reports

A sea trout caught by David Pilkington on a Bumble.

Arundell Arms instructor Tim Smith returns a sea-liced 8-pounder.

Season review

2011 Report - Arundell Arms The 2011 season as a whole was dominated by serious lack of water throughout, with just a short period of good water levels during Sepember, during which time we landed 21 salmon. The salmon total was 25 fish from our beats at Lifton, plus 4 for our rod on the lower Tamar, and one from our rods at Endsleigh. Of these 30 fish, only 3 were kept. Of the 27 released, the best was for Alexander Jones from Quarry pool on the Tamar, taken on a Rapala in high and dirty water in September. Despite the low flows, runs of salmon during the final few weeks of the season were good, with a decent head of fish now in the river system and prospects for spawning are excellent. The sea trout total was 102 from our beats at Lifton, plus 5 from our rod on the lower Tamar, and 7 from our rods at Endsleigh. From this total of 114 sea trout, only 32 were kept. Of the 82 released fish, the best was a very good peal for the Tamar system at 6 Ω lbs, for Gerald Spiers in Silver Doctor pool on the Lyd, taken in mid-June on a WMD fly. The poor numbers of sea trout are a reflection of the crippling low flows which persisted for so much of the 2011 season. These low flows made trout fishing tough at times, but the total of 2,241 wild browns (virtually all released) shows that our trout stocks are in fine fettle. The early season fishing was better than usual, simply because rivers were consistently low and never out of order due to spates. Dry fly fishing during May and June was superb, and some fine sport was also enjoyed in September. Individual catches and good fish are too numerous to mention, but many experienced rods had bags of over 20 fish in a day, and the best of these were up to 14 inches. We also had 73 grayling, again many good fish were released, the best up to one and a half pounds.

2011 Report - Endsleigh Fishing Club Our season started with low water levels and the driest March since 1961 with very little rainfall. A few kelts have been seen throughout the beats during late March and early April. April being a very warm and dry month with temperatures reaching 22 degrees which made river temperatures rise very quickly; encouraging an abundance of fly life to hatch early. There have been some good catches of trout , Mr james Pearce catching 36 trout of 4oz to 1lb and several grayling from 1lb to 2lb2oz on a black and peacock spider and black gnat .And a Mr mark Stockington catching 23 trout up to 12oz on a butchers wet and large olives .A Mr dean Medley catching 15 trout largest being 1lb2oz caught on a sawyers nymph, olive imergers and dry fly grannon at Dunterue on beat 2 .A Mr philip Norton catching 18 trout up to 1lb on a stone fly nymph and dry fly olives at Carthamartha on beat 1. The Salmon smolts and trout smolts are benefiting from the early fly life . The smolt trap was once again in place during April and despite the low levels of water many smolts have been seen and recorded by cefas in total 4037 wild salmon smolts and 1046 wild trout smolts and 13 hatchery smolts were caught and released with the majority of the smolts still to come down from the tributaries . The warm weather continues into May with river levels still dropping, the first sightings of May fly have been seen on the 15th May which hopefully will produce an abundance of may fly and good dry fly fishing . On the 22nd May our first Salmon was caught by one of our members a Mr Jeff Wehner catching a 8lb Salmon on a 1/2 inch black tube at Thompsons pool on beat 3 .And another member Mr Will Nott catching our first sea trout a 1 1/2 lb on a stoats tail at Inny Junction on beat 2 . Some Salmon and sea trout have finally made their way up river and have been seen in pools during the last week, but we are still in deperate need of some rain . End of May and early june good hatches of May fly producing great catches of brown trout up to 2lb,and some good catches of Sea trout caught early evening with Mr Berri Schroder catching a 2lb and a 3lb Sea trout caught at hardstone croy and parsons on a number 10 black stoats tail.And one of our members a Mr Charles Carey catching a 3lb Sea trout at Parsons on a black and yellow stoats tail . Weather remained warm and dry until the 12th june when the welcoming sight of steady rain raised river levels and brought up some fresh Salmon and sea trout. In June we caught 10 salmon a Mr Martin Stone caught the largest a 13lb salmon at Lowley run on a black stoats tail tube. Mr Clive Lunn a Arundell Arms fisherman caught a 10lb Salmon at Joles Corner on a stoats tail number 8 double . Mr Ben Garnett a Arundell arms fisherman caught a 12lb Salmon at southcombe croy on a orange and black tube 1 inch . Mr Mike symons catching 2 Salmon a 7lb and a 12lb at Harstone on a mjs red and yellow 1 inch tube . One of our members Mr Martin Jones catching a 6lb Salmon at Hardstone wood on a yellow and black 1 inch tube .Also 5 Sea trout have been caught in June between 2lb and 3lb later on in the evening. With only one or two days of rain in June river levels are still low and a weeks steady rain is still needed. July has started off well with a few days of rain raising the river levels . One of our members Mrs Sandra Burling caught a 12lb Salmon at Bush pool on a cascade alley 1/2 inch tube. Mr John Foster also a member caught a 8lb Salmon at Lily Pond on a MJS 1 inch tube . Mr John Mc Quade caught an 8lb Salmon at joles corner on a stoats tail 1/2 inch tube , Mr Alan White caught a 8lb Salmon at hardstone croy on a 1 inch mercers fancy. Another lady Member Mrs Pippa Medd caught the first grilse of the season 6lb caught at beech tree on a 1/2 inch black and yellow tube. The sea trout fishing in July has been very good with Mr david Pilkington catching 5 sea trout up to 3lb at carthamartha run and adams pool on a bumble single no 10 . One of our members Mr Johnny Trenchard catching 7 sea trout between 1lb and 3lb at Inny Junction and underhill on a stoats tail single no 8 .Mr Fournie caught 7 sea trout between 1lb and 4lb at Bush , gravel and parsons pool on a gold head stonefly .Mr John Dolly caught a sea trout of 5lb at Hardstone croy on a 1 inch black and yellow tube. Mr Gerald Spiers caught 6 sea trout between 1lb and 9lb at underhill, southcombe and beera on a black pennell 1 inch tube . A really good month for sea trout with a total of 37 for july . With the warm weather raising water temperature,s and low river levels we are in desperate need of some heavy constant rain . End of August one of our members Mr Martin Jones caught an 8lb Salmon at underhill on a 1 inch black/yellow tube and one of our lady members Mrs Tara Marlow caught a grilse of 5lb at Adams pool on a cascade double no 6. Mr John Mc quade caught a grilse of 4lb at Joles corner on a sunray black. Mr David Chapman caught a 5lb grilse at Gravel on a posh tosh. Sea trout fishing is still good one of our members Mrs Sandra Burling caught 2 sea trout a 2lb caught at Thompsons on a black tube and a 3lb caught at Endsleigh ford on a cascade alley .Miss Emily Medd caught a 2lb Sea trout at Adams pool on a black and yellow 1 inch tube . Another member Mr Will Nott caught 4 Sea trout between 2lb and 3lb caught at Underhill and Joles Corner on a stoats Tail.Mr dave Chapman caught a 6lb sea trout at Dunterue on a posh tosh. The Recent rainfall we have had at the start of september has moved the Salmon up river and we have had some good fish caught. Mr John Foster has caught 4 Salmon in one day a 10lb and a 8lb caught at Bush, A 5lb Salmon caught a Dunterue run, a 4lb Salmon caught a lower Parsons all on a mjs red /yellow tube. Mr John Foster also caught a 9lb Salmon at hardstone on a mjs red /yellow tube . Mr Mike Symons caught a 5lb Salmon at Leighwood pool on a mjs red /yellow tube. Mr Steve Symons caught a 12lb Salmon at Leighwood run on a sms red/gold tube. Mr Alan White caught a 5lb Salmon at Bush pool on a mercers fancy. September has been an ideal month with plenty of rain freshening up the river and catching many salmon. one of our members Mr Nick Medd catching 3 Salmon a 7lb caught at Gravel pool on a 1 inch cascade tube , a 5lb Salmon caught at Thompsons on a 2inch cascade tube and a 4lb Salmon caught at Lily pond on a 1inch cascade tube , Mr Nick Medd also caught 3 sea trout up to 3lb in weight on a 1 inch cascade tube at Higher Bush . One of our Lady members Mrs Paula Jones caught a 11lb salmon at Carthamartha on a 1inch black and yellow waddington. Another Lady Member Mrs Sandra Burling caught a 8lb salmon at Southcombe on a 1inch cascade alley, also another Lady Member Mrs Fiona Bell caught a Salmon of 6lb at Black rock on a stoats tail no 2 her first Salmon caught at Endsleigh .Mr Simon Bell caught a 4lb Salmon at Dunterue Stage on a no 2 green highlander .Mr John Foster caught 3 Salmon two 5lb and a 4lb Salmon caught at Middle Parsons on a mjs yellow and red . Mr Simon pettit caught a 12lb Salmon at Thompsons on a 1inch balck tube. The river keeper John Dennis caught a 16lb Salmon at Beera on a 3inch waddington black and yellow. October started with good weather and the river dropping and clearing. A lot of fish were running and many Salmon were caught by our members. Mr John Foster caught 5 Salmon a 12lb and a 5lb Salmon caught at Middle Parsons, a 5lb Salmon caught at Dunterue and a 5lb and 6lb salmon caught at leighwood croy all on a MJS red and yellow. Mrs Pippa Medd caught a 12lb Salmon at Leighwood croy on a 2inch black waddington. Mr Nick Medd caught a 5lb Salmon at Hardstone croy on a 2 inch black and yellow tube. Lord Hugh Trenchard caught a 5lb salmon at Black Rock on a 3/0 yellow torrish. Lord Blakenham caught 2 Salmon a 4lb and a 5lb at Beech Tree on a yellow and black single.