A beat owners lot is not a jolly occupation when the river is brown metres high and the Met office is regaling more bad news from across the Atlantic. Lost days you bet it , dangerous wading, slippery banks, the fire is on in the river hut. Our good friends from Newcastle West End Angling Club (my father was a member and enjoyed many happy trips) they are a very old and well established club have hosted the two great legends at their dinners Orri Vigfussion the sadly missed and epic Chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Organisation and Peter Gray who was responsible for the Tyne river salmon revival with his pioneering hatchery in Kielder. Even this wasn’t enough the river just came up and up making any efforts futile ! They are keen to return in 2020 next year I’ll erect a bypass through the lakes if it does it again…
Dave W and Graham N were chewing their rod handles to get up after I told them of double catches of 18lb and some massive fish seen waving as they headed upwards. However ….another damn storm hit the county the lake pipe resembled a firemans hose and once again the river lifted to an ugly dangerous state..
The lads holed themselves up in the lodge prepared a superb breakfast that Robert W and I enjoyed waiting and waiting for fishable waters. That afternoon nothing too dangerous and the guys got in albeit gingerly. A few fish were seen and then my mobile rang we need help Graham is in! I borrowed some chesties slogged down got to see the fish was still on but the guys had no net oh dear. I jogged up to the river hut located the net and got in to find the river was rather pushing along. Graham played the fish very calmly and it was very very powerful after a few abortive attempts we got her in hooray !!
Graham hang on !!
Day 3 Dave W got into the Hut and bingo he wrested with a lovely fish just under 10lb and with a fish each it was pretty good going considering the state of the Tyne.
The day after Dom F and Nick hit the river which was running high well over 2ft and fast, Barry Mitchell looked after the guys and Nick hooked a fast running aggressive fish that took over 15minutes he was delighted and the guys got after them. Day 1 Dom hooked and played 4 including one estimated in the early twenties for 15mins but they all shook free incredible bad luck. You can guess what happened next yes another bloody deluge and the next two days were written off. As a lovely footnote thanks John Miller from Upper Caberston Tweed the guys were invited up there and each day caught one salmon one sea trout fantastic stuff!!