prepares to release his first salmon, caught while fishing the River South Tyne at Lambley. After several years of coarse and trout fishing, William had felt it was time to try salmon fishing. Luckily, his grandad, Rex Dale, has 60 years’ experience chasing salmon and joined Wiiiiam on the Lambley Farm water for the first trip. After a morning learning from his grandad's wealth of knowledge and being warned that salmon fishing is about patience, it was time for William to try his luck. Under grandad's watchful eye, he made his first cast across the Home Pool, which fell a little short, but his second was spot on Seconds later, his blue Devon Minnow was taken, and William found…

Llyn Gwyddior is 16 miles from the market town of Machynlleth, once seat of a medieval Welsh Parliament, circa 1400, held by Owain Glyndwr (cl359-cl416), the last Welsh Prince of Wales. Glyndwr led a decade-long revolt against English rule in Wales, defeating English forces and capturing castles, as well as publishing his vision of an independent nation with its own laws, church and universities. His rebellion was eventually defeated, but Glyndwr evaded capture and his fate is unknown. Welsh Parliament House in Machynlleth is built upon what is believed to be the site of the medieval parliament and hosts a museum describing Glyndwr's life with artefacts, documents, costume and video displays.…

HARE'S EAR BOOBY Hook Size 10 Fario wet-fly hook Thread Fluoro Red Semperfli 6/0 Eyes 5mm Black booby cord Tail Natural partridge Rib Medium gold wire Body Hare's fur (light or dark) Thorax Semperfli camel Straggle String HARE'S EAR Hook Size 12 Hanak 230BL Thread Fluoro Red Semperfli 6/0 Butt Fluoro Red Semperfli 6/0 thread Rib 1 Silver wire Rib 2 Medium gold holographic tinsel Body Hare's fur (light or dark) Hackle Natural partridge Head Fluoro Red Semperfli 6/0 thread HARE'S EAR SPIDER Hook Size 12 Hanak 230BL Thread Fluoro Red Semperfli 6/0 Butt Fluoro Red Semperfli 6/0 thread Rib Copper wire Body Hare's fur (light or dark) Hackle Natural partridge Head Fluoro Red Semperfli 6/0 thread UV CRUNCHER Hook Size 12 Thread Black Tail Red game cock hackle fibres…

BLACK KLINKHAMER A great nondescript terrestrial pattern that works almost everywhere. Alter wing colours to match different light situations. Variants include pink, orange and black. ELK HAIR CADDIS I'm a fan of the hackled EHC due to its superior buoyancy. It's the perfect search pattern and for when you're unsure what the trout are taking. Although best presented statically, don't get too hung up on dead-drifts because the fly is just as effective when it's skating FOAM BEETLE Beetles are the universal dry-fly throughout the UK. They are notably effective patterns near trees. Good presentation often involves crashing the fly into the water so that it lands with a “plop”.…

LAST MONTH, I GAVE YOU A GREAT pattern (Tim's Shrimp) to use as a top dropper when trout or grayling fishing, particularly useful for a Euro-style leader set-up. This month, I've tied a successful point pattern, forming a team you can use all year. Craig Mcdonald is a well-known angler from Glasgow, the creator of many inventive patterns. A thinking fisherman, he knows exactly what he wants his patterns to do and devises ingenious tying techniques to solve problems. Craigie's Killer was originally designed for grayling. Craig wanted a bug that was streamlined and heavy but small. In fast or deep runs and dropoffs, the heaviest possible point fly is needed. This isn't only to get the flies deep quickly, it's also to control the speed at which they drift.…

CAUGHT A BIG SALMON? Entries are being invited for the 2022 Malloch Challenge Trophy. To be eligible you must have caught an Atlantic salmon on fly in a sportsman-like manner in Scotland and safely returned it. While the size of the fish is important (20lb minimum), its condition, your fishhandling and the overall catching experience are considered. For the first time, video evidence is welcome. The winner's name will be engraved on the Malloch Trophy and they will receive a replica trophy. They will also be invited to a dinner to receive the award. The 2021 winner was David Johnstone who landed a 29½lb spring salmon from the River Naver. Closing date is December 31. For more information, visit tayrivers.org (search “Malloch”). ANNIVERSARY DINNER RAISES £18,000 Landowners, anglers, gillies and…

VICARAGE ON THE WYE On the village green at Glasbury in Powys, Parc Gwynne is a listed Grade II stone-built house overlooking the River Wye. Built at the turn of the 19th century, it was bought in 1922 as the vicarage for All Saints’ Church, returning to private ownership in 1940. It is on the market for the first time since the 1960s. Accommodation includes two reception rooms, study and kitchen/breakfast room on the ground floor; two ensuite bedrooms, dressing room, third bedroom and bathroom on the first floor; and two further bedrooms and a shower room on the second. A separate Coach House, with its own parking and garden, has a large sitting room and kitchen on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first.…

ROD LICENCE PRICE RISE Having remained unchanged for six years, the cost of a rod licence in England and Wales is to rise. The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales propose to raise the annual Trout and Coarse licence for the next three years from £30 this year to £33 on April 1, 2023; £35.80 (2024); £36.80 (2025). The annual salmon and sea-trout licence will rise from £82 this year to £86.10 on April 1, 2023; £90.40 (2024); £93.10 (2025). Despite salmon-fishers returning more than 95% of fish and the EA/NRW barely stocking salmon, there remains a more than £50 difference between the price of trout/coarse and salmon/sea-trout licences. UK Government says this is because of more complex stock assessments, catch return administration, licence checking in rural areas, and international…

A friend's neighbour has a Teifi tributary, the Cych, running alongside his garden. A cormorant struggled up from the river to his lawn. It saw the owner and tried to fly but failed. It then regurgitated the contents of its stomach before flying off. The gentleman then arranged the contents and photographed them. I am president of Nevern Angling Association and have fished this river for 80 years. I did not fish this year for the first time. The fish need protecting, not pricked and released. We have to contend with animal and bird predators and dreadful pollution, and yet genuine anglers are persecuted and restricted. Nica Prichard, Pembrokeshire…

Maybe I'M BEING A LITTLE nostalgic, but I do truly recall a time when the Environment Agency JEA), or mostly its predecessor, the National Rivers Authority (NRA), was a force for good – the helpful guvs on the end of a phone. On the chalkstreams, which as you know are probably the most intensively managed rivers on the planet, they took an almost daily role, on first-name terms with river owners and keepers. Poaching. Weedcutting. Electro-fishing. Restoration. Water-testing. River turned a funny colour or found a suspiciously dead fish? Your local man would be with you that day for explanation, reassurance or action. Today, your call will be redirected to a call centre in the Midlands. Now, in my experience, the call centre is perfectly fine, but in that muzak…

A DEEP NEED TO PEER OVER bridges is a key marker in my test of someone's fishing DNA. It is a compulsion for true troutfishers to slam on their brakes mid-bridge and peer over ancient stonework. River height and colour, hatches, rising fish and wind direction are important facts gleaned from snatched seconds of bridge-viewing. Sometimes on busy highways we are unable to stop and capture only fleeting glimpses of what lies beneath. Then we must drive on, imagining the leviathans lurking in dark nooks. There is a bridge across the Isla in Perthshire long etched in my mind. I don't know how many times my friend, Richard Tong, and I have passed over it on our way north to fish the Don and Deveron. I've glanced up and downstream…

MENTION THE NAME BOB Kindness in gillie circles and you'll likely get an enthusiastic response. He's earned something of a cult hero status. Bob's pioneering hatchery work is inspirational for many a wee glimmer of positivity amongst what can sometimes seem like an otherwise depressing horizon. Bob's Carron is the west coast one (not the Kyle of Sutherland), giving its name to the sea loch which then opens to the inner sound of Skye and Raasay. Loch Carron is beautiful, nestled behind the isles and sparsely dotted with picture postcard villages like Plockton and Lochcarron. The river is small. In fact, my decrepit and much thumbed Haig Guide to Salmon Fishing in Scotland (1981) doesn't cover it, other than a passing mention as one of the beautiful rivers, capable of…

IF YOU WERE PAYING ATTENTION LAST month, you'll remember that my “short” list of household materials was a little long. You'll be delighted to see this month – maybe less so your family – that I've thought of more. Nothing is safe around the home when it comes to creating a killer solution to a piscatorial problem. If, however, relations begin to suffer, remember to take only what you need, tidy up afterwards and replace plundered items before their absence becomes an issue. So, fit a new scalpel blade and see what your first recce turns up. Here I've made use of carpet, polythene bags, stretchy plastic, chocolate wrappers, decorations and elastic bands. A word of caution: tying with found items for the sake of it seldom pays dividends, so…

GIFTS UNDER €50 Lifesystems Intensity 280 LED headtorch, £24.99 Features an adjustable beam angle, seven lighting modes, including SOS, red and white light and a USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery. For packing up at dusk or sea-trouting. Contact: 0118 981 1433 Web: lifesystems.co.uk Another 258 Modern Flies & How to Tie Them, £12.99 A bumper book of trout, salmon, sea-trout and grayling patterns from the UK's finest tyers and fishers. Great for beginners and experienced tyers alike. See p36 for full details. Stonfo Bobtec Bobbin Holder, £21.19 Quality stainless steel bobbin holder with a slider adjustment to achieve the perfect thread tension. Available in red or black. Contact: 01544 322 311 Web: farlows.co.uk Zippo HeatBank 6 Rechargeable Hand warmer, £29.90 A compact handwarmer with three heat settings, up to 120°F/50°C. The…

Matt Harris has been a regular contributor to T&S for more than 20 years. He has encouraged us to lift our gaze from the lochs and rivers of these islands to the far horizons, exploring fly-fishing for exotic species in often uncharted waters on six continents. The result is this breathtaking book, 656 pages, The Fish of a Lifetime – The best fly fishing in the world. The title is not hubris. Others (Jeremy Wade, Robson Green) have documented their global travels on film; but no one has photographed their adventures better than Matt. And few have written about them in such exhilarating style. He is a remarkable angler, landing enormous and beautiful specimens wherever he has cast a fly (with the help of talented guides and companions, he would…

DESPITE THE SUFFERING involved in trekking miles across moorland to reach delicate natural places, my fatal fascination with doing so remains as strong as ever. Finding virgin wild trout water is like searching for the Water of Life. Two decades ago, one such place, remote but reachable after a sweat-inducing hike, was Llyn Gwyddior, lying high on Powys moorland in Wales. But times have changed, today Gwyddior can be reached by car, courtesy of a half-decent forestry road, one of few positive side-effects of commercial afforestation on the Welsh moorlands. Gwyddior is a 25-acre lake. In Welsh, its name means “The Lord's Prayer”. Prior to estate owner Sir DW Williams Wynn granting a lease to Llanbrynmair Angling Association to manage the lake during the early 1980s, it was primarily a…

UNLESS YOU FISH AT Rutland Water, you've probably not heard of Mick Connor. Even if you do, you've probably never knowingly crossed paths with him. You see, Mick's a silent assassin when it comes to trout fishing and tells only a select few about his successes. The reason for his privacy is simple: when he fishes alone, on rested water, he catches the lion's share of big trout. Originally from Wetherby, Mick fished with his father on the Wharfe as a boy. He remembers the Adcock's Stanton centrepin and Edgar Sealey Blue Match rod they would use to catch roach and dace. He loved touch-ledgering with a drilled bullet and lobworm and fondly recalls buying maggots from Tockwith maggot farm with the 30p-an-hour wage he earned at Wetherby Turnpike. He…

WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE closed season?” It's a question every gillie gets asked each week on the river. Personally, I find dreaded invoices and accounts always rear their ugly heads, along with the need to catalogue all the kit I've used, organise my fly-boxes and order replacements ready for the next year. Also, by the end of the season, the state of my vehicle leaves much to be desired. It's no luxury 4x4, more a mobile tacklebox and fishing bothy with all the accoutrements and smells that accompany. There's something about that odour of wet waders, tweed and soggy spaniel that permeates the upholstery and never leaves. Every September, I have the same good intention. As the season draws to a close, I look disparagingly at the clutter…

Near the rivers Isla, Lunan and Tay is the famous Meikleour Beech Hedge, the tallest and longest hedge in the world. It was planted in 1745 by Jean Mercer and her husband Robert Murray Nairne, ancestors of current owners Sam and Claire Mercer Nairne. The hedge is 530m long and 100ft high. It was planted during the Jacobite Rebellion by men who then fought at the Battle of Culloden and either died or fled to France. The hedge was left to grow towards Heaven in their memory. If you thought cutting your garden hedge is a chore, spare a thought for the team of four who tackle the Meikleour hedge. It takes them six weeks, although they usually only clip it once every ten years.…

Strands of carpet yarn can often be used in their raw state for ribbing, wrapping and adding assorted appendages, but if you intend to make your own dubbing from them, you need to brush them out with velcro. I use selfadhesive velcro pieces stuck to a coffee-stirring stick for a quick and cheap solution. Be inquisitive! I almost dismissed the hangingloop of the Christmas bauble. I thought it was too thick for the flies I tie. Closer inspection revealed the loop was braided tinsel with the same gentle curves as certain types of Flashabou. I cut the loop free from the decoration, dismantled the braid, and trimmed the strands to the required length. Cutting household items into useable strips in the appropriate dimensions requires a straight edge and a razor-sharp…

SPONSORED BY Stillmaniac DRAYCOTE WATER WAS bathed in October sunshine and in particularly good form. The competitors, 2020 and 2021 winners at Troutmasters waters, who were adorned with hard-won badges, gathered at the fishery lodge in anticipation of the first Senior Troutmasters Final in three years. The pandemic had taken its toll on fisheries and participants, but Troutmasters was back, and spirits were high. The Draycote shop was selling flies like hot-cakes and the names of seasoned reservoir fishers and likely winners were whispered in the crowd. For some it was a day out, for others another chance to claim the prestigious Troutmasters trophy. Following a welcome and briefing from Draycote's expert fishery staff, the finalists were off, half taking to boats and half to their respective bank zones where…