River Eden Update
Our British weather has made for a somewhat odd season. Down south, it has barely stopped raining. I wish the same could be said for rivers in the north. The past few weeks, the steamy days we had in June and for much of July have been replaced at last by cooler weather. Patches of rain have helped to lift some rivers north of the border, and salmon have been able to run in numbers.
In the north of England, we are still waiting for proper rain to encourage salmon on their journey upriver. At least now the weather is cooler the water temperature has fallen. This has been a real help for trout fishing on rivers like the Eden. I was guiding on the River Eden for three days last week. Although the weather was bright and sunny, the fish seemed to have become more active as the evenings were cooler than they had been for almost two months. The skies have remained overcast since, and recent rain has helped. We are still waiting for a few days of consistent rain to bring the river up properly. I expect that the River Eden will be quite coloured for a few days when the rain comes, but once the water clears, fishing may be excellent. Especially for salmon. A few salmon may have run in the dark hours over the past few months, but expect that this will only have been a few. Because of low and warm water, most will have held far downstream or in the salt. Saltwater being the most likely. I would hope that when the water comes, the fish that have been stacked up will flood the river, and I will hear stories of plenty of bent rods.
At least for now, the trout fishing has picked up. When the water is low, it can make some stretches of the River Eden more approachable. This is the case with the two beats at Lazonby. There is plenty of pocket water to cover at this height, and some of the fast water can come into its own. This is exciting fishing, especially for those more used to slower flowing chalkstreams. For now, the best trout fishing has been restricted to dawn and dusk. Of course, this is quite normal for this time of the season. Those prepared to stay a little later have enjoyed some good sedge and olive hatches and excellent dry fly fishing. During the daytime, fish have stayed deeper and mostly stuck to fast water, so it is no surprise that nymphing has proved the most successful method. Rain is due for most of this week. Fingers crossed that it will be more than drizzle! When the lift comes, I will have my running shoes on and sprinting to the water. I, like the fish, have been waiting.
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