Seems to be quite a few Goosanders around at present though not seen any of the white cock birds yet, though not been on the river much.  males should be arriving soon if they have not already don so.

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                                       A SALMON FOR A FRIEND.

I was AT Glanwye one Friday afternoon getting ready for guests in the time share lodge the following day..   No fish the previous week and quite frankly I did not know of a single on fish on the beat –not an unusual scenario in recent years.

Before I went home I decided to have a few cast just to keep my hand in.  Walked upstream to the Churchouse Pool.  Fished down right to the tail which was the best spot in the pool. River was low so was fishing a floater though not sure what the fly was.  Almost at the last cast there was a big boil on the surface right next to the fly though it didn’t actually touch IT.   So there was a fish  in the beat after all.

One of the guys coming the following day was a good friend so I did not cast again and returned to the lodge and home.   The following morning Barry O turned up all keen to fish as usual,   He asked about prospects and I said pretty poor though I do know to one fish.  He tackled up and I took him the the Churchouse Pool tail where he started to fly fish.   As he reached the spot where the fish showed the previous night I suggested this might be the cast to pay off.   Almost on cue up came the fish, was hooked  and a good long fight followed.   As the fish neared the net my estimate of a 20 pounder took a sudden revision. This fish looked BIG.

Eventually I got it into the net and sure enough there lay a fish of probably 30pounds plus but not sure we weighed it before return. It was easily as big as the two thirty pounders I had caught myself in previous years.

So it was success all round with Barry very happy and so was I    I like to think I would have done the same thing had I known the fish was a 30 pounder –but!!!!!

Not seen Barrie for some years now although he did at one time fish the lower river and if he reads this he will remember it sure enough