River really low and clear now.  Wouldn't be fishing anyway at the moment with any real hope.

                          IT TAKES TWO.

I was fishing with guests at the Nyth one May morning.   There was the odd fish about with the river in good condition.  My companion was Tess, a young girl then possibly about 14 yrs old and very small and slim in stature.  She was as keen as mustard and a reasonable good caster and we fished the Cafn Pool in front of the lodge off the concrete croy wading about knee deep in water.  She fished the pool down good enough but with no response and we reached the point where she could cast no further.   There was a good lie in the  gutter right at the end of the pool and I offered to cast to cover this lie, giving her the rod to fish out after each cast..

When I eventually covered the taking place I gave her the rod as before and as the fly came over the lie she had a good solid take.

  The fish, stupid as usual stayed in the pool and had it turned and gone downstream 400 yards of fast water gutters was available to it and almost certainly would have been lost.   It soon became apparent that this was a really good fish and we needed to get it out of the fast pool into the steadier water above.   Wading was not good and very slippery so I picked her up and carried her to the bank.  I then took the rod and walked the fish up to a better position in the steadier water above whereupon I gave her the rod back and she continued to fight the fish which seemed to be getting bigger by the minute.   By this time members of both families from the lodge were watching the drama and eventually the fish showed midstream.  . Having seen its considerable size I suggested I had the rod back –perhaps I shouldn’t have on reflection.

To cut a long story short one of the anglers present, the late Jeremy Weatherill, netted the fish for me/us.    It turned out to be a superb springer which I, and the other anglers present were convinced, and I still am, that it was over thirty pounds.   We unhooked it and retained it in the net before returning it.  Again I have a photo somewhere when I get my computer back.

Question is, who’s fish was it.  I cast, she hooked it and we both played it during the fight. She caught more fish in later years and last year she invited me to her wedding.   Hope she catches many more in the years to come.

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