After years of practice at Endsleigh, Ed Woolley struck lucky at the very end of the 2025 season. Here he recalls that exhilarating moment…..
Wading up to my knees in Adam’s Pool, I glanced enviously at my father, Arthur. A silver fish of decent size had rolled over his line in water I had covered only moments before. The thought was cut short by a faint knock on the tip of my rod, then nothing. Perhaps I had just imagined it. Convinced I’d snagged the bottom, I lifted the rod and took in the slack just to be sure.
Then, BANG. The reel screamed, adrenaline flooded in, and an icy focus took over as the fish tore off downstream. This was the unfamiliar yet unmistakeable weight and purpose of a salmon. My dad came running while my brother, George, watched from downriver. Time loosened its grip as something primitive took over. My heart lodged in my throat; my hands moved to instruction. Let it run, take the slack, lift the rod. I refused to lose this fish.
After what felt like an eternity, the salmon finally tired. We were evenly matched. With my dad’s battle-worn net we claimed just enough time for a photograph before slipping the fish back into the current, silver once more, vanishing into the river that had given it up so briefly. A truly exhilarating experience in a beautiful setting, made even more special by the presence of family. I hope it won’t be my last.
