Week 23-30 July

Date: 23-30 July

Air Temp: 8’C -21’C

Water Temp: 14C-17C
Water Height: -6cm to -15cm
Number of Rods: 12
Number of fish Caught: 68
Biggest fish: 22lbs Tom Craig
No 30+: 0
No 20-29lbs: 2
No 8-19lbs: 11
Grilse: 55

Weather: Generally speaking a much colder week, a couple of warmer days early on, but finishing off with much cooler temperatures.

Managers Comments: A better week this week and we certainly finished on a high. The week started fairly slowly with the warm temperatures. Sunday was cloudless skies and baking hot. Monday brought us some slightly better weather but not much. The odd shower and mainly cloud cover. As the week went on the temperatures dropped and we began to see a few more fish on the bank.

The early few days of the week produced very few salmon indeed. Mostly grilse that were reasonably fresh and in great nick, most of them 6lbs+. As the week went on and temperatures began to cool off we started seeing more salmon. I think the only explanation is that the water cooling off must have shifted them off their lies and woken them up a little bit. By Wednesday we had a few salmon in the book and the numbers just continued to rise for the rest of week.

Stuart C and his 22lber

Rob L has done well this week. He hit the ground running on Day 1 with three out of Lyliok all in the space of 30 minutes and also lost another. He managed to continue ticking away at the fish all week, not quite in the same fashion though. Rupert D has had a few great fish this week. Late on in the week he seemed to pick up some really nice big fresh fish. Good to know there are still some coming through.

Salmon in net

Tom C was top rod and holds the title of ‘Fish of the Week’ with an awesome 22lber out of Upper Norcamp. Tom has certainly had his favourite fly this week, the black and yellow skull head. He has had most of his fish on it and has been handing them out to fellow fishers who have also had some success with it. Tom is a very accomplished fisher who has managed some cracking fish and has been tucking in to plenty of grilse as well. A great result in some harsh conditions, well done!

Tom C and his 22lber

Again the fish have been very slow soft takers this week, meaning we have had endless pulls, knocks and bites but many of which are just not hanging on to the fly long enough. I don't know what the answer to that is… other than carry on as normal and hope that a few more of them start to stick. Perhaps the cooler water will make them more aggressive this week.

Toby Burrell