Rutland rainbow joy for Rob
Rob Keeber, of Leicester, landed a number of quality fish during a recent day trip to Rutland Water, topped by this cracking 6lb 2oz rainbow.
He found the most success using dry flies in the Manton Bay area of the venue, with bites increasing once the cloud cover arrived.
However, it was a move to the main basin later in the afternoon which saw Rob land his biggest fish.
He fished the slicks around the boils with a Di-5 line and a size 12 black and green variant.
Elsewhere on the fishery, the best brown trout of the week weighing 4lb 8oz was taken by John Machin from Nottingham.
Double-figure personal best landed after 20-minute tussle
Keith Wallace caught this personal best 11lb 8oz rainbow during a visit to Withern Mill Trout Fishery, near Alford, Lincolnshire.
He was understandably delighted with his catch, which was taken on one of the special Withern Mill Hare’s Ears. The fish put up a spectacular fight for over 20 minutes but with gentle persuasion Keith managed to finally get it to the net.
The wet spell of weather we had has brought on a huge fly hatch at the venue, and dry fly action this week has been fantastic with numerous fish over 4lb being taken on small Black Gnats and Daddies.
The owners have recently stocked a number of fish in the 7lb to 8lb bracket, on top of the usual 2lb rainbows.
Huge rainbow on first visit to venue
Big rainbows have been the order of the day at Wellsfield Trout Fishery, near Stirling, in Scotland, with the biggest fish of the week coming in at a colossal 17lb 4oz!
It was caught by first-time visitor Mr J Gray, from East Kilbride, and fell to a fly.
Wellsfield holds the Scottish record for rainbow trout in the form of a massive 30lb 11oz specimen caught in March 2005.
For more venue info, log on to www.wellsfield.co.uk
Record salmon run in Alaska
The biggest run of sockeye salmon in Alaska’s Kenai River for 25 years has seen an estimated 500,000 fish force their way into the waterway in just 48 hours.
By the end of the first day of the annual migration, a sonar maintained by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game had counted 230,643 sockeye coming into the river, a figure it expected to double overnight.
State fisheries biologists were aware that massive numbers of the species were schooling offshore, but they were more than a little shocked by the size of the return that swarmed the river in one fell swoop.
"It's a phenomenal event,'' said commercial fisheries biologist Pat Shields. “We haven’t seen a run of this magnitude since 1987.”
Monster salmon landed on fly made from pet cat!
The biggest salmon for decades has been landed from the Delphi Fishery on Ireland’s River Bundorragha – on a fly made from a domestic pet!
Visiting sWISS angler Urs Leibundgut landed the magnificent 19lbs 7oz fish on a tungsten beaded nymph tied on a size 10 single with hair from his neighbour’s cat in Zurich!
The fly has rather aptly been called ‘The Neighbours Cat’, and Urs claims that he is considering taking out a patent on both the fly and the cat!
This fish now replaces Nigel Saxby-Soffe’s fish of 19lbs 1oz on 26th August 1986 as the biggest Delphi salmon of the modern era. The all-time biggest from the fishery stands at 21lbs.
46lb salmon banked
Whatever fishing you’re into it’s hard not to be impressed by this immaculate 46lb 8oz salmon banked by Norwegian angler Arve Nilsen.
Landed during a visit to the beautiful Guala River in central Norway, Arve had almost lost all hope of seeing a fish on the bank after already having lost four fish during a week on a beat controlled by the Norwegian Flyfishers Club.
But it all came good on the last day when he hooked the specimen that he had to follow 500 metres downstream just to keep in contact.
The angler from Bergen fooled the fish which measured an impressive 129 cm in length with a girth of 63 cm with a tube fly.
Will salmon and trout return to Wye tributary?
An important River Wye tributary which once was an important spawning ground for salmon and trout is set to be restored to its former glories.
The Wellington Brook, which flows into the River Lugg near the Herefordshire village of Marden, has suffered over the past few decades from the dredging of gravels to improve land drainage, which has drastically reduced the waterway’s ability to support fish species and other wildlife.
Now a joint endeavour between quarrying company Tarmac and the Wye and Usk Foundation will begin to restore the brook to its more natural state. Tarmac will supply machinery and gravel with WUF contributing other materials and environmental expertise.
The work will be part of WUF’s successful Lugg and River Arrow (LARA) Project, which is restoring biodiversity - species richness and variety - in rivers within 10 miles of Leominster.
Focussing on fish, the 3-year project is funded by the SITA Trust’s Enriching Nature Programme and is due to be completed this year. So far 11km of river habitat have been restored and two fish passes have been built.
Dr Stephen Marsh-Smith, Director of WUF said: “Work on this lower Lugg tributary offers the chance to re-create salmon and trout spawning sites at an important point in the Wye catchment.”
North east is tops for salmon!
The North East is being hailed as the nation’s salmon capital after figures showed the region to be home to the three most productive rivers for game anglers in England and Wales.
Despite once being two of the most polluted waterways in the country, the River Tyne and River Wear now fill the top two spots in the whole of England and Wales for the number of salmon caught per season by rod and line, with well over 6,000 fish banked in 2010. A third, lesser-known river in the region, the Coquet, came in third.
Andrew Flitcroft, editor of Trout and Salmon magazine, said: “The North East has been one huge success story for game fishermen over the past 20 years.”
For the full story, with a breakdown of the figures, see tomorrow's Angling Times.
Salmon comes within ounces of smashing 25 year old venue record
Ireland’s popular Delphi Fishery may not produce the numbers of salmon it did a decade ago but it is certainly home to some huge specimens as Mark Corps proved when he banked this 18lb 10oz fish.
The big salmon – which is the second biggest ever taken from the venue – was landed by Mark from the Turn Pool after it fell for a well presented Elaine Shrimp Fly during his latest visit.
The current venue record stands at 19lb 10oz and was landed by Nigel Saxby Soffe in 1986 from virtually the same spot and officials are confident this can be bettered in the coming months.
Fly fishing for sea species - the next big thing?
More fly anglers than ever before are enjoying saltwater fly fishing, and it’s easy to see why with backdrops like this on offer.
With travel rods easily stowed in cars, holidaying anglers are choosing to enjoy free fly fishing along popular coastlines and, although pollock, bass and mackerel provide the bulk of the sport, just about every species will take a fly.
More information, tips and tactics on this rapidly growing arm of the sport is available in the next issue of Trout Fisherman magazine, on sale July 27.
Kayakers 'ruining' salmon fishing on the River Tay
Rafters and kayakers are destroying once lucrative fishing beats on the River Tay, Scottish Salmon fishermen are claiming.
Since the 2003 Land Reform Act opened up access to many rivers, some anglers claim the river resembles a ‘highway’ for many months of the year.
To make matters worse, a byelaw proposal to restrict rafting in the area has recently been rejected by Perth and Kinross councillors, and some claim that many rods have chosen to fish elsewhere as a result, a trend that is impacting heavily on the local economy.
Les Dargie, who has fished the stretch between Aberfeldy and Grandtully for a number of years, told BBC Scotland: "There's no question at all that the fishing is affected adversely by this relentless commercial pressure on the resource.
If you come to fish you'll find that quite often if a lot of rafts have been through you won't catch fish. The result is that people tend to say away - people like me who could be paying into the local economy."
Fancy learning to flyfish for pike?
If flyfishing for pike is your sort of thing then the forthcoming evening being held by Norwich DAA with expert on the subject David Wolsoncroft-Dodds will be a must.
Taking place on Friday August 5 at the Norwich Assembly House, Hardy’s consultant and author of the book ‘Flyfishing for Pike’ David will be on hand to answer questions on the subject and to talk about this less-well known branch of predator fishing.
Tickets for the evening are £8.25 available from the box office on 01603 598688.
Bryan banks new personal best eel
In-form specimen angler Ted Bryan added another personal best to his incredible list of giants when he banked a 6lb 9oz eel.
The Sydenham, London-based all-rounder took the fish during a weekend trip to a Sussex club water. It fell legered lobworms and was the best of 12 eels the former Drennan Cup winner banked in the busy session.
*For more details of the catch see next week’s Angling Times, on sale Tuesday 12th July.
Pupils warming to fishing lessons
AN initiative to increase angling awareness and recruitment in schools is going from strength to strength.
Fishing For Schools was set up by the Countryside Alliance Foundation and is headed up by global fly fishing star Charles Jardine.
“I love running this course,” said Charles. “The programme now reaches 30 schools within the UK and aims to place angling as part of the National Curriculum, while also offering the young people a fulfilling pastime.”
This year, the series of short courses – aimed at youngsters between 14 and 16 – is planning a ‘Young Fisher of the Year’ award.
More details and a short film about the project can be found at www.countryside-alliance.org/
Grandad caught stealing fish at Grassholme Reservoir
A grandfather has been caught red handed stealing fish from a Northumbrian Water reservoir.
David Hopper of Eden Road, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, pleaded guilty by post before Darlington magistrates after being caught with 12 trout in his bag on the banks of Grassholme Reservoir, Teesdale, four fish over the legal limit.
He was fined £115 for theft and ordered to pay £75 costs.
Northumbrian Water also banned him for a year from fishing its reservoirs and Hopper told the court in his letter that his biggest disappointment was having to tell his nine-year-old grandson that he can no longer take him fishing.
Paul Kelly, prosecuting for Northumbrian Water said: "The continued success of the fishery is dependent upon anglers complying with the fishing rules. Theft of fish is a serious problem as it reduces the number of stocked fish and thereby spoils the enjoyment of law-abiding anglers."
Cheap salmon fishing on Wye and Usk
Salmon anglers looking for a bit of extra value in their fishing over the next few months need look no further than the Wye and Usk Foundation, who are offering a range of cut price tickets over the coming months.
The conservation charity, which has a huge portfolio of waters under its control, is offering three days salmon fishing for the price of two on many of its beats, and three rods for the price of two on others.
For bookings and availability, log on to www.wyeuskfoundation.org, or call 01982 560788.
Salmon numbers soar in North East
The North East is being lauded as the salmon capital of England after official figures showed a surge in the numbers of fish in the region’s two largest rivers.
For several years, the Tyne has been the best river in England and Wales for rod catches of salmon. But last year the Wear nudged behind its neighbour as second-best waterway.
Last year saw the best-ever salmon rod catches in the area – 5,115 in the River Tyne and 1,531 in the River Wear.
And now record numbers of salmon have been counted after a new study in the River Tyne showed a threefold increase in the number of fish in the waterway over the first five months of 2011.
Full story in next week’s Angling Times, out Tuesday 5 July 2011.
Bag a big sea trout, win a big prize!
Sea trout anglers on the east and south coast of Ireland, the west coasts of Scotland, England and Wales and on the Isle of Man have an excellent chance to win one of the many valuable prizes on offer in a free prize draw by collecting scale samples from any sea trout they catch in 2011.
The Celtic Sea Trout Project (CSTP) is incentivising anglers to take samples of scales from any sea trout they catch over the season in specific “priority” rivers.
The priority rivers are:
Ireland - Shimna, Castletown, Dee/Glyde, Boyne, Dargle, Slaney, Colligan, Bandon Argideen, Currane
Scotland and the Isle of Man: Luce, Nith, Annan, Esk (Border), Neb, Sulby
England: Esk (Border), Ehen, Lune, Ribble
Wales: Dee, Conwy, Clwyd, Dwyfor, Glaslyn, Dyfi, Teifi, Tywi, Tawe
The prizes are:
•A £500 tackle voucher prize to the angler submitting the most scale samples from any CSTP priority river in 2011.
•Three £350 tackle voucher prizes to each of the three 3 anglers who return the most scales from priority systems in 2011 within each of other three regions: Ireland (inc NI), Scotland and IoM, Wales, or NW England
•Ten £100 tackle vouchers to be awarded to 10 anglers to be drawn at random from the remaining scale samples submitted. (this includes samples submitted in 2010 and those from non‐priority rivers within the project area)
The project is geared towards finding answers to a number of questions about the enigmatic species, such as - where do they go at sea and how are their stocks structured and interlinked; what is their marine ecology (feeding, growth, survival and life history variation); and what environmental and other pressures are they exposed to?
The winners will be chosen based on the scale samples submitted before 31st March 2012. The prize draw will take place on the 1st of April 2012. Winners will be contacted directly.
Big brownies hit the bank in Wiltshire
A flurry of big brown trout and grayling were Matthew Delahaye's reward for making the long trip from his London home to the bang in-form Avon Springs Fishing Lakes in rural Wiltshire.
After putting his faith in a Grannom Sedge pattern, he took five big browns, with this powerful-looking fish weighing 6lb proving the pick of the bunch.
Matthew then switched his attention to the venue's running-water stretch on the river behind to bag himself a couple of big grayling, just for good measure!
Salmon numbers at 11-year high
Scientists from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Salmon & Trout research Centre on the River Frome in Dorset have just completed their 2010 salmon research report, which shows the highest increase of adult salmon since 1998, with more than 1000 fish returning to the river from the sea.
This is the 38th consecutive year that researchers have recorded data on upstream salmon migration in the river.
In the early 1990s there was a significant crash in salmon numbers in the North Atlantic and from an average of nearly 2000 fish per year the Frome numbers dropped to a low of just 500 fish.
The 2010 data is thus showing an encouraging upturn in the number of fish returning to the river. In addition, the count of emigrating salmon smolts also showed an increase, with 13,265 smolts were counted emigrating out to sea during April and May.
