FISH OF THE MONTH
Caught a memorable fish? Send your pictures to: troutandsalmon@fieldsportspress.com
HAPPY ENDING
The final day of the 2023 brown trout season on Benbecula, Outer Hebrides proved memorable for local fisher Dr Briony Oates. Using South Uist Angling Club’s boat on West Loch Olavat, Briony spent the afternoon dapping a size 12 Clan Chief, catching trout to ¾lb, despite increasingly gusty conditions making life difficult for her gillie (and husband) “Spider”. Keen to avoid the worst of the wind, he set up the boat for the final drift of the afternoon.
“The take, a gentle sip, was no different to the previous ones, but the bend in my 17ft dapping rod suggested it was something slightly larger,” said Briony.
As the fish jumped, it revealed it was rather more than that, and as Spider navigated the boat past various hazards — including a submerged causeway to a nearby Iron Age dun — it continued to jump and make nerve-testing runs.
“Spider issued numerous, mostly contradictory instructions on how to play the monster,” she said. Before the boat was eventually beached and the battle successfully concluded.
The stunning fish, 27in long and an estimated 6lb, is by far Briony’s best brown trout in more than 30 years of fishing. It was returned to the loch and just goes to show that doing “one last lucky drift” really can be worth it.
FINAL FLING
It may have taken him 11 attempts, but finally Ulverston's Jack Metcalfe has landed his first salmon of the season, from Yorkshire Fly Fishers' Sawley water on the River Ribble. With the beautiful Ribble valley as his backdrop, Jack managed to coax the 12lb hen fish from her lie with his Cascade double.
“The ensuing tussle was a symphony of drama,” said Jack. “It dashed downstream, then changed direction and even threw a sulk into the mix. I swear that salmon had an attitude, and no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't budge.”
Eventually, the fish was at the net, but the drama didn’t end there.
Jack said, “My first attempt was a resounding failure and the salmon headed back downstream, mocking my effort.”
He guided it back upstream, the fish inching ever closer to the net, but again, it avoided the mesh. “I had to tell myself: take it slow and stay in control.”
It was third time lucky and in one graceful movement the salmon was his. “My heart was racing,” said Jack, “and the euphoria of the catch was unparalleled. A feeling only fishermen know.”
FAST LEARNER
After spending a day learning to spey cast with Marina Gibson at the Northern Fishing School on the Swinton Estate beat of Yorkshire’s River Ure, Alexandra Brown returned the following morning with husband Nick to put it all into practice.
Around mid-afternoon, her efforts were rewarded when she hooked her first fis
