News

Availability 2009

We have some excellent opportunities for 2009 for up to 4 rods per day with access to quality water at prime times. Please contact Aidan.

2008 successes

Our guests enjoyed some very good sport in 2008. The North Tyne produced some excellent fishing, our best day was 8 salmon and sea trout.
Martin Farrer caught 3 sea trout 3.5 to 5.5 lbs on fly at Chesters in July.

These fish were in perfect condition. Martin later had success with the salmon the best fish was about 20lbs from the Boat Pool on fly. Martin tends to catch his fish with his own tying of a size 10 red alley.

Alan Liddel caught the heaviest salmon a good fish of 21lbs. Alan caught his salmon in Lower Island in a big water.

Our best day at Haughton Castle accounted for six fish to 11lbs in a massive river, which shows that it is always worth fishing, you just have vary the tactics and the location.

Fishing at Barrasford young James Greenbeck persisted with his efforts when his elders had conceded defeat. James was rewarded with his first ever sea trout, a fish of 5.5 lbs which was caught in a big, rising and coloured water!.

John Richen landed a very nice 15lb salmon on fly on his first ever visit to the South Tyne.

The River Derwent enjoyed spectacular hatches of Mayfly in June although the most successful angling was with size 18 duns and nymphs. The best brown trout was a fine specimen of 3.5lbs. There is evidence of substantial increase in natural recruitment in both brown trout and grayling stocks in the river with grayling to 1.75 lbs coming to the net. Kevin Dick had some excellent sport on his visits with around 30 fish per session.
 

To Fish or Not to Fish...

Despite an excellent breakfast at Haughton Castle on 15th August my guests had rather low expectations for the day ahead. The appalling wet weather and a major release from Kielder meant that the river was well over 4.5ft above summer level. Fortunately Kielder had reduced the release from 50 cumecs to 30 and with improving run-off from the burns the river had dropped over a foot and a half and the water clarity was decent.

Alan Greenhill had never fished a river before but he learnt very quickly. Spinning on the edge of a deep pool Alan hooked and landed a sea trout of 4.5lbs. Alan Liddel, an experienced angler and Martin Farrer wandered off searching for any easy spot likely to hold a fish. Martin hooked and lost a leaping sea trout in the neck of the Rack. Alan Liddel hooked 4 fish in total in Harry’s Cave landing an excellent 1.5lbs brownie and 2 sea trout to 3.5 - 4lbs. Despite the fact we saw very few fish, by travelling light and searching all the quieter waters we found them.

I fished off a difficult bank and hooked a fresh salmon which took off so fast downstream I initially thought it was foul hooked. However it settled down and after passing the rod to myself round trees and bushes I eventually found better ground and landed the fish. Its downstream surge and leaps were probably due to the fact that it was hooked in both top and bottom of the mouth. Fish tend to panic when this happens.

So from what appeared to be the hopeless conditions the river supplied, if you are prepared to search for the more comfortable spots, even in very high water there is always a chance. Today the weather was kinder, the sport good, and the “crack” even better.

For more information on small corporate days please contact Aidan on this web site.