 |
| The Eden now settling back down |
August conditions have continued with their early trend of unsettled waters on the river Eden, which has certainly affected the Salmon fishing, with fewer fish now showing in the pools as there were before, simply because the constant up and down river levels have given them the green light to spread themselves throughout the system, with very little preventing there journey upstream. Therefore we haven't recently had the concentration of fish we were seeing in many of the pools before, especially on the low water beats of the lower river. However, over the past week or so, the river has begun to settle again and with only a few showers forecast over the next few days, hopefully fish will begin to hold up again in the pools and hopefully tug a line or two.
 |
| The first of many (T&S Rod Test) |
In the meantime, along with my good friend and colleague, Brian Towers, we kicked off the month with another rod test for the Trout & Salmon magazine, this time around it was 15 footers we were given to test, which I must admit on many rivers, apart from the rather large ones, or the ones where you may have to deep wade, are rapidly becoming overlooked by many anglers for shorter more manageable outfits, which I have to admit, (in most cases) do the jobs required remarkably well.
 |
| A youngsters first fish (Borderlines) |
Anyway, that said, there was very little between them with regard to performance to help us separate many of the rods on test, which I must admit, is often the trend these days, a conclusion I am sure you will have already come to if you have read the article in question in the Trout & Salmon magazine. This is great news for the angler as it offers something for everyone, depending on the action of the rod and style of casting you prefer, which are just some of the things that we try to take into consideration when deciding what we think will suit a good cross section of anglers. Not always as easy as you may think!
 |
| Lupei into a good Rainbow |
On another note, as you will all be aware by now, the Borderlines team are constantly involved in delivering a variety of youth days, and this month was no exception, (see picture above) with several events successfully planned and completed, including river, sea and Stillwater sessions. We have been very fortunate again this year to have had one particular group of youngsters for a series of different events and it has to be said that it is very apparent how quickly they are learning how it all works along the way. In their recent outing some of the youngsters involved took up the challenge of talking to the rest of the group about a variety of things, including safety, how the equipment we use works efficiently, and several other relevant points. All the youngsters had a great time and caught a few fish too. Always a bonus!
 |
| Another good Rainbow (a family effort) |
With the river a little too high at times this month, I have taken a few individuals, and families, to a very picturesque local Stillwater to learn how to cast a fly and hopefully catch their first ever fish. These sessions have proved very successful and enjoyable, so if Stillwater fishing is your scene, or if you just fancy a change from trout fishing on the river, then it is worth considering giving it a try. It is also a great environment for getting to grips with your distance casting technique (double hauling) if Stillwater fishing is your usual escape.
 |
| Cindy with her fist ever fish |
Plenty of fly casting instruction going on again this month too, some of which played a big part in the aforementioned Stillwater sessions, from total beginners, seen here, (above and left) to more seasoned casters, simply brushing up on their current skills. There has also been a couple of mentoring sessions for those working toward their instructor qualifications in October, you know who you are, and I would therefore like to take this opportunity to wish you the very best outcome in your forthcoming assessments.
 |
| The fishing Island at the Lowther Show |
August also sees the two main shows of the year we are involved with, in both Cumbria and South West Scotland, both under the AAPGAI, Borderlines and Border Game Angling banners. The two shows I refer to are the Lowther Show and the Galloway Show, both of which we have attended for many years now, where several AAPGAI instructors (and a variety of other people too) come together to provide demonstrations, competitions and advice to those attending the shows. These shows are great social events too and if you haven't
 |
| The Galloway Show |
attended one before then hopefully you may consider attending in the future, maybe even next year. If so might I suggest a great place to start, and the main hub of the two angling events, would be the fishing island at the Lowther Show near Penrith in Cumbria. I hope to see some of you at future events, where you would be made very welcome, giving us the opportunity to have a chat and a catch up.
 |
| A nice Brown on a parachute Adams |
On another note, the trout fishing in the early part of the month became very slow, and again I think this was down to the fluctuating river levels we have been experiencing throughout the month, which I have seen happen many times over the years, and which, I might add, often effects all species too. However, over the past week or so, things have noticeably improved as the water has begun to clear and settle again.
 |
| Grayling (also Adams) |
August can be a strange month sometimes, where trout are concerned, but it often improves (as long as the water stays reasonably settled) as we move into September. I took a trip out myself yesterday to test the waters, so to speak, and managed to coax a couple to the dry fly, whilst at the same time noticing a large influx of small Grayling in the runs again, which will hopefully bode well for the winter Grayling trips that some of you have arranged with me later this year.
I look forward to seeing some of you again soon and I hope the salmon fishing improves over the next six weeks or so before the last day of the Eden Salmon season on October 14th. "Tight Lines".
