Searching For Fish

Over the last three weeks the river Eden has suffered badly especially for the Salmon angler with yet more dry weather and low water conditions. In the more oxygenated areas of the river there are still some good trout to be had on spiders and dries or even very small goldheads in the pocket water, but you do have to search for them and if you are prepared to do so then it can be quite productive.

When I have not had people out on the river I have been putting my free time to good use and recently attended an AAPGAI professional delopment weekend which was held at the Three Acres near Huddersfield. The weekend was based around casting and fishing techniques with a variety of rods and reels, which allows us as instructors to keep up with some of the latest outfits on the market today as well as continuing our own development, but even more important it was good fun and very enjoyable.

Off to Ireland in a couple of days for the Irish International Killyleagh Fly Fair and to fish Lough Melvin for 3 days for Sonaghan and Gillaroo trout. Speak to you all soon with an update.

Some Rain but not Enough

As I suspected, the rain, albeit heavy at times, was not enough to bring the river Eden into the good order we desperately need for the Salmon fishing to improve, although there is some fresh water in the system and one particular area on the lower Eden has still been producing a few good fish with one angler taking three nice Salmon to his own rod in one day, but in the general scheme of things we do still need some rain.

There continues to be some good trout fishing available to those who make the effort which tends to be on the more overcast days or later in the evening which always tends to be a good option, and following a session on Monday I managed to land seven Brown Trout and a Grayling all on the dry fly, but I cannot claim that there were any specimens amongst them this time, never the less, good sport and I will hopefully meet those fish again in the future.

Some good feedback confirmed another very successful weekend with Dumfries & Galloway Angling Association members on the river Nith, from beginners learning how to Spey cast for the very first time to some good improving anglers (who have been before) who were looking at some of the more advanced Spey casting techniques with both full Spey Lines and shooting heads etc.

Also during the week we had some further school day sessions with the fishing for knowledge project in the Port Willam area of Scotland delivered by us at Borderlines, and whilst it does temporarily keep us away from our local rivers, it is a very worthwhile experience and one that gives us the opportunity to get the message accross (regarding angling and the environment) to many youngsters who will hopefully carry this message forward long after we have gone.

Finally, if you like to keep a Salmon or two when you go fishing, then as from today in England and Wales you can do so (dependant on local fishery rules) i.e. from 16th June, which is in line with the Environment Agency National Byelaws, (click on Logo for more info) but be careful as from the 10th September all hen fish must be returned to the water.

In addition to this the Grayling season has now officialy opened as from today!

A Hint of Change

Early in the week I was on the upper Eden with Ken, Declan and Liam. They are a father and two sons respectively and were spending the day with me for Liam's birthday present. It was a very hot day as usual, but Liam did manage to bag himself a good Brown trout which was his first ever Brownie (well Done!) along with a few smaller fish, and Declan also managed to hook and land two very nice Grayling, which were promptly returned to the water, not just because the season does not begin until June 16th, but as he said with a smile that's what he would normally do. I did get a good underwater shot though (see below).

I fished the Eamont mid week with Tony Bell in very difficult conditions (hot & bright) although we did manage to turn a couple of quality fish on very small dries and caught a few smaller fish, but all in all they were a bit wary in the low clear conditions we encountered. Very small dries or spiders and tiny goldheads have been the order of the day in these difficult conditions.

Later in the week we were in SW Scotland introducing youngsters to angling and all things related and over the weekend I returned to SW Scotland once again with fellow instructor Glyn Freeman to deliver two, one day Spey Casting courses to members of the Dumfries & Galloway Angling Association.

Only on the river Eden for a short tuition and fishing session this morning which was just as well, as the river where we were (higher up the system) began to rise a little and colour up following a heavy downpour in the pennines. I would like to think that this was the beginning of a good flush through as the river desperately needs extra water, but I am not convinced, although the forecast is for some additional heavy rain tomorrow evening so fingers crossed.

Still Awaiting Rain

For those Salmon fishers amongst us we are now desperate for rain, with some of the lowest water conditions we have seen for a long time at this time of year. Those of you who have recently ventured out though may have encountered an unexpected surprise as quite a few very nice sea liced Salmon have entered the river regardless of the low water conditions and offered some very good sport to anglers on the lower beats.

Once again I have been working with schools under the Borderlines banner, introducing youngsters to the joys of entomology identifying the creatures that the fish feed upon and their importance to the environment, often helping us to identify how healthy our waterways really are, before moving on to future fishing sessions.

On Saturday 22nd May along with fellow AAPGAI instructor Jim Fearn, we set up a casting and fishing demonstration day for Carlisle Anglers on the lower river sponsored by Guide Fly Fishing which was based around the advantages and disadvantages of shooting heads and Skagit lines and their applications. The day was well received by all and the feed back was good.

The low water has not put the trout off and we have had some nice fish up to 2 1/4lb although when the weather gets hot and bright it has been quite difficult at times as you would expect. It does keep threatening to rain and has done in some areas of Scotland, but it is still giving us a wide birth at the moment. Time will tell.

Low Water Conditions Continue

As previously mentioned, the persistent low water conditions we are all experiencing does not suit everyone, especially the Salmon anglers amongst us. That said, I can never undersatnd why the Salmon anglers do not turn their hand to the excellent trout fishing that is available on our rivers when water is at a premium, especially the river Eden which generally fishes out of it's skin in the early part of the trout season and can continue to do so given the right conditions. The insect life is really building up now and with the wind now predominantly South Westerly (at the moment) as apposed to that persistent North Easterly we have been experiencing things can only get better and I am sure you can all feel the difference in temperature over the last couple of days.

I tested the water for Sea Trout through the night at the weekend with only limited success although I did hear a couple of nice fish in the dark and although we have seen a few good fish throughout the day along with several small Sea Trout and lots of Herling (immature Sea Trout) there were not a lot of fish active in the pool I was fishing, which may have been suited better by a little more cloud cover and not the clear sky that materialised as darkness fell.

I have had some very nice ladies and gents trout fishing with me over the past few days including David, Bill and Fay all pictured here, who between them caught a few good trout and a few smaller ones too. Also a couple of good Spey casting lessons with the double handers with Colin and Bill who turned his hand to both Trout fishing and some of the Salmon Spey casting techniques.

More Good Brown Trout Activity

In between Spey Casting tuition I have actually had the chance to do some Brown Trout fishing of my own and what a time to get the opportunity to do so as these fish have really switched on especially on the lower river. I was fishing with a friend and we lost count of the amount of good quality fish we caught. I did intend to keep a couple for the pot but found myself caught up in the moment. We also had a few plump little herling which we returned to fight again and following this I had two amazing encounters with a couple of big Sea Trout on light tackle around the 3 and 4lb mark, the second of which proceeded to strip the whole fly line and a bit of the backing from my reel before parting company with my 3lb point.

Following a Spey Casting session higher up the river with Tony who has been preparing for his Provisional AAPGAI casting qualification over this last year, we both took turns with the trout rod whilst the other watched the water for movement and although we had a few Brown Trout they were not as good in quality as the fish in the lower river, which is not uncommon at this time of year, but this certainly did not make it any less enjoyable.

Although it has still not fully warmed up yet with snow still clearly visible on the pennines, the fly hatches are still building up and along with those we have already identified, additional species are now beginning to appear and on Saturday I saw the odd Large Brook Dun being devoured by a trout or two as well as witnessing a few hawthorns yesterday with their distinctive dangling legs.

There are also a few Salmon sneaking into the lower beats on this low water and if we can get some fresh water in the near future there may be one or two caught, although the low water will not prevent the Sea Trout negotiating the faster runs through the twilight hours and into dark and if we can get some overcast (moonless) warmer nights then this could be the time to target them as they are most definitely in the system.

On the river and at the Tweed Angling Fair

On the river with Pat last week, he was on holiday in the Lake District and wanted to learn how to Spey Cast with the double Handed Salmon rod and by the end of the session he was doing a good job considering it was his first time.

I was then off the river for a few days whilst working with schoools in SW Scotland introducing youngsters to Entomology which was there second session in a series of sessions designed to build up the whole environmental picture. I was then off to the Tweed Angling Fair which I attend annually as part of the AAPGAI demonstration team for fly casting as well as providing the casting tuition at the event with the rest of the team. The show is a great event for anglers and if you haven't been before it is well worth putting next years date in your diary which is usually the first weekend in May.

Back to the river Eden again on Monday and the Salmon smolts are now beginning to drop down the river making there way to the sea to continue natures amazing cycle, and the Brown Trout are now beginning to rise much more readilly on the river just waiting for a nice dry fly to tempt them. Monday morning was difficult but we had one or two in the afternoon although the action was very sporadic due to intermittent North East gusts of wind which kept switching the fish off again. Since then it has got a bit better with plenty of cloud cover and if the weather would make it's mind up and warm up for longer periods we are in for some good sport, and as well as the continuous hatches of Grannom sedges we are still seeing, other insect life is also improving on the river and the Olive Uprights are now increasingly appearing on the water. I have also been hearing good reports from Lake Ullswater of some good catches of Browns. However with low water conditions prevailing this does not suit the Salmon angler and at least a few inches of fresh water would improve the situation, but as we all know, once it begins to rain it seems to forget to stop. We are never happy are we!

A bit more Salmon Casting tuition on Tuesday and a short fishing session yesterday with Ben and his son Rowan who were over on holiday from Holland, but unfortunately they only managed one small fish and lost another, although there were some really good trout breaking surface all around. Well that's Fishing!

With regard to the above reference to Ullswater Lake, if anyone is interested in a boat fishing trip to the more productive bays on the Lake, I can recommend just the man to accommodate you. His name is Geoff Johnston and he is a qualified AAPGAI instructor who has fished the lake very successfully for many years. If you are interested, you can contact him at geoffjohnston@theeden.fsnet.co.uk