The Riding Mill fish counter is operating which at least gives interested people an idea of the size of running fish be they Salmon or Sea Trout (the balance of is only really known to the EA scientists). Locals are aware that the canoe safety blocks on the weir beside the fish pass are now allowing larger fish through during bigger water (say 2M plus) this has been reliably witnessed..
In the estimation of runs and given fish being unable or incapable of running the pass in high water its now clear that on days when we are seeing fish and yet a few months later the counter is showing nil we at least are clearer why this is. Our view here is that the pass is poorly designed and detrimental to migratory fish! Its purpose is to allow pumps to send water to industrial sites to the south of the Tyne enough said!
The good news is the consensus from fishers from the South Tyne , Rede, North Tyne and locally here we have experienced excellent runs. As to catching, the view is its not been easy.
Dave W and Graham D N had a few days in early October with reasonable numbers coming through but sadly only a few connections and no fish landed, look forward to seeing you both in 2021. Graham has tied some lovely packs of flies for Farnley please check these out on our new page.
Regular Neil W brought his friends and although the river was up they had some decent sport, his 15lb fish was in good order and John L had a 13lb fish followed up by their other friend another John J a 4lb one only his third ever Salmon well done all!!

Phil A had a real battle with this  fresh 12 1/2 pound one just the other day on Saturday !

Earlier his October let turned out really well he had 6lb 12oz, 8lb 10oz and a stonker of 14lb 10oz phew !! Pat had a 12lb one too. all in all very well done with an up and down river…

Tony R and Tom had an enjoyable 5 days on a river that was really  running….Tom lost one near the bank his first ever salmon. Tom is an expert Trout fisher and guide pretty sure he will be back and well done once again Barry Mitchell for more casting tuition to encourage new faces into the madness that is Salmon fishing. Tony was unlucky he will get the luck next year I’m sure. I will be back for the final report in a week !!

The last day of August produced a bumper catch of 5 cracking salmon up to twenty pounds. A regular team of casting instructors under Barry Mitchell returned to Farnley to try their luck with the river in good ply with high hopes. Kevin A , Jamie M , Barry and Brian McGlashan with his Sage artillery enjoyed some good sport. The estuary fish were starting to clear through and some excellent fresh ones were beginning to show. Its been a long dry time so a good flood was especially welcome up in the catchment we all knew that times would change and the offshore shoals would be tempted home.
They are now ‘Going Home’ as on the banks of the Tyne the anglers patiently wait.
Under fair skies some late some early sessions and also when the runs hit the beat fish were hooked lost and some bigger ones crashed around. In total they landed ten fish and enjoyed some tasty lunches as is the tradition everyone taking turns with something be it local pies or other!
Ok enough chatter some pictures !!

No point beating about the bush, smothering it in banal platitudes. August has offered the worst fishing for well over twenty years its been consistently a decent time to fish. It all started badly enough with rods connecting fish coming off in all sorts of baffling ways, heat in the air tepid river; yet regular trips to Wylam fish were popping up in reasonable batches..oh and also three seals working the pool there tourists filming them with migratory fish in their clutches ah well.
Spoke to one of the Tyne’s foremost experts Graham H and we ruminated on what was happening. First on the river for decent catches, his stretch were catching a few fresh run fish but without sea lice which usually means the fish are hanging around in the tidal stretches so not ideal.. stale running fish something that a dry autumn can bring but not usually August ?
Couple this with reasonable Kielder water which offers cover but not really the healthy oxygenated stuff fish thrive in. The much needed rainfall after a beautiful looking river in March just never came and so the fish stayed at sea. Covid adding to the woes it was a very sad spring on a shrunken river.
The roll call of regulars the Harwoods (at least Guy had one on although it didnt get banked !) for Mark B , Robert W , Peter S and their team is was a dead loss. Barry N a friend popped down late two times I think 8-9Pm and managed a couple so well done him but otherwise it was tragic indeed!
The only advice in poor weather conditions is ‘early and late’ something drummed into me in my teens fishing the highland river Don. Difficult when the pub is very attractive and you miss those excellent full Scottish Breakfasts. We offer the Lodge so for a small extra cost think about this option in 2021?

Another team of Farnley regulars led by Keith Johnson who used to manage Sportfish in Theale, a place where I can honestly say I have bought loads of gear from but whether it improved my luck the jury is out!.

They stayed in the Lodge for the first time and enjoyed the ability to get on when and where, afternoons were for snoozing ! they were pleased with the  new steps which Barry M, myself slogged over the Willows steps created during epic floods in the Spring, also Charles and Josh managed to sort out the entrances in Dead Tree. Watch this space we have more in mind and some areas to clear with seats where one can see fish moving up at least , we will leave the thoughts about catching them perhaps for next year eh ?

Their last day was a wash out but on Day 2 around 8.15pm at last they caught a lovely one 7lb grilse ‘Well done MIKE’ they saw some good fish too…

Eddie Mcarthy got 4lb a fresh Grilse on the previous Sunday so went home very happy, Danny J just gritted his teeth.

Roger Naish’s team hit the river, Hugh left early unfortunately , storms were forecast and for a two hour period the river dropped …Roger said he had had the most exciting afternoon for years on the stretch. Fish taking pulls on off nothing landed unfortunately but its never easy when the river is up and they got out just in time because tea time on Day 2 the river rose in minutes! Scary Stuff indeed.

So perhaps with Storm Francis the aftermath could be better conditions and normal opportunities for the rods GOOD LUCK all!!

BREAKING NEWS Thurs 27th August a good fish lost and plenty moving thanks for the reports from George Upex !!

The rains came at last after a period of dry weather that was unrelenting. The horrible weed and slime has been scoured out and we felt surely now the runs would be forthcoming. It was this that gave our rods renewed optimism and so it came to pass that the fish were running and certainly the best sea trout runs we have seen for decades. Perhaps these were by catch from the salmon netting that has been reduced greatly?

Guy H and Jan hit the river minus their usual guests there were plenty of fish about and Guy got into one that won the battle unfortunately. Day 3 the river turned big and brown so that was sadly that until the next time.

A three man team of two regulars Dave W and Graham N invited a new rod Leon S to the beat and conditions were pretty good although the river was rising up and down like a yo yo . Graham did very well on the sea trout salmon were definitely about unfortunate to say there were  one or two connections but nothing ! Day 3 the guys switched tactics and 5 salmon were landed and I recall some sea trout. the salmon were in good order up towards 14lb . Everyone bagged up on the trip which was a pleasure to see.

Well done guys a splendid result where persistence evolving tactics of lines tips and flies brought the bacon home (oh and the black pudding!). If there in and your not getting something do something different we should never stop learning in this most challenging of sports. With the multitude of flies and tubes, metal , disc flies , plastic tubes , wee doubles even single flies we have the chance to change why not experiment ?

Phil A my great neighbour and top fisher took three days with friends and once again the sea trout were evident hitting the flies first but those salmon were showing, perhaps the sea trout are more aggressive ? George and Chris fished all three days and a couple of salmon were on but the rocks intervened unfortunately. The other rods Patrick G and Joe G has sea trout too. Phil also picked some up so although it wasn’t easy at least there was sport to be had.

Danny J an expert regular his team of Eddie and Decca are on currently and have accounted for some nice sea trout up to 5lb and gave Barry N one of the local friends of Farnley an evening and he caught a splendid summer salmon ! after a few pulls on his mystery fly or tube (plastic?!) a really strong one took and was duly landed well done Barry !

Late June here and the combination of firstly massive FLOODS international PESTILENCE, DEATHS and record breaking DROUGHT really brought ones spirits down. The small team here were left alone busy on every manner of jobs with no customers and a shrinking river . The BBC were issuing unrelenting misery so the Radio was turned to either classic rock or something anything to lift the spirits.

Despite all this there were some signs that the fish were emerging from the depths of the North Sea. Timing on the river was vital because the river has been pretty consistently running low, we were able to pretty much predict the runs at least on the Spring Tides and at these times fish of all sizes were showing although briefly and not in really large numbers. Sea Trout their smaller relatives Finnock and odd Salmon be there or basically stare into empty water.

We watched enviously as the Tweed was without doubt experiencing a revival of fortunes perhaps only seen 40 years ago with substantial shoals running into the bottom beats with excellent catches.
We had some luck with Peter Stotts  party they arrived keen and able to take over Robert W’s booking in early June, Alastair Metcalfe hit lucky with two lovely fish a splendid 9 1/2 Lb Sea Trout and a beautiful 13lb salmon on a size 8 pink cascade both from the Hut Pool. I guess that taught them eh Al ?

An absolute stunning Sea Trout  :

The team that Alan Tulip gathered included some good locals and visits from outside the county. Not a lot about and occasional sightings plus a corking sea trout cartwheeled off in the Willows…eventually it happened and I received this from Peter B. In the gloaming “Kevin got a 10lb Salmon the Hut ..no lice but a bar of silver ! Unfortunately it jumped out of his arms as I was taking the picture Off the mark though”

Tim D and Shay hit the river and it was an absolute dearth of activity unfortunately …sorry guys but they saw pretty spectacular bird life which lifted their spirits.

Danny J , Eddie and Decker followed and Danny is an expert salmon angler but even his star billing didn’t attract the fish. After day 1 they saw nothing unfortunately. Regulars Roger N’s team were optimistic and tried everything they could and did connect but nothing stuck ..meanwhile the Tweed was again hauling out fish…

Our last party ably guided by Barry Mitchell were Marney S and Chris B there was a little fresh and some fish were running and luck shone on Marney with a lovely grilse in the Drift. Well done indeed!!

Peter Bowling hit the river with his son and girlfriend late June with friends joining him throughout. the lucky man to share his day was Kevin Reed and he ended up landing a tough fighting 10lber on Saturday the 27th . Well done Kevin !!

Farnley welcomed Tony R’s gang again to the Tyne Valley and as the son of an Essex man I needed to be sure the top services of Barry Mitchell were on hand and the place was ship shape for these fastidious folks! (yes Tony I’m onto the guttering and cess tank, do please let us know if anything seems out of place here)

Roger, Norman and Tony were chomping at the bit and Sunday they settled into their cosy lodgings in Corbridge and tucked into good food in the Angel. You can guess what happened next in what was a reoccurring theme annoyingly this autumn, the ruddy heavens opened and the river turned the colour of Bourneville.
Fortunately the Estate has some cracking trout lakes so the boys settled into a day of easy going long breakfast lunches and some exciting trout fishing with some really lovely brown trout caught, by now the river was dropping and come Tuesday it was just about doable. The guys got after them in what were tricky conditions, fish were running deep and showing no interest whatsoever. The last day things improved but the river held steady as has been the case given the sheer quantity of water in the hills. The river took on a different complexion and now fish were spotted and hopes high. The hours passed but nothing took their offerings and as it was the last hour Barry suggested given the height and so forth that a spin would be allowed…
Tony R sure enough hit into a strong hen salmon over twenty that fought very hard for 15 minutes measured and carefully handled in she went to join the hopefully massed ranks of spawning fish in the upper river. Well done boys and sorry the conditions were bloody unbelievable.

They are coming again next year and surely the clouds will be light river in perfect nick…salmon showing in their hundreds (wake up John !) meanwhile we will save ourselves from all of the pain and wait till next spring …..save ourselves from all the pain and sorrow of 2019 (with apologies to Christopher Cross and his brilliant ‘Poor Shirley’). the fight will continue ……meanwhile I’ll run like the wind.

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 !!

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!!

Hopes were indeed high for John M’s team after our friends had a few hours last Sunday. The omens were looking good decent river height, a bit cooler, water flows normal and some new fish entering the system…oh and experienced Tyne rods. But first refreshment for there’s work to be done ! 

Monday turned out to be an excellent day indeed with a lot of fish showing interest in their offerings. In total 6 amazing Tyne Salmon from 4lb to 17lb and not be forgotten a 4lb seat-trout!! Quite a catch considering the fact that others were on and off and two lost at the net. John and Glynn H were the lucky rods with John catching the lions share.

Tuesday was less of a bonanza but lady luck caused 2 to be lost at the net (the violins were playing ..) and 2 others properly on and lost! Of note the two lost to Trevors rod were LARGE !! (more sad songs ) coming to the rescue in the Drift Glyn H two beauties a 13lb and 3lb grisle. Its most peculiar the sheer number of grilse running currently no idea why these little ones are heading back to spawn. The successful tactics were fishing high in the water and allowing a good sweep of the fly across the pool and some secret patterns with all manner of exciting colours…slim dressings and discs employed.

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Sadly the last day came and went the guys were tired but still in the game. They saw some lovely new fish coming in and hopefully this could mean the estuary fish are cleared and up the Tyne. Glyn was the lucky man on the last day he eked tow out of the Hut pool a specimen 9lb Sea Trout that put up a heck of a battle and joined by a salmon of 10lb , heading down to the Drift a 13lb silver beauty. Thanks guys and well done.