The quest for mahseer

Well, back from my quest for mahseer in India with nothing more horrendous than a fall on some rocks and some quite serious elephant activity round camp to complain about. Perhaps it's best and clearest if I go through the week day by day to give you a feel of what jungle life is like! John Bailey's back from India. ... Full story

Spain

I've got a quandary for you this week, a real dilemma and I'd really like to hear from anybody who might have an opinion on this. More from John Bailey. ... Full story

Tackle shops

'Slovenia, the town of Bled and a tackle shop hovering on the margins of its famous lake. A lovely little space, attractively laid out, full of light and optimism.' John Bailey gets a moan off his chest.

Spanish Fly - part 1 of 2!

What I love about this river, what really turns me on about it is that it's so close to the edge. It just shouldn't be here, running through its parched valley right at the foot of Spain, so close to Africa, so starved of water for the vast majority of its lifetime. You always feel with it that any period of weather just that little bit more warm and drought ridden could signal its downfall and that of the fish that swim within it. Here, global warming could prove terminal. But, it's early September and the water now is just about perfect, well, it's fine. It could do with an extra three inches or so and a fraction more push to it but that's being pernickety in a land where it's amazing there's such a vibrant stream anyway.

John Bailey prepares for a group trip down to Spain.

Spanish Fly - part 2 of 2.

Continuing on from last weeks first installment, John Bailey investigates further in preparation for a group trip to Spain.

For me, the excitement of having a group out in Spain is that the learning process can be accelerated quickly, especially if I'm with perceptive fly fishers. I've already suggested that dry fly is not too difficult a proposition providing you present a fly with little drag and providing the fish are really surface feeding. Sometimes it's easy to think they'll take a dry fly but unless you actually see their nebs breaking surface it's probably not worth the effort. I don't know what they're taking for real - I sometimes suspect its detritus from the factories. However, it's the nymph fishing that really stretches me…

The Miraculous Miramichi

You will remember that I was on the Miramichi back in the spring, promising myself a trip later on in the year when the waters cleared and the Atlantic salmon were fresh-run. Well, it happened. And most of it happened in the first half an hour. Pimm, bless him, had been fishing fifteen minutes when a Shady Lady was nabbed halfway across the first pool he had tried. It really was a monster. The fish jumped twelve times perhaps. Pete, our venerable guide, pronounced it the biggest fish of the season - forty plus. It was like a miracle was happening. Fifteen minutes into a trip and the fish to die for.

The Streamside Guide - Planning the Trip

"Imagine being spooled by a whale, a couple hundred yards of line flying off the reel and then, "BINK"!"

Peter Cammann shares his thoughts on what fishing he'd like to be doing and recounts a past whale tale.

Pope of the Madison

Fly fishing characters enliven our trips but can of course also prove curious as well as downright difficult also on occasion according to their traits. Streamside Guide, Peter Cammann shares a story of one such character and his experience with the Pope of the Madison.

The Streamside Guide - Road Trips

"I feel like I've spent my life in my car recently. This is not the natural habitat of the intrepid Streamside Guide, believe me. But I've also had the opportunity to visit some great fishing spots in the process, places I haven't visited in many years."

Norway Report: 40lb sparkling salmon from the Orkla

Norway's excellent start to the season continues with some fantastic fish caught yesterday. Ex Liverpool and Norway football star Vegard Heggem now runs one of the best fishing 'villages' in Norway on the river Orkla (Aunan beat) and we are delighted that Vegard is partnering us to provide you with regular reports and fishing opportunities from that great river.

Monster salmon netted in Norway weighs in at 82.5lb

A magnificent salmon weighing 82.5lbs (37.5Kg) was caught a couple of days ago in a commercial bend-net in the Alta Fjord, northern Norway. This is a monster fish even by the river Alta standards. It is interesting that this huge fish was still out at sea at the beginning of July as the large fish do tend to enter the river systems early. Already this year three 50lb+ salmon have been caught in the river and of course two by females! One was hooked by 15 year old Katrine Opgård and another by Mollie Fitzgerald the owner of Frontiers International the well known fly-fishing travel company.

Mollie Fitzgerald with her magnificent 54lb Atlantic salmon

On 28th June 2008, co-owner of Frontiers, aged 45, Mollie Fitzgerald landed a 54 lbs salmon on the Alta river, Norway. The fish took a well-known pattern, the Mikkeli Blue in a pool called Ovre Sierra. The fly was surprisingly small (1-1/2' length) considering the fact that the river was essentially in flood at over 6.5 ft on the gauge. There was only a small window on the inside corner of the pool where fish might lie and the big one was in the 5 star hotel! Mollie also caught fish of 35lbs and 24lbs that night. 113lbs of salmon!

Atlantic salmon return in numbers to eastern Canada

To mid-July, Atlantic salmon rivers in eastern Canada have had some of the best wild Atlantic salmon returns in a very long time reports the Atlantic Salmon Federation. Water conditions throughout much of Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Maine were good and the salmon runs strong. From Labrador and the Quebec North Shore to Maine, and all points in between, anglers and salmon conservationists rejoiced.

Norway flies to the top of big salmon league

Two giant salmon have been caught this week in Norway and both on fly! The largest at 58 ¾ lb (26.7Kg) caught by 17 year Ulf-Arne Jungård Nilsen on the Alta is believed to be the new record fly-caught salmon from Norway. The second fly-caught monster was caught by Heikki Kemppainen on the Orkla. A small black and green fly of his own tying tempted his giant which measured 132cm (52in) and weighed 50 1/5lb (23Kg). Both fish were coloured having probably entered the rivers in June. This has been a wonderful year for huge salmon - even by Norwegian standards.

The Streamside Guide - Flying after Fall Salmon run

Our Streamside Guide - Peter Cammann, brings us another dose of US style 'excitement that comes either from the anticipation of great fishing or totally reckless behavior' as he heads off with some fishing buddies for a long overdue visit to the Salmon river in upstate New York.

Kings, Cohos, Steelhead and Brown trout are all on the target list!

Salmon return to Switzerland after 50 years

On 5 October 2008 a 91 centimeter-long female salmon was caught and then released in the Upper Rhine at Basel, Switzerland. This is the first caught in Switzerland since the late 50s! Read more ....

Giant pacific salmon found in Sacramento River

2008 has been a great year for monster Atlantic salmon but now a giant Pacific salmon has also been found. A 51in (130cm) long monster was found dead after spawning in a tributary of the Sacramento River by biologists during a spawning survey. From length and girth measurements the biologists suggest the fish would have weighed approximately 85lbs (38.6Kg). This salmon has passed on its genes to a future generation and with clear water and a free passage we'll be seeing more of these great specimens return to the Sacramento.

For photos and full story click here.

2008 on Russia's Yokanga: A year of big water and big fish! by Roddy Hall

In common with all of the Kola Rivers, 2008 saw a very late spring and therefore a cold and challenging start to our season. We were fortunate in that all the ice had left the river by the time we started on June 7th and although the water was cold at 3.5 C it was warmer than some other rivers in the northern parts of the peninsular. Read more .....

Seasons Finale in Nova Scotia

It's been fascinating hearing Phil Robinson's tales from Nova Scotia this past year - perhaps a place not many of us have had the opportunity to visit as yet, whereas those that have probably nod their head in agreement at his words.

This season ending tale for 2008 reflects on fishing friends past and present and the bond that ties us all together. To find out how you can secure your own piece of this riverside haven at St Mary's River, check the details in the summary box below Phil's final piece for this year inside.....