The October salmon fishing at the Arundell Arms broke all existing records. After a summer dogged by consistent low flows, occasionally broken by small, short lived and very coloured spates, heavy rain in the first few days of October gave a 4 foot flood, followed shortly by a 7 foot flood. As this water fell and cleared, the Tamar system simply filled up with salmon, to give excellent sport here at Lifton, sadly only for the very last few days of the season. Some fish were coloured, and had obviously been holding on the lower beats, but others were still silver. The October catch of 42 salmon is a record for the 14 days in which we can fish, 27 of which came in a week, also a record. The other records which tumbled were the most fish taken in one day, 11 fish, plus another from one of our rods on the lower Tamar, and the record for the most fish to one rod in a day, 6 salmon for the now tediously fish-magnetic Gerald Spiers.
Individual catches are too numerous to mention, but ‘first fish’ were taken by Jacqueline Cork ( 10 lbs, Bottom Beat, River Lyd), David Rail (6 lbs, Beat 8A, River Tamar), 9-year–old Dan Barnard (6 lbs, Beat 7B, River Tamar), Mike Haines (10 lbs, Beat 7A, River Tamar), Dennis Mitchell (10 lbs, Beat 7A, River Tamar), Julia Tweedie (5 lbs, Beat 7B, River Tamar), and J. Crockett (5 lbs, Beat 8B, River Tamar). Spinning was the order of the day in the initially very high and coloured water, but as levels settled many fish also fell to the fly, topped by the best fish of the season, a fine 13 lb hen fish for David Pilkington in Ash Tree Pool on Tamar Beat 7A, which took a small orange bottle tube fished on a floating line. This fish has gone to Endsleigh hatchery for broodstock. Of the 42 October salmon, only 2 were kept, making the season salmon total for the Arundell Arms 54 fish, with only 3 killed for the year. In addition, our rods also caught 6 fish on our Endsleigh beat, and another 6 on the lower Tamar.
The trout and sea trout fishing, which all finished at the end of September, were also pretty good. The sea trout total of 252 is only one fish less than last year, and well above average. Best sea trout was estimated at 6 lbs, by Alexander Jones, and came on fly at night from the weir pool on Beat 3 of the River Lyd. Sea trout catches would have been better still if we had enjoyed some higher water at some time in the peak season, as very heavy runs of sea trout were entering the lower river, but became stuck in dead low flows. Figures from the fish counter at Gunnislake weir for both salmon and sea trout this season are well above average.
Brown trout fishing was good, particularly in May and June, becoming harder work in the very low water of high summer. Some of the June catches were impressive, with almost a thousand fish for the month. Many rods landed up to 30 trout in a day, some of these fish being 12 inches in length. A monster brown trout was caught and released by Graham Bray while night sea trout fishing above Hartley weir on Beat 3 of the Lyd. This fish, a hen in superb condition, was estimated at 3 pounds, our biggest river brownie since 1969. The 2010 trout total of 2,553 is one of our best catches for many years, and an encouraging indication of the healthy state of the wild fish stocks.
60 grayling were also caught during this year, several of the best fish being one and a half pounds in weight, and some much bigger grayling seen during daylight sea trout reconnaissance on the Lyd beats.
Thursday 28 October 2010
Monday 18 October 2010
Record Salmon Catches 2010!
The 2010 Arundell Arms salmon season has been one to remember.
With a highly disappointing 12 salmon for the season up to the end of September, we were desperate for rain. It came at the start of October, and a lovely clear flood brought the fish up. In the last 14 days of the season, Arundell Arms rods landed an amazing 42 salmon, bringing the total to 54 (51 released) for the season. The first week of October was a hotel record with 27 fish landed in the week. We landed 11 in a day (another record) and regular rod Gerald Spiers landed 6 in a day (another record!). If only the rain had arrived sooner.
Some pictures of happy faces...!
Friday 1 October 2010
September Report 2010
The trout and sea trout seasons are now over for another year. The salmon season closes on October 14th.
Eight salmon were reported caught from the Arundell Arms water in September, with a handful more by hotel rods fishing other beats on the Tamar. All fish were released. The total was a little disappointing and was largely due to consistent coloured water with little height – a knock-on effect of a low water summer. Three anglers celebrated their first fish: young Seb Perry a five-pounder in Quarry Pool, Mike Haines a 10-pounder in Lydfoot, and Dennis Mitchell, also with a 10-pounder in Lydfoot. All three were caught and released on fly – well done all! A decentish spate on the 7th September made a big difference, with salmon reported moving on most beats soon afterwards.
Cold nights and thinly-spread pods of fish gave an average total of 20 sea trout at the hotel for September with the best fish at 3lb for ‘fish magnet’ Gerald Spiers. The fish took a WMD fly on beat 3 of the Lyd. Trout fishing finished well, with 217 wild brown trout recorded and several large grayling. Despite periods of persistent northerly winds slowing what could have been a superb climax to the season, most anglers enjoyed some good sport to the dry fly with some lovely fit trout gracing the record book. Mr Foster landed a trout of 1lb on the Ottery on a Klinkhamer and Gerald Spiers one of 1lb 4oz while salmon fishing on the Lyd. Several other trout of over 10 inches were landed. As we write this report the Tamar is high and rising rapidly due to very heavy rain. With a little luck this should set us up nicely for a salmon bonanza in October!
The total number of sea trout for 2010 at the Arundell Arms was 252. Only one down on last year, but with many more fishable nights over the summer. Certainly not the superb run of fish that we saw in 2009. Best fish estimated at 6lb by Alexander Jones in June on the Lyd.
Total number of wild brown trout was 2553 - that's nearly double the five-year average. May and June were heaven for the small-river dry fly fisher with 1600 trout recorded.
The salmon total so far is 12 off AA beats - we've got some serious catching up to do in the final two weeks of the season! Beats are still available in October - phone 01566 784666 to book a space!
Eight salmon were reported caught from the Arundell Arms water in September, with a handful more by hotel rods fishing other beats on the Tamar. All fish were released. The total was a little disappointing and was largely due to consistent coloured water with little height – a knock-on effect of a low water summer. Three anglers celebrated their first fish: young Seb Perry a five-pounder in Quarry Pool, Mike Haines a 10-pounder in Lydfoot, and Dennis Mitchell, also with a 10-pounder in Lydfoot. All three were caught and released on fly – well done all! A decentish spate on the 7th September made a big difference, with salmon reported moving on most beats soon afterwards.
Cold nights and thinly-spread pods of fish gave an average total of 20 sea trout at the hotel for September with the best fish at 3lb for ‘fish magnet’ Gerald Spiers. The fish took a WMD fly on beat 3 of the Lyd. Trout fishing finished well, with 217 wild brown trout recorded and several large grayling. Despite periods of persistent northerly winds slowing what could have been a superb climax to the season, most anglers enjoyed some good sport to the dry fly with some lovely fit trout gracing the record book. Mr Foster landed a trout of 1lb on the Ottery on a Klinkhamer and Gerald Spiers one of 1lb 4oz while salmon fishing on the Lyd. Several other trout of over 10 inches were landed. As we write this report the Tamar is high and rising rapidly due to very heavy rain. With a little luck this should set us up nicely for a salmon bonanza in October!
The total number of sea trout for 2010 at the Arundell Arms was 252. Only one down on last year, but with many more fishable nights over the summer. Certainly not the superb run of fish that we saw in 2009. Best fish estimated at 6lb by Alexander Jones in June on the Lyd.
Total number of wild brown trout was 2553 - that's nearly double the five-year average. May and June were heaven for the small-river dry fly fisher with 1600 trout recorded.
The salmon total so far is 12 off AA beats - we've got some serious catching up to do in the final two weeks of the season! Beats are still available in October - phone 01566 784666 to book a space!
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