Table of contents for August 2021 in Trout & Salmon

LAST SEASON, DESPITE FISHING ON SEVERAL rivers, not one salmon took a liking to my flies. I didn’t get a single pull. The beats I fished weren’t empty. In fact, at times, plenty of fish showed. And while I couldn’t catch them, my friend Kip — a relative novice — was doing rather well. He hooked and lost a beauty on the Eden in a leap of silver spray, then teased his second-ever salmon from the Willow Pool on the Border Esk two months later. I was delighted to witness both events and the fact he outfished me is testament to his concentration, patience and willingness to learn. I had lost my way, forgetting what the sensation of a take was like. I’m sure you’ve all been through this phase,…

OFF TO A FLYING START What an introduction to salmon fishing for Chirag Kanji, who landed this stunning 20lb fish while fishing on the middle Spey’s Delagyle beat. At the start of his week, heavy rain lifted the river by almost 4ft. Happily, by Wednesday, the level had dropped. At 8am, Chirag cast a size 10 Delagyle Devil, tied by well-known tyer Peter Burke, and the line tightened. Forty minutes later, he landed his prize with the aid of Delagyle gillie David Smillie. The perfect start, but Chirag didn’t stop there. He went on to land another two fish of 10lb and 6lb on a size 8 Cascade later in the day. “It’s such a beautiful time of year to be out on the river. I’m buzzing to share my…

GETTING THERE Castleconnell is about seven miles from the historic city of Limerick. Shannon airport is about 20 miles. ACCOMMODATION There are plenty of good local B&Bs. The Castle Oaks four-star hotel is adjacent to the fishery and offers accommodation or self-catering. E-mail info@ castleoaks.ie An ESB daily permit is required for the fishery. Charges are modest at 20 Euros per day all season. Permits can be acquired at the Spar shop in nearby Annacotty or from Mr Paddy Guerin, Kingfisher Angling at +353 61 377407 or e-mail paddyguerin@eircom.net LICENCES A State salmon licence is required and should be obtained before you travel. It can be found online at the Inland Fisheries Ireland website at https://store. fishinginireland.info/Annual all state, €100. 21 days, €40…

WHEN ASKED WHY WE go fly-fishing, many of us might say that it offers a welcome contrast to the day-today chore of earning a living. For those whose lives revolve around a quiet, repetitive occupation, catching a trout or a salmon can add a welcome touch of excitement, while those in a more frenetic, highly pressured role can benefit from the relaxing ambience enjoyed while being close to a river or lake. This latter scenario is almost certainly Gordon van der Spuy’s motivation as his day job has moments of incredible drama — possibly the most dangerous episode being when he was horribly trampled by a woolly mammoth. Granted, the incident occurred while filming an advertisement for a German crisp manufacturer and the mammoth was provided by the special effects…

A permanent marker pen can provide a number of temporary fixes on the river. Black is best, invaluable when iron blue duns or black buzzers hatch and you haven’t got a dark enough pattern. Just colour the fly’s body with your marker and you’re good to go. Many terrestrial flies are dark and the marker will turn a light-coloured pattern into a hawthorn or black gnat in seconds. Black works on flies of every colour, whereas yellow, brown, and olive are affected by the original colour of the materials. You can also use the pen to mark your leader with black bars to help you spot takes and control the depth of flies when Euro-nymphing. Putting black hang-markers on a fly-line makes fishing “on the hang” on stillwaters more consistently…

LAZY SUMMER DAYS HERALD ONE OF my favourite ways of fishing, sitting on the riverbank, putting the world to rights with friends, listening for the slurps of fish under overhanging trees. As the sun drops and the heat of the day drifts away, wary trout emerge from their lairs looking for easy food, and that’s when it pays to use an F Fly. Look in the box of an angler who ties flies and you will see many of these simple, slim dressings. Look in the box of someone who buys his flies, you will see few. It’s probably because F Flies don’t look as sexy as a delicate olive or as noticeable as a Klinkhamer. Designed by Marjan Fratnik in Slovenia and originally named the Fratnik Midge, the F…

Lesley Phillips, from Forres, with her first spring salmon, from the Lower Home beat of the River Findhorn, Moray. “We had seen a couple of fish come into the pool, so I put on a fly of my own tying and told her to have another run through,” said husband Glyn. After a few casts, she was into a fish that weighed 13lb. Following a quick photo, the fish powered away strongly. “She has come on leaps and bounds in the last year, her casting is excellent, and her knowledge and confidence is growing,” he added. Clive Bowen with a 12lb salmon taken on a Black Boar fly from the Golden Grove water of the River Towy. Local angler Donald “Donjie” Ross caught this cracking 3lb 8oz brown trout from…

In the event of it being difficult to buy a print copy of Trout & Salmon in a newsagents, your favourite magazine is available on digital platforms. So, if you can’t find us in stores, or if you’re stuck inside, please consider: • Downloading our Trout & Salmon app from the iOS or Android app stores. We have superb one-off subscription offers. You can also purchase single-copy issues if you wish. If you’re a Kindle Fire user, you can download our magazines from Amazon Newsstand. • If you are a print subscriber and we cannot deliver issues to you owing to the Covid-19 situation, please visit: greatmagazines.co.uk where clear updates will be given. We appreciate your support and readership during this period of uncertainty.…

Caught a memorable fish? Send us a picture and a brief story to troutandsalmon@bauermedia.co.uk Each picture published (p10-11) will receive a Sharpe’s of Aberdeen baseball cap. The captor of the Fish of the Month will receive a Sharpe’s rod of their choice. Our winner may have landed a big fish, a first fish, an unusual fish or simply told a wonderful tale. The editor’s decision is final. Fish for the next (September) issue must have been caught June 9-July 5. Closing date for submissions is July 5. For terms and conditions, visit: bauerlegal.co.uk/competition-terms.html For our Privacy Policy: bauerdatapromise.co.uk…

SEASON March 15 to October 6. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Visit Rannoch and District Angling Club’s Facebook page or contact secretary Gordon Brown on 07881 822 216. E-mail: rdac@btinternet.com TACTICS, FLIES AND TACKLE Standard loch-style tactics work well, particularly black flies and traditional big and bushy top droppers. As with all wild trout waters the best fishing will depend greatly on conditions, but fishing Rannoch in May when olives are hatching, July onwards in a mayfly hatch, or when terrestrials are on the wing can produce great top-of-the-water sport. Fishing deeper with lures will also produce. There’s always the chance of bumping into large trout. Use 10ft six- or seven-weight rods for pulling wets or lures; four- or five-weights for the dry-fly in calmer conditions.…

HENRY CHOLMONDELEY-PENNELL. There’s a name to ponder. Cholmondeley (pronounced “Chumley”) -Pennell was an influential fly-tyer, writer, poet and fisherman at the turn of the previous century. His interests covered all aspects of fishing — fly, coarse, and sea. He would have been a fascinating person with which to share a bottle or a boat. Despite his almost comprehensive areas of expertise, he is now best known for the innovation of the Black Pennell (BP). The BP was perhaps the most used fly pattern in the 20th-century. Every fly-fisherman had at least one in his collection, and it was held in high regard in every branch of the sport, from salmon and sea-trout fishing, through lochs and lakes, to river fishing for trout and grayling. The golden pheasant tippet tail is…

Lee is a self-employed plasterer with a reputation that ensures stacks of work, yet somehow, on top of everything else, he has forged an integral link with the Fishing for Schools charity. That all started following a chance meeting with founder Charles Jardine at Avington Trout Fishery in Hampshire, and soon afterwards Lee gained his Angling Trust Level 2 coaching qualification. The charity had struck a chord and Lee told me, “Fishing has given my life so much stability that I wanted to put something back. Helping youngsters to catch their first fish has been truly inspirational.” This quiet, self-effacing man does so much for others and as so often in life it’s about having a good, stable relationship. Lee’s partner, Julie, is an accomplished fly-fisher herself, and the two…

Hook Size 12-18 Gamakatsu F11 or equivalent Thread Red 14/0 Griffith’s Sheer Head Tungsten or glass bead depending on the pattern’s use Tail Coq de Leon hackle fibres Rib Fine Ice Blue wire Body Grey goose or turkey biot Thorax Hare’s fur Hackle Natural grey CDC Along with creating a nice taper to the body the biot, whether it be goose, turkey or peacock, creates a nice “gilled” effect. The bead used for the head can be varied both in colour and weight depending on how the nymph is to be fished.…

GOLD HOLO HARE’S EAR Hook Size 8 to 14 Fulling Mill Czech Nymph Thread Light brown Body Veniard Natural StickleDub Rib Gold holographic Head Glo-Brite No.4 Hare’s Ears are popular flies, and most are tied on a straight-shank hook, but this one, tied on a curved hook, is my favourite. I find it better imitates the food items it’s supposed to represent, ie shrimp, hog louse, sedge pupa and corixa. With its gold holographic rib, it has been my stand-out pattern for more than 20 years, working on small and large stillwaters. I like to use it near weedbeds, targeting better fish that are feeding well. The gold seems to draw them in, and the bright red head works extremely well when trout are eating corixa. Over the last five…

To thin a bunch of rabbit fur, or completely remove underfur, make a rake with a self-adhesive strip of velcro (hooks) attached to a coffee stirring stick. Hold the bunch firmly by the tips and rake slowly. Before and after. A bunch about the thickness of your finger is ideal for wings and tails. Use this as a starting point, reducing or increasing the size depending on the size of hook and proportions of the fly. This is how underfur (left) and guard hairs (right) should look when separated and ready for dubbing on nymphs, dry-flies, wet-flies and lures. Cut rabbit strips from a patch or a complete skin. Pre-cut strips available from tying retailers work equally well and save wastage as a result of cutting errors.…

Hook Size 14-18 Partridge SLD Fine Dry Thread Black thread Butt Mirage Mylar tinsel Body Dubbed natural hare’s ear Wing Two or three plumes of natural CDC This winging method creates a very buoyant fly. Rather than just using the CDC tips I like to retain the stalks, which I feel adds to the buoyancy. Run the thread down the shank in touching turns and position it opposite the hook point. Catch in the fine Mirage tinsel using a couple of thread wraps. Wrap the tinsel in touching turns to form a short butt. Tie off the loose end and trim waste. Take a pinch of dubbing and apply it along the tying thread. Work the hare’s ear dubbing so that it is distributed evenly, then twist into a thin,…

The mullet is a fish thought to be nearly impossible to catch on fly. This book proves otherwise. Colin Macleod has spent over a decade developing techniques and flies that are effective for all three species of mullet. That there are three UK species is important. Thick-lipped mullet won’t take a fly that is being retrieved, thin-lipped mullet won’t look at a fly that isn’t being retrieved, and golden grey mullet feed in 6in-12in of flat water between incoming waves. It now becomes clear why it is thought mullet are so hard to catch with a fly rod. Using six-weight rods, floating lines and 16ft fluorocarbon leaders to present size 12 and 14 flies, Colin’s techniques are more delicate than those normally associated with saltwater fly-fishing. This is sight-fishing to…

Hook Gold or silver double or treble Thread Black or fluorescent orange Tag Gold/silver oval tinsel Tail Yellow and orange bucktail (50:50 split) followed by pearl micro Krystal Hair, then orange Arctic fox/runner Butt Fluorescent green floss Body Two thirds flat gold/ silver holographic tinsel and one third black floss with gold/silver oval or wire rib Wing Gold/silver Krystal Hair/ Angel Hair, black squirrel Front hackle Yellow and orange cock, tied separately or together…

England ■ ALDIN GRANGE LAKES, Durham, 0191 384 6090 1 Michael Pembleton, Durham, 8lb 6oz blue, Buzzer. 2 Michael Pembleton, Durham, 7lb 14oz rainbow, Wicked White. 3 Malcolm Proudlock, Stanley, 6lb 9oz rainbow, Shammy. ■ BRANSFORD GAME FISHERIES, Bransford, 01905 830548 1 David Hill, Powys, 10lb rainbow, Damsel. 2 Glen Freeman, Malvern, 7lb 12oz rainbow, Pink Blob. 3 Piotr Milczarczyk, Worcester, 7lb 8oz rainbow, Cormorant. ■ BRICK FARM LAKES, Herstmonceux, 01323 832615 1 R Davis, Gosport, 9lb 12oz rainbow, Viva. 2 Peter Buss, Heathfield, 8lb 5oz brown, Kate McLaren. 3 Patrick Bowles, East Sussex, 7lb 14oz brown, Diawl Bach. ■ KILNSEY PARK FLY FISHERY, Skipton, 07765 688780 1 John Murray, Durham, 16lb 2oz rainbow, Black Buzzer. ■ MEON SPRINGS, Petersfield, 01730 823134 1 Andrea Smith, Portsmouth, 5lb 14oz rainbow, Black…

ASQUITH Cutting-edge technology. Legendary design. Developed and hand-finished in Woodland, Washington and rolled in Shimano’s Spiral X production facility in Kumamoto, Japan, the Asquith is the most technologically advanced fly rod in the world. The Asquith series is the culmination of global cooperation in design, materials, and manufacturing techniques. Built on Shimano’s proprietary Spiral X platform, it boasts superb power transfer from tip to hand, quick recovery, and increased sensitivity. Designed by world casting champion, Steve Rajeff, the Asquith is an exploratory step into the future of rod manufacturing technology. With fast actions, generous power levels, titanium guides, and an exceptionally light swing weight, all rods in the series excel in fishing situations where developing high line speed and making precise casts means success. FEATURES • SiC titanium recoil single-foot…

JUMPING FOR JOY Nick Lipczynski caught this magnificent 14lb sea-trout from the Tulchan C beat of the Spey. With the river running 2½ft above summer level due to snowmelt, he decided to use a long-winged Black and Silver that he fishes in Iceland. Near the bottom of Bog pool, the fly was taken. “As soon as the fish leapt, Laurence the gillie shouted, ‘It’s a sea-trout, get it out of the current or you’ll lose it’,” said Nick. “As I tried to lead it to slack water it ran me into the backing several times and fought better than any salmon I’ve hooked. I believe it’s one of the biggest caught on the Spey in some time.” Nick said, “It’s comforting big sea-trout are running the river. Let’s hope it’s…

“My usual comparison to the tempo of the cast being akin to that of a waltz confused him” THOSE HAZY LONG SUMMER DAYS and nights are here, bringing the best of the fishing at either end of the day. There’s something about that magical morning hour as the mist lifts off the water and the first shards of sunlight break through the trees that always gives me goosebumps. As the world awakens all around, I step as quietly as possible into the river, full of hope for the day to come. It’s a time of year for longer lunches and later nights on the river. During the witching hour, as the sun sinks deep in the sky and the fish move out of the shadows, the bats have been dipping…

1. DAD’S OLD HARDY FISHING GEAR Thirty years after my dad Ted died of a stroke, I dug out all his old fishing gear from my spare room where it had been gathering dust. His fishing licence, newly purchased in May 1988, was still in his bag. I was curious to find out why he loved the sport so headed to the river bank. My first venture was a disaster, but after wading through fly-fishing books and magazines, YouTube, and with kindly anglers imparting their wisdom, I began to make sense of it all. It is a great sadness that I never got the chance to share the banks with my dad, but using his rods and reels feels like I’m sharing the experience with him. 2. FRANK SAWYER FLIES…

TICKETS Day, four fish, £50; half day, three fish, £40; evening, two fish, £30. No catch-and-release. CONTACT Tel: 01980 653 557. E-mail: avonsprings@ btconnect.com Web: fishingfly.co.uk DIRECTIONS Avon Springs Fishing Lakes, Recreation Road, Durrington, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 8HH. From the A303 Countess roundabout take the A345 Marlborough road to the Stonehenge Inn roundabout (one mile). Take the fourth exit, signposted Bulford and Durrington. At the Esso garage roundabout turn left onto Bulford Road, then the third right on to Recreation Road. The fishery entrance is at the end of the road.…

PETER GATHERCOLE Photographer, expert tyer and chairman of the Fly Dressers' Guild. RONNIE GLASS Former Scottish champion on rivers and stillwaters and curator of the Tweed Salmon Fishing Museum. STEVE CULLEN Guide, instructor and all-round game angler with a wealth of knowledge. ALASTAIR & WILLIAM PEAKE Brothers Al and Will (AKA TwinPeakes) have a casting school and tackle shop in Crathes on the Aberdeenshire Dee. PAUL PROCTER Cumbrian-based AAPGAI instructor. Prefers the imitative approach. GARETH JONES Welsh international and stillwater expert. Has fished all over the world. PETER COCKWILL Small water expert with more than 60 years’ fly-fishing experience.…

SMALL STILLWATERS, UNDER 40 acres, are stocked with more trout per acre than large reservoirs and this makes some reservoir anglers assume that catching a bag limit on these “ponds” is virtually guaranteed. They also believe small waters are just a stage for beginners before they gain the skills needed to tackle a reservoir. Their views are misguided. Summer on a small stillwater can be very difficult. High water temperatures encourage weed growth and reduce oxygen content, which means that fish often don’t feed confidently during the day. Catch-and-release is now common and, compared to a reservoir, there are more anglers in a much smaller area of water. All of this has a dramatic effect on how fish behave. I accept that newly introduced fish are easier to catch, but…

If you don’t tie your own flies, what should you look for when buying an F Fly in the shops? • Make sure that the hook used is of light weight wire to aid its float ability • Make sure that the body isn’t overdressed and “heavy” with thread or dubbing. A sparse and thin dressing of the fly will fish far better than a heavily dressed fly. • Look at the wing of the fly. It shouldn’t be over long and trimmed to just short of the hook shank. • Some commercial tied flies only use a minimum of CDC feather. Make sure there’s enough feather to keep the fly floating.…

TROUT MASTERS Plus this month’s badge winners from Europe’s largest fly-fishing competition England & Wales BORDER ESK THE Esk was low for several weeks then in mid-May it had several good lifts with the Liddel and Lyne coming away in full spate. This shifted much of the algae and weed growth. In general, it has been cold during the day with some hard night frosts. Dave Wildey fished the Border Esk and Liddel AC waters in extremely low flows and got a pleasant surprise when a 7lb salmon took his size 12 Stoat’s Tail. A week or so later he had three sea-trout at dusk, best 3lb. Ian Blackett had a brief cast at Canonbie while getting his morning paper and landed a nice sea-trout. Alan Dixon fished on a…

KNOWING THEIR STUFF Some notable names were among those celebrating success at the Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors’ (AAPGAI) spring assessment on the River Derwent in Cumbria. Nick Measham, the chief executive of the campaigning charity Salmon & Trout Conservation, gained the Advanced Salmon qualification alongside two Trout & Salmon contributors, brothers William and Alastair Peake. The assessment includes a one-hour written exam, three-hour practical assessment, 20-minute presentation and 45-minute debrief. A high level of casting proficiency as well as a comprehensive knowledge of casting mechanics and faults, tackle, safety, and game-fishing are required. Also successful were Gerald Spiers (Professional Salmon) and David Chapman (Professional Trout). Congratulations to them all. Visit: aapgai.co.uk COVID CATCH NUMBERS Marine Scotland Science has published the salmon and sea-trout rod-catch statistics for 2020.…

HOW TO ENTER Visit a Troutmasters water and catch a fish. Fill in the form (Senior, Youth or Junior) available at each fishery, and post it to T&S. Captors of the three biggest fish from each fishery each month will win a Troutmasters badge. At the end of the season, badge winners will be invited to a fish-off at their fishery. Winners of the fish-offs are then invited to compete in the Grand Finals. We will also award a Gold badge to anglers who win Troutmasters badges from five different venues. Find out more at: www.troutandsalmon.com/troutmasters GALLERY SPONSORED BY…

ENGLAND ALBURY ESTATE FISHERIES, Guildford, 07976 810737 AMPORT FISHERY, Andover, 01264 771233 BESSY BECK TROUT FISHERY, Cumbria, 01539 623303 BLITHFIELD ANGLERS, Abbots Bromley, 01283 840284 DRAYCOTE TROUT FISHERY, Rugby, 01788 812018 HIGHAM LAKE TROUT FISHERY, Ponteland, 07950 428159 LANGLEY DAM, Hexham, 01434 688846 LEIGHTON RESERVOIR, Ripon, 07815 114890 LENCHES LAKES, Evesham, 01386 871035 LOYNTON TROUT FISHERY, Stafford, 01785 284261 MARSTON WYSE TROUT FARM, York, 01904 738383 RIB VALLEY FISHING LAKES, Ware, 07812 464323 SHARPLEY SPRINGS FLY FISHERY, Seaham, 07860 757527 SIBLYBACK LAKE, Liskeard, 01566 771930 WASHBURN VALLEY FISHERIES, Harrogate, 01943 880658 WITHERN MILL TROUT FARM, Alford, 01507 450356 SCOTLAND DUNLICHITY TROUT FISHERY, Inverness, 01808 521442 MOFFAT FISHERY, Moffat, 01683 221220 RAEMOIR TROUT FISHERY, Banchory, 01330 820092 TARVIE LOCHS, Tarvie, 01997 421250 WALES BIGWELL FLY FISHERY, Monmouth, 01600 772904 ELAN VALLEY,…

I WAS DOWN AT THE POND WITH THE NEW dog, Tod. We have reached an accommodation these days in relation to fishing. Which is that I attach his lead to something robust while I am fishing; and he sits and watches. When we move from one spot to another he gets to go freelance for a few minutes — during which the geese in the vicinity take to the water — until we reach a new pontoon and I start fishing again. And Tod sulks beside whatever I have tied him to. While we were having lunch, however, Tod was not tied up. This was because we were by the hut, which is away from the water, and he was under the bench snapping at flies while I chewed on…

1 GLASGOW ANGLING CENTRE 0141 212 8880 www.fishingmegastore.com 2 FAWCETTS COUNTRY SPORTS 01524 32033 www.fawcettsonline.com 3 SOUTHSIDE ANGLING +353 1 453 0266 southsideangling.ie 4 FISHING TACKLE & BAIT ENNISKILLEN 028 6632 2008 www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk 5 BOB CO 0113 249 9943 www.bobcotackle.co.uk 6 ANGLERS CORNER LLANELLI 01554 773981 www.anglerscorner.co.uk 7 ROK MAX 01635 736436 www.rokmax.com 8 TODBER MANOR 01258 820384 todbermanor.co.uk 9 BRIDGE GUNS AND TACKLE 028 7188 0826 info@bridgegunsandtackle.com 10 THE COUNTRY SPORTS STORE 01556 670418 www.thecountrysportsstore.co.uk 11 FRASERS OF GATESHEAD 0191 477 5950 frasersangling@aol.com 12 KATE FLEMING 01250 873990 kateflemings.co.uk 13 PREDATOR TACKLE 07976 836927 www.predatortackle.co.uk 14 FELINDRE INNOVATIONS 01792 796584 www.felindreinnovations.co.uk 15 SERIOUS COUNTRY SPORTS 028 2585 0000 www.seriouscountrysports.com 16 THE LURE BOX 07444 549411 www.thelurebox.co.uk Mail order only • UTTINGS 01603 619811 www.uttings.co.uk…