Season 2020
The start of the season commenced with bright days accompanied by cool winds and overnight rainfall. Between the 1st and 23rd March river levels reached 8ft 6″ not falling below 4ft. Following the 24th we saw river levels fall and daytime temperatures rising.
April reached heights of 22 degrees, and by the end of the moth water levels dropped drastically, averaging the 1ft mark.
May continued to be hot and sunny, reaching 25 degrees. experiencing frosts at night with continued low river levels. Starting off the season, Ben Snee caught a 1lb sea trout at Lowley run. Followed by David Ripley who caught a 1lb sea trout at Joles. L.t General Sir Edward Smyth Osbourne then caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at Woodtown Ham on a 1″ black/yellow tube.
June continued with high temperatures and a few showers; river levels remained low until the 11th June, when levels rose to 3ft deeming the water unfishable, however, dropping back swiftly. On the 18th of June, rainfall overnight brought water levels to 4ft. Will Nott caught two 1lb and a 3lb sea trout at Lowley run, using a No.12 Stoats Tail; Andrew Pieterse caught a 1lb sea trout at Bush on a black nymph; Peter Ayton caught a 1 3/4 lb sea trout at Joles on a No.10 green highlander; Christine Ayton caught 2 sea trout of 1lb at Joles on a micro conehead; Clinton Marshall caught 3 sea trout up to 1lb at both Dunterue weir and Inny lower run on a NO.12 executioner.
Endsleigh’s first salmon of the season was 8lb in weight, caught at Endsleigh Ford on a 1″ Monroe by Clinton Marshall, who also caught a 2lb sea trout at Endsleigh Ham on a 1/2″ red Francis. Julyan Capper caught a 5lb sea trout at Lowley run on a black/yellow Francis; Anthony de Normann caught two sea trout up to 1lb at Waterfall and Dunterue Weir on a No.8 Torrish; Nick Roullier caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at Bush pool on a No.10 stoats tail; Peter Ayton caught a 2lb and 1 1/2lb sea trout at Black rock on a No.16 black/white fly; Christine Ayton caught a 1lb sea trout at black rock on a No.12 stoats tail; David Ripley caught Endsleigh’s second salmon of the season with a weight of 16lb, caught at Hardstone – as well as a 4lb sea trout at black rock. All were caught on a yellow/orange conehead; David Ripley caught three sea trout up to 1 1/2lb at rock pool and Thompsons, all were caught on a yellow/orange/gold conehead; Arthur Woolley caught a 9 1/2lb salmon at Endsleigh Ham followed by a 1lb sea trout at Endsleigh Ford, both on a 1″ black/orange cone head; Ben Snee caught a 1lb sea trout at Bush on a Cascade; Bill Forester caught five sea trout up to 1lb at Higher bush, Lily pond, and gravel – all were caught on a cascade No.12 double; Nick Medd caught three sea trout up to 1 1/2lb at Higher bush, Leighford, and Endsleigh ford; Alex Medd caught four sea trout, the largest at 3lb was caught at Joles; David Rawlings caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at Inny II on a cascade No.12; David Rice caught two 3lb sea trout at beech tree , as well as a 1 1/2lb at Gravel, all on a 1″ black/gold tube; Alan White caught a 10lb salmon at Leighwood Croy on a cascade No.10 double.
High temperatures continued through July accompanied by heavy showers. River levels rose a few inches regularly, but drop back quickly, often making the river unfishable. Clinton Marshall caught 3lb sea trout at Inny Croy on a red Francis; Sir Richard Dearlove caught a 11lb Salmon at Underhill on a 1″ Willie Gunn; Arthur Manners caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at Bush on a Cascade; Anna Manners caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at beera Grid on a Hitch; Andrew Frost caught two 3/4lb sea trout at Endsleigh ford on a Monroe killer; Nigel Smith caught two 1 1/2lb sea trout at Hardstone / Adams on a yellow/orange Waddington; Clinton Marshall caught a 2lb sea trout at Endsleigh Ford on a Posh Tosh; David Rawlings caught a 2lb sea trout at rock pool on a butchers No.10; Julyan Capper caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at Bush on a Cascade; Sue Rice caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at Lowley run on a stoats tail; Bob Unsworth caught two sea trout up to 1 1/2lb at Gravel on a stoats tail; Ben Snee caught two sea trout up to 1 1/2lb at Black Rock on a black/silver Stoat; Bruce Townend caught a 6lb salmon at Leighwood Croy on a blue/silver Stoat; Bob Wallace caught a 6lb salmon at Woodtown croy and three sea trout at Leighford up to 1lb – all caught on a GP.
The first week of August was extremely hot and sunny, reaching temperatures of 28 degrees. On the 10th of August was met with a storm with heavy rainfall, thunder, and lightening – followed by heavy prolonged periods of rain throughout the rest of the month, inducing high river levels and coloured water. Sandra Burling caught an 8lb Salmon and four sea trout up to 1lb at Underhill on a silver Stoat; Jeff Wehner caught a 1lb sea trout at Leighford, also on a silver Stoat; Professor Mark Mc Gurk caught a 1- 1/2lb sea trout at Dunterue pool on a black Stoats Tail; John Lynch caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at Beech Tree on a Blue Charm No.10 double; Mark Eldridge caught a 2lb sea trout at Inny Lower Run; Arthur Woolley caught two sea trout up to 2lb at Carthamartha; Peter Ayton caught two sea trout up to 1 1/2lb at Lily Pond on a Blue Charm; Charles Carey caught a 1lb sea trout at Endsleigh Ford on a Cascade No.10; Arthur Manners caught a 2lb sea trout at Gravel on a 1″ yellow/blue tube; Peter Ayton caught two sea trout up to 1 1/4lb at Lowley Run and Lower Black Rock on a silver Stoat No.8; Anna Manners caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at New pool on a 1″ yellow/black tube; David Gawthorpe caught a 6lb salmon at Endsleigh Ford on a 1″ yellow/black tube; Charles Whiteaway caught two sea trout to 1 1/4lb at Lower Carthamartha Run and Inny Croy on a black Stoats Tail; Sir Richard Dearlove caught a 16lb salmon at Leighwood Croy on a 2″ red/yellow tube; John Dennis caught four sea trout up to 2lb at Leigh Gate Pool and Dunterue Stage on a silver stoats tail.
September weather continued to be hot and sunny with very little rain. River levels falling under 1ft until the 30th of September with heavy rainfall. Martin Stanley caught a 7lb salmon at Endsleigh Ham and three sea trout to 1 1/2lb at Endsleigh ford all were caught on a 1 1/4″ Posh Tosh; Alan White caught a 12lb salmon at Inny Croy on a black/orange 1 1/4″ tube, as well as three sea trout up to 2 1/2lb at Carthamartha Run on a Mercers Fancy; Paula Jones caught two sea trout up to 1 1/2lb at Bush on a Willie Gunn; John Dennis caught a 7lb salmon at Hardstone on a Monroe Killer; Greg Stone caught two sea trout up to 1 1/2lb at Gravel on a 1/2″ Posh Tosh; Mark Rodick caught a 1 1/2lb sea trout at Underhill on a silver stoat No.10; Nigel Smith caught a 9lb salmon at Lowley Croy – a 6lb salmon at Hardstone croy on a yellow 1 1/2″ Waddington, as well as two sea trout up to 1 1/2lb on an orange/black Waddington; Tom Healy caught a 1lb sea trout at Bush on a Shrimp Cascade No.10; Melanie Healy caught a 3/4lb sea trout at Woodtown on a Stoats Tail; Stephen Illingworth caught 6 sea trout around 3/4lb at Leigh Ham on a Grey Heron No.10, a 3/4lb sea trout at Joles Corner on a Buckland Shrimp No.10, and four sea trout up to 1lb at Plantation on a Grey Heron No.10; F.B.G.Hervey Bathurst caught his first salmon at the weight of 14lb at Underhill on a black/silver/red cone head; L.t General Edward Smyth Osbourne caught two salmon, one of 4lb at Leighwood Grid, and one of 5lb at Endsleigh ham – both were caught on a GP size 6; George Woolley also caught his fist salmon, weighing 8lb, caught at Southcombe Croy on a Blue Charm; Peter Ayton caught three sea trout; a 3lb at Inny III, a 1 1/2lb at Lily pond, and a 4lb caught at Lower Inny run. all were caught on a silver stoat; Alan white caught a 10lb salmon at Endsleigh Ham, and two sea trout up to 2lb at Gravel and Dunterue. all were caught on a Mercers Fancy; John Dennis caught two sea trout up to 1 1/2lb at Harstone, and two sea trout up to 1lb at Thompson, all were caught on a yellow Stoats tail; Ian Hone caught a 7lb salmon at Lowley run on a Red Francis; Archie Wilson caught a 10lb salmon at Leighwood Croy on a red double.
October continued with heavy rainfall, causing river levels to reach 11ft on the 5th. Heavy showers kept river levels high with coloured water until the end of the season. Melanie Healy caught two salmon, 4lb at Inny croy on a 1 1/2″ Stoats Tail tube, as well as a 6lb at Inny Croy on a 1″ Stoats Tail tube; Martin Moody caught a 10lb salmon at Bush on a 1 1/2″ Stoats tail. John Dennis caught a 9lb salmon at Hardstone on a 1 1/2″ Posh tosh.