Bumper Tweed Catches
ANGLERS are enjoying exceptional sport as the mighty Tweed enters its peak autumn weeks.
Catches during August and early September are described as the best for years with a phenomenal haul, in particular, of spanking 4lb-7lb grilse.
It’s estimated that 200 grilse, salmon and sea trout have been caught in each of the last two weeks and prospects for the weeks ahead look equally terrific, especially on any big rise in water levels.
With cracking sport reported from most of the lower and middle river stretches from Tilmouth to St Boswells, many beats are a month ahead of their expected returns. Beautifully conditioned 7lb-9lb cock fish are a feature of the catches and bigger, autumn fish are now starting to arrive, with salmon to 25lb caught.
The Tweed produces more salmon to fly than any other British river and is internationally famous, with anglers travelling from all over the world.
But most beats still have vacancies for the autumn, though fishing doesn’t come cheap at this time of year, with a day’s sport costing upwards of £ 45. Tweedline on 09068 666 412 gives details of last-minute lets.
The Till, a Tweed tributary running through Northumberland, has also had good runs of 3lb-6lb grilse. Russell Grayson, of Seaton Burn, caught four 4lb-plus fish at Redscar and Stephen Miller, of Durham, seven to 5lb 12oz in two days at Lower Tindal.
More runs of grilse and the odd salmon are expected during September with 7lb-10lb salmon in October and larger 10lb-15lb salmon in November. The river is fly-only from September 15. Ring Brian Thompson on (01668) 216223 for details of Ford and Etal Estates’ fishings. – THIRTEEN-year-old Phillip Middlemast, of Stanley, brought a 10lb brown trout to the net to set a new fishery record for the species at Beamish Lake, near Stanley.
The huge brownie was returned to the water by Phillip, who has already caught a couple of double-figure rainbows at Beamish this year and whose father, Dave, has landed 13 doubles so far.
Beamish also produced 13lb-plus rainbows last week for E McCarthy and K Dickinson, both of Newcastle.
But the biggest fish of the week on the North-East trouting scene was a 20lb 7oz whopper for Ken Thompson, of Fence Houses, caught at Jubilee Lakes.
Jubilee also produced a 13lb 4oz rainbow for Keith Dowson, of Ferryhill, and three others over 11lb for the week. 
Stonebridge Lakes, just off the A1 at Leeming Bar, reports no less than 26 doubles last week, including fish of 17lb 14oz for Steve Common, of Morpeth, 16lb 9oz for Tony Atkinson, of Carlisle, and 15lb 3oz for Chris Micellif, of Bishopgate. – ALL but one angler went home with full bag limits in a cracking week at Sweethope Loughs in Northumberland. Anglers averaged six fish each and the trout a thumping 3lb 6oz.
Jack Marshall, of Blyth, weighed in six trout for 32lb 8oz, his best at 13lb 8oz, and Gerald Biniveck, of Ridsdale, caught a 16lb 8oz rainbow. A huge 33lb-plus rainbow recently stocked at Sweethope and which, if landed, will smash the North-East record, was believed to have been hooked but lost at the net by one unlucky angler last week.
David Hewitt, of Crook, brought 23 trout to the net in two days at Lockwood Beck, in Cleveland, his best at 9lb 8oz.
Best fish at Witton Castle Lakes, near Bishop Auckland, was a 9lb 8oz rainbow for B Railton, of Consett, while Richard Phillipson, of Haltwhistle, weighed in the best bag of five fish at Langley Dam, near Hexham, at 19lb. – KEVIN Lanceley, of Newburn, won the final of the House of Hardy Northumbrian Water Fly Fishing Championships at the Derwent Reservoir with 10 trout scaling 14lb 2oz.
Runner-up was Stephen Fletcher, of Blackhill, Consett, with six fish for 9lb 4oz and third came Alistair Baker, of Stanley, with a brace of fish weighing 7lb 7oz. Alistair, communications manager with Northumbrian Water, took the heaviest-fish honours with a 6lb 1oz beauty.
Alistair was also part of the winning team in the Northumbrian WaterAid Fly Fishing Challenge at Kielder.
Northumbrian Water Dragons A team – Alistair plus Stewart Hume, Bob McKinnie and Robert Keeney – weighed in 10lb 7oz of trout on a day when £ 1,000 was raised for the WaterAid charity, which helps developing countries to improve water supplies and sanitation.
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