Well last Saturday on a lower Dee beat. First time out with the big rod since the spring. No salmon but I did get three brownies,2 seatrout and a finnock in rising water.
After the deluge last weekend my son Steven thought that if there was no more rain then Thursday this week should be just right for the beat that we normally fish at the back end. Steven had already booked the Thursday sharing a rod with his mate Lee. I looked at the forecast and then phoned the Ghillie and took the last remaining rod and thank goodness I did.
This particular beat has a board in the hut recording all fish from thirty pounds up. The closest I have been so far is 28 pounds, obviously not quite good enough for the board. The last one recorded on the board was 40 years ago and out of all the fosh on the board only three were on fly.
Not long after I started to fish I had a decent pull, I allowed it to take some line and proceeded to lift into the fish. I was not quite ready for what happened next. The reel that I use is a check pawl reel as I like to hear it sing and boy did it sing yesterday, I had my hand jammed in the spool as normal (my old fashioned drag system) and I was very quickly watching backing heading out of the tip ring. Then the thing jumped clear out of the water way on the other side of the pool. I thought christ I am attached to that.
The ghillie came down with the net and after a great fight where no quarter was given by either adversary (I am not gentle on playing fish to aid recovery) The beast was in the net. It was weighed with the Mclean net by the ghillie and measured and the weight was just a fraction over thirty pounds. I have been looking at that board on the wall for many many seasons and now I will see me up there from next season. This is a lifetime ambition achieved. Its a pity that he had been in the river for a long time and was in full spawning dress as I would have loved to see him when he was fresh in, however that is probably just being greedy
That's me finished for this season but Steven is going back next Thursday for the last day on the lower Dee. Tight lines to all who are out before the end of the season.
Eddie
