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AAPGAI Open Day at Cockermouth on the river Derwent 24th March.

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River Eden.

The second week of March continued the trend with several heavy fish, some in the high teens and a few in the twenty pound class being caught. It has to be one of the best spring runs of fish this early in March for some years. Other rivers like the Wye and Tyne are also experiencing similar results with large fish.

Opening day today, the 15^th March for the brown trout season, unfortunately very cool winds are putting a dampener on any hint of a hatch of large darks, anglers have to go sub-surface to get any action.

The river is at present summer level, the water temperature is 46oF, the air temperature with the wind chill is a little less, small tides this week but great prospects lie ahead when things warm up.

Greystoke school

It was an absolute pleasure to return to Greystoke school, the children and teachers there are very enthusiastic and keen to learn. Borderlines did a stream and pond dipping day with two groups on Wednesday, there were plenty of species along with immature trout to keep everyone occupied.

 There were some fine specimens of large stonefly, mayfly and caddis to be found in the stream just showing how healthy things are.

 They all braved sharp showers and low temperatures were very well behaved and did a splendid job.

Thank you all for an enjoyable day!

Eden

A small rise of water and temperature at the end of February encouraged a decent run of spring fish to enter the Eden. Some of these salmon were quite substantial; the heaviest reported from Warwick hall, a magnificent specimen of 27 pounds taken on the fly and other fish around and above Carlisle into the high teens. It is usually around the end of March that we see this sort of run, a little early going on past records but I do not think that anyone is complaining!
Another small rise with some colour on the 8^th March of around eighteen inches, this was after some heavy showers the day before and the levels are beginning to drop off again. Quite a few otters are being sighted on the Eden at present; some with young, a great privilege to see.

A great day out for Borderlines with the lads from Wigton youth station at Warwick Hall the last week of February. There were plenty of grayling caught that day along with some nice dace, for some  it was their first time out.

   

    

All did a fantastic job given the conditions of a rising river and very low temperatures.
 


  

Eden

The river at present on the 16th is now in fine order. A ten pound spring fish was reported form the Eden during the week around the Carlisle area, great news!

Unfortunately, the long range weather forecast does not look that promising for next week, we could be washed off just when things are looking interesting.

The 21st February, gale force winds and driving rain are coming in to the county; this has started to raise the river levels upstream overnight. The next day on the river just above the confluence with the river Irthing, it began to rise slowly with slight colour throughout the morning. Below the Irthing it was very coloured and has made the river downstream now unfishable for the next few days.

Although the river was on the upward trend there were some very nice grayling caught today in the edges. The forecast for the rest of the month is not very inspiring to say the least!

The lower river has peaked at about four and a half feet of extra water last night (22nd), never mind, I am of to Argentina today!

River Eden

Quite a cold snap across Cumbria for the fist week of February, there is ice in the margins and the daytime air temperature on occasions not exceeding the water temperature of 2oC. The fishing is not great at present for either grayling or salmon with these very cool conditions.

The second week has been a little milder and this has got the grayling interested, some very nice fish around the two pound mark are showing up and it is also good to see some smaller weight class. There is still no sign of any numbers of kelts on the river; usually at this time of the year the lower river is heavily populated with them. Have they all gone or are they still to drop down? There were certainly plenty of fish that went up the river last year.

13th February; the weather has turned markedly mild, the river is in fine order and running at just above summer level, it is 5oC and clear. There have been small hatches of Large Dark Olive during the afternoons; the air temperatures are now climbing to near double figures. With the slightly warmer weather, grayling are showing a little more interest, bug type flies fished near the bottom are proving the most effective.

River Eden

River is again swollen with more rain to come Tuesday, the fishing still remains on the slow side (but we are still optimistic!).

Just got the film of Grant with his first salmon on the fly rod which was taken on the lower Eden last August, Graeme his brother was filming the special moment, many thanks for that Grant -  http://www.youtube.com/user/CumbriaFlyFishing?feature=watch

River Eden.

15^th January - The water conditions are about as good as they can be for this time of the year. The clarity is excellent and with the water height at just over a foot is all one could ask for, the water temperature is now at 37oF. A high pressure system that had moved in over the UK along with a cool south easterly breeze has seemed to suppress any fish activity. I have not seen any movement of fish at all the first three days of the season, usually there is the odd Kelt or trout that will show itself in these conditions, but they remain with their heads down. It never ceases to amaze me how a "wrong" wind direction can often put paid to any response from fish; we have seen it so many times over the years.

Last week anglers who were bait and fly fishing for grayling got some decent sport with fish over the two pound mark. This week with a better water, it has been a real struggle with little or no interest from the grayling. We know there are fish there and this just confirms that not all weather conditions suit the fish.

There are plenty of goosanders on the river for those of you that like that sort of thing, they seem to be active unlike the fish and they look pretty well fed!

It is early days yet; it is also good to see quite a few anglers out on the water enjoying themselves, the potential is there and it is just a matter of time before we get a result.

Events

AAPGAI are running two day instructor training courses this spring up and down the country. These courses are designed to either get you up to speed with current teaching techniques if you wish to become an instructor, or just to improve your own enjoyment and understanding of fishing. For more information please go to - http://www.aapgai.co.uk/body/events.html

A little draughty!

This will be the sixth week that we are unable to get out on the river due to the inclement weather, it is very frustrating and cabin fever has set in. Today we have winds in excess of 60 mph and it is far worse just north of Cumbria, the river remains very swollen with the same weather pattern for the rest of the week forecast. The new salmon season will be upon us in just two weeks, it soon comes round, should the weather change the week before with a dry high pressure system moving in, we could be in with a shout.

The Eden does still maintain a spring run of fish and it is improving year after year, the majority of those entering the river in late March. If the conditions are favourable with low water, January and February can be quite productive on the lower river with the salmon in no rush to run any distance upstream until the water temperature is higher than 42oF.

I would like to wish you all the very best of health and happiness for 2012; to new adventures, good friends and experiences, tight lines and good luck to you all!