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UNEXPECTED BONUS
A trip spent spinning for mackerel turned into a red-letter day for ten-year-old Zane Bruce and his grandad, Ian. Zane was fishing off Spittal Point in the Tweed estuary with his best friend, Joey, when he hooked a fish that took off on a series of jumps and runs. It was some time before he could bring it under control on his light 7ft spinning rod, but once landed, it was not the monster mackerel he expected, but a tide-fresh sea-trout of around 3lb.
Joey’s dad, Craig, was on hand to take a quick picture before the fish was released to continue its journey upriver. “There must be very few days when a fresh-run sea-trout is considered by-catch,” said Ian.
FISH OF THE MONTH
Archie Croom-Johnson, aged 13, holds the largest of two salmon he caught on his first salmon-fishing trip. After cutting his teeth on the trout of his local Hampshire chalkstreams and lakes, he joined his fishing-mad father on the Cawdor beat of the River Findhorn.
On the first day, Archie landed his first-ever salmon, 9lb, on an Ally’s Shrimp and was over the moon, but more was to follow. The next day he landed an 11lb fish on the same pattern to make it a dream trip.
“The fish took in the neck of the pool and headed upriver before slowly dropping back into the pool where Archie was able to play it out, and it could be landed,” said proud grandfather, David Croom-Johnson.
Both salmon were returned.
SOMETHING IN THE WATER
Penrith rod John Young caught this spectacular 4lb-plus brown trout from Malham Tarn in the Yorkshire Dales. John was drifting across open water, pulling a black-and-gold Humungus on a Di3 line when the trout took, giving him a proper battle before coming to the boat.
A very happy John said, “It’s a special place with special fish. They are simply stunning in the tarn, a little reminiscent of Loch Corrib fish, which I suppose is something to do with the limestone geology both waters share.”
A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE
Luke Gater from Newport braved the wind and rain on an after-work trip to the River Ebbw, South Wales to end a long-running battle of wits. For some time, Luke and his friends had been trying to catch a particularly fine brown trout they had nicknamed The Leopard, but without success
