Warm summer provides challenging river conditions for Northumberland anglers
Summer holidays are over and it’s been a very very good one weather wise. Heat wave after heat wave with little or no rain for weeks. There have been some decent migratory fish caught, but with the local rivers running so low, it has been a bit of a challenge.
Paul Gilliard, Dale Green and David Lee have been some of the successful members of the Northumberland Federation. Salmon of eight and nine pounds have been caught, as well as a twelve pound fish. At least nine sea trout and a grilse have been taken on the fly which is encouraging.
On the Tyne Federation beats one rod had two nine pound fish , while another guy caught a twelve pound and nine pound salmon.
The rivers are running very low and are in need of a good rise to improve fishing conditions.
The local still waters are starting to cool down, but they have been like a warm bath over the summer. This resulted in the water carrying little amounts of oxygen, so the trout have been very lethargically.
However over the past week the air temperatures have cooled and with the rain we have had, the water temperatures are cooling slowly.
Trout are still being caught. Zac Scott was fishing near me this week and he was catching well on a small cormorant fly. I was catching on a beetle pattern. Other rods I saw were catching on a Daddy Longlegs, Black Gnat and Top patterns.
The World Champion Fly Fishing Competition is being held in Idaho, USA from September 12 to 19. The England team, captained by Howard Croston and team members James Atkinson,Sean Brooks, Alan Clark, Scott Nellins and reserve Brian Lillie has plenty north east representation. We wish them all the very best as they tackle both the rivers and still waters of Idaho.