Arundell Arms Blog

Latest River Report

2012-01-13T09:31:00.001Z

The rivers have dropped a little and cleared but still remain relatively high - if only we had water like this in the salmon season! Grayling fishing will now be possible on the tributaries, although heavy nymphs and Czech nymph techniques will be pretty much essential to cover the fish effectively. Having said that, we did see a fish rise on the Lyd yesterday afternoon while on cormorant patrol. This winter seems to be all over the shop as the snowdrops are already out and we even saw wild daffodils in flower!

Poplars by the Tamar

Devon Grayling at the Arundell Arms

2012-01-06T10:08:00.003Z

A perfect grayling from Farm Pool, River Lyd.

After prolonged periods of heavy rain and foul weather, the sun is at last shining in Lifton. However, it will be at least a day or two before any grayling fishing is possible. Anglers that have managed to get out when the rivers have been fishable have done well using heavy nymphs, with grayling to over 2lb reported. The Lyd and Thrushel beats have produced the better fish.
While the rivers are out, the hotel's Tinhay Lake has fished very well with a rainbow of 3lb 5oz for 9 year old Zac O'Sullivan visiting from Australia. Princetown Fishing Club reported a number of trout to a stunning 29 inches (approx. 10lb) on a pre-Christmas catch and release day. Day tickets are available throughout the winter at Tinhay Lake, with grayling tickets also available (best to phone at short notice).

River Lyd Webcam - now live

2011-12-21T14:41:00.001Z

Thanks to Farson Digital's superb webcam service, we can check the height and colour of the Lyd at any time! Updated every 10 seconds, the camera shows Lifton Bridge, the border between Arundell Arms Beat 1 and Home Beat.

Click HERE to view the live webcam.

Devon Salmon Fishing - great news for the future

2011-12-09T10:37:00.000Z

It's great to report that very good numbers salmon have already spawned on the tributaries of the Tamar. Each winter we walk the rivers and take note of the numbers of fish that have spawned and where. Due to various reasons, some tributaries offer better opportunities for the fish, with the Lyd being a shining example. Much of the conservation work done by river keepers and organisations such as the Westcountry Rivers Trust is to improve the quality of those tributaries that don't offer the fish appropriate habitat in which to spawn. Below are a few pictures taken in the last few days and a video of salmon spawning that we shot a couple of years ago. For the Lyd fish at least, all looks good for the future...

A large cock fish showing signs of fungus (this is normal) lies tucked under the bank.

Two salmon redds on the Lyd - note the 'clean' gravel. Good numbers of fish have already spawned this winter.

The salmon have made good use of the Lyd's perfect spawning habitat.

Summer Shark Fishing - adrenaline on the high seas...

2011-12-06T11:00:00.001Z

Blue shark - an exciting alternative to our wild brown trout!

Many thanks must go to great friend of the hotel, charter boat skipper Dan Gardener. Instructors David and Tim have been treated to several great days out on Dan's boat over the last couple of years and we cannot rate it highly enough. The latest adventure took place 12 miles off the south Cornish coast, in search of blue sharks. The weather was a little wild and the boat a little lively, but the fishing was just awe-inspiring. 'Sport' fishing is the name of the game whether you are casting a size 18 dry fly to an eight-inch wild brownie or drifting a whole mackerel in the shipping lanes for these beautiful, primeval predators. We used light tackle (8-12lb class), which meant that even the smaller sharks took some beating. Dan's 2011 season saw sharks to 100lb landed, with up to 10 in a trip brought to the boat. On our October day, we hooked six and landed four, with a monster that took over 150 yards of line dropping the hook before we saw it. A proper 'one that got away'.
If you are planning on visiting us next summer, why not enjoy a day with Dan on his boat Blue Pointer ? You can contact us for details via fishingoffice@arundellarms.com, or phone Dan direct on 07814 191921. As well as big toothy things, Dan specialises in bass trips over the infamous Manacles reef, so you are guaranteed a great day out.
PS: a blue shark on the fly is entirely feasible... the next challenge???

Even the dog enjoyed himself (and eventually realised he didn't like eating mackerel).

Tim with a shark of 25-30lb. Not a monster but great sport on 8-12lb class tackle.

Why not try something a little 'different' next summer?!

Sea Trout Fly Tying - WMD Gurgler

2011-12-05T15:47:00.006Z

Here's another pattern to tie up in preparation for the 2012 sea trout season. Surface lures account for a large number of Westcountry sea trout, and some of the largest too. Don't go through the hassle and mess of spinning deer hair... just try this instead.
By the way, the dates for the 2012 Sea Trout Festival are now listed on the hotel website, with some great workshops set to inspire newcomers to the dark art of night fishing...

WMD Gurgler.

Stealing Welshman Darren Jackson's inspired idea of using the Gurgler style of fly for sea trout, it's easy to tie, casts like a dream and.. well... just plain works. We doubt that the dressing matters, but the oversize treble at the back seems to help.

Hook: Kamasan B170, size 4

Flying treble: Owner ST-36BC, size 14 or size 12 treble of choice.

Nylon lonk: 30lb black Amnesia mono

Thread: Black

Back: Flat black ethafoam (a strip of 1/3 to 1/2in wide)

Tail: Black arctic fox or squirrel tail with two strands of flash

Body: Black seal's fur

Rib: Flat or oval silver tinsel

Hackle: Teal

WMD Gurgler

5lb 6oz on a WMD Gurgler

Wild trout, Bass and Sea Trout... in one day. Fancy a challenge?

2011-12-02T10:59:00.002Z

The north coast is a bass fisher's paradise!

The 2012 tide tables have just arrived on the fishing office desk. We've got four dates earmarked when timing couldn't be better to try for an Arundell Arms Macnab - a trout, bass and sea trout in the same day. If you are an experienced fly fisher and fancy some challenging fishing in some of Devon's wildest surroundings, then this could well be for you. During late June, July and August, bass swarm in the estuaries and sea trout run the rivers. At the same time, wild brown trout feed freely and will snap up a dry fly that's dropped on their noses. We've run the Macnab for three seasons now and while the hit rate is dependent on weather and river conditions, get it right and it's a very attainable target. This is a hugely fun day (and night!) out for individuals and especially for a group of close fishing pals. All fishing is guided by AAPGAI instructors David Pilkington and Tim Smith. The bass fishing will take place on the spectacular north Devon/Cornwall coast while the trout and sea trout night fishing will be on the hotel's private water on the Tamar and tributaries. The dates we have are as follows:

Monday 18th June 2012

Monday 2nd July 2012

Tuesday 17th July 2012

Wednesday 29th August 2012

Price: £195 per person. £595 for a group of up to six.

We take a maximum of three people per guide, so a party of four to six persons will be guided by two instructors. All tackle can be provided at no extra cost. Accommodation and meals are extra - please see the hotel website for more information. To book or for more info, please contact us on 01566 784666 or via reservations@arundellarms.com.
PS: Our fishing course dates are also all now available on the hotel website.

A near 4lb bass on a Popper, north Devon coast.

Waiting for dark - the anticipation of a night's sea trout fishing on the Tamar.

Sea Trout Fly Tying - The Werewolf

2011-12-02T10:11:00.011Z

It's a long close season for the sea trout fishers. The odd fish may be caught on the lower reaches of some Westcountry rivers in April, but it's not really until June when many anglers turn fully nocturnal. Winter time usually involves re-filling fly boxes and experimenting with new ideas. Here's one of Tim's from last winter which more than proved its worth during this summer... good luck tying it and feel free to contact us at fishingoffice@arundellarms.com if you need any advice. By the way, some superb new sea trout patterns will join our current range in our online shop from the start of the next season.

A big fly for big fish - Werewolves can be tied from 1.5 - 4.5 inches long

The Werewolf.

A pattern based on Jeff Hickman's Fish Taco series for Oregon steelhead on the Deschutes River. Also proving its worth for sea trout at night in the Westcountry. Lightweight, easy to cast, tonnes of movement, good hook-ups and a fish-friendly single hook.

Hook: Fly tied on shank of straight-eye streamer hook (the bend and point is cut off using pliers after tying). Stinger/trailing hook, Gamakatsu Octopus size 2 or 4

Link: 20lb black Amnesia, tied in a loop and glued

Butt: Peacock Ice Dub

Body: Black seal's fur

Body hackle: Long black hackle, palmered

Rib: Oval silver tinsel

Wing: Peacock herl and black ostrich, a few strands of pearl flash

Hackle: Teal

Cheeks: JC tied long

The Werewolf

The key to this fly is a big silhouette, yet sparse, lightweight tying

Arundell Arms instructor Tim with a five-pounder to a 4in Werewolf, July 2011

Arundell Arms - Season Report 2011

2011-11-24T09:56:00.003Z

Salmon fishing in 2011 was tough, but at times exciting...

The 2011 season as a whole was dominated by serious lack of water throughout, with just a short period of good water levels during September, during which time we landed 21 salmon. The salmon total was 25 fish from our beats at Lifton, plus 4 for our rod on the lower Tamar, and one from our rods at Endsleigh. Of these 30 fish, only 3 were kept. Of the 27 released, the best was for Alexander Jones from Quarry pool on the Tamar, taken on a Rapala in high and dirty water in September. Despite the low flows, runs of salmon during the final few weeks of the season were good, with a decent head of fish now in the river system and prospects for spawning are excellent.

The sea trout total was 102 from our beats at Lifton, plus 5 from our rod on the lower Tamar, and 7 from our rods at Endsleigh. From this total of 114 sea trout, only 32 were kept. Of the 82 released fish, the best was a very good peal for the Tamar system at 6 ½ lbs, for Gerald Spiers in Silver Doctor pool on the Lyd, taken in mid-June on a WMD fly. The poor numbers of sea trout are a reflection of the crippling low flows which persisted for so much of the 2011 season.

These low flows made trout fishing tough at times, but the total of 2,241 wild browns (virtually all released) shows that our trout stocks are in fine fettle. The early season fishing was better than usual, simply because rivers were consistently low and never out of order due to spates. Dry fly fishing during May and June was superb, and some fine sport was also enjoyed in September. Individual catches and good fish are too numerous to mention, but many experienced rods had bags of over 20 fish in a day, and the best of these were up to 14 inches. We also had 73 grayling, again many good fish were released, the best up to two and a half pounds.

Beat 2, River Lyd. David Pilkington tries a cast for autumn grayling.

Grayling fishing in Devon - beat those winter blues!

2011-11-24T09:30:00.008Z

Don't despair, the season never really closes for river trout fishers... we just turn our attentions to grayling instead. The Tamar, Lyd and Thrushel are at a lovely fishing height at present and some superb winter grayling are gracing anglers' nets. We can offer a private beat for the day at just £20 per angler. Give us a call on 01566 784666 to check current conditions and grab a day in the winter sun in search of this wonderful fish.

Demon fly-fisher, 10 year old Dan Barnard, shows off one of his many great grayling of the last couple of weeks!

David Pilkington on Farm Pool of the River Lyd.

Nymphing at Hartley Weir, Beat 3, River Lyd.

The Tamar system boasts the most westerly grayling population in the UK.

Leaping salmon - the River Lyd

2011-11-09T09:30:00.005Z

It's that time of year once again and the autumn rains and frosty nights trigger the salmon's urge to spawn. Here's a video and a couple of pictures taken in the last week at Hartley Weir on beat 3 of the River Lyd.

Leaping salmon - the River Lyd

2011-11-09T09:26:00.006Z

Salmon success at The Arundell Arms

2011-09-27T15:00:00.004+01:00

Thanks to regular spates, we are currently enjoying a good end to the salmon season at The Arundell Arms. Guests have landed around 20 salmon in the last fortnight, with some very bright, fresh grilse among them. We are hopeful for more rain in the next few weeks to keep the fish running and the catches coming up to the close of the season on October 14th. We still have availability for the final fortnight of the season, so please get in touch via 01566 784666 or email reservations@arundellarms.co.uk to book your stay. A few pictures from recent days on the Lyd...

Alexander Jones with a five-pounder from beat 2 on a Thunder and Lightning Templedog

David Pilkington with a fish caught by guest James Graham on Bottom Beat

James Graham with one of five he caught in a few days on the Lyd

A fine fresh grilse for James Graham on the Lyd

Salmon at last!

2011-09-17T18:20:00.000+01:00

A brief update, but just to let you know that good numbers of salmon have arrived at the Arundell Arms beats on the Tamar and Lyd. 14 fish have been landed in the last eight days, with several bright silver grilse among them. Regular guest James Graham had a great time on beat 3 on the Lyd, landing three fish while spinning on high water. Ronald Brown landed two - a 10-pounder and one of 7 1/2lb - (both on fly) on the lower Lyd, using a Cascade Tube. We could do with a top-up of water now, although the forecast looks promising. There is still a reasonable amount of availability on the salmon beats, so it's well worth grabbing a day or two. For up-to-the-minute reports, please call David or Tim on 01566 784666 between 9am and 10am or 6.30pm and 7pm.

NEW - Arundell Arms PR Sinking Lines

2011-08-25T13:25:00.009+01:00

Following the huge popularity of our 'Peal Remover' Sink-Tip sea trout lines, we are pleased to add two full-sinking lines to the range. These lines cast at close and long-range with ease and will get those flies down where they count. Currently only available in AFTM 7.5wt (13g), this size is the perfect match for 7wt rods - arguably the most common line rating for sea trout anglers, certainly in the Westcountry.
The lines are available in two densities, SINK-1 (with a sink rate of 0.5 - 1 inch per second) and SINK-2 (with a sink rate of 1.5 - 2 inches per second). The SINK-1 line is a dark-olive colour, and the SINK-2 a chestnut brown colour.
Featuring a similar taper to the PR Sink-Tip lines, the PR Sinking lines will handle big wet flies as well as stingers, tubes, snakes and other large offerings to be cast to sea trout.

The normal price is £32.99 per line, but you can get a discount of 10% by entering the following code on the online shop: CAT244
(offer valid until 31st Aug 2011)

These are so new that we've just finished boxing them up... photos to come soon.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT ONLINE SHOP

Rivers Update

2011-08-25T10:46:00.002+01:00

Not too much change unfortunately; the rivers remain very low indeed despite some recent heavy showers in the area. Trout fishing is currently tough (as per usual in August), although fishing very delicately and carefully will produce some fish. James Palmer and sons Harry and Jack did very well during their stay, landing 59 trout between them, on small nymphs and wet flies.
Sea trout fishing remains patchy, with a handful of fish reported over the last week. Small flies and surface lures have brought the best results.
With a crisp autumnal feel in the air, thoughts are turning to salmon fishing... as soon as we have some rain! There have been reports of good numbers of fish - albeit unwilling to take - from further down the Tamar. David Pilkington managed a ten-pounder from Lydfoot while sea trout fishing during the day, but there is little else to report. Watch this space...

Current season totals:

Wild brown trout: 1984

Sea trout: 77

Salmon: 2

The Season So Far...

2011-08-03T16:05:00.005+01:00

While conditions are tricky at the moment with blazing sunshine and, yet again, a lack of water - here's an update of the season so far...

Wild brown trout: 1799. After a tremendous May (941), June was a little trickier with 346 fish recorded. July recorded 184, with some cracking fish including a trout of 13.5in for Clive Hames. Nymphs are producing most of the trout, although the fish are still rising!

Sea Trout: 53. The numbers of fish have been down this season, perhaps due to sustained low water. There are however small pockets of bright, fresh fish on our Lyd beats at present and reports of many more fish on the lower Tamar fisheries.

Salmon: 1. Due to sustained low water, nobody has been salmon fishing! We really need a good spate before the salmon rods are dusted off...

Regular visitor Charlotte Jones with a lovely Tamar brown trout.

Westcountry Sea Trout Festival 2011

2011-07-26T17:25:00.006+01:00

Well we're finally back on planet Lifton, having spent the last four days or so at Blenheim Palace for the CLA Game Fair. It's always great fun and a change from being on the river banks talking about fishing to, er, being stood in a field talking about fishing! To all those regular Arundell Arms folks that visited us at the show - thanks for popping in and we hope you enjoyed the event. Now to another event.
The Sea Trout Festival (1st to 12th July) was a great success. Sadly, the drought we've experienced all spring and summer threw us a bit of a curved ball and the sea trout were a little thin on the ground. With lots of anglers fishing over 10 nights and our ghillies working their hardest to find the fish, a total catch of only 19 fish was a little disappointing. However, the demonstrations and organisation seemed (we hope!) to run smoothly, and many newcomers to sea trout and fly fishing at night caught their first fish. The largest fish of the event was landed by Tony Brown on the Tamar, and weighed approximately 3lb. There were one or two larger fish seen during the nights, but they remained elusive.
The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the Gala Day, where a happy bunch of keen anglers gathered to hear talks from the likes of Dr Graeme Harris (author - Successful Sea Trout Angling) and the marvelous folks at the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Some of the latest research was indeed fascinating, especially the information on the AARC project: AARC PROJECT
The mysterious lives of sea trout are gradually being unraveled!
The day continued with talks and demos on all things sea trout related, followed by a very entertaining discussion/ q&a session with David Pilkington, Bob Mountjoy (author - The Sea Trout Diaries) and Charles Innis (fishery manager - The Half Moon Inn, River Torridge). Cormorants, canoeists and catching big peal were all up for discussion. To wrap things up in his own supremely entertaining style, Charles Jardine (straight off the plane from Norway) very kindly dropped in with a few rods. Charles' demo was the perfect end to the day as the afternoon sun faded and thoughts turned to the river bank at night.
David and Tim would like to thank all of the anglers that attended and special mention must go to the additional ghillies during the event - Alex, David, Gerald and Joe. We'd also like to thank the Celtic Sea Trout Project, The Westcountry Rivers Trust, Country Sports South West, Simon Kidd at Snowbee (everyone was impressed by the new Switch rods!) Paul Hopwood and www.seatroutforum.com, and last but by no means least... Charles Innis, Bob Mountjoy and Charles Jardine.
We have already been asked the question about the 2012 event... we'll let you know early next year!

A collection of pics...

July Update

2011-07-16T16:51:00.002+01:00

Sorry for the lack of reports of late - it's been a busy fortnight here at the Arundell Arms. A full report of the Sea Trout Festival will come soon, complete with pictures, but suffice to say that a great time was had by all. Sadly, the fish were very much thin on the ground, with a lot of hours fished by a lot of anglers for only 19 landed to 3lb. However, most of these fish were first ever sea trout for the festival goers, which is the aim of the game.
The sea trout are still a little thin on the ground, although reports of large shoals of school peal on the lower river are very encouraging... so watch this space.
Trout fishing is still relatively good for the time of year, and small goldhead nymphs are taking the lion's share. A size 16 goldhead Prince Nymph was just the ticket for one angler on beat 3 of the Lyd yesterday who - in his own words - caught 'TOO MANY' fish!!!
Salmon... well. When we finally get some rain, we'll let you know. Tomorrow's forecast is a wet one so fingers crossed.

Sea Trout Season... is upon us!

2011-06-16T15:57:00.004+01:00

A small lift in river level following last Sunday's heavy rain has persuaded a few sea trout to run the Lyd. We have started to land the odd fish, with little fishing pressure. With more rain forecast for tomorrow, it all bodes well to bring numbers of fish to Lifton. We still have some availability for the peak sea trout fishing in July, so call us on 01566 784666 for more details.
Don't forget that Saturday 2nd of July sees the Sea Trout Gala Day at The Arundell Arms - a day not to be missed. Full details can be found here:

WESTCOUNTRY SEA TROUT FESTIVAL - BROCHURE

River Trout Fishing Update

2011-06-04T10:35:00.002+01:00

The weather has now changed to scorching sunshine! With no rain to speak of (still!), rivers are desperately low, although the Wolf, Thrushel and lower Lyd are carrying extra flow due to a release from Roadford Lake. In the hot weather the trout fishing has been tough, although anglers fishing shaded sections have done well on both dry fly and wet Coachman. The May total at The Arundell Arms was 941 wild brown trout. This was well over double the five-year average of 410 trout, so a great result. However! It has to be said that the fishing was by no means easy, and it has more to do with the beats being fished hard on most days. The best trout of the month - 14 inches - was landed by Wiltshire-based AAPGAI instructor Jim Williams on his first foray on the little River Carey. This river has long been virtually unfishable and recent bank clearance work has meant that skilled anglers can now enjoy some challenging stream fishing once again. However, as you can read from Jim's blog... a little extra water and a slightly smaller rod does help...! To read about Jim's exploits on the Carey, click here: THE RIVER CAREY
We also have our first sea trout to report; a bright fish of 1 1/2lb caught by Tom Ellison on a Coachman in Quarry Pool. A few (ie very few as yet!) have been spotted on the Tamar, so it won't be long before the first night fishers take to the river banks. As seems to be the case everywhere in the south of England... we badly need some rain.

Devon Fly Fishing at The Arundell Arms - Spring Update

2011-05-27T11:01:00.003+01:00

Sorry for the lack of reports of late - it's been very busy here at the hotel with anglers... and the odd fish.
River levels are still very much near drought conditions. The trout have been rising well, but - due to low water and slow currents - have been hard to catch. Around 250 wild browns were caught last week, with the best - a 12-incher - falling to Mr George Seymour on Bottom Beat on the Lyd. The fish have been rising to reasonable hatches of mayfly, but also to black gnat and small olives. Unfortunately a very gusty wind over the last week has driven much of the fly life off the river and put the fish down. Accurate casting is also hampered by these conditions.
On the salmon and sea trout front, we have had reports of fish being caught on the beats below the hotel water, so it won't be long until we see a silver leaper or two at Lifton. Needless to say a spate would work wonders and really kick start the sea trout season.
There are certainly a few fish in the lower reaches of the river, and Gerald Spiers took advantage of a couple of evenings near the tidal reaches, landing two sea trout to 5.5lb and a salmon of 28 inches. The fish were caught using small flies and light leaders - tactics usually employed in August... such are the current conditions. Here's hoping for some rain!!!

Mayfly spinners above the Tamar.

Trout Fishing in the Southwest begins here...

2011-05-05T14:21:00.003+01:00

On the first of May, right on cue, we saw the first swifts and the first Yellow May Duns. A couple of days later, we saw the first yellow sally, and the first fledgling heron, in the fields by the lower Lyd. On sunny days the black gnats are swarming over the stickles, with trout rising like well-oiled machines. Spring is now well and truly with us, the May blossom a riot in the hedges, and trout fishing is good, if a little demanding in very low water. Rain is falling as I write, we do need a good soak now to fill the river, and bring up the salmon and sea trout which are pushing into the estuary and lower beats.

Devon Trout Fishing

2011-04-23T10:35:00.002+01:00

Summer has come early in Lifton and scorching temperatures with no rain to speak of mean that the rivers are currently at a very low level. Insect hatches are gradually picking up and the trout are beginning to come to life. Nymph fishing is currently producing most of the fish (with regular Mike Haines landing 26 to 9in yesterday evening, but dry flies fished in the shaded areas are also worth a cast or two.
Given two or three weeks (and ideally some rain!) we should see the onset of peak trout fishing on our rivers at The Arundell Arms.

West Country Wild Trout Festival 2011

2011-04-05T17:48:00.001+01:00

Join us from 20th to 23rd May at The Arundell Arms for the inaugural West Country Wild Trout Festival. Fish the peak of the trout season on the Tamar and tributaries and enjoy casting to free-rising wild brownies in beautiful surroundings. The Arundell Arms has 20 miles of its own water on the Tamar system, meaning that you will have up to a mile of river all to yourself.
During the festival, our resident AAPGAI instructors – David Pilkington and Tim Smith - will be running daily demos and workshops which you may like to attend to help you sharpen up your fishing skills. They will also be on the beats to give help and advice during each afternoon. The festival promises to be great fun and a chance to experience the best of West Country trout fishing on some of the region’s finest wild trout water.

Price: £125 per day (B&B including fishing). £450 for all four days (B&B including fishing). Optional demos and workshops will be from £10 to £25 per person. There will be limited spaces available for non-residents at £28 per day.

To book or for more info...
Tel: 01566 784666
E-mail: reservations@arundellarms.com

Time Table Of Events

Fri 20th May
10.30am to 12.30pm
Demo: Dry fly techniques
A demonstration on dry fly fishing for wild brown trout on rain-fed rivers. Tackle, technique and river craft.
Location: River Thrushel

Sat 21st May
10.30am to 12.30pm
Casting Workshop
A demonstration on casting fundamentals, presentation and drag-free drifts will be followed by individual instruction to help improve your technique.
Location: River Lyd

Sun 22nd May
10.30am to 12.30pm
Demo: Tying Mayflies
How to tie the flies that catch fish. Featuring classic and modern patterns to imitate nymph, dun and spinner.
Location: The Arundell Arms Hotel

Mon 23rd May
10.30am to 12.30pm
Demo: Nymph and Wet fly techniques
Sub-surface fishing on West Country rivers; indicators, the New Zealand method, upstream wet flies and more.
Location: River Tamar

Devon Sea Trout - the first of many?

2011-03-31T08:40:00.004+01:00

Congratulations must go to regular Arundell rod Gerald Spiers, who opened the River Tamar sea trout account for 2011. Fishing the lower river on Friday 25th March, Gerald caught the fish in a fast run using a heavy sink tip line and Flaming Pig tube fly. While not a large fish at approximately 1 1/4lb, it was very fresh run indeed and was safely returned to the river. Well done Mr Spiers!
We still have some availability on private beats on the lower river - contact us for details.

Newquay angler Gareth Craze on the Tamar, during an early-season Spey casting lesson.

Tamar Salmon Fishing... is now underway!

2011-03-11T09:18:00.003Z

Pre-season casting practice on the River Lyd.

The Tamar salmon season started on March 1st. A handful of keen local rods ventured out in the cold under bright, clear skies. Rather unsurprisingly, no fish were landed although the odd kelt was caught. The first Tamar fish usually comes from the lower river during late March or early April. We do have limited availability for fishing on the lower beats, so please call us on 01566 784666 for details.

The trout season starts on Tuesday 15th March, although it is nearly always very tough fishing with the trout still recovering from spawning and - also due to cold water - not yet feeding in earnest. Still, the sun is (currently!) shining and there are worse places to be than on the riverbank...

Let's see what 2011 brings!

When will that first take come...?

Salmon Fishing at Endsleigh

2011-02-23T09:53:00.004Z

We now have our Endsleigh dates available for 2011. On the lower River Tamar, Endsleigh offers unquestionably the finest salmon fly water on the whole river system. Last season was superb, with an incredible 25 fish landed on one day alone!
We have four weeks available, with two rods per day. Please contact us for more information and for special package deals if taking a whole week.

2011 Endsleigh dates:

Thurs 16th June to Wed 22nd June. £50 per rod/day. £25 sea trout (5pm to midnight)
Thurs 23rd June to Wed 29th June. £50 per rod/day. £25 sea trout (5pm to midnight)
Thurs 30th June to Wed 6th July. £50 per rod/day. Sea trout rods fully booked
Thurs 12th Aug to Wed 17th Aug. £60 per rod/day. £25 sea trout (5pm to midnight)

Westcountry Sea Trout Festival 2011

2011-02-21T15:48:00.005Z

Click on the picture for more information. Further details coming soon...

Atlantic Salmon Trust at The Arundell Arms

2011-02-03T16:18:00.005Z

Join us at The Arundell Arms this February for a presentation and fund-raising dinner for the Atlantic Salmon Trust.

The evening will take place on Saturday 19th February and starts with a presentation at 6.30pm in the Tamar Room (free entry). Professor Ken Whelan, AST Research Director, will give an overview of the AST's current and future research projects under the heading of ‘Salmon and sea trout at a time of climate change' and Tony Andrews, AST Chief Executive, will describe the AST's work and priorities.

Following the presentation, there will be the AST fund-raising Dinner in the hotel (cost of £55 including pre-dinner drinks, dinner, wine with dinner). The Arundell Arms is also offering a discount for people who want to make a weekend of it. The cost per head for one night's B&B is £70 and for two nights £120.

There will also be a mini-auction, with some very attractive fishing on offer.

Anyone with an interest in the future of wild salmon and sea trout is most welcome to attend.

For more information:
01566 784 666 or e-mail: reservations@arundellarms.com

West Country Wild Trout Festival 2011

2011-01-18T15:31:00.012Z

Danielsson Reels Now In Stock

2010-12-22T15:33:00.009Z

We're proud to announce that we are now a stockist of Danielsson fly reels. We use these for most of our fishing as they are, in our opinion, among the best that money can buy. Designed and manufactured in Sweden, these premium fly reels feature the finest engineering you are likely to see anywhere.
We are currently stocking the following reels, although we can order any model or spool from Danielsson's range. We can also offer lazer etching on the reels for that personal touch.

Danielsson L5W 4sevenW at £269
Danielsson L5W 6nine at £279
Danielsson L5W 8twelve at £289

Danielsson Original Nymph W at £169
Danielsson Original Dryfly at £169
Danielsson Original 2W at £169

For more information or to buy online, visit our ONLINE SHOP. The shop is now up and running with new products being added all the time.

The Lyd In White

2010-12-18T22:45:00.005Z

Beat 3 as you don't often see it. John Barnard, Dave Chapman and Gerald Spiers braved the blanket of snow and went grayling fishing today. They landed three fish to around 1 1/4lb and the view was well worth wrapping up for...

Come Grayling Fishing in Devon...

2010-12-16T13:26:00.015Z

It's not all bad for us fly fishers in the winter months. Why not wrap up warm and try for a wild west country grayling. The Tamar system is home to the most westerly grayling population in the UK and fish of over a pound are relatively common. We tend to find that goldhead nymphs fished under an indicator are the most reliable flies, yet milder days (remember them?!) can see hatches of flies and rising fish. We can offer you a private grayling beat at the reduced rate of just £20 per day; this gives you up to a mile of Devon countryside to yourself.
Escape the Christmas chaos... and go fishing.

2010: End of Season Report

2010-10-28T09:25:00.002+01:00

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.

Record Salmon Catches 2010!

2010-10-18T09:39:00.007+01:00

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...!

September Report 2010

2010-10-01T15:02:00.003+01:00

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!

Salmon fishing is looking up...

2010-09-23T10:19:00.002+01:00

Nearly an inch of rain fell in Lifton last night, meaning that the water we so badly needed in the rivers has now arrived.
The Tamar and tributaries are all up and coloured, which is great news for salmon fishers. The extra water has nicely coincided with the big spring tides, which should encourage numbers of fish to run.
If you are able to grab a last minute day or two with a salmon rod, now's the time!
You can catch David or Tim on 01566 784666 between 9am and 10am and 6.30pm and 7pm for more information.

River Report

2010-09-19T11:31:00.002+01:00

Four salmon have been landed and released on the Arundell Arms water this week, following a rise of a few inches last weekend. Dennis Mitchell landed his first two ever salmon - a 10-pounder on fly at Lydfoot on Monday, followed by a 9lb fish on spinner in Railway Hut Pool on Tuesday. David Pilkington landed a grilse of around 4lb and lost a much bigger fish in Silver Doctor on the Lyd on Wednesday on a Sunray Shadow. Yesterday evening, young Freddie Wordie landed a fish of around 6lb on a Sunray Shadow in Tunnel Pool on beat 7B. Several fish have been showing, but a little rise in water would bring more to the beats and give more favourable conditions in which to catch them. At present, the Tamar and Lyd are both running relatively low.
Trout fishing is good with fish freely rising to black gnats, small, dark sedges and stoneflies. Some good trout of 10in + have been caught, mainly on dry flies and small goldhead nymphs. Sea trout fishing has petered out rather, with low night time temperatures providing difficult conditions in which to catch fish.
Overall a little rain should provide a good back end to the salmon season.

River Levels Online

2010-09-07T17:02:00.005+01:00

The Environment Agency has just launched its new website which gives access to daily river levels... of every river in England and Wales! Absolutely superb (although perhaps a little confusing to read at first). Here's the link to the Tamar & tributaries levels page.

Follow the link below. Each green spot represents a gauging station; click on one to get the level information.

EA RIVER LEVELS - TAMAR

River Ottery Webcam

2010-09-07T16:52:00.007+01:00

Below is a great link to a new live webcam of the River Ottery (Beat 16) and wildlife cameras, courtesy of the ingenious folks at Waterloo Farm. The camera also works in the dark via infra-red... sea trout running at night have been spotted! Select Camera 3 from the drop-down menu for a large view of the river.

RIVER OTTERY WEBCAM

River Report

2010-09-07T16:01:00.003+01:00

Salmon prospects looking good!
With a near 3ft spate running on the Tamar at present and (hopefully!) not too much more rain to come, salmon fishing conditions could be perfect for the weekend. Good numbers of grilse have been seen on our Tamar beats this week, but the low water made them hard to catch. Young Seb Perry did well on Saturday, landing two small sea trout, also returning a grilse of 5lb on a size 10 Silver Stoat's Tail. Another couple of salmon have been hooked and lost, although plenty have been splashing about in beats 7a,b and 8a. This extra water should be just the ticket to bring more fish up and bring them on the take.
We do have some availability on our prime salmon beats this weekend, so it's best to book now (01566 784666) to avoid disappointment.
The Lyd is currently too high for night fishing for sea trout, although it should hopefully drop back within a couple of days. Several large sea trout have been seen and even connected with, with Gerald Spiers landing a three-pounder and losing a much bigger fish. September can be a very good month for night fishing, although most fish will be coloured and are best returned to the river.
Trout fishing is today limited to the smaller tributaries due to spate conditions on the main rivers, but once they drop back, the last few weeks of the season are usually superb.

August Report

2010-08-30T10:55:00.001+01:00

Trout fishing in August was typically tough with very low water levels for most of the month and little fly on the water. On the few days that trout were seen rising, anglers did well with small stonefly imitations and the usual favourites, the Klinkhamer and Parachute Adams. Most fish however were taken on goldhead nymphs in sizes 14 to 16 or on wet flies fished in the streamy runs and riffles. The month total was 263 wild brown trout. Most of the trout landed were in the six to eight inch size, with a dozen or so fish of 10 to 12 inches. James Palmer had a great day on the Lyd, landing 22 small brownies at the start of the month and several other anglers had double-figure days.
64 sea trout were landed in August, nearly all at night. While reports of large numbers of peal entering the system provided optimism, there were no shoals of fish seen at Lifton. Instead, small pockets of fresh school peal were scattered on the Lyd and anglers worked hard to locate them. Unsettled conditions meant that night fishers tried varying tactics and several fish were caught on two-inch lures fished deep, as well as the usual size 8 to 10 wet flies commonly used in August. The best fish was one of 3lb caught and released by Peter Radford on beat 3 on a 2 1/2inch WMD Stinger. As we write, sea trout fishing has picked up despite the cold weather, with Alex Prentice catching his first two night sea trout within 10 minutes of starting. Well done Alex!
Only two salmon were caught at the Arundell Arms in August – a reflection of very low water levels and therefore low fishing pressure. Mr Impey landed a bright silver fish of 5lb 12oz on a Rapala at Lydfoot on the Tamar, and at the end of the month, Ben Garnett returned a grilse estimated at 3 1/2lb and lost a larger fish at the net, both on a size four Mepps. Ben’s fish came as the river fell and cleared after the first decent spate of the summer. As we write this, the river is once again low and little rain is on the cards. Sea trout fishermen will brave cooler nights and venture out throughout September, although the vast majority of fish will be returned.

Rivers Update

2010-08-23T10:29:00.002+01:00

The rivers are all currently unfishable due to a much welcome spate. Once they fine down over the next couple of days we will hopefully see our first serious chance of decent salmon fishing... watch this space!
Trout fishing has been patchy, with (up to now) low water conditions and dour fish making life tricky. With some extra water and cooler temperatures, things should improve. Sea trout fishing will be restricted to day time fishing until the water drops and clears, although the spate should bring with it large numbers of fish.

To keep an eye on river levels, don't forget the FishPal website:

Tamar River Levels

River Update

2010-08-16T14:30:00.002+01:00

The rivers remain very low indeed, so salmon fishing is a bit of a non-starter at present. Heavy rain forecast for Thursday this week will hopefully change things so watch this space.

We landed 28 sea trout last week, all at night. The season total (on Arundell beats) stands at 198. Small pods of fresh school fish were encountered throughout the Lyd, with Peter Radford landing the best of the week - a three-pounder - on beat 3 using a slow sink line and a 2.5 inch Stinger fly. During recent cold nights, big flies fished very slowly seem to have done the trick.
Trout fishing is tough as per usual in August, but they are still there to be caught. Few fish are being seen rising, so wets and nymphs are taking most of them. The biggest brown last week was caught at night while sea trout fishing by Roger Selby, a beauty of 14 inches.
Newcomers to fly fishing, Fiona and Mark Napier experienced Tinhay Lake at its best on Saturday. With a strong breeze ruffling the water, the big rainbows came on the feed and they landed grown-on fish of 4lb, 3lb 10oz, 4lb, 6lb and two of 1 1/2lb! All fish were caught on dry Klinkhamers.

BBC Spotlight on the Lyd

2010-08-10T20:47:00.002+01:00

Click the link below for a short clip taken from BBC Spotlight's series on the River Tamar...

BBC Spotlight - Fishing in the Tamar valley

River Report

2010-08-04T14:14:00.003+01:00

The 2010 sea trout catch now stands at 163, with 41 caught last week and most anglers picking up a fish or two at night. While there are still no great numbers of fish about, all of the pools have a sea trout or two in residence. Pods of school fish are on the move and pools can become alive with fish as a shoal moves in under the cover of darkness. No big fish to report, although one angler was unlucky enough to lose two large ones last night on beat 3.
Trout fishing is typically tough for August, though nymphs and wets are taking a few fish. Until we get more water, salmon fishing is still realistically on hold.

Arundell Arms on BBC Spotlight

2010-07-27T18:22:00.004+01:00

Just back from filming with David Braine of BBC Spotlight on the Lyd and Tamar. It's for a short section on a series on the Tamar being shown August 9-13th on BBC Spotlight (south west). Featuring Adam and Tim from the Arundell Arms and Toby Russell from the Westcountry Rivers Trust... we even managed to find a decent Lyd brownie or two!

Rivers Update

2010-07-27T11:12:00.002+01:00

The much-needed rise in water over the last weekend has brought with it a reasonable number of sea trout. 28 fish to 4 1/2lb were landed last week, with most caught at night. A river walk yesterday revealed a few fish in most pools, with many of them being larger specimens of 2-3lb, rather than the school peal that we would be expecting in numbers. The schoolies are starting to arrive now however, with some also being picked up by trout fishers during the day. After a slow start to the season it's now picking up. The total so far stands at 115 sea trout, with the majority of fish released.
Trout fishing is always slow in high summer, but reasonable numbers of fish to 12 inches have been caught, mainly on goldhead nymphs. Evening fishing is certainly the most productive.
Until we get a much larger, sustained rise in river levels, salmon fishing is not really on the cards. All rivers are now back at summer low level.

Some recent pictures...

2010-07-20T17:54:00.005+01:00

... of some of the larger fish caught recently. We haven't yet had the usual influx of smaller sea trout, but some great fish have been caught by anglers putting in the time...

G.Spiers, 3lb, Thunder & Lightning Pool

D.Chapman, 5lb (returned), Silver Doctor Pool

T.Smith, 4 1/2lb (returned), Silver Doctor Pool

T.Smith, 3 1/2lb (returned), 3B Weir Pool

A. Jones, salmon 12-13lb est (returned), Quarry Pool

River Update

2010-07-15T14:30:00.002+01:00

With several very heavy showers last night and this morning, we were hoping that the rivers may rise with a well-deserved extra drop of water. However, at the time of writing, there is little change and both the Lyd and Tamar only seem to be up by an inch or two. However, this, in addition to a release from Roadford Lake, should encourage many more sea trout to run both rivers. The night fishing has been tough of late, with reasonable numbers of fish present but they are proving harder to catch than usual. Anglers landed 17 last week, to around 4lb, but the fish were coming in ones and twos, rather than threes, fours and fives as we'd like!

Watch this space!

VIDEO: Tying the Pilk's PR

2010-07-09T12:09:00.002+01:00

Here's a video from the fly tying demo during the West Country Sea Trout Festival. David Pilkington ties his Pilk's PR.

VIDEO: Tying the Pilk's Bumble

2010-07-09T10:55:00.004+01:00

Here's a video from the fly tying demo during the West Country Sea Trout Festival. David Pilkington ties his Pilk's Bumble.

Arundell Arms Fly Lines - now available

2010-07-06T12:37:00.004+01:00

Our fly lines are now available to buy through the online shop. Designed by our hotel instructors for use on the West Country rivers. The PR Sink-tip is proving to be very effective for those night-time sea trout!

Arundell Arms Fly Lines

June Report

2010-07-06T11:20:00.001+01:00

June proved a fantastic month for trout fishers at The Arundell Arms Hotel, with 929 wild brown trout landed on the rivers. With a five-year average of 425 trout for June, most fishers enjoyed bumper days with the majority of fish caught on dry flies. The rivers were low due to a distinct lack of rain yet the trout rose well all month. A brief but significant mayfly hatch over the first week was followed by prolific black gnat fishing during mid-June and superb sedge activity in the latter part of the month. Regular Arundell rod, Mike Kent, had four evening sessions on the rivers Lyd and Wolf, releasing 121 trout with six fish of 12 inches, mostly to a Grey Klinkhamer. Mr Tony Bostock fished to his usual top form, releasing 92 trout in three short evening sessions on a Coachman and Sparkle Dun.
Only one salmon was caught in June, a rather skinny fish of 24 inches, estimated at five pounds. The fish was caught by Barry Unwin in Mar Lodge Pool on the Lyd on a Goldhead Black Tadpole.
Sea trout fishing was patchy due to the very low water holding fish back a little and what seems to be a slightly later run of fish this season. Despite this, 32 sea trout were caught in June, just down on last June’s 34. Local rod Alexander Jones had a superb night on the Lyd’s beat 3, landing four fish of 1lb, 2lb, 4lb and the best of the month, estimated by Alexander at 6lb. All of the fish were landed on a one-inch Black Bear tube. As this is written in early July, more sea trout are arriving each day with catches increasing dramatically. All bodes well for the rest of the month!

Sea Trout Specials - new flies in stock!

2010-07-05T17:06:00.005+01:00

Arundell Arms 'Super Stoat'

The complete range of Arundell Arms Sea Trout flies is now available, with some deadly daytime and dusk favourites now available.

Buy Sea Trout Specials Online

Please note that the pictures are taken of actual production flies, not of samples tied for photographs!

How low can it go?

2010-06-21T16:02:00.003+01:00

The rivers are now very low thanks to persistent scorching weather. It's making things incredibly tough for any salmon fishers, but the river trout anglers are still fairing well with June's total now approaching 700 for the month. The sea trout catch is up to 18 off hotel waters, with 7 landed last week. With the difficult conditions, smaller flies fished carefully have been tempting most fish by night. Some warmer night-time temperatures wouldn't hurt and a drop of rain would be most welcome!

Hard work but not impossible - a Lyd sea trout caught last week.

Devon sea trout - by day and night

2010-06-10T11:23:00.004+01:00

Thanks to the current showery weather, sea trout are now running the River Lyd in ever-increasing numbers. The rain has also meant that the river is fluctuating between clear and murky, making it ideal for night fishing one minute, and then day fishing the next! Our hotel instructors David and Tim have managed to land one or two, with David catching two to 1lb 10oz by day, and Tim one at 1lb 4oz in daylight and a cracker of 3 1/2lb after dark. All of the fish were returned to the river.

The sea trout season starts here!!

A 3 1/2-pounder for Tim Smith on beat 3.

David and a Lyd sea trout by day.

The mayfly are here...

2010-05-31T16:22:00.003+01:00

Mayfly on the River Tamar, yesterday!

Better late than never, they have finally arrived. The mayfly bring with them the season's best trout fishing. We have some of the West Country's finest wild trout beats available this June, at just £26 per day for up to a mile of water to yourself!

Biggest brown trout for 40 years!

2010-05-31T15:37:00.004+01:00

As in most West Country rivers, River Lyd brown trout average 6-8 inches in size. A big one is anything over 10 inches. A pounder is a monster and the best of the season is usually a touch larger.

In 1940 a fish of 3lb 4oz was caught.
In 1969 a fish of 3lb 1oz was caught.
On 28th May 2010 a fish estimated at 2 1/2lb + was caught...

Fishing for sea trout at night, local angler Graham Bray thought he had hooked the first sea trout of the season... it turned out to be this colossal brownie. The fish took a size 4 WMD sea trout fly and was carefully returned - after a couple of snaps - to fight another day.
Well done Graham for catching what is truly a once in a lifetime fish!

The Sea Trout Are Here!

2010-05-25T14:35:00.003+01:00

Sea trout are now present on our Tamar and Lyd beats. They're not here in numbers as yet, but some very large fish have been spotted during this current spell of scorching weather. David, Tim and regular fisher Gerald were all out last night, but despite a few fish being heard jumping, none were caught. A bright moon, clear, cold skies and a family of young otters learning to hunt probably didn't help... but then, every angler needs an excuse!

If you fancy a crack at what looks to be the onset of a real sea trout fisher's summer, book now. If you've never tried it before, but have a little fly fishing experience then don't worry as guided night fishing for sea trout is a speciality at The Arundell Arms.

BBC 2 - filming on the Lyd

2010-05-16T17:55:00.003+01:00

Following on from the successful BBC 2 programme The Victorian Farm, the forthcoming series of The Edwardian Farm features Arundell Arms instructor David Pilkington - in full period costume! - teaching fly fishing on the River Lyd. The film crew descended on the river last week to shoot a sequence where one of the team is taught to fish. David was filmed tying flies using traditional materials and also teaching casting and fishing methods with Edwardian-era tackle.
Watch this space for news on Mr Pilkington's prime time appearance!!

First on the fly for James!

2010-05-16T10:10:00.002+01:00

We've been following the fishing career of regular guest, James Graham, in the blog for a while now. Last year James not only caught the night sea trout bug, but landed an his first ever salmon - a six-pounder on a spinner in October. This year the challenge put to him was to catch his first salmon on a fly. He did it on the first day!
Fishing with hotel instructor Tim, James was on the lower end of the Tamar, trying for an elusive early sea trout. However, the large silver shape that rose to take the fly - a size 8 WMD was no sea trout!
After a nerve-wracking 15-minute battle on his 7wt outfit, James finally managed to guide the fish to the net. Quickly measured at 31.5 inches and conservatively estimated at 11lb, the bright silver springer was returned to the river.
What a superb day - CONGRATULATIONS James!

Arundell Arms guest James Graham with an 11lb spring Tamar salmon - his first on a fly.

Devon trout fishing - the cream of the season starts here

2010-05-06T11:50:00.004+01:00

The fish are up and rising - seriously fun fishing starts here!

After a real washout over the bank holiday weekend, and despite persistent cold easterly winds, trout fishing at the Arundell arms is now moving rapidly into top gear. Ben Garnett had a good day on the Lyd, releasing 38 trout, several between 9 and 11 inches, and three grayling up to 14 inches.
David and Tim have been on the Tamar tidying up some recently fallen trees and improving access into a couple of pools for night sea trout fishing. The river has suddenly come to life, with some nice trout rising steadily to a mixture of hawthorns, black gnats and olives. A small rise in water level a few days ago has at last given the smolts the impetus they needed to head rapidly down to sea, leaving the resident brownies to get on with devouring the rich harvest of insects which the longer days are now producing.
Tim saw a mayfly yesterday, and David saw the first swifts, so summer is well and truly summoned to Devon, and dry fly will be the weapon of choice from now on. Sea trout are also starting to trickle into the river in increasing numbers and we should see our first ones here at Lifton in the next week or two.

Hawthorns are currently appearing in droves - the trout think this is marvellous!

Failing light on the Tamar - view of the sea trout fisher.

Modern technology...

2010-05-04T17:59:00.002+01:00

What did we ever do before blogs, Facebook and Twitter? Here's a great email we received from regular Arundell Arms fisher, Mike Haines, who's been skipping school work to go fishing...

Hi folks,

I'm just dropping you a line to let you know that I was lying in bed this morning and had decided that I had too much school work to do and couldn't afford to spend time fishing. No sooner had I decided that and sat up to get out of bed than your Twitter came through about the 10 brownies on the dry fly. Well, that was that... stuff marking english books and up I came!

And, for once, everything went perfectly - my casting was light and accurate - as was my wading. Some way downstream of me I could see a fish taking from the surface, from the ripples he made I could tell he was a fair-sized fish. With cast after cast I slowly made my way downstream - and I watched him all the time taking at exactly the same spot. And then...and then...I made the cast that would cover him and he took. What a feeling!! When I landed him I estimated him to be 9 inches, but I noted the spot on my shirt where his tail came up to - I've just measured it now I'm at home and the fish was 11 inches. I don't know if that counts as a large fish for the Tamar, but I'm pretty sure it's my personal best. I got 9 fish in the first 90 mins or so, then it suddenly went dead. As I was foolish enough to forget my fleece, and the northerly wind was bl**dy freezing, I decided to call it a day after another hour or so and face this mountain of english books. But I just wanted you to know that your using Twitter has given me a great Bank Holiday.

Cheers,

Mike

The trout are about!

2010-05-04T09:58:00.004+01:00

The perfect result - a first fish for Australian journalist Penny Mote.

Despite the return of a cold north-easterly wind, trout fishing is picking up with some good catches reported on dries, nymphs and wet flies. Tony Bostock fished the Wolf for two evenings, landing 30 trout to 10 inches on nymphs and an Olive Quill. Local rod Ben Garnett used nymphs to great success on the Thrushel's beat 5, with a catch of 18 fish. Regular Mike Haines thoroughly enjoyed his day on the Tamar with 9 fish - including a personal best 11-incher - on wet flies. Among our recent pupils it's also been great to introduce some beginners from abroad to the joys of West Country fishing. Penny Mote - journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald - enjoyed a crash course in river fly fishing, losing several trout on the Lyd before finally landing a lovely eight-incher. Also visiting from afar was Toshiyuki from Japan, who made a trip all the way over to Devon on a recommendation in a Japanese book on fly fishing. Toshiyuki took to the upstream dry fly like a duck to water, landing 11 trout to nine inches and a decent grayling, in very windy, cold conditions - a very fast learner indeed!
With a little luck, this cold wind will turn tail and a little warmth will further improve the fishing. Plus, sea trout season is getting closer...!

Westcountry sea trout flies - now available

2010-04-28T17:03:00.005+01:00

Online Shop - Sea trout flies

A range of our favourite flies for Westcountry sea trout fishing is now available at our online shop. Stingers and surface lures will be available very soon. Here's to a summer of nocturnal activity and screaming reels...

Happy Birthday to England's premier fly fishing school!

2010-04-23T14:25:00.005+01:00

The Arundell Arms celebrates 75 years as England's premier fly fishing school in 2010. The landmark year was marked by a week of 1930s-themed events, culminating in a Murder Mystery dinner this coming weekend.

Over the years, many thousands of anglers have taken their first casts under the guidance of Arundell Arms instructors. It's a wonderful privilege to often meet three generations - grandfather, son and grandson - who have all learnt to fish at the hotel. To put it into perspective, we asked Roy Buckingham how many people he taught in his time as senior instructor (between 1969 and 2008): "I worked it out to be in the region of 16,000!"

Here's to another 75 years and many thousands more new recruits.

(Left to right: hotel instructor Tim Smith, director Adam Fox-Edwards, manageress Heather Measey, hotel instructor David Pilkington.)
The photo above shows current hotel AAPGAI instructors David Pilkington dressed in typical 1930s attire and Tim Smith in modern fisher's dress.

Fly fishing in Devon - Spring on the River Lyd

2010-04-21T20:03:00.004+01:00

Just a couple of pictures of the River Lyd that has been spoiling our guests with its spring show of daffodils and wood anenomes. Unfortunately its resident wild brown trout haven't quite been playing ball! The successful anglers have been those fishing heavy nymphs and covering as much water as possible. A bout of warmer weather should do the trick and encourage fish to take advantage of the prolific grannom and large dark olive hatches.

PS: After last week's success, all seems to be quiet on the salmon and sea trout front... for now!

First Salmon and Sea Trout 2010!

2010-04-15T11:26:00.004+01:00

Arundell Arms instructors David Pilkington and Tim Smith started the catches rolling on the River Tamar this week with (as far as we know!) the first sea trout and salmon of the season.
On April 13th, the pair fished a section of the lower river and David hooked a big sea trout within half an hour of starting. While Tim took snaps of the dramatic fight, the fished threw the hook just moments away from the net!
Not to be beaten, David moved to a pool lower down and hooked another fish! This one, just under 3lb of sea-liced spring peal, didn't escape. David hooked both fish on an intermediate line and (perhaps not a big surprise!) a size four Pilk's Bumble.

The following afternoon, and just a few hundred yards from David's previous success, the pair saw a fish show while they were having a bite to eat. They both fished down the long pool to cover it, but it was Tim's lucky day. Fishing a 7wt rod, Di3 line and size four WMD (an outfit aimed at early sea trout), Tim saw himself connected to eight pounds of very angry springer. A spectacular fight in powerful water saw Tim chasing up and down the pool until David did the honours with the net. The fish was in absolutely perfect condition and incredibly fresh, bearing long-tailed sea lice. After a quick photo or two, the salmon was safely returned to the Tamar.

Rivers Update

2010-04-05T16:37:00.002+01:00

Sadly the rivers are all a little too high to get those waders on to chase some trout. It's now (fingers crossed) drying up however, and the water should now drop pretty quickly (trees are very thirsty at this time of year, which helps!). Given a few more days and it will finally be time to get the season started in earnest.
On the salmon front, no one has been able to get close to the river for weeks now, until today when just the very odd pool was fishable by guests with spinning kit. With all of this water, the first of the season could just as well come from our beats at Lifton as on the lower river...

Arundell Arms Fishing Hats...

2010-04-01T12:45:00.001+01:00

...are now in stock!

These are brushed canvas (superb material - almost like moleskin), olive-coloured caps. Embroidered with The Arundell Arms logo, they are extremely durable and a sensible colour to help you blend in with the background when hunting those tricky river trout. Just the job for the season ahead and a bargain at only £12.99.

Click here to visit the online shop: BUY ARUNDELL ARMS CAPS ONLINE

Water, water everywhere!

2010-03-29T11:20:00.002+01:00

Despite having some lovely mild weather at long last, the rain has conspired against us leaving all of our rivers currently unfishable. Once they drop and clear, trout fishing should be superb with the higher water temperatures and spring really kicking in.

Fishing on Tinhay Lake is picking up slowly with the milder weather, and the fish are notably starting to feed on the first of the spring buzzers. Given a couple of weeks or so and some of the season's best stillwater fishing should be in full swing. Why not get the rod out and even enjoy a day's leisurely loch-style drifting in our new boat?!

Finally, on the salmon front. An odd fish has been seen on the lower river, as well as some very early sea trout. Fishing the tidal water last week, hotel instructor David Pilkington hooked something 'large and silver' that sadly didn't stay attached! The first of the year is still yet to come...

The tidal Tamar...

Contact the fishing office...

2010-03-23T11:29:00.002Z

With a bit of luck, this will be the last you'll hear of our e-mail changes...

To contact David Pilkington or Tim Smith at the fishing office direct, please use the following email:

fishingoffice@arundellarms.com

It's working again!

Arundell Arms fishing tackle online...

2010-03-23T11:22:00.003Z

Our online shop is now live. On it you can buy exclusive products from sea trout flies to fly lines to fishing clothing, all designed used and recommended by the hotel instructors. You can also purchase gift vouchers to spend at the hotel be it on a weekend away, evening dinner, or - most importantly - FISHING!
Some items are currently waiting to be restocked, but they won't be long...

Click here to visit:

THE ARUNDELL ARMS ONLINE SHOP

Devon trout fishing is underway!

2010-03-23T11:10:00.003Z

Thankfully the start of the trout season coincided with a little milder weather... at long last! Few anglers have been keen enough to take to the rivers, although trout reports from the Tamar system have been very encouraging. Although most fish are being caught on deeply-fished nymphs, the warmer weather should bring with it more prolific hatches of grannom and perhaps even a large dark olive or two. With winter holding on for so long this year, we're hoping that when spring gets going it will REALLY jump start the rivers. Here's hoping.

On the salmon and sea trout front, rumour has it that at least one angler fishing on the lower river witnessed a large silver fish move. With a touch of extra water having just gone through and a steady increase in temperature, it shouldn't be long until we are reporting the first salmon and sea trout of the season.

Devon fly fishing - latest news...

2010-03-02T08:57:00.005Z

'In like a lamb' or so the saying goes. It's still cold, but under blue skies and sunshine, we're getting twitchy as the new season shows great promise. Over the winter, we've turned our attention to the River Lyd beats. All of the major sea trout pools of Home and Bottom beat have had serious facelifts; trees have been cut, stiles repaired, steps created for easy access and fences built to stop cattle over-browsing and destroying the banks. We must also thanks regular angler and tree surgeon Gerald Spiers for his help with some of the heavier-duty tree work! Before sea trout fishing starts in earnest, plans are also afoot for the building of two open-fronted wooden huts... perfect for those essential cups of tea, shelter from the weather and, of course, moments of anticipation before darkness falls.

In the meantime, the wild primroses have started to poke through on the rivers, showing us that spring really is on its way.

Prime sea trout water; David Pilkington at a newly-trimmed Thunder & Lightning Pool on the lower River Lyd.

The first wild primrose we've spotted this season, on the banks of the Tamar.

The River Tamar; regular Arundell Arms angler, Alexander Jones, makes his first casts of 2010 on opening day.

Salmon fishing in Devon...

2010-03-01T10:32:00.004Z

... kicks off for 2010 today on the River Tamar among others in the Westcountry. The chances of a fish are admittedly very slim, although the last week or two of the month should hopefully see the season's first bar of gleaming silver caught. In the meantime, good luck to our anglers fishing today - it'll be great to wet a line after the long winter's hibernation... and you just never know!

For keeping in touch with conditions this season, don't forget the new RIVER TAMAR WEBCAM and, of course, the ONLINE RIVER LEVELS via FishTamar.

Good luck to one and all!

Regular rod at The Arundell Arms, Alexander Jones, with the first fish of the 2009 season, caught on March 19th - stunning!

A glimpse of Spring?

2010-02-23T16:48:00.002Z

The heavy rain forecast for today failed to materialise, so this afternoon Tim and David had an hour on the River Lyd trying for grayling. Tim had a beauty of 36 cms, plus a brace of unseasonable brownies, while David had a smaller grayling and another brace of trout. All were taken on deeply fished nymph patterns. The sky cleared and the air was noticeably mild, and with the pussy-willow breaking we thought it could have been a Spring day.

Limited edition fly lines coming soon...

2010-02-16T11:27:00.004Z

A limited range of lines will be available from the hotel from early March. Made in the UK and tailored to fishing small rivers, the lines have evolved from many prototypes used and abused by the hotel instructors and regular rods last season.

Our particular favourite is the 'PR Sink-Tip'. PR stands for 'Peal Remover' and - in our view - it's the perfect night sea trout line for small rivers. It's a white floating line that features a 4ft neutral-density tip (dark-olive coloured) to get the fly down a few inches deeper and avoid any wake which can and will spook fish on our westcountry streams. Unlike many sink tips, it turns over very smoothly without the noticeable clunky 'hinging' of some; this both gives a more stealthy touchdown on the water and aids all-important accuracy. At the same time, the tapers have been tweaked to handle our usual size 4 to 8 wet flies, as well as bulky 2-3 inch surface lures. The thicker-than-usual running line allows for more efficient mending and easy handling (ie little tangling!) at night.
Most importantly, (and without wanting to waffle on with the usual maketing man's jargon) they do the job they were made for, and we're happy with them.
Bring on those jumbo June sea trout.

The PR Sink-Tip will be available in WF 6 and WF 7.
Olive-coloured, floating river lines will be available in WF 4 and WF 5.
A white-coloured, 'standard' floating line will be available in WF 6.
The price is likely to be around £30 per line.
Orders are being taken now, and only 20 of each line (in each line rating) will be available for the time being.

Spring is trying hard to get here...

2010-02-15T10:14:00.000Z

The rivers are currently low and clear enough for grayling fishing. Some rain is forecast for the coming week, which could rapidly colour the water and preclude fishing. Spring still seems a long way away, with winter birds such as egrets on the river, and a drake pochard on Tinhay lake. Midges were dancing in the sun yesterday, and Grannom will hatch by the end of this month. Snowdrops are in full bloom, and the wild garlic and daffodils are just poking through.

Flyfishmap.com - what a great idea!

2010-02-08T10:41:00.002Z

If you have an hour spare, have a look at this site: Flyfishmap.com

It's the 'Google Earth' of fly fishing and we'll be following its development with interest...

Tamar salmon - the next generation

2010-02-04T15:28:00.003Z

Here are a few pics from the River Tamar hatchery at Endsleigh today. The pics show cock salmon in a holding tank and some of the fertilised eggs from 2009's hatchery operation. If you look closely you can see that some eggs are 'eyed' - note the small dark marks in the eggs that are the developing salmon's eyes...

River Lyd webcam on the way

2010-02-04T09:23:00.002Z

The fantastic River Tamar webcam went live shortly before Christmas - River Tamar Webcam - and we can now confirm that a River Lyd camera will soon be up and running. Watch this space!

Arundell Arms now on Facebook and Twitter

2010-02-03T16:42:00.002Z

For those of you who may be members of Facebook or followers of Twitter, we will now (that's if this works!) publish regular updates on river conditions and catches.

For Facebook, search for Arundell Arms Fishing.

For Twitter, search for ArundellArms.

PS: As you can tell, the weather is miserable and the rivers in flood - explaining much wrestling with computers this afternoon!

Snow, ice and freezing rod rings

2010-01-22T10:06:00.003Z

Well it's finally thawed and now very wet. For a brief period the rivers were low enough to cast a nymph or two to River Lyd grayling, although ice in the rod rings made things interesting...

In more than extreme conditions, David did manage to winkle out a fish. Not the biggest grayling in the world... but a grayling nonetheless!

Last day lake trout...

2009-12-31T11:56:00.002Z

Jon Barnard fished Tinhay Lake yesterday - aided by son Dan's superb netting skills - and landed a brace of trout with the best fish weighing in at over 5 1/2lb. What a great way to end 2009 Jon!
The lake continues to fish very well, despite the cold, and sinking lines have helped anglers get down to the deep-lying trout.

To open your 2010 fishing year in style, call us on 01566 784666 and treat yourself to a day ticket at Tinhay.

Westcountry Sea Trout Festival 2010

2009-12-30T10:58:00.001Z

From Thursday 1st to Monday 6th July 2010, we are proud to present the inaugural Westcountry Sea Trout Festival – a celebration of one of Devon and Cornwall’s most exciting game fish. Each night, anglers will enjoy what is surely the pinnacle of the fly fisher’s art, on the rivers Lyd and Tamar at Lifton.
We have two full-time instructors, David Pilkington and Tim Smith. They hold the prestigious AAPGAI advanced qualifications in both single and double-handed disciplines. David and Tim will run a series of workshops throughout the festival. In addition, our instructors will be on the beats each night to offer help and advice. Over the course of the festival, local tackle company Snowbee will be in attendance, giving you the opportunity to try the latest equipment, tailored to Westcountry fly fishing.
A maximum of 12 anglers can fish on each night, so prior booking is essential. The festival is best-suited to those that have some fly fishing experience and can cast competently - you don’t have to have fished for sea trout before however! There will be a prize, kindly donated by Snowbee, for the captor of the largest sea trout (to be measured in length and returned) over the duration of the festival.
The cost of fishing is £26 per person, per night. There is a special rate of £110 per person, per night for fishing and B&B accommodation at the hotel. For those with the stamina to fish all five nights, the cost is £100 for fishing or £500 including B&B accommodation.

For more info, please e-mail us at: fishingoffice@arundellarms.com

Workshops (subject to change)

Thursday 1st July

Night fishing for sea trout: 11am – 1pm
A talk and demonstration by the river. Techniques for sea trout fly fishing at night; tackle and fly choice, presentation and more. £10 per person

Guided reconnaissance: 3pm – 6pm
Walk your beat with our instructors; note lies, spot fish and boost your knowledge of rivercraft. £10 per person

Friday 2nd July

Casting workshop: 11am – 1pm
A demonstration of tips and tricks to improve your casting on the river, including casting fundamentals, techniques for casting large flies and spey casts at night. This will be followed by one to one casting instruction on anything you’d like help with. £25 per person

Guided reconnaissance: 3pm – 6pm
Walk your beat with our instructors; note lies, spot fish and boost your knowledge of rivercraft. £10 per person

Saturday 3rd July

Westcountry favourites: 11am – 1pm
A fly tying demonstration. How to tie classic and modern sea trout flies of the Westcountry. £10 per person

Guided reconnaissance: 3pm – 6pm
Walk your beat with our instructors; note lies, spot fish and boost your knowledge of rivercraft. £10 per person

Sunday 4th July

Casting workshop: 11am – 1pm
A demonstration of tips and tricks to improve your casting on the river, including casting fundamentals, techniques for casting large flies and spey casts at night. This will be followed by one to one casting instruction on anything you’d like help with. £25 per person

Guided reconnaissance: 3pm – 6pm
Walk your beat with our instructors; note lies, spot fish and boost your knowledge of rivercraft. £10 per person

Monday 5th July

Day fishing for sea trout: 11am – 1pm
A talk and demonstration by the river. Techniques for sea trout fly fishing by day, including tackle and fly choice for high and low water. £10 per person

Guided reconnaissance: 3pm – 6pm
Walk your beat with our instructors; note lies, spot fish and boost your knowledge of rivercraft. £10 per person

Arundell Arms fly boxes - now available

2009-12-18T10:53:00.003Z

We just taken delivery of a new batch of these lovely aluminium fly boxes, made in England by Richard Wheatley. They feature a side of flat foam and a side of spring-loaded compartments - perfect for holding a mixture of dries, wets and nymphs. At 3 1/2in x 2 3/8in x 1in, they are dinky boxes ideal for travelling light on the river.
These make a great gift for keen anglers - even if that means treating yourself!

The boxes are £24.99 each and are available in black or silver by emailing us at fishingoffice@arundellarms.com or by phoning 01566 784666

River Tamar webcam goes live

2009-12-18T09:30:00.005Z

There is now a great-quality webcam on the lower River Tamar at Horsebridge. Thanks to Glyn Howells and his on-going project to install cameras on westcountry rivers, you can now see the river (with the image updated every 10 seconds) at the click of a mouse. The web page also links to cameras on other local rivers, including the Torridge, Tavy, Fowey, Camel and more.

Click here to visit the live Tamar camera:

RIVER TAMAR WEBCAM

Winter supplies for fly-tyers...

2009-12-16T10:14:00.002Z

Many of us will be attempting to preserve sanity during the festive madness by dreaming of the season ahead and tying a few flies.
We now have limited stocks of the very best hook for tying sea trout flies - the Partridge D3STF. This is the hook used for the Pilk's Bumble and WMD (that between them accounted for 84 of our 2009 sea trout catch of 253) and is discontinued by the manufacturer.
These could be the last stocks on the planet - so if you would like to order some (at £4.50 for 25 hooks), call us on 01566 784666 or e-mail at fishingoffice@arundellarms.com.

All three sizes of the Partridge D3STF are available in limited numbers.

October Report and Season Summary

2009-10-28T10:08:00.003Z

With the exception of a fleeting rise of around a foot during the second week, October saw low water and leaf soup for salmon fishers at the Arundell Arms. On the last few days of the season reasonable numbers of fish were present on the middle Tamar, although many were coloured. From the start of the month up to the last day on the 14th, 12 fish were landed (all of them released). Highlights included first fish for regular guest James Graham and for local angler Ben Garnett. James landed a cock fish of around 6lb in Top Pool on the Lyd on a Mepps. Ben landed two – one to a spinner and one to a home-tied Cascade – both grilse, on the Tamar. Alan Vinnicombe had a very productive day on the Tamar, landing four to 28 inches on spinner, and the best fish - 10lb-plus - was landed by hotel instructor David Pilkington in Quarry Pool on a Sunray Shadow on the last day of the season.
The final flurry in October took the salmon total to 23 fish off the Arundell Arms beats, with another six from the hotel rods on other beats. The largest fish of the season, estimated at 13lb, was landed by Alexander Jones in Lydfoot on the Tamar in late July. All but two fish were returned to the river. This total is a considerable drop from last season’s 50 fish, especially seeing as salmon fishing pressure was arguably greater this year. This backs up the general view that the river was badly lacking in salmon in 2009. On a brighter note, the sea trout total of 253 plus nine from hotel rods on other beats (with the majority released) was the best for 10 years. The largest fish, estimated at 5lb, was caught and released by Gabriele Miotti in Quarry Pool on the Tamar. If the peak four weeks of the season in July and August hadn't been lost due to relentless high water, we are confident that many more would have been added to the records. For those lucky enough to have fished when the conditions were right, some truly superb sport was had fly fishing at night. There was a very good mixture of fish too, with high numbers of school peal and plenty from 2 to 5lb. Some larger fish still were spotted, and at least four anglers reported being broken by monsters in the dark – time for some stronger string next season!
Trout fishing was also severely hampered by relentless spate conditions during the summer, but the total of 2204 wild brown trout (with all but a handful released) was almost double the five-year average. May yielded a fantastic 684 fish, including a good number over 10 inches, and most of them on dry fly. Trout fishers also picked up some reasonable numbers of grayling to nearly 2lb, and sightings of large fish rising during the closing days of the salmon season will be enough for hardy types to target these over the coming winter months.
With the exception of the worrying salmon situation, it was a good season at the Arundell Arms. We would have preferred the rain during the summer to have come at the back end, but there’s always next year!

The Season Finale 2009

2009-10-15T09:14:00.007+01:00

The 14th October saw a group of rods fishing the last day of the Tamar salmon season. The river was low, and despite lots of fish splashing in several pools, the morning saw the hopeful anglers draw a blank. As late afternoon arrived and the sun lost its strength, things improved - with three salmon landed. Congratulations must go to Ben Garnett, who not only landed a fish of 4 1/2lb on a Mepps in Railway Hut, but also one of 5 1/2lb on a Cascade in Snipe Pool - his first two salmon ever. David Pilkington also landed a fish (10-11lb) at just gone 6pm on what is becoming a popular fly on the Tamar - a Sunray Shadow. All fish were released.

The neck of Quarry Pool...

A leisurely lunch was had by all!

Ben looked fairly attentive when the pasties were out...

Ben Garnett's first salmon, 4 1/2lb, caught and released in Railway Hut on a Mepps.

David Pilkington shows us how it's done...

- Since writing this report at the end of the season, Roy Buckingham mentioned that he happened to find himself fishing Silver Doctor Pool on the Lyd on his way home on the 14th... where he landed and returned a nice nine-pound hen fish on a Mepps. He's not lost his touch!

Another first for James

2009-10-14T08:34:00.004+01:00

You may remember seeing pictures of regular guest James Graham's first sea trout caught this summer. Well he's done it again, landing his first salmon (and hooking another!) on the River Lyd on Sunday. CONGRATULATIONS James!

Current River Conditions

2009-10-08T08:23:00.004+01:00

We will endeavour to update these videos when there is a significant change of river conditions.

River Lyd at Lifton - 8/10/09

River Tamar at Polson - 8/10/09

'Til next year

2009-10-02T10:21:00.002+01:00

Here's a picture of one of the last sea trout of the season - a two pounder caught in Bridget's Pool on the 29th September 2009. It's been a great season, despite losing the peak of it due to high water. Here's hoping for plenty of exciting night-time excursions in 2010...

Fieldsports Britain

2009-09-29T14:16:00.003+01:00

Here's a new internet television programme from www.fieldsportschannel.tv
This first episode features fishing at the Arundell Arms with an attempt (!) at the Devon Macnab...
If your internet connection isn't the fastest, click on the 'HQ' button at the bottom of the video, making sure it isn't highlighted in red.

Sea Trout for James

2009-09-17T13:19:00.004+01:00

Regular guest and fanatical fisherman, James Graham, emailed us a selection of pictures from his fishing this summer, including shots of his first forays into the world of sea trout fishing...

September Salmon on the Tamar

2009-09-17T12:43:00.005+01:00

With under a month of the season left, here are a few recent pictures to whet the appetite! While salmon numbers on the Tamar are still slim, there are one or two to be caught - call us on 01566 784666 to book a beat! Here are some shots from yesterday of a day at Endsleigh. Three grilse and a sea trout were landed by the two Arundell Arms rods...

Some recent salmon pictures...

2009-08-19T14:04:00.002+01:00

While salmon are still sadly thin on the ground, one or two have been landed recently by fly fishers at the Arundell Arms.

A fresh grilse (returned) for Alexander Jones, caught in July on a Black and Orange Tube. Oak Tree Pool, beat 7A.

...and another on the same day for Alexander; 12-14lb (returned)on the same fly in Lydfoot, beat 7A.

It's not impossible to hook Tamar salmon in rising water!

An August 10-pounder for Tim Smith in Lydfoot. The fish took an Orange Templedog.

The fish was safely returned to the river.