Tabla de contenidos para January 2023 en Trout & Salmon

ALTHOUGH IT'S ALWAYS FUN to explore water you've never seen before, there is something reassuring about visiting the same beat year after year. It becomes a place where memories are made and recalled, and friendships forged and renewed — somewhere shaped by change and yet constant. This has been my journey on the River Tweed's Lower North Wark (LNW) beat. I have seen it transformed from a lightly fished secret to an all-round performer. LNW sits on the Scottish left bank of the Tweed, looking back towards South Wark, the ruins of Wark Castle and the Cheviot Hills. Just two miles upstream of Coldstream Bridge, it marches on to Upper North Wark and the Lees below. I was first introduced to it by one of salmon fishing's true gentleman and…

Occasionally, we all get doe-eyed thinking about our favourite rivers. It's the upstream beats that tug at my heartstrings — a sentiment that deepened recently when T&S photographer Rod Calbrade wafted Phil Clayton's book Headwaters under my nose. It describes the sources of countless UK rivers and streams. I've always been attracted to the birthplaces of running water. Not only are they somehow good for the soul, but I'm captivated by the idea that these humble springs grow into the grand rivers we love to fish, supporting an astonishing array of wild creatures — so many lifelines crisscrossing the British landscape. I've dabbled on the Hampshire Avon for a few years at mid-river beats such as Heale House, West Amesbury and Lower Woodford. But keen to try new water, after…

{QUICK FIX} NOT JUST DRY-FLIES Our fly patterns are precious, especially if we've tied them ourselves, but when we leave them wet in a box after fishing, materials can rot and hooks rust if they're forgotten about for a few weeks. A solution is to pop a small silica gel packet, used for preventing moisture damage to electrical goods, into the box. However, you should remove excess moisture from flies first. Rechargeable silica gel sachets are also available — search for Wisedry online. In Wisedry sachets, orange indicator granules turn green when they reach a certain moisture level. To reuse, simply dry them in a microwave. Large sachets are ideal for tackle boxes, bags and waders.…

Pinch one end of the chenille tightly between the nails of your thumb and index finger and strip two millimetres of the chenille to expose the thread core on to which it is woven. Use the exposed threads to tie on to the shank. This allows a bulkfree tying-in point and a clean, level and even wind right from the off. Just two sizes of chenille cover practically everything for me. The hook above is sporting both sizes: olive micro chenille on the left, which has a diameter of roughly 1mm, and red medium chenille on the right, which is approximately 3mm. If packaging or website details on sizes are unclear, seek clarification from the supplier before buying. These six colours will enable you to tie a huge range of…

WOULD I recommend taking up flytying? Well, it all depends why you're doing it. If it's to save money on buying flies… dear, oh dear! You've been misinformed. You'll save far more sitting by the fire, sipping 50-year-old Malt Whisky and feeding £20 notes into the flames. However, if it's because you want to fish with superior flies to the shop-bought variety… well, now you're on to something. Can it be true that you, a mere neophyte, can improve on those pristine flies in the tackle-shop after reading the next 500-odd words? Could your fledgling fingerwork really eclipse those brightly coloured baubles? We may not have met, but Reader, my money's on you to do just that. Although I confess to being a Barely Competent Fly-tyer myself, I guarantee your…

More zip for your buck Lightweight, packable, quick-drying and above all warm, puffa-style jackets have been a revelation in outdoor clothing. One drawback is that they can be expensive, but Airflo solved this with its original sub-£100 Pro Puffa jacket. For the 202223 season it has improved that original offering, but we're happy to say, kept the affordable price. The new Thermotex jacket also retains the same durable rip-stop outer shell, drawcord hood and hem, elasticated cuffs, doublezipped side pockets and a single zipped breast pocket for keys or a fly-box. The main upgrade is a quality, bombproof main zip that ensures smooth operation and high neck closure, keeping draughts out and warmth in. There's also a colour change from blue or green to a more subtle grey with bronze…

TROUT MASTERS Plus this month's badge winners from Europe's largest fly-fishing competition FISHING REPORTS ENGLAND AND WALES England & Wales BORDER ESK THE Burnfoot beat below Longtown was again the top beat, finishing the season with a total of 274 salmon and grilse and 82 sea-trout. September produced 123 with October totalling 61 salmon and grilse. The beat again faced many days when flows were pitiful, and fish were coming in and out on the tides. Drought conditions from April through to August did not help. Autumn river levels were constantly up and down making for varied conditions. Late catches received include Lower Irvine House regular John Murray catching salmon of 10lb and 15lb spinning in a highish water. Upstream on the Mid Irvine House beat, Ian Hewartson caught a…

1952-2022 Tony King never set out in life to become a fishing guide. True, fishing was always in his blood as a family rite of passage, but he was soon taking it to a whole new level catching mullet on the fly off the coast of his native Dorset as a young boy, way ahead of his time. But if fishing was his passion, art was his calling, enrolling at the Winchester College of Art on leaving school. Playing to his roots as a self-confessed hippy Tony, and the woman who would later be his wife and mother of their two children, took off to tour Asia and Australasia after college, Tony indulging his passion for fishing wherever there was water, accidentally picking up his first guiding job in Tasmania.…

It's that time of year when some of us pledge to keep a fishing diary for the new season. Finscribe is a new phone app that allows you to upload pictures, write a description of your catch, locate your position, and add the time, species and weight. There are similar apps, often US-based, but Finscribe is aimed at UK anglers, it's free to download and has a public-private option, so you can share through social media or keep your record confidential. Diary entries can be added retrospectively, so you can add a memorable catch from several years ago. Other functions include searches for other app users and a global map of fishing destinations. It's the brainchild of Wiltshire salmon-fisher Caspar Bowes. He said, “I was fishing on the Thurso in…

CALVIN'S SHRIMP Hook Size 6-8 Partridge Patriot black nickel Thread Fluoro orange Tail Pink-dyed fox squirrel Rib Oval silver tinsel Body Phatakorva Bronze Salar Synthetic Series (SSS) dubbing Wing Orange templedog, tied short Hackles Bright pink hen with orange in front, jungle cock eyes Feelers Strands of dyed pink Lady Amherst's pheasant I mainly fish medium-sized Highland rivers like the Glass and Farrar and prefer flies that stand out in dark spate water. This pink and orange pattern glows in the peat stain. I dress it slightly heavier than normal and in quite large sizes as I prefer to fish it in spring and autumn when water conditions are at their best. The hook is strong, and the bronze and gold of the SSS dub body sparkles under the wing…

ROB EDMUNDS Highly successful competition angler, reservoir bank and boat specialist. 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. PETER GATHERCOLE Photographer, expert tyer and chairman of the Fly Dressers'Guild. PETER COCKWILL Small-water expert with more than 60 years'fly-fishing experience. STAN HEADLEY Author of Trout 8 Salmon Flies of Scotland, The Loch Fisher's Bible and Reflections on the Loch. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE Anglers who stalk on clear-water fisheries often struggle with the complex issue of depth…

CALUM McROBERTS is head gillie at Meikleour and Upper Islamouth on the Tay, a river he has fished for more than 30 years. THERE ARE LONGER RIVERS IN THE UK but with an average water volume of 180 cubic metres per second, no other river comes close to the sheer size of the Tay. It's massive and when you consider early season water temperatures are often in the low 30s deg F, then you begin to understand why there is a longstanding tradition of spinning in the early months of the season. Catch records going back to the early 1900s show that all fish in the early season were caught using spinning lures. These might have been natural ones like the sprat, or artificial ones like the Devon Minnow. It…

IT'S FUNNY, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I vividly remember overhearing parents talking at Christmas about how quickly the year had gone. It made no sense to me — a year felt like a lifetime. Now, I feel older and realise what they meant. A whole year gone in a moment. It's been a pleasure to share my stories of Hebridean fishing life with you and I hope everyone has enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Before I sign off, though, I thought I'd do a Top of the Pops style end-of-season rundown. Although customary to do a top ten, there is only space for six pictures, so here are my top six moments of the year. In at 6: January on the Helmsdale. I would…

1. SCHOOLED ON THE TYNE My introduction to game-fishing came at Hookergate Grammar School, then in County Durham. I joined the school angling club at 12 years old and fished mainly on the lower Tyne. Teachers, Messrs Milburn and Johnson, gave their time to take us to a variety of venues. This progressed to membership of Northumbrian Anglers’ Federation and my love of fly-fishing developed. Many great days were spent on the Tyne. Trout numbers were excellent with fish stocked, pre-season, at every bridge. 2. MODEL 2632 My study is packed with tackle, fly-tying equipment and lots of junk, for which I often get grief. My favourite fly-reel is a Shakespeare Worcestershire Disc Drag Model 2632.I have used it for several decades, fishing for salmon on smaller rivers. It also…

IT'S BEEN 35 YEARS SINCE I PURCHASED MY first tying kit, which came with a vice, an exciting array of furs, feathers, and yarns — and some chenille. The thought of tying my own Montana nymph was somewhat down the list, behind the likes of the Peter Ross and Greenwell's Glory, but after two hours of toil with the Peter Ross, I was forced to re-evaluate my skill set and reached for the chenille. And therein lies the beauty of chenille: simplicity and ease of use. In those days, half-a-dozen colours were available but only one size: fat. Today, this textile-industry yarn comes in an improved range of sizes and colours, giving the modern fly-tyer many more options than just a Montana nymph or Woolly Bugger. What chenille lacks in…

Respect your prize. Spring fish will sometimes be in the river for 12 months before spawning and are the most vulnerable of salmon. We must do all we can to protect their welfare. Carry a net — there is no place nowadays for dragging fish up a bank. Keep the fish in the water. Avoid touching it. Spring fish have little mucus and shed scales easily, leaving them vulnerable to infection. Ask yourself if you really need a photo of you holding a fish, when you can hold the net and still see the fish. Is it worth compromising the welfare of the fish? Someone far wiser than me once said “Keep a fish out of water for as long as you would like to be held underwater”. Words that…

1938-2022 Gwyndaf and I grew up together in the ‘50s in Penegoes, Machynlleth. Gwyndaf was one of a large family of ten. He had a younger brother, Irwyn, who from birth was unable to walk. Until his admittance to a specialist unit, Gwyndaf would carry him on his back wherever he went. This was typical of Gwyndaf, he had a heart of gold, a quality he maintained throughout his life. When the family relocated from Penegoes, Gwyndaf, aged 17, enlisted in the Royal Navy. We lost touch until one day at Brenig, we met again. He was representing Llanilar AC, and I, Llanbrynmair AC. We went on to share many memorable days, fishing in competitions and on the River Dyfi. Gwyndaf represented Wales in an international competition on Bewl Water,…

IT WOULD BE ALL TOO EASY TO BE A thorough curmudgeon as 2022 draws to a close. It hasn't been the best of years, has it? We started out still in the shadow of Covid 19. Lockdowns and movement restrictions had been largely lifted, but the virus was still out there floating about in the ether seeking whom it might devour. I actually had the thing at the end of March, but thanks — I dare say — to the vaccination programme I was not especially ill. Then war broke out when Russia invaded Ukraine and we all looked nervously at the horizon in the expectation of seeing the final mushroom cloud. When I was at school, we were told that in the event of a nuclear holocaust we should…