Submit your email address below to receive email updates from Cumbria24.
Submit your email address below to receive email updates from Cumbria24.
Eden report April.
The brown trout fishing has been quite something on the Eden of late. Good hatches of Grannom, large darks and medium olives are bringing the fish to the surface.
Early April like March has also been exceptional for the quality of salmon that have entered the Eden. At the last count there has been over half a dozen fish of twenty pounds or more since the season began.
After a lengthy low dry spell, a lift of water on the second week due to heavy rainfall had encouraged a run off the tide. Fish were contacted before and during the rise of river levels. There was one salmon of twenty five pounds caught along with others in the high teens on the fly.
The lower river below the river Irthing remained very peaty after the rise of water had begun slowly falling; the wind is now coming from the cool north. This heavy vinegar like tint has kept the brown trout well and truly disinterested in any surface activity even though there have been good hatches in the early afternoons of olives, stonefly and Grannom to tempt them. The river upstream of the Irthing has had some very good surface fishing for brown trout where the water is a little clearer now.
It was a pleasure to see the first of the sand and house martins arriving on the 14th April and the swallows on the 16th to plenty of insect life. The water temperature at present on the 16th is 48oF, much cooler weather with a front coming in tonight.
------
Reports of more large salmon caught on the Eden this past week, a few in the high teens and one in particular at thirty two pounds! This spring has got to be the best we have had for many years; there has always been a good number of salmon enter the Eden early in the year but this has far surpassed anyone’s expectations for the sheer quality. There seems to be a good head of fish far up the river as the Lazonby area, most fish have been taken on the fly. A small rise of five inches of water overnight on the 17th with the heavy showers has given a clear rise. This should encourage more fish in from the estuary on what is now pretty close to perfect fly water.
The cool air temperature today on the 18th, which is not rising much above the water temperature has suppressed the hatches a little, but the surface and sub-surface activity although not as good as the last few days it is still pretty impressive. There were today good flurries of large darks, the odd iron blue and quite a few caddis coming off the water. Kick samples on the river bed are showing very good quantities of most species, this tells a big story of the quality of water the Eden has at present.
The level s rose at just under three feet during the afternoon on the 19th bringing with it much colour and flotsam, more heavy localised showers are forecast for the next few days.
On the 21st the water has now dropped to a foot above summer level but has quite a heavy tint to it. Even so the trout fishing on the surface is outstanding due to the good hatches and higher air temperatures. A few Hawthorn flies are making an appearance today; there is still a lot of large stonefly and olives.
The salmon activity has slowed somewhat since the last rise.
Another small rise of water on the 22nd, this is dropping the temperature of the water on occasions and with these fluctuations it is unsettling the fish a little. One or two salmon are showing here and there going through the pools and a few herling are beginning to show up again. Enormous hatches of Grannom and still good numbers of olives.
Water temperature is at 49oF and the low pressure is still hanging around the UK for a while yet.
The 23rd started quite warm in the morning; brown trout were rising freely until the cool breeze got up in the afternoon, the air temperature took a nose dive and stopped any sport dead in its tracks. The lower river has a very heavy peat tint with a little suspension; the middle river is much clearer.
The 24th was quite a different story, a light warm upstream zephyr just kept the trout feeding all day long and well into the evening; very enjoyable. It is good to see that a few salmon are showing interest on the lower and middle river; a very high average weight of fish for this season as there have been on other rivers also.
25th all change with very strong north easterly winds; the river is in very good ply at around ten inches above summer level, there is now only a slight tint to the water. Although there were cool stiff winds taking the tops off the waves, still the Grannom and olives were emerging and the trout very obliging when good presentation could be achieved. Small tides at present with little salmon activity, there are more heavy showers to come.
By the afternoon on the 26th the lower river had risen by almost three feet carrying a lot of suspension and that was that for the day.
The first of the swifts arrived today on the 27th.
The levels are falling nicely but still very coloured on the lower river, the middle river is much clearer. Still the north and east winds prevail keeping things cool. The 29th April the water is looking very good and in perfect ply for the fly fisherman. A big band of rain coming north today leaving floods to the south of the country, although much rain fell on Cumbria the river levels only rose a couple of inches. At present on the 30th with the water at 48oF, good numbers of fish in the river and a drier week ahead, hopefully conditions may settle and consistent sport will resume.
Best wishes, Glyn.
Glynn Freeman : A.A.P.G.A.I. (Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors). Glyn’s qualifications include: AAPGAI Masters in Salmon and Trout disciplines, Advanced Fly Dressing, He is a memver of the FFF (Federation of Fly Fishers USA) Masters Trout, has full liability insurance, is CRB (criminal records bureau) checked, child protection, L20 assessing, licensed coach and first aid.
Glyn has fished in Cumbria and the Borders for over 20 years. He is based on the River Eden where he is a river keeper on the lower river and fly casting instructor/guide for John Norris of Penrith.
He holds an I.F.M (Institute of Fisheries Management certificate) and part of working with our youth in Cumbria and S.W Scotland for Borderlines and a member of S.A.N.A
There are many Spey casting, salmon/trout fly fishing courses/experiences and one to one tuition sessions available throughout the whole year, and they are all done in a relaxed friendly manner. All are on private water on the river Eden, see list below and on the adult couses page. Each of them is tailored to suit whatever your ability and requirements are with the fishing included.
They put you in real fishing situations in the water, (not on the grass or platform), I can supply photos , quality fishing, tackle, waders and safety equipment on the day if you have-not any, free of charge. These can be run as a half day, full day, two or three day or a series of sessions. I will take you to some real nice places.
http://cumbriaflyfishingblog.blogspot.com/
