In Like a Lion & out Like a Lion too

Derek working a Salmon pool

A soon as I posted my last blog, (in Feb) acknowledging the appearance of some sunshine and slightly warmer air, we almost immediately had a total turnaround in conditions, and although March has had it's spells of decent weather, these spells have been very few and far between. In general it has been extremely cold and certainly a good advert for thermal undergarments. However there is always something to do on the river and March was no exception. In the first instance I have been kept busy with casting tuition, for both trout and salmon anglers, and whilst the trout fishing, (which started on March 15th) has been relatively slow in comparison to other years, there were still a few fish willing to take our offerings. However, the trout fishing will no doubt pick up again once the weather improves as April is historically good for trout on the Eden (and many other rivers too).

Youngsters dipping for invertebrates

There has also been a reasonable number of spring salmon entering the estuary and running the border rivers. This influx of spring fish has remained consistent over the past few years, with several fish already being caught on the Eden, and whilst out with my good friend and fellow instructor Derek Kelley, I managed to hook one of these magnificent fish myself, but unfortunately, not long after, I also managed to part company with it. At least it's good to know they are there and willing to take our flies.

Identifying their catch

As you can see from the pictures above and to the right, apart from casting tuition, we've had several other things going on too, such as more Borderlines sessions with schools, once again introducing youngsters to the abundance of invertebrate life in our local rivers and streams, and making them aware of the indicators that tell us about water quality, flow, what the fish feed on, and how to recognise and imitate these tiny creatures when choosing an artificial fly to tempt a fish, which is exactly what we will be doing on our next session when we go fishing with this particular school.

T&S Facebook Page

I also conducted a further test for the Trout & Salmon magazine in mid March, with another good friend and colleague of mine, Glyn Freeman, this time on 5 weight fly lines. This was a really interesting test, which gave us a good insight into some of the lines now available on the market, the results of which you will be able to read in the May edition of the Trout & Salmon magazine.

An AAPGAI Demonstration

The cold weather didn't stop the AAPGAI biannual assessments from going ahead again, in fact a couple of the days we had were two of the better days in March I mentioned earlier, one of which just happened to be our open day. The assessments and open were held near Cockermouth on the river Derwent and I am happy to report, following some excellent demonstrations and one to one tuition throughout the day, that the feedback from those attending was fantastic. Two new instructors passed their assessments and three more current instructors attained the next step on the ladder, the AAPGAI advanced level. Well done to them!

AAPGAI Workshop Weekend

Glyn and I have also just finished a workshop weekend course on the Eden for those wishing to know more about the AAPGAI instructor process, i.e. what its all about, and whether or not they wish to pursue it. Being an instructor is not for everyone, but these weekends are designed to give people an insight into what would be required. They are also designed to improve the individuals casting skills and discuss how to pass on information to others. The recent spring course was attended by three great guys, Nick, Malcolm and Calum, and although it was pretty cold, a good time was had by all, the bonus being that the weather was actually better than the forecast. Thanks for your company guys!

April is now upon us, and hopefully this time, temperatures will soon begin to rise, setting the scene for the usual excellent trout fishing that the Eden has to offer, so amongst other things, we will soon be out on the river targeting these beautiful fish in earnest. I already have several people booked in to do just that, so let's see if we can make them happy, I am sure we can.

Weather Improving

Winter on the Eden

Following the usual wintery days here in Cumbria, the weather is now beginning to pick up at last, and although it is still cold at times, we are now beginning to see some welcome sunshine, giving the days a slightly warmer feel, encouraging us to venture out of our favourite holding pool, "the lounge". However, Spring is most certainly in the air again and you can almost anticipate it's arrival, giving us all a great excuse to get our tackle ready for the season ahead. "As if we need one".

Snow melt water in early Feb

With the Grayling fishing being sporadic again throughout the winter, exacerbated once again by fluctuating water levels, we didn't manage to get out as much as we would have liked to, however there were a few nice days, especially in January, which did encourage a few people out onto the river to indulge in a series of casting lessons, and the way things are progressing at the moment it looks as though the better weather is encouraging a few more to do the same.

Visit the BFFI next Year!

Aside from the usual casting lessons though, I also attended the BFFI again this year, (British Fly Fair International) on the 7th and 8th of Feb, as part of the AAPGAI demonstration team, which I might add, we all enjoyed immensely, because as you all know it's great to see good friends again and have a catch up just before the season gets underway. Over the two days the turnout was very good, with Saturday being the better of the two, as it generated good crowds watching the demonstrations, which I think was certainly down to the weather, as Sunday was much colder in the cool breeze, encouraging people indoors to browse around the stalls and the excellent fly dressing section of the show. All in all though a very good show and well worth visiting in the future!

A Nice Eden Grayling

On Thursday 19th Feb we had our first youth day out on the river, (so it must be warming up) with a group of 10 youngsters all putting their new found skills to the test, following up on what they have learnt over a series of sessions we have made available to them through Borderlines. The objective of this particular day was to target some of the river Eden's excellent Grayling, and I must say, they certainly made a very good job of it too, as they proceeded to land some good quality fish, one of which you can see in the picture above. 

Returning an early Brownie

All of the fish caught were returned safely to the water, with the main emphasis being the conservation of the River Eden Grayling population, although one of the boys did catch an early (out of season) brown trout in very good condition, which was also safely returned to the water to fight another day.  At the end of the session the group managed to catch and return over 20 Grayling, probably nearer 30, but there was so much going on that we lost count. Well done guys!

One of the boys returning a Grayling

A few casting lessons lined up now, mainly for the avid trout angler, as the new trout season will be upon us again in less than a month, "can't wait", and those of you who have been out with me (for trout) on the river in the past, will know that there are some nice fish to be had, especially as we get into April / May time, although March can be very good given the right conditions. "Not long now"!!!

Rain Stops Play

Tony on one of our visits

Not a great deal to report i'm afraid, although we have had a couple of small windows when the river was in good order for Grayling and we did have a modicum of success whilst we were out. However, just as the river was approaching much better levels the rain came and put an end to that, and with the river now quite swollen, we will have to hold on a little longer before targeting these fish yet again. The up side though is the fact that because of the recent high waters the river is running relatively clean, so it may not be too long before we get another shot at them. 

In the interim though, I would like to say "Tight Lines" to all and I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings for 2015.

Latest Events

An AAPGAI demo on Drift Boats

Since the end of the salmon season on the river Eden there have been several things going on, including the recent AAPGAI assessment and open day event down in Wales, which I always look forward to, well who wouldn't, as meeting up with a multitude of like minded anglers, and basically having a good time, is the order of the day. It's not all playtime though, as it is also one of the events that provides a gateway to both, new AAPGAI instructors, and those progressing on to the next level of certification through assessment.

An AAPGAI demo on demo's

The weekend went well with some fantastic demonstrations from the membership on the open day, and a fishy tale or two in the bar, not to mention the awards ceremony and AAPGAI auction on the Saturday evening. Anyone wishing to attend one of these open days would be very welcome, and I can certainly recommend them. The next open day will be held at Cockermouth in Cumbria on Saturday 21st March, Details can be viewed here where you can also download an application form to book yourself in for the day. A great event!

Borderlines Invertebrate Corner

In addition to this, there are also instructor workshop events held around the country, designed to give potential instructors the opportunity to attend in their respective areas, as well as giving them an insight into what would be required from an AAPGAI instructor. We have just completed one of these courses here on the Eden and there is another one planned for March 2015. Click here to book your place:

Once again Borderlines have been busy introducing youngsters to angling and the Environment, and most recently, in partnership with the Nith Catchment Fishery Trust, we visited Dumfries, where we displayed a small stand of invertebrate's, and other environmental information, whilst at the same time, teaching youngsters to cast a fly and how to bait fish. A great day was had by all with plenty of youngsters attending.

Steve playing a good Grayling

In the meantime I did take a couple of regular Border Game Angling visitors out for a spot of Grayling fishing, and although conditions were not ideal, with the water still running quite high following the recent rain we had, they did manage to catch a couple of small fish later in the day, and one really nice fish was attracted to Steve's gold headed, gold ribbed hares ear. He played it for a while (as you can see in the picture above) before it decided to part company at the critical moment.

One for the Hatchery

Finally, I have just spent two magnificent days Brood Stock fishing for salmon on the beautiful River Ure with a bunch of like minded friends and AAPGAI colleagues. This was via an invite from Dave Bamford (river manager) of the Ure Salmon Trust, and our mission was to catch as many salmon as possible for the hatchery there, to help improve future stocks on the river. Considering the water was up and down like a Yo Yo, we didn't do too bad, with eight fish recorded for the group, one of which can be seen here caught by my good friend Brian Towers, so hopefully we have done our bit to help out. We met some great people there too which definitely enhanced our experience. Thank guys!

Rain Came but didn't Change the Game

Where Jeff lost his Salmon

The long awaited wet weather eventually came, and although we did have some success we didn't get the end to season we had hoped for. 

On the first day of his visit, Jeff Jones did manage to make contact with a salmon on the middle river, (on the fly) but with a couple of shakes of the head (as they do) it was gone, and the very next day the river rose following the overnight rain we were all hoping for. Unfortunately, although very welcome, this put the river out of order for a while, so we took advantage of a little bit of tuition time as always.

Jeff's Big Brown.

On his last day the river was in good order again, but we were just not seeing the fish we had hoped would be running the river given the fresh water we had received the previous day, however he did manage to hook and land a large brown trout (on his own pattern) of around three and a half pounds, a consolation prize I know, and out of season too, but it did get the adrenaline pumping for a short time before it was returned to fight another day. As Jeff said, "If only that was on the trout rod".

David with his hen fish.

A few more lessons ensued with people, then David Humble arrived for his annual visit to the Eden. The water was good and we revisited a few casts before he started fishing. As the day progressed, there was not much to inspire us in the way of fish showing, then suddenly, out of the blue, David lifted into a hard fighting fish, which turned out to be a nice double figure hen salmon. A coloured fish which would have been returned to the water anyway, regardless of the fact it was a hen fish, but that said it certainly made David's day, and quite rightly so, as he had worked hard for it, whilst delivering some very nice casts.

With the salmon season now over, our thoughts move towards the grayling fishing, which can be great fun over the winter months, and if it is anything like it has been recently on the lower river (when the water was low) then we are in for a treat. We will soon find out!

Searching for Salmon

A good start for Andy.

It has been almost 2 months now since we had any fresh water in the system at all, and given that we are now well into our prime salmon fishing time on the river, these persistent low water conditions continue to make life difficult for the dedicated salmon angler, and the fish that are in the river are becoming harder and harder to tempt with our offerings. However, there may be a glimmer of light on the horizon as the forecasters are telling us that we are about to get some significant rain over the next three days. "Let's hope so".

Searching does work.

That said, if you're prepared to search for these magnificent fish, which is exactly what we have been doing over the past few days, you are likely to improve your chances of success, and whilst out on the river recently, with some good friends and regular visitors to Border Game Angling, Andy and Alan, this certainly paid dividends, as Andy managed to land two fish, one of around 6lb (above) and one of around 15lb (left), both returned, both taken on middle Eden beats, and both caught on size 14 doubles, which are the order of the day at the moment, given these low clear conditions.

Christian with an Eden Brownie.

In addition to this Alan also managed to make contact with a couple of fish, but unfortunately came off second best this time round, nevertheless it shows it is still possible, in these difficult conditions, to make contact with these fish and we will certainly persevere with this approach the end of the salmon season, which is fast approaching. Both Andy and Alan fished with the mini double hander's we know as switch rods and on certain parts of the river these outfits really came into their own given the present conditions, providing the guys with more room in tight areas and allowing for a better presentation of the fly line leader and fly. I am sure this gave them a distinct advantage on the present low clear water. 

Grayling No 11 for John.

On a more positive note, the brown trout continued to show plenty of interest up until the end of the trout season, (Tuesday 30th September) most likely encouraged by these warmer than normal temperatures, and the grayling fishing continues to see some fantastic results too, especially on the lower river, with some rods going well into double figures when targeting these beautiful fish, usually when the salmon fishing is slow, however it is great sport to fall back on when this is the case.

David with another nice Grayling.

A few rods that took advantage of this excellent grayling fishing whilst out with me on the lower river were, Christian Woolfenden, John Schofield, David Pinner and Peter Chipendale. The fishing at times was so prolific that John and Peter both recorded personal bests on their respective days. The young fish that began to appear in numbers around three to four months ago have grown on well and we are looking forward to what could potentially be a very good winter for the grayling fishing once the Salmon season is over, weather permitting of course!

Peter enjoying the Grayling fishing.

Many of you have continued to come along and improve your casting skills and fishing techniques during the present lull in the salmon fishing, whilst also taking advantage of this unusual bright September sunshine, why not? I think we must be getting too used to these pleasant warmer times as it was almost a shock to be out in the rain yesterday morning, I almost forgot it was September until that strange wet stuff fell from the sky. 

Any way, let's hope the forecasters have got it right this time and we do get this wet weather that supposed to be on the horizon, giving us a better end to the salmon season!

Almost 6 Weeks Dry!

Malcolm sampling the trout fishing.

Although the title of this months Blog gives the impression that we haven't touched a drop of the good stuff for a while, it refers to something far more serious, that is, as far as salmon anglers are concerned. In this case it means we haven't seen any significant rain since late July / early August, and given that this is usually our prime time for catching salmon on the river, this does not bode well for those in pursuit of the silver tourist. 

Given the present low flows, (below summer level) we are now all praying for rain, and hopefully an influx of salmon into the system too, known as the back end run, which certainly hasn't arrived yet. Yes there are salmon in the system, but no where near the numbers we are accustomed to, however we still have 4 weeks of the salmon season remaining on the Eden, so all is not lost, as we did watch a small number of fish moving into one of the lower beats just before dusk last evening.

Felix into an Eden trout.

That said, many of you have been taking advantage of this slow dry period, in the form of tuition, making sure that you are up to speed with your casting techniques, ironing out some of those niggling little faults prior to any action that may be on it's way. We've certainly had a few good sessions addressing some of these problems. Even Jeff and Malcolm who came up for both salmon and trout fishing (a wise decision) indulged in a bit of casting practise, and considering Malcolm had never cast the salmon rod in a fishing situation before he really got to grips with it, and in the interim caught a couple of trout too, one of which you can see in the picture above right, and Felix from Austria, above left playing another Eden trout.

Lots of Herling in the System.

The trout season has been a very different kettle of fish, "so to speak", with a few difficult days, as always, but in general, some excellent fishing to be had throughout the season, even in these recent bright and warm conditions, given the right place at the right time, not to mention the right techniques. The Grayling fishing has also seen an increase in success, with a large amount of young fish still making an appearance on the lower river, providing some good sport alongside some good sized fish too. The last 3 weeks have also seen a lot of small sea trout (herling, as they are colloquially named) entering the river, reminding us of the good old days when many of the Borders rivers saw large runs of these young fish. 

Another Grayling coming to the net.

With two weeks remaining of the trout season on the Eden, and plenty more sport I'm sure before the 30th September, we will soon be turning "all" our efforts to whats left of the salmon season, taking us into the middle of October, so lets hope we get some rain soon to encourage a bit of that overdue action we all crave before the end of the season. There are plenty of outings still planned so lets see what the rest of the season has in store!