Thought this may be of interest Clint.
Trout & Salmon Ribble & Hodder Report August 2015
JUST AS we all thought that winter’s weather had ended along came May and back out came the winter coats. May did literally roar in on cold blustery winds accompanied by heavy rain with my gauge registering 76 mm over the first nine days resulting in a big flood which peaked at 3 meters at Waddow on May 9th. Prior to this big flood, and only two days after submitting my last report, I received the news of at least two fresh springers being landed. Les Ward had one of 10lbs on a small black flying C, and further upstream in the Calder Foot area another angler was seen to land one of about 16lbs.
That excellent fly beat at Low Moor owned and fished by the members of Ribblesdale Anglers also produced its first fish of the season. I received a text and photo of a lovely 13lb fresh fish. This was landed by James Gilbraith the new secretary of RAA who was using a small purple and yellow tube fly. As the above mention flood began to fall off to a good height and colour Karl Holmes had a very fresh fish of 12lbs from this productive beat and followed this up with another of about 9lbs carrying sea lice. A further four more fish were hooked and lost on the same day as a small shoal of springers moved through before running the weir at Waddow.
Clint Waddington also a member of R.A.A. landed a mint fresh fish of about 13lbs again from Low Moor which took his own tying of an Ally’s shrimp variant with a Verminator body. Steve Roberts another of RAA members fishing an orange alloy tube above Brungerley hooked, landed, and returned one of 12lbs. Downstream Steve Thompson was spinning a Toby lure which was taken by a 12lb fish making his day complete. With another lift in the river the following week catches certainly did pick up and James Gilbraith went on to land two more fish, one at 8lb on the fly, and another of 9lbs on a small red flying C. Clint Waddington also netted two more an 8lb’er from Low Moor on his Ally’s variant and then one of 10lbs from above Brungerley spinning a bullet bar spoon. A few days later fishing a 10ft single handed rod and stripping back a Red Francis variant he went on to land and return safely a cock fish measuring 37inches( approx 20lbs) from his club’s waters at Calder foot. This will undoubtedly be one of the best fish to come off the Ribble this season.
Not to be outdone Steve Thompson fishing downstream of Ribchester landed another three fish on the same day fishing a Cascade double and also lost a big fish at the net when the hook snagged the mesh of his net.
On one of my favourite beats upstream above Clitheroe Paul Dewhurst landed two, his first about 9lbs on a small dark fly and the second a very deep fish which was 32 inches long. Paul Marshall also had one of approx 15lbs on a shrimp type fly. Peter Entwistle out looking for early sea trout also returned a springer of about 10lbs from this same beat.
Norman Jackson not wishing to remain fishless for his efforts moved down to Big Ribble where he landed a lovely fish of about 9lbs on fly from the Balderstone area and prior to this spinning on a biggish water he landed and returned a 15lb pike near Ribchester. Other fish were reported from more beats on Big Ribble. Some fish had pushed on further upstream and the first fish of the season to come off Settle Angler’s waters was landed by Anthony Pitts on May 25th, a fresh fish of 10lbs which took his own tying of a Cascade.
