Hi', Well said Pensioner. To date, no fresh salmon reported, but a couple of very early, clean sea trout were caught and released at Carlisle earlier this month. The level at Langwathby yesterday was 2ft, water temperature an encouraging 42F / 6C and the water had some colour in it, but well fishable with spinner or seasonal salmon flies. Jada

Hi', Although this is a trout and grayling forum, I thought it might interest Eden fishers to know that the first pair of fresh-run Eden springers were caught recently in Rickerby Park,Carlisle. A 15lb fish from Caddle's Flat ( A new name for that piece of water) and an 18lb specimen from Rickerby Rocks. Jada

I only recently learned the name of the stretch called 'Caddle's Flat' - I bought a CAA day-ticket for my daughter and with the ticket was a very nice map of the CAA water with named pools, including this one. I initially thought it was Caddie's Flat, as it's beside Stoneyholme Golf Course. Do you think an 'i' was at some time in the past misinterpreted as an 'l'?!

Recently I became aware of a proposed mini hydro scheme which may be sited above an important spawning site on the river eden in Appleby. I would like to draw to the attention of any eden fishers or any other interested parties the negative impacts this scheme could have on the river , to this end I would suggest that any one interested go to the general fly fishing discussion platform and view the thread entitled The film every angler should watch in 2012 . A very interesting expose of a serious threat to our river systems.
Brian

Hi', Pensioner. I learned from one of the lads in John Norris's shop that the 15lb fish was taken on Caddles Flat. I have fished the Carlisle waters off-and-on since 1960, and never heard the name before. I suspect, like you, that someone may well have called the stretch 'Caddy's or Caddies' Flat in the first place. Many years ago I enquired after the name of 'Johnny Bulldogs', and I think that stretch (used to be snag-ridden at the bend ) was named after the famous Bulldog salmon fly. Someone may come up with the answer. For now, the most important aspect of my post was that a couple of 'springers' had been caught. We could do with the rain that was forecast this morning on TV, to move up any fish that might just be lying in the tidal water, and going up and down with the flos and ebbs, but not running up into the fresh water. Cheers .Jada
PS Thanks for the prompt, Brian, re the mini hydro scheme. I am sure that will be met by great objection on the part of the local angling community and, hopefully, by Eden Rivers Trust and other interested conservation groups which are concerned with the river environment on Eden. Don't know about the EA, though. Jada

Just to start a few of the early birds slavering or foaming at the mouth, I learned from John Pape, yesterday, that he had seen a few trout rising on the Appleby water. The river is down to a nice level, and looking clean and fresh. Jada

As yesterday was almost like a late April/early May day here, I had a walk down an Appleby stretch also.
Warm sun on my back was very heartening.
Noticed three uprights take to the air, and spotted two fish rising, trout or grayling is anybody's guess, but it was a super day for a walk on the river.
You wont find me on the river on open day, but tight lines to all who venture out.
S.

__________________
"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

A question for you 'Applebyites'. Do you get substantial amounts of Grannom along the stretch? What about the Yellow May Dun? I have seen Matt post some nice shots of March Browns but assume that this is not a regular or reliable hatch at Appleby.

The two former flies are not present at Kirkby Stephen (or not in any numbers at least). My mate has confirmed this and he fishes there far more frequently than I do. I rejoined KS last year after a few years absence and enjoyed some nice days out there 2011.

At home on Wharfe both the Grannom and YMD are regular hatches on the stretch I fish most, but KS must be too high up as they are both more 'middle reach' flies (though I know Appleby cannot be classed as middle reaches!),

Richard

Well I'm not an Applebyite as such, but I fish the river from around there down to Lazonby and a bit further. What I've found is this:

Grannom - yes lots, usually from the third week in April (might be a week earlier this year given the mild winter). Biggest numbers seem to be from Temple Sowerby downstream from what I've seen. Personally, I haven't had great sport in big grannom hatches....at least not to surface flies. My best grannom experiences have been fishing wets later on when the ovipositing females are crowding onto submerged boulders and getting washed off. Woodcock and hare's lug spiders work a treat in such instances.

YMD - again, lots. Right through the system. Sometimes the fish ignore them, sometimes they look at nothing else (they usually emerge whilst various other species are on the water, particularly the rithrogena uprights). A clinger nymph always brings sport, even if they appear to be ignoring the duns....and the spinner falls can give the first real dusk fishing of the season. I'm surprised your mate hasn't seen them up at KS - they were there on the handful of visits I've made to the Eastfield bridge area.

March Browns - scarce. I have heard of them up at KS and down through the middle reaches, but such sightings are rare. I've only encountered them the once - on a blustery early April day 2010. Anything which looks similar almost invariably turns out to be an early brook dun.

Your early season sport (I'm taking it you've joined the Appleby club), will be almost entirely concerned with LDOs.....and whisper it quietly, midges (if you don't mind fishing small). Watch carefully in case the former 'masks' the latter when rising fish are encountered. It tends to pretty much stay that way until the uprights appear late April......aforementioned grannom situation aside.

Hope that helps. Sorry to have prattled, it's just the season is near and I'm getting a bit excited!

Have a good season, might bump into each other eh?
M

__________________
The sun pushed dark spokes of melt and sparkle
Across the fields of hoar. And the river steamed -
Flint-olive.


http://northcountryangler.blogspot.com

Largest amount of Grannom I have ever seen was on 24/4/11 on Appleby water.
S.

__________________
"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.