fishing on the south tyne

[phil dean]

For those who don't know, I live in the north of England, classed as the North East of England but strictly speaking, North Central, near a town called Haltwhistle

 

This is my second season in the area and for the second time I purchased a membership of the Haltwhistle angling club for £125.

 

I am told by everyone I talk to that last year was an excellent year, plenty of fish and everyone caught loads.

 

Now I'm a coarse angler, my idea of "plenty of fish" is probably a couple of dozen fish in a couple of hours for a net of somewhere betweem 20 and 40 lb.

 

I have therefor been very disheartened to hear this as my results on the south tyne last year were:

 

trout about a dozen under a pound

trout, one at 4lb (a pb)

Sea trout two at 3lb

salmon two grilse

 

that was despite fishing virtually every weekend morning for at least 2 hours, usually 4 or 5.

 

This year I decided to fish the fly from the start of the seasson and until the last weekend of September my results had, if anything, been worse as all I had cuaght were small brown trout up to 1.5lb, though I had had dozens of them.

 

On the morning of saturday 24 September I was retelling my woes to a local angler who clearly felt sorry for me. At which point he unclipped the flying c he was using and showed me what he was actually catching with, it was a float rig with a treble and a shrimp was fixed onto a pin.

 

I couldn't believe it, was this the reason for my failure?

 

He gave me a couple of shrimps, a pin and some words of advice (don't bother fishing this whilst the water's in flood).

 

On the sunday morning I set off again, spinning rod, shrimps and heavy duty stick floats in tow.

 

I fished a couple of beautiful pools before arriving at the pool where I'd had the large trout from last year.

 

I trotted through a couple of times when suddenly the float dipped.

 

I left it there but nothing else happened.

 

I realed back in and made a few more runs through.

 

I decided that the movement must have been the hook dragging on the bottom, so made a decision to move onto another pool.

 

One last case and the float bobbed again, I struck, the rod bent round, and I suddenly realised why people spend hours hunting these fish.

 

After what seemed like an age (but was probably only 5 minutes), I managed to net the fish.

 

She was a hen, 11lb of mainly silver with just a hint of red coming in.

 

Needless to say she was dispatched.

 

I moved on to the lower pool but had nothing and returned home with my first double figure salmon.

 

During the week it rained heavily and on Saurday morning the water was heavily coloured.

 

I took the advice of my confident on the shrimping front and set out to spin.

 

After 3 hours of nothing I returned home disheartened.

 

On sunday, following some more rain, the river was still high but not quite as coloured.

 

After an hour of spinning with no sign, I moved to new swim. I decided to ignore the advice and try a shrimp. The float drifted round in the current a few times as I worked out the contours of the bottom.

 

After perhaps my tenth run through the float dipped, I struck and realed back a still in tact shrimp.

 

Again I assumed I'd hit the bottom.

 

I looked at my watch, it was time to head off home.

 

I cast in for the last time, nothing, so i realed back in. A quick glance at my watch and I decided I could risk another cast.......again the float dirfted through, then suddenyl at the end of the run, the float disappeared, I struck and the rod bent, the tip started nodding, and I was in to another fish.

 

This fight lasted a little longer due to the difficult position I was stood in, and the fact that the current in the main flow was going through like a train.

 

Eventually I banked the fish, a coloured cock fish of 9lb 2oz. He was firm, but I decided to return him.

 

I heald him in the flow for a few minutes before he slipped forward with a strong flick of his tail.

 

So that's it, 2 trips with shrimp and two fish........why does anyone fish for them any other way????

[Sportsman]

Basically so that I don't get arrested

The Aberdeenshire Dee, where I fish is Fly ONLY.

I think that fly fishing was invented to make life difficult for the angler, but there are times when the fly will outfish everything else (I'm just trying to think of one )

I love to fish for salmon, but don't really expect to catch many. If I want to get my rod bent I take my float tube and go either to a wild Loch for the Brownies or a stocked fishery for the Rainbows.

Best of both worlds

Dave

 

[ 03. October 2005, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: Sportsman ]

[phil dean]

cheers sportsman

 

there are planty of wild brownies though fish over 1lb are rare, but on an eight weight sea trout rod they don't give a good account for themselves, on the 4 weight however, they're great fun.

 

I've only fished stocked ponds twice, i probably need to put more time in as I find the still water dull compared to moving water, though I've always had decent fish when fishing still water.

[Snatcher]

Good report Phil,pleased to see you are getting amongst the fish.

 

Back in my youth done a lot of upstream worming in the Lambley area and got some really good brownies out.

 

Used to frequent the Langley dam/Plankey Mill area camping and fishing. Its a nice part of the world Phil. Tight lines.

[Sportsman]

Just guessing but I would think your not a million miles from Jubilee Trout Lakes at Darlington.

I used to fish there regularly when I worked on Teesside.

Well worth a look, quality fish and nice folk

Dave

[phil dean]

cheers snatcher, glad to be amongst them at last, I had a wander among the rocks below the bridge at Hexham, there were doxens of fish, well into to double figures, some quite clean, still trying to run, the rain today and tonight might help.

 

Sportsman, I may have a drive down, there's a reservoir that's meant to be well stocked called Langley, just a few miles away.

 

I plan to try that in November, I may even venture into a boat.

[phil dean]

Just re read your post snatcher, yes it's probably the same place you used to fish, any tips????

[Snatcher]

Read the fishing section in the "Sunday Sun" Phil.

From 9 Oct - Langley Dam

 

Best fish 7lb

Best 3 fish-bag 14lb

Best flies Dawsons,Fritz,Black buzzer,Bloodworm

Tel no 01434 688846

 

Tight lines

[Tony U]

Is the camp site at Plankey Mill still there? and can you still get tickets to fish the Allen?

Might give it a go next time i am up, well not Christmas obviously.

[Guest PhilB]

Phil, it's definitely worth getting a boat at Langley Dam - the fishing is sometimes difficult off the bank. There is nothing worse than being stuck on the bank and watching the boat anglers hammering the fish! It is no more than 10 feet deep across the whole lake so floating lines are usually adequate unless you want to fish a booby or similar.