ONE MORE FROM THE TEST

Salmon don't eat in fresh water  - right.. Stomach shrinks and they have no need to.

Well on the Test again  Mayfly time.  Saw a fish on the far side of the river rising leisurely to a good hatch of mayfly.  It was a big fish and showed its tail regularly is it took a fly and turned down.  Looks like a salmon I said but my boss but he did't agree.  River was wide there and he couldn't cover it properly.
Next day we were on the opposite bank and the fish was still rising in the same spot.  It was taking about every third mayfly that came over it.  I still thought it was a salmon.   Not sure which of us cast to it I only remember having the rod in may hand as it raced off downstream towards the hatch gates.  I followed at some speed but eventually got in good contact and walked the fish back up to where my boss was sitting on his shooting stick -he was not too mobile then.
Anyway it soon became apparent that this was indeed a salmon and I eventually netted it for him -a fish of about 8/10lbs as I recall.
It was consumed that night by other member in the clubhouse and the chef apparently said it contained a pile of mayflies inside it?   No one else could recall a salmon caught in that way but it's a fact.

Same stretch and a picture of an old 'friend' who also fished there with my boss from time to time.
This was a catch of grayling which they always wanted removed.  Taken on the nymph.  I was stationed below Mr Marsh-Smith and was able to see the fish take the nymphs -sometime ejecting them with no indication on the cast whatsoever.  Many were taken when I shouted 'strike' as I saw the nymph taken.    Looks young doesn't he!!!!   So was I.

This one Courtesy of AndrewWilliams

Many years ago one sunny Sunday afternoon my fishing friend and myself drove up to the Tywi at  Llangadog. Above Llangadog bridge is a long slow pool and with the water low and clear there wasn’t too much hope of catching anything.  We went down to the bank where there was already an Angler  and his son/ grandson Legering worms in the pool.  After exchanging pleasantries I asked the chap if he minded my climbing the tree close to where he was fishing, and taking a look with my poleroids. Yes, he nodded his approval and said to go for it.
Much younger and fitter then I clambered up through the branches until about twenty feet up a branch snapped.  Bish, bash , bosh , I came bouncing down through the branches, then splash I landed half in the brambles and half in the river. ˋGive  me a hand up , I think I’ve broken my leg´ I called to my laughing mate. As he did the angler , puffing on his pipe, said ˋˋwell my rod’s had it´´.  Looking at a shattered bottom half of a spinning rod in his hand we realised that I’d gone through his rod during my flight from the tree.
He was quite ok and saw the funny side of it.  I took his name, address and shattered rod and called at the now closed Tywi Sports, Llandeilo the next day and bought him a replacement which I dropped off at his house. The aches, pains and bruises were with me for the rest of the week though.