Personal Best Salmon

[tynetraveller]

Biggest fish was a 26lb coloured cock off the Litza in Russia,last August- best home fish was about 14lb from Chesters on the North Tyne, in June 2005

[betanut]

OK - so my best fish released was on the River Lochy in 1992 on a very damp September afternoon on a size 8 squirrel & orange double. It was 46 inches long and I shook for an hour afterwards ;D We had a bumper day that day - I'll never forget it

Best fish kept would be from Loch Shiel in 1990 at 23.5lbs (trolling). I actually had two fish on at once (2 rods out) and landed the 'small one' at 18lbs first.

Best fish kept on the fly would be a 19lb 'greyback' from the Nith in 1993 - on a bloody great tube and a sinking line in late October.

Most memorable salmon would be the 1st one I caught on Loch Shiel whilst dapping. 8lb with sea lice, I was 14 years old and I think the smile on my face lasted a month ;D

[macsalmo]

46" long

What would you guess as its weight Hamish?

Gary

[betanut]

That same day another fish of 44 inches was kept and weighed 35lbs - so I'm pretty sure it's a mid-upper thirties fish ;D

[stoater]

Biggest Salmon I've landed (weighed and returned) was a coloured 26lb cock fish that took a 1" black/yellow aluminium tube on the River Ettrick at Selkirk Nov. 2003. No real sense of achievement as the beat was full of fish in low water.
Lost some big fish on the Border rivers, that don't count!
I once played and landed a sea-liced 23 pounder, August 1st 1997 tidal Tweed, that for a good 20 minutes had a "pal" following it's moves. This fish looked at least twice as big as the one I landed.

[say]

My PB was a fresh run 23lb cock Salmon from the Lower reaches of the River Dee in 1994. Taken on a sea trout fly, size 12 double in August.

What a fight it put up, took me approx 600 yards downstream from where I hooked it, at times it was like chasing a steam train.

Now that I think of it, it's been a few years since I caught a fish in the 20lb class, maybe this season

[shrimpfly]

my PB salmon is 15lb from river forth town beat on september 2006. on a 1" aluminium ally shrimp.

[elwyman]

Thought I'd posted already, but I haven't.

18.5lb fresh hen from the Conwy on 29 August 2004, on a size 10 red Allys, floating line and a 13' rod .

Caught on the tail end of a big flood - I'd been on holiday in Spain the previous week and missed some good water, so I was more than chuffed to catch a fish the day after I got back.

A v good fish for the Conwy - the hotel records show the largest salmon in the last 30 years was 24.5lb, but in more recent times most are 7-8lb range, and > 10lb is a good fish.

[elwyman]

ho ho ho ;D

I remember now - if you look at the posts on page 1 you will see what a tiddler mine was in comparison. ;D

[DAZ]

A fish guesstimated at well over 20lb by myself and a friend,taken on a orange CD Rapala.
What a fish it was,as bright has they come,covered in fully tailed sealice.
Fish to 15lb on the fly.

I have certainly lost bigger fish and one in particular which will stay with me till the day I die,I probably wouldn't tell anybody the tale if it weren't for the fact I two witnesses with me at the time.I will keep it very short lads as not to bore you.

I hooked the fish at 11.00pm and lost it at 1.20am,2 hours and twenty minutes fighting the fish before it found a snag and we parted company I did not see the fish at any time only two or three tremendous boils/swirls in middle River.
A few minutes before it found the snag I felt I was starting to take control instead of it,I had the fish where I thought I wanted it in the deepest part of the pool where I could finish the fight with little to worry about Not really sure what happened? but I think the fish run underneath something,because I could feel the line rubbing on something when the fish took off,I could get line back on the reel but only so far and it would go solid again.I actually striped off and considered going in after the fish,but it was lying in around 15ft of water,and I reconsidered doing it after a little thought.
I did manage to cross the River down stream to try and pull the fish free from another angle,but failed!!! I eventually decided that I had no other option than to pull as hard as I could hoping the fish would come,but the line finally give way and he,or she,was gone.

It's experiences like these that keep me going and wanting more,and the thought that next time I might come out on top?

I did try to keep it short lads Did I tell you about the Runs it made ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

DAZ.

[elwyman]

Hard luck Daz - I hate losing a fish without seeing it - it's happened a couple of times with big sea trout at night.

Which river were you fishing?

[edenman]

probably foul hooked

[elwyman]

You can usually tell quite early on in the fight if a fish is foul hooked.

[DAZ]

elwyman said:

You can usually tell quite early on in the fight if a fish is foul hooked.

Quite right elwyman.

I can quite often call within minutes if a fish is foul hooked.From the information sent through line and and the rod it felt like a perfectly hooked fish with the typical big head shakes etc!!

I got to be honest I did have my doubts for a while,but one other reason that I decide it was not a foul hooked fish was.

At the point when the fish broke surface most of my fly line,and a great part of my leader, was out of the water,although as I have stated I did not get a good look at the fish,I could quite easily distinguish where the head and tail of the fish was,and my leader seemed to be pointing directly at the head of the fish.

I could never honestly say for sure if it was,or wasn't,but I don't think so?

elwymen.

The fish was taken,or lost I should say,on the River Neath.
For such a small/medium River,the size of fish that run it is quite amazing.Several years ago a dead fish was found which was badly decomposed,and weighed over 40lbs.
It is a shame to say,as with most Rivers it seems these days,it is a shadow of it's former self.

DAZ.

[stoater]

Daz, you come over as a true brother of the Angle. Gutted, oh boy, they are the ones that keep us going.
Do you fish CHDAA waters down your way?

[macd]

some great tales there. Ive already posted my biggest fish, but the tone of the thread has changed my view of PB salmon.

I fished the Owenea in Donegal last August. Water fining after a good spate. Anyway, I lost 2 fish- one resident which snapped at the fly as I was about to cast. But the second fish gave me one of the best scraps I ever had.

With my pal easky and his dad we fished bt 8- i dont recall the name of the pool, but the river split at the neck. I was fishing a 13ft rod (remember that rod, easky, my favourite rod- was a 3 piece and is now just in pieces ) and a 1/2' plastic cascade.

A grilse 6-7lb took right at the tail. He could have only been in the pool moments having come in on the tide. He went bonkers- the most violent grilse i ever hooked. What a tussle. I managed to keep him in the pool and as he began too mooch about thinking what to do next, my mind turned to the challenge of getting off the boulder i was on and finding a spot to land him. Then a soft 'ping' and he was gone.

It doesnt happen so often these days, but I was shaking from the excitement. I had a good 2006, but that fish was my personal best.

[DAZ]

stoater said:

Daz, you come over as a true brother of the Angle. Gutted, oh boy, they are the ones that keep us going.
Do you fish CHDAA waters down your way?

Hi stoater.

Not as much has I should,but I am very fortunate to have a choice of Rivers close by,so if one is fishing better than the other thats the one I will be on ;D I do tend to concentrate most of my effort on my local,which is 5 minutes away.

DAZ.

[tayboy]

17 lbs upperedgorton toby salmo

[Willow Man]

My best to date is a 35 lb fresh run from River Wear 1989.

I also had a 25 lb bar of silver the following day using all Hardy tackle which helped me gain a place in the Hall of Fame.

Cheers WM

[para1]

1st Post.
Tay 25.5lbs on the 27th Jan on a Kynoch.

Tweed 19 lbs on a size 12 Siver stoat. PB

River Leven 19lbs on the shrimp and 16.5lbs on the fly.

Been very lucky.