No one expects the amazing contrast of Spring and Summer in the UK so I suppose we have to be thankful. I thought you might enjoy this stunning picture, what is the dog seeing perhaps the ghosts of Roman soldiers, Scots Invading armies? This view from Farnley Scar would have been an ideal look out point for Border peoples? (many thanks Roger N for your lovely picture of Sandy looking up North towards Corbridge)

Many thanks from the Estate to our lovely guests over the past month.   Next up  our lovely course participant Grahame Armitage who thoroughly enjoyed Barry Mitchell’s casting tuition. Grahame took the key elements on board and showed some great skill as the 3 day course progressed. In helping Barry I saw how clearly he breaks down and simplifies the modern Salmon Spey casting technique. Certainly I learnt that we need to watch out for bottom hand creep, get the bottom hand working (easier said than done at times), make the rod ‘work’ watch our anchor point and learn not to kill the cast by overhitting the delivery stroke. Listening to how our cast sounds its possible to detect faults and learning to use our rods power rather than speed and aggression!  Barry Mitchell is GAIA and now soon to be announced has another amazing qualification! Many thanks Grahame we are looking to welcome you back here. Our nest course will be in a few months where we welcome Neil C and his son in September on our second inaugural Salmon Fishing Course! Please contact us if you are interested in a 3 day course which ensures ample fishing time balanced with world class instruction.

Peter T arrived with Martin both new to the beat and keen to get stuck in ! Another very tricky situation but for once some fish were showing a level of interest and Martin managed to hold onto a lovely 10lb salmon as May. Delighted for him and again my apologies for unhelpful weather and river out of sorts. Robson G arrived and was blessed with poor luck, he fished very hard and his companion both gave it a decent go. What to do its been a pretty disastrous season thus far with many things conspiring against the sport we all love.

Starting with Kenny, Davey and Graeme who did their very best early May but only touched a fish or two. To say Davey and Graeme were relaxed is an understatement but very much undispersed with expert covering of the water in the hardest possible of fishing conditions.

Lets think how to change our tactics with water so low and fish not easy to catch.

Here are some thoughts:

• Keep as far away from your quarry as possible and move with stealth (think heron !)
• Think lighter / tapered longer monofilament 10ft plus and slimmer smaller patterns. Salmon will take size 16 lures/flies as they have terrific eyesight,  salmon parr feeds on exactly the food as  trout (In Scotland frequently salmon are caught in low conditions on trout fly simulations for many decades for salmon and I’ve managed to succeed in the past tying such patterns when all hope seemed lost)
• If you have a lighter outfit such as a rod suited to a lower grain or weight  fly line or even decent single handed combination perhaps use this( I’ve had salmon 20lb plus at Farnley on small flies on 7 weight rods its just a battle once you hook them!)
• Try to not create a large sloshy water anchor cast ( double Spey (!))so perhaps (and think wind direction) a snake roll but don’t use in an upstream wind, also the gentle single Spey and obviously overhead where no backcast obstructions occur. Airborne anchor is the key to quieter casts.
• Think wet fly tactics for trout the old traditional ways for north country rivers, there is a fair element of skill in fishing a fly(S) to ensure they are ‘lively’ and attractive in the current and where flow is poor we need to keep the fly active do some homework or ask one of local experts (Barry Mitchell and Barry Nichol) to spend some time with you on honing presentation skills
• We are it seems all pretty well versed in slow and low tactics for high water and the spring but need to adjust when water is slow and low!
• Dawn and dusk, take a late breakfast, read a book, relax enjoy the nature around the estate and focus on the taking times early in the morning and say 5pm onward to dusk.
• Finally and very importantly rest the water, salmon if disturbed will find a tree root or rock and rest well away from our endeavours

With all this in mind lets finally think of our rivers and the migratory fish we all cherish that are daily running a gauntlet of natures perils and in yet still in 2018 no end yet in sight of manmade predation on the seas. Given these conditions and all the effort that we are taking perhaps the Government should end netting where the life blood of their catch namely our rivers are in trouble? It cannot be sustainable to harvest sea trout or salmon when the rivers are low for long periods. If these so called farmers of the seas provide no answers to sustainability they are in dire need of reform or their own extinction because a joined up system is one that is fair to all and rightly needed to maintain a healthy run of fish? Anyway its all been said before I’m a member of the STA and Phil Knight does a fine job but we all need to support his organisation and influence the public.

We implore you to join and make a difference!