Another twenty pound plus salmon from above Carlisle and a few in the mid-teens on the 17th, there seems to be no shortage of fish this season. The grilse have also arrived this week and are showing themselves regularly going through the pools.
The river level began to rise in the early hours of the 18th putting much colour to the water, by the afternoon the whole river was unfishable. Further up river the levels are now beginning to drop away on the 19th, but the lower river is at just over two meters and still on the rise.
On the 20th the lower river is at two feet with some heavy colour, the middle river a lot more favourable for the fly. A few dry days forecast so conditions should improve from now on.
Good fly water on the middle river and clearing nicely on the 21st, a good fly fishing height on the lower river, but still with much colour. Although the conditions seemed ideal for both trout and salmon on the fly it has been extremely slow.
Fishing into the evening did not really produce any extra sport, the hatches are slow apart from the yellow sallies and the fish lethargic. I had a great time with John and Michael fishing many pools who deserved a fish after working their socks off, caught up with Simon on Saturday evening, happy days!
The levels dropped and cleared a little more on the 22nd but the action is suppressed, just the odd fish showing here and there. There are the occasional salmon coming off a few beats on the river as well as trout, it is very strange just how slow the fishing is given the conditions. Rain is forecast tomorrow, the water temperature is at 55oF with a strong south westerly wind.
