Angling By Chris Bowman

Last updated 19:37, Thursday, 17 April 2008

WALTER Ducket’s 21lb salmon caught in the Gravel Bed at Warwick Hall and reported in The Cumberland News last week, equalled David Bamford’s fish also taken from Warwick Hall in March as the best salmon of the season.

Bu,t only for a week, for as we go to press news has reached me of one of the biggest Eden salmon to be caught for some time.

The fish thought to be at least 30lb was caught on the fly on Wednesday in Mill Beck on the Yorkshire Fly Fishers beat of the river by Paddy McCrenor.

The fish was witnessed and was measured against a 15-foot, double-handed salmon fly rod and with the fork of its tail at the rod butt its nose was said to reach the first joint.

Unfortunately, as this article went to press the butt section of the rod had not been measured in order to compare its length against weight for length scales but readers will be updated in next weeks article as to the likely weight of the fish.

Salmon have started moving on the Eden over the last couple of weeks.

Two that arrived just too late for last weeks paper were a 10lb Springer caught by Steven Beckett of Carlisle on an orange fly fished in the Rickerby Park stretch of the Carlisle Angling Association water on the river Eden.

Steven has caught several kelts this season but soon after hooking this fish it leapt clear of the water and he could see that it was a short stockily built Spring fish, which gave a good account of its self before being landed.

The other salmon was a 9 pounder taken by Neil Bryson of Penrith who was fishing with AAPGAI instructor Glyn Freeman on the Bottom Beat of the Lazonby Estate water. Neil used an Autumn Boyo fly to tempt his salmon.

As well as Paddy McCrenor’s big fish the YFF water has produced 5 other salmon this week , a 17-pounder was taken by Simon Kaye on a Rapala in the Stumps and Mark Camacho landed a 12lb fish at Mill Beck on the fly.

Then on Tuesday Michael Jenkins landed a nine-pounder on a fly at the Otter Stone.

On Wednesday John Garnett also enjoyed some success at the Otter Stone landing a brace of nine and seven pounds respectively, both caught on the fly.

Further downstream Warwick Hall has produced 3 salmon; a 12lb fly-caught fish from the Rushes for owner Nick Marriner, an 11-pounder from the Gravel Bed on a Flying C for David Bamford, the same method produced an eight-pounder for John Shannon in the House Pool.

And further down river still, the Park Broom beat has also produced three salmon to 12lb this week.

Jeff Whittle won the first float only Whins Pond match of the season with a 13lb net on Sunday. In second place was Dave Wardman with 6lb 14oz and third was Steve Cooper with 4lb 6oz.

13 anglers fished Tuesday night’s King of Whins league match at Whins pond.

Dave Wardman took first place with two fish a tench and a carp both caught late in the match.

Dave fished peg 23 and landed the tench using a maggot ring to present a large bunch of maggots on a hair rig he added a boilie caught carp to weigh in with 17lb 14oz.

Phil Ramsden was on the opposite side of the lake on peg 11 and landed three fish on spicy shrimp and prawn boilies.

Phil also landed a nice tench as well as two bream for 12lb 2oz and second place giving him a comfortable lead at the top of the league.

Jeff Whittle was in the frame again, fresh from winning the Sunday match Jeff; fishing peg three landed 8lb 5oz of roach with a bonus bream all caught on the pole using maggot and caster.

In fourth was Nick Oliver with 3lb 9oz.

Simon Willan with another tench of 3lb 3oz was fifth, and in sixth was Ian Corri with 2lb 7oz of roach on the whip.