Sunday 24 July 2016

Week 16-23 July

Date: 16-23 July

Air Temp: 14’C -21’C
Water Temp: 15C-19C
Water Height: -26cm to +37cm
Number of Rods: 2
Number of fish Caught: 12
Biggest fish: 18lbs Geoff Barber
No 30+: 0
No 20-29lbs: 0
No 8-19lbs: 5
Grilse: 6
Sea Trout: 1

Weather: A mixture of sunshine and rain, generally it has been a warm week with the odd spell of cooler weather tending to bring rain.
 
Incoming heli

Managers Comments: Certainly not the easiest of weeks fishing for our two guests on the river this week. But as always they have worked hard and ticked away. We have really struggled to move any of the bigger fish this week, they are obviously hunkered down and not budging at the moment. In my experience of salmon fishing, the fish are never so keen when the water level is yo-yoing up and down like it has this week. Very unsettling for them indeed, however it may work wonders for the week to come as it will have woken up a few of the older big fish.

View of Pump Pool towards Home Pool
 
The water level has gone from -26cm this week to +37cm and back down to 0 all in a five day period. This is a huge move in water in a very small period of time. It certainly has dropped the water temperature by a few degrees leaving us at 15C now which is much more like it.

Well done to Geoff who had a fantastic day on Wednesday landing four fish collectively weighing 43lbs biggest 18lbs. A truly epic afternoon of fishing by any standards and especially satisfying in these harsh conditions, so a big well done to you Geoff!
 
Geoff's sea trout
 
Simon has fished very well indeed and has been in contact with fish all week, and has never lacked in action but struggling to find any of the bigger fish. His time will come.
 
European elk (alces alces)

Promising conditions for the coming week, cooler water and a dropping river, cloud cover is forecast for most of the week with the odd spells of rain. Let’s hope it is correct and the fish come on!

Toby Burrell