Perhaps we could complain about having simply too much water! Rain and more rain kept Esk and Liddle levels,high for almost the whole month. clear floods, allowed grilse and salmon to run and keep running. Only on odd days did the waters settle enough to get fish to hold up in the pools.
Sea trout although near the end of their run were still coming in off the tide and also some herling. In the main, those sea trout caught were returned to enhance future stocks.
Tower and Hollows beats provided some sport with Alastair Forster-Smith having a tremendous scrap on a light single handed trout fly rod in the strong waters of Caul Run . His 6lb grilse fell to a silver stoat double. Jeff Harris of Notts landed an 11lb fresh salmon on worm. Michael Craven of Yorks, landed a fresh 5 1/2lb grilse on flying C from Tower Pool
Up on holiday , 15 year old Haydyn Massey caught his first sea trout of 2 1/2lbs on red flying C. Alan Potts landed a 14 pounder from tower and a 9 1/2lb fish from Caul pool.
On Canonbie permit Beat, Alan Murray caught a 13lb salmon from Schelly hole on fly, followed by a 6lb fish the day after. Dave Smith landed an 11 1/2lb fish there too. Jackie Allan landed a 13lb salmon on fly from New Bit, and followed it up a day or two later with an 11lb fish on cascade shrimp fly. John Walters managed a brace to 6lbs on fly, also from New Bit.
Charlie Stephens of Canonbie caught an 8lb salmon at the Wires . Jim Herbertson of Claygate had somewhat of a struggle with a fit 16lb salmon from Dead Neuk on spinner and Ian Cass landed a fresh 6lb fish on worm from Long Pool. Nick Walker from Penrith caught two 6 pounders from Burns Stream and Schelly hole. Ray Ridley fooled one of 6 pounds on the fly from Tommy's Pool. Dick Carruthers had a grilse and Peter Longstaff had two plus a salmon.
Christian Percival of Carlisle reported catching 2 sea trout in 3 casts from Jocks Pool to 2 1/2lbs on black pennel. Cyril Gaskell tempted a 6lb grilse from mill Pool on worm.
On Low Liddle beat Colin Selstrom landed a 13lb salmom from Damfoot, where Geoff Herd also caught 7 sea trout (mostly returned), but hung on to and eventually lost a salmon in excess of 20lbs in what he described as a hectic afternoon. Scot Campbell caught an 8lb salmon at the Inch Pool on rapala and also in a separate visit landed 3 out of 7 sea trout from Black kist. Neil Bird of Gretna also had 3 sea trout in two days to lbs (all returned)
At Irvine House, Dave Pick caught a fresh run 6lb grilse.
Willow and Cauldron beats produced a fair few fish and some good sport. Peter Graham landed 5 sea trout in an afternoon (fish were returned) and fishing light tackle, also lost 2 salmon in an afternoon. Paul Hurst landed a 7lb grilse and John Siddall 6 pounder. Clint Bradley from the Bridge Inn Penton, took time out to land a belting 19lb salmon. John Parkinson caught a 6lb grilse from Bar stream and later a 14lb fish on fly from willow where Paul Bradbury had a brace of grilse to 6lbs also on fly.
Doug Hodgson got a fresh 12lb salmon on fly out of Willow, where David Laidler and sons got 3 between them to 11lbs on spinner. Mick Horner landed a brace to 10lbs on willow.
Bob Tulloch caught a grilse of 4lbs from Cauldron and friend Frank Welsch a 13 1/2 pounder from Willow. Brian Hollingsworth caught a good 13 pounder on fly there also. Iain blackett had a similar 13lb fish from Bar stream, below.
Further reports of fish caught were numerous and no doubt if waters had settled catches would have been more.
The first meeting of Solway Sea Trout Group with Celtic Sea Trout Project coordinator Dr. Nigel Milner took place at Buccleuch's Langholm Offices to plan ahead for marine research into sea trout and their habitat throughout the Irish Sea and the catchments draining to it. There are still one or two gaps to fill in regarding funding but it looks likely that the 3 year project will go ahead.
As September approached, both Esk and Liddle are in good ply and salmon are running. Although weather is uncertain nowadays, prospect look to be very good.
