In fact, it looked for all the world like a
fresh-run fish.
While there have been pulses of
fresh-run fish from time to time, what anglers would call the normal autumn run failed to materialise.
There was a better than usual start to the River Wye salmon season with six
fresh-run fish caught on opening day, including one of 30lb landed by Arthur Knight when he was fishing on the Moccas water near Ross-on-Wye.
The Avon is near summer level at Evesham, and the Wye is at normal level with a good head of
fresh-run salmon moving in.
The choppy conditions have brought a few
fresh-run fish on to the open shore marks, Garry Tully taking four for 5-12-0 from Amble to win Newbiggin's match.
I believe the actual autumn catch was much worse because, to my knowledge, many of the salmon caught weren't
fresh-run autumn fish but those which had been in the river since the spring and summer.
There appears to be a dearth of
fresh-run salmon and the late-running sea-trout seem to be very scarce.
THE salmon season ended with a flurry of fish from the lower Usk and Wye, with the Bigsweir water on the latter producing 17
fresh-run fish on the final day and a 38lb salmon caught from the Llangibby fishery on the River Usk, which is the biggest from the river in 70 years.
Most of the cod taken were well coloured and had obviously been in the weed beds for quite some time, with very few
fresh-run fish taken.
Anglers were hoping for an influx of
fresh-run fish entering from the North Sea to provide a bumper end to the season which closes on 31st October.
Harry had never seen a kelt before and like many other anglers thought every salmon that was silver was
fresh-run.
Fly fishing international Geoff Thompson hooked a
fresh-run 6.5lb salmon when he fished the River Ogmore.