Air Temp: 2C
Water Temp: 5CWater height: 2.0m
Number of rods: 13
Number fish caught: 2
Biggest fish: 13lbs
No 30+: 0
No 20-29: 0
No 8-19: 2
Grilse: 0
Weather: It was a freezing cold day
with a strong upstream wind and persistent light rain throughout the day.
Manager's comments: It was a pretty
brutal weather day on the river so hats off to the team who persevered on
through the day. Simon and Jonathan sensibly sought refuge in the lodge at
lunchtime but then bravely went back out again to battle the elements in the
afternoon. One or two others returned early to the lodge during the course of
the afternoon and I would have done exactly the same. When you are fishing Lake
or Pots and the warm lodge is winking at you on the hill within easy walking distance,
then the prospect of a cup of tea and a comfortable sofa is all too tempting.
Conditions were undoubtedly extreme
with 2C air temperature so it was perhaps unsurprising that this was reflected
in the catches. Valery N landed a fresh 12lber from Beach and Pete W caught
another autumn run fish at Beach in the afternoon. A fresh fish was spotted in
Home Pool but otherwise action was thin on the ground.
Wading in the bushes on Pots
There was a great moment of
excitement in the late afternoon when Matt H hooked a fish in the Home Pool. It
was clearly a strong fish and could not be moved from the current. After 20
minutes, Red Sergei (who was guiding Simon and Jonathan ) persuaded Matt to
jump in the boat with him so that they could keep clear of the bushes to play
the fish. Now in the role of videographer, Simon recorded most of the battle
for posterity. The video evidence shows much discussion between rod, guide and
onlookers about the potential size of the ‘monster fish’. Sergei managed a
Herculean 60 minutes of rowing and after a total battle of one hour and twenty
minutes a 17lb kelt, hooked in the back of the head, was brought to the net.
Raucous laughter can be heard in the footage from the onlookers! Just one of
those odd moments that can occasionally occur when fishing but very
disappointing that it was not the leviathan that was hoped for.
Hard to remember what it looked like only a day or two ago in the sun
There was some very positive news
from Gremikha in that they landed five fresh sea-liced fish in the lower part
of the river. The fish must be waiting to run the river and are perhaps now
beginning to trickle through. We hope to run into them in the coming days at
the lodge.
Alan C with a fresh 18lber from Gremikha
Henry Mountain
