My first fly fishing outing of the year and I hit the jackpot and catch a February springer. To make it extra special the salmon was the first I've caught on one of my own tied flies.
Many thanks, I think it gives us all a little bit more hope for the year ahead. That fish was a gift from the universe no doubt about it. I lay in bed that night and got to thinking of the probability of me turning up on that river at that time and making that exact cast and actually encountering a fish and I found myself literally shaking my head in disbelief.
Thankyou, I can understand the allure of the fly tying rabbit hole. I'm being cautious to not fall down it though because I can see what an obsession it could become. I'm looking forward to March 15th and the opening of the trout season to get out there and test out some of my creations.
Outstanding i loved " thats not a kelt its a springer" superb can only imagine how you must have felt. Great achievement for your first springer and in February, not something i have ever managed to achieve, really well done !!!
Cheers, I can barely believe my good luck. I never in a million years would have played a fish like that had I known. When it's you day it's your day I suppose. How are things looking north of the border so far?
Belting fish......very well done!...that part of the river does hold them up nicely with a reasonable amount of water in the system. Heading up next week for a chuck.
Well done you. Many congratulations. Think I will wait for the warmer days, but with this mild weather maybe I should have a,go on my local River Lune. Used to me some huge springers running that river. I saw them splashing about, not on the end of my line. Biggest salmon I've ever seen was one August on the Ribble. I reckon it was 50lb plus. It was down a steep bank and impossible to fish for from my side of the river. It was a warm day and it was right at the surface thrashing about so I got a,good look at it. That was in this century.
Many thanks, on the very last day of my first season I got a couple of good looks at a fish on the Tyne that could easily have been a 40 so you never know one day someone might hook a leviathan yet.
Dude that’s frikin awesome mate. No such thing that you were lucky - you fished the high tide on a falling river, selected the right fly for the river colour and made the right fly, fished it deep and slow - you made that happen. Believe it ! - you SO deserved it. Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity. Top Angling dude. See you on the banks sometime
Brilliant Rob. Congratulations on your spring fish. A beauty. I really must get out and have a go, but no free weekend time at the moment, I'm afraid. Too busy trying to get a house ready to sell. Glad to see you've tied a few flies. Hurts more when the trees take them though! Looking forward to more of your videos.
Cheers Brian- I can't believe my luck really. I'm one for one at the moment so might just call it quits for the year and dedicate my time to something more productive.
Well that's me 0 for 1. Trip out this afternoon, but a cold wind blowing up the river. Fished Felton even though I know the fish won't be up there yet. Good to blow away some casting cobwebs. Very rusty! You been out much?
The fish might be there you never know. I've had one more day out on the Tyne last Sunday but other than that I've been biding my time. Monday is my usual fishing day so will be out tomorrow, probably on the Tweed.@@brianpeutherer2666
That was a great vid. Congratulations! I live in North Yorkshire and my local river has a good early run. Sadly the Yorkshire season doesnt start till April 6th. Catching early springers on the fly iis as good as it gets.
Congratulations on the Springer! I had my first ever Salmon, a Springer, from the Tyne three years ago…it’s a special feeling 🎣 I won’t get my first trip up there until April unfortunately, but can’t wait to get back. Interesting comments on the Barrio lines. I have completely moved over to the Barrio Small Stream lines for chasing Trout on the Upper Kennet, so maybe I’ll give the Salmon lines a try too.
Thanks, I think April is a fine month to be heading to the Tyne. I'm not planning to start fishing there too early myself, though a Tyne springer is the next target.
Well done, a February springer and on fly is a real prise as at that time of the year they are so few and far between. As you also found out, the fight from a fish in cold water is not as explosive as say one caught later on. They tend just to use their weight and strength to keep down in the water. Also it maybe that fish was tired having only just run into the pool. But it doesn’t matter it is still a February fish, welcome to the club. One final comment, I am glad to see you now have a decent net. It makes the whole netting process so much easier and less likely to end in disaster.
Thanks, to tell you the truth it's not that the fish didn't want to fight it just didn't get the chance. I was sure it was a kelt and just horsed it in. It tried to run when it got near me and pulled the rod tip down into the water but I had tightened the drag fully and it thought again. Luckily I was fishing 18lb maxima and the hook stayed straight. I never would have played it like that in a million years had I known. My luck was in that day no doubt about it.
Hi great fish crome so nice once again enjoying your videos I spey fish alot in nova Scotia Canada for Atlantic salmon are season starts in June again I noticed you have to make a long cast what we do over hear is stand back beyond front of pool fish shorter line and increase line length as needed work the pool from front to back taking two steps at a time that way you Cover all water works great thanks for another great video tightlines
Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the pointers. That would be how I approach a pool too though I tend to edit that from the videos to prevent them being hours and hours long! Good luck for June.
Ach I’m so pleased for you Rob. That’s wonderful- might even be the first Springer caught in England! Fish in February - seriously impressive. I’m laughing at all the Safaris you did last year and then on your first day out this year - Bang!! I’m just having a beer and toasting your good health. My first day out is next Saturday and can’t wait. Well done mate
Well done Rob seeing you catch one so early gives hope to all that it’s going to be a better season.. hoping the Tyne continues to fine down so I can get on Hagg Bank this weekend!!
Greetings from the U.S! A February Springer, that's worth it for the year my friend. Like us steelheaders in North America, we suffer for our art, lol. Congratulations again.
Many thanks and reciprocal greetings from the UK. I've heard that the pursuit of steelhead is a similarly masochistic pastime like salmon fishing. Tight lines for the year ahead.
Excellent and well done! Catching a fish on your own creation is very special as a first or otherwise IMO! Well done on your first Springer, good to get that first one of the season! You may want to look at a 12-13ft Mackenzie or Loop rod paired with the Rio Gamechanger Skagit for early Spring work & big heavy flies.
Many thanks, I think I have resisted the urge to look at more rods. I decided to get a Rio switch chucker line for my Oracle and it's amazing for launching the big lumps.
Really well done ! In a lifetime I've never had one before May/June; just as well you didn't know it was fresh or you'd have panicked ! Beautiful fish. I'm up to R Teith in a fortnight-maybe I should be in Northumberland
Thanks, you are absolutely right, if I had known I never would have played it that hard. When your luck is in it's in. Good luck up there, they've had one off the Teith already I think.
Beautiful fish Rob massive congratulations, feel abit sorry for you tho because you are now Absolutely fully infected with salmon fever. IT NEVER LEAVES YOU. Well earned 👍🎣
Congratulations Rob. Fantastic achievement, a spring fish caught on your own tied fly in February. Well done and keep the excellent videos coming. Thanks and tight lines. 👍
Great channel mate, just discovered you. Iv not done any river fishing I'm just always on the beach or rock edges as you'll see on my channel, however, I feel I'm coming of age and it'll not be too far away!
Well done ,cant wait to get on river ,for the trout nowadays but i remember big brass tubes with sinking lines in a fibreglass rod, hard and dangerous work ha ha 😂
My advice would be to get in touch with the head bailiff of the Northumberland Angler's Federation. They have plenty of water if you want to fish regularly. There are plenty of day tickets available but they can get expensive.
Well done been watching your trials and tribulations lately on RU-vid delighted for you, that fish didn't scrap much a hard runner I'd say probably tired 😅 all the best
Thanks, to tell you the truth it's not that the fish didn't want to fight it just didn't get the chance. I was sure it was a kelt and just horsed it in. It tried to run when it got near me and pulled the rod tip down into the water but I had tightened the drag fully and it thought again. Luckily I was fishing 18lb maxima and the hook stayed straight. I never would have played it like that in a million years had I known. My luck was in that day no doubt about it.
@@abakerslife happy days, that maxima is powerful stuff it never fails, you can relax and enjoy the rest of the season now pressure is off, as the saying goes every dog has there day
RJC Fly rods in Wales, I have a 13'6 DH 9/10 for the Tyne, it is gorgeous. Well done with the Kelt, they are the top of their gene pool, the survivors. I intend this year to fish Bombers on a single handed #7 weight in low water conditions. Have a look at RJC. Edit - And a Springer Rob ! well done !!
Get a scagit line,i fish opst comando smooth,integrated line,with 10ft ,5ft float and 5ft fast sink,tip tungsten headed flies,gets you right down.i use a 12ft 9ins oracle skagit,shakespeare rod,cast the heaviest flies perfect on that size of river,smashing fish ,well done.
Cheers, I'm looking at switch chucker lines for that rod. I have a skagit for my bigger rod and tbh it's not for me. It feels like catapulting a cucumber and I can't get away with mending it on the water.
That is a handsome fly. Though your pattern is nonidentical, the black over orange combination, with jungle cock cheeks, strongly resembles a favourite fly of the late British Fly casting champion, Alf Walker. During 1970's Alf ran the sporting goods department of Simpson's in downtown Toronto, which featured high end rods and reels from Hardy's and impregnated cane rods from Farlow/Sharpes. The fly was called the "Ducky Darling" - and may have been Alf's own creation. Tied on a 4X long streamer hook, the fly became a popular trout fly on Eastern Canadian streams, where it proved to be very effective on our native brook trout. Seeing your fly brought back some half-forgotten memories from fifty years ago, and prompted me to run downstairs to my fly tying table,. There I found one surviving example of this fly that Alf tied himself That one has a body of what I take to be black silk, ribbed with gold oval tinsel, an orange hackle tail with an orange tag, married black hackle wings with jungle cock eyes, and a throat of bright orange hackle. In the same box I also found several with a peacock hers body, also ribbed with gold oval tinsel, but with peacock hackle tails and orange throat feathers, under a wing of peacock herl over orange bucktail, with high-set jungle cock cheeks The wings of these latter streamers are fuller because of the bucktail. I suspect that I tied these myself, as a variant on the black and orange these from the Ducky Darling. Tied on salmon hooks I can see how they would be effective in dark water, where the bright orange colours and flash from the tinsel would trigger whatever peculiar instinctive process in the salmon brain inclines them to chase and bite our creations. Congratulations on taking (and releasing) this fine fresh-run salmon with your own fly!!
Many thanks, my luck was in that day. The colours used are very standard colours used on UK rivers early in the season. Ducky Darling makes me think of the names sign written onto WW2 aircraft.
Having survived WWII in England, Alf may have had personal experience with those aircraft. I never made the connection myself, so never had the chance to ask him. Perhaps somebody out there knows - as British Fly Casting Champion he was well connected with the fly fishing circles in England @@abakerslife
