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FISH OF THE MONTH
This 8lb salmon was caught by Will Clay from a club stretch of the middle River Hodder in Lancashire. The fish took one of Will’s size 14 Claret Shrimps.
Will said. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am. My friend John Driver, fishing with me, couldn’t believe it. He said Hodder salmon are as rare as hen’s teeth.”
It was double success for local rod Alan Grant, landing salmon of 14lb (pictured above) and 11lb from the Dalswinton Lower beat, River Nith, Dumfriesshire.
After difficult water conditions since February, more settled levels gave Alan his first fish of the season. Both were tide fresh and fell to an Ally’s Shrimp double fished on a floating line and intermediate tip in the beat’s Ellisland pool.
Alan said, “It’s a nice fast run with a sandstone ledge on the far side about halfway down the pool and both fish came from that same lie.”
T&S fishing reporter Finlay Thomson (left) also struck silver on the Nith, landing this beautiful, bright 14lb salmon from the Boatford beat, Drumlanrig Castle on a Sunray Shadow.
Krzysztof Burandt from Melton Mowbray caught this 121/2lb brown trout, the biggest of his life, at Rutland Water. He hooked it on a size 12 Black Buzzer while fishing the South Arm with his brother Andrew.
Krzysztof said, “Andrew likes to fish Buzzers, while I tend to swap around, trying various flies and lines, but he invariably out-fishes me, and so I decided to follow his advice and fish two size 12 Buzzers on a washing line. I was using a slow figure-of-eight retrieve, but for some reason, I’m not sure why, I stripped it fast at the end and there was an explosion in the water as the fish grabbed one of my flies.”
The trout headed around the bow before setting off on a long run, convincing the brothers it was a good rainbow, but as Krzysztof battled it back to the boat, it went deep and refused to come up.
“It wasn’t a long fight,” said Krzsztof, “but it was very powerful, and when Andre
