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FISH OF THE MONTH
A smiling 16-year-old Erik Pettersson holds his first-ever salmon, caught on the Hexham Anglers’ beat of the River North Tyne above Bellingham in Northumberland.
Erik got the fly-fishing bug during the Covid pandemic and hasn’t looked back. A keen fly-tyer, he has caught many brown trout on his own patterns, but he is now focused on salmon. He fished regularly towards the end of the season on the Tyne and Coquet. Success finally came in the shape of this 9lb hen, which took a Red Frances conehead in high, coloured water.
MORNING BREAK
This stunning 5lb 5oz rainbow trout from Grafham Water was landed by Alex Green. The fish was one of three taken on a short morning’s cast at Deep Water Point on the North Shore.
Alex, a Grafham Water Fly Fishers committee member, said, “There was a horrible southwesterly wind, so I walked to Hedge End, but the water was very coloured. I decided to tuck myself just around the corner where the wind was more over my casting shoulder and I could get a line out.”
Slowly inching back a size 10 black-and-green Tadpole, he landed a rainbow of 3lb 4oz and lost another at the net, before topping the morning off with his second fish of more than 5lb in a fortnight.
He said, “I only do short sessions at this time of year, and it’s not been easy fishing lately, but there have been good shrimp-feeders to be caught, and the Hare’s Ear has been productive.”
PASSING THE BATON
Hamish Rose, aged five, caught this brace of trout from Loch Glenamour in Dumfries and Galloway. He was fishing with his granddad, Danny Rose, who has 71 years of experience to pass on to his young pupil.
Hamish, who has been fishing for more than a year, caught the trout on a 6ft fly-rod and Peter Ross wet-fly.
IN THE PINK
This 20lb salmon was caught by Oliver Wright at Hempseedford pool on the Junction beat of the River Tweed. After his first day was rained off, Oliver faced tricky conditions with a howling upstream wind and coloured water. He said, “I was desperate to fish regardless, having made the five-hour journey from Leicestershire.” It proved a wise decision because after only three short casts from the bank and with the fly on the dangle, Oliver felt the gentlest take. The fish made two long runs across the pool before sulking, and Oliver was unable to move it despite bending his rod double. Finally, the salmon relented and came to the surface, where gillie Ryan Morrison calmly netted it.
It is the biggest salmon Oliver has caught. “I was over the moon,” he said, “and it was made extra special because the fish took a large bright-pink fly tied the day before by Junction gillie Gavin Brown, which we named The Laura after my fiancée.”
BROTHERS
