Bluemoon Angling Thread

[Newman Noggs]

First ever salmon fishing trip yesterday to the Derwent near Cockermouth (as an aside, every time I pass Cockermouth, I text my girlfriend to say "just passing Cockermouth and thought of you", which, for some reason, she doesn't find hilarious) on the Isel Fishings.

Fully expected "beginner's luck" to kick in but it didn't. Fabulous day though, wonderful surroundings and great fisherman's hut with heater, cooker, fridge etc where we could take refuge from the rain and chat to the bailiff. Had an exciting moment when a salmon porpoised about 20 yards below where I was fishing which gave the day some impetus.

Best moment, though, was when my mate, who took me as a guest, shouted me "fish on" which I could just about hear over the sound of the water and the rain on my hood. He was about 30 yards below me and when I looked up his rid was hooped over and he was looking back at me with a grin of triumph on his face. As I watched, the salmon which was below him, leapt about 3 foot in the air and, knowing little about salmon fishing I thought, "that can"t be good". Because he was so busy looking at me, my mate failed to drop his rod and the fish shed the hook.

It was a "dark fish" apparently so he wasn't too upset. I'd have been raging. Anyway, about 5 o'clock I fell in up to my neck which didn't make much difference because I was already piss wet through so we called it a day. Fabulous day though.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

First ever salmon fishing trip yesterday to the Derwent near Cockermouth (as an aside, every time I pass Cockermouth, I text my girlfriend to say "just passing Cockermouth and thought of you", which, for some reason, she doesn't find hilarious) on the Isel Fishings.

Fully expected "beginner's luck" to kick in but it didn't. Fabulous day though, wonderful surroundings and great fisherman's hut with heater, cooker, fridge etc where we could take refuge from the rain and chat to the bailiff. Had an exciting moment when a salmon porpoised about 20 yards below where I was fishing which gave the day some impetus.

Best moment, though, was when my mate, who took me as a guest, shouted me "fish on" which I could just about hear over the sound of the water and the rain on my hood. He was about 30 yards below me and when I looked up his rid was hooped over and he was looking back at me with a grin of triumph on his face. As I watched, the salmon which was below him, leapt about 3 foot in the air and, knowing little about salmon fishing I thought, "that can"t be good". Because he was so busy looking at me, my mate failed to drop his rod and the fish shed the hook.

It was a "dark fish" apparently so he wasn't too upset. I'd have been raging. Anyway, about 5 o'clock I fell in up to my neck which didn't make much difference because I was already piss wet through so we called it a day. Fabulous day though.

Good report mate. Every time I see a cockatoo I say to my Mrs “You’ve has a cockatoo, haven’t you love?” and she hates it.

I’ve got a day free on Sunday and can’t decide what species to target. Conditions could hardly be worse. The temperatures have just plunged, the nights have gone cold, there’s loads of cold rain dropping the water temperatures and the pressure is going to be rising. In my mind I’ve blanked already to be honest.

 

[yerwot?]

Good report mate. Every time I see a cockatoo I say to my Mrs “You’ve has a cockatoo, haven’t you love?” and she hates it.

I’ve got a day free on Sunday and can’t decide what species to target. Conditions could hardly be worse. The temperatures have just plunged, the nights have gone cold, there’s loads of cold rain dropping the water temperatures and the pressure is going to be rising. In my mind I’ve blanked already to be honest.

The line between "keen fisherman and hopelessly addicted" is about to be crossed......
evidence: chance of catching fish low low low
chance of enjoying the ambience through the curtain of drizzle, lower still....
Have a good trip :)

 

[Newman Noggs]

Good report mate. Every time I see a cockatoo I say to my Mrs “You’ve has a cockatoo, haven’t you love?” and she hates it.

I’ve got a day free on Sunday and can’t decide what species to target. Conditions could hardly be worse. The temperatures have just plunged, the nights have gone cold, there’s loads of cold rain dropping the water temperatures and the pressure is going to be rising. In my mind I’ve blanked already to be honest.

Did you get out ? Rivers a bit tricky after the last couple of days I should imagine.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Good report mate. Every time I see a cockatoo I say to my Mrs “You’ve has a cockatoo, haven’t you love?” and she hates it.

I’ve got a day free on Sunday and can’t decide what species to target. Conditions could hardly be worse. The temperatures have just plunged, the nights have gone cold, there’s loads of cold rain dropping the water temperatures and the pressure is going to be rising. In my mind I’ve blanked already to be honest.

Good time for winter pike to wake up methinks.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

First ever salmon fishing trip yesterday to the Derwent near Cockermouth (as an aside, every time I pass Cockermouth, I text my girlfriend to say "just passing Cockermouth and thought of you", which, for some reason, she doesn't find hilarious) on the Isel Fishings.

Fully expected "beginner's luck" to kick in but it didn't. Fabulous day though, wonderful surroundings and great fisherman's hut with heater, cooker, fridge etc where we could take refuge from the rain and chat to the bailiff. Had an exciting moment when a salmon porpoised about 20 yards below where I was fishing which gave the day some impetus.

Best moment, though, was when my mate, who took me as a guest, shouted me "fish on" which I could just about hear over the sound of the water and the rain on my hood. He was about 30 yards below me and when I looked up his rid was hooped over and he was looking back at me with a grin of triumph on his face. As I watched, the salmon which was below him, leapt about 3 foot in the air and, knowing little about salmon fishing I thought, "that can"t be good". Because he was so busy looking at me, my mate failed to drop his rod and the fish shed the hook.

It was a "dark fish" apparently so he wasn't too upset. I'd have been raging. Anyway, about 5 o'clock I fell in up to my neck which didn't make much difference because I was already piss wet through so we called it a day. Fabulous day though.

Grew up near there and fished the smaller (cheaper) rivers. Balif on that stretch was the dad of one of mums friends ( long dead now) and he always ended up bringing a fish or two back - usually because his customers had more than they could use. Literally car boot fulls at times. Back in the 70's mind so not sure what it's like now. Always a good autumn run in spate though.

 

[Newman Noggs]

Grew up near there and fished the smaller (cheaper) rivers. Balif on that stretch was the dad of one of mums friends ( long dead now) and he always ended up bringing a fish or two back - usually because his customers had more than they could use. Literally car boot fulls at times. Back in the 70's mind so not sure what it's like now. Always a good autumn run in spate though.

Was looking at the catch returns from 2011 to 2019 and we're looking at around 10% of what was being caught even in 2011.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Was looking at the catch returns from 2011 to 2019 and we're looking at around 10% of what was being caught even in 2011.

Such a shame. I wonder what's done it? Over fishing at sea or lice from farms off the west of Scotland? The derwent itself got badly trashed by flooding a few years ago - the fields around where you were looked like the surface of the moon afterwards with all the riverbed rocks covering them. Spawning grounds in the tributarys should have been ok though I think.

 

[Saddleworth2]

First ever salmon fishing trip yesterday to the Derwent near Cockermouth (as an aside, every time I pass Cockermouth, I text my girlfriend to say "just passing Cockermouth and thought of you", which, for some reason, she doesn't find hilarious) on the Isel Fishings.

Fully expected "beginner's luck" to kick in but it didn't. Fabulous day though, wonderful surroundings and great fisherman's hut with heater, cooker, fridge etc where we could take refuge from the rain and chat to the bailiff. Had an exciting moment when a salmon porpoised about 20 yards below where I was fishing which gave the day some impetus.

Best moment, though, was when my mate, who took me as a guest, shouted me "fish on" which I could just about hear over the sound of the water and the rain on my hood. He was about 30 yards below me and when I looked up his rid was hooped over and he was looking back at me with a grin of triumph on his face. As I watched, the salmon which was below him, leapt about 3 foot in the air and, knowing little about salmon fishing I thought, "that can"t be good". Because he was so busy looking at me, my mate failed to drop his rod and the fish shed the hook.

It was a "dark fish" apparently so he wasn't too upset. I'd have been raging. Anyway, about 5 o'clock I fell in up to my neck which didn't make much difference because I was already piss wet through so we called it a day. Fabulous day though.

That’s why it’s called fishing and not catching!

 

[Saddleworth2]

I was out on coldingham Loch last Friday. Light wind and good cloud cover not too cold perfect. As I set up there was a hatch of midge coming off and trout mopping them up on the surface. Good I thought. This is going to be a red letter day. Up until lunch it wasn’t though. I had a couple, one on dry fly and one on a fab but it was clear that I hadn’t worked out the key. Time for a roll. Bbq’d breast of chicken and mayo. By now I had a floating line and washing line set up. That’s a booby on the point, a fab on the top dropper (both these flies have foam tied in so that they hang in the water and sink very slowly), between them suspended were a couple of size 16 buzzers. I put out a cast, laid my rod down so I could eat the roll, 30 seconds later, the rod is nearly out of the boat. Trying to eat a chicken roll and land a 4lb trout is not good for the digestive system. Fish landed, returned safely, Cast out, pick up roll, same thing happened.

One chicken roll later I had landed another three fish. Unusually, the fish were wanting the fly totally static and with the set up I had on, there were four flies all fishing static in the top three or four feet of water. For the next hour it was literally a fish a cast, or at least interest being shown. If I started even a slow slow figure of eight retrieve absolutely nothing. Leave the fly static and bang. They weren’t stockies either., all with full tails between 3 or 4 lb and feisty as hell. Finished the session well into double figures

It just shows the importance of presentation and I guess that applies no matter what method or what species you fish for. A good way to finish the season.