Caught a memorable fish? Send your pictures to: troutandsalmon@fieldsportspress.com
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Colonel Guy Harnby was only 20 minutes from drawing a three-day blank on the River Tweed when proceedings took a dramatic turn. Guy was fishing Boat pool on Upper Makerstoun with gillie Iain Wilson when his 1in Posh Tosh tube, designed and tied by Iain, was violently taken. The fish took Guy down to his backing in no time, and for 20 minutes it made strong runs and leaps before it was finally subdued and guided to Iain’s waiting net. It weighed 25lb. “What a take and what a scrap. After 20 years of fishing the Tweed, I have never had the privilege of playing such a strong and healthy fish,” said Guy. “We’d only just been chatting about how two money spiders had landed on my hand earlier in the afternoon, which surely meant that either I’d won the lottery or a big fish was waiting, when the line suddenly tightened. Regrettably, I’ve probably doubled the price for a day next year.”
We’re delighted to say the fish made a quick recovery before being expertly returned by Iain.
BIRTHDAY DOUBLE
Fourteen-year-old Jacob Lewis from Swansea cradles a 10lb salmon caught from the College pool at Golden
Grove on the River Teifi. Jacob has been fishing since he was five, catching his first sea-trout when he was six, but this is his first salmon taken on a double-handed fly rod. “He absolutely loves his fishing and has mastered the spey cast over the last couple of years,” said dad Gary. Jacob was fishing a John Graham Special shrimp pattern and caught the fish on the last day of the Teifi’s
2023 season and the day before his fifteenth birthday. “It was the perfect birthday present. I’d just been through the pool, and he followed me down and showed me how it’s done,” added Gary. To round off the perfect year, Jacob has just qualified for the Welsh Youth team and will represent his country for the first time at Draycote Water in spring 2024. Congratulations, Jacob.
FISH OF THE MONTH
On only his second visit to Argyll’s River Orchy, 13-year-old Joe Marshall caught his first-ever salmon, quickly followed by his second. Joe, who was fishing with his dad, Jonathan, landed a 4lb grilse from Upper Pemberton pool and then went on to take a 6lb fish from Black Duncan. A proud Jonathan said, “He is streets ahead of me as I’m still to catch a salmon. Safe to say he is hooked for life.”
Both fish fell to a black-and-gold Toby spoon and were safely returned.
SAVING THE BEST ’TIL LAST
This end-of-season salmon weighed 22lb and was caught by John Wardle from the Cages pool on the River South Tyne at Haltwhistle, Northumberland.
John, from Carlisle, arrived at the beat around lunchtime after fishing further upstream at Killfrost in the morning. Conditions were perfect and his frie
