Season's End

October 14th saw all rivers settling and clearing, the Lyd very much so, the Tamar still with some colour from the last spate, but definitely fishable. Salmon remained elusive, although David Pilkington struck it lucky with two fish from the Lyd during the afternoon, a well coloured cock fish of 28 1/2 inches from Silver Doctor pool, and a small hen grilse from King Pool. Both took a size 12 double hook fly, appropriately named the Autumn Gold.
Pride of place for the 2013 season has to go to young Charlotte Jones, whose boyfriend James Abbatt had taken his first ever salmon the previous evening. Charlotte caught a splendid hen fish of around 14 pounds, with less than an hour of daylight left before the season closed. The fish came from the neck of Quarry Pool on the Tamar, which had been fished by all and sundry throughout the day.
Some very serious rain has fallen in the past week or so, giving the biggest spates since February. Yesterday at Hartley weir on beat 3, plenty of sea trout and brownies were running on the falling flood water, along with some salmon. One salmon made it straight over the full height of the weir, the best part of 5 feet - having made a couple of abortive attempts, this fish hit the laminar flow on the shoulder of the weir square on, and shot off upstream like a slipped greyhound.
It remains very warm, insects where everywhere, stoneflies still making egg-laying flights over the water, hornets busy in a hole in an alder, midges and even butterflies around. The fish passing over the weir will be spawning soon, the brownies and sea trout within a matter of weeks, the salmon soon after. The year moves on.

Below is a series of photos of Charlotte Jones, assisted by brother Alexander, landing the largest Arundell Arms salmon of the season...