Deveron Salmon

[666shaft]

13lb - 14lb Salmon from my trip to the Deveron last week. One of 4 I managed to catch in 3 days fishing, all coloured and returned. 2 more lost after short fights! One a bar of silver Grilse of about 2lb, all hooked on size 14 Cascade variants.

[666shaft]

Cheers graham, we did enjoy a good 3 days but the rain actually came a week too late!
There had been a rise of about 6 -8" the week before we arrived but the levels were pretty low when we started to fish. We only saw 1 salmon show until Friday when they were rolling about all over the place, in my experience a sure sign that a good spate is on the way and sure enough Friday night the rain came and the river rose about 5 feet on Saturday! Anyone fishing this week should be in for some great sport and hopefully some fresher fish.

[scottyjock]

well done ..nice to get the rod bent again eh!

Pity you missed the best of the fishing though that seems to be
my luck as well ..day before or the day after!!!!

Jock

[rooster]

Grapple me grape-nuts!


Well done 666.

Rooster.

[666shaft]

Thanks all, it was very nice to get the salmon rod out again after a 6 year break and even nicer to bend it a few times! No complaints here about missing the "best of the fishing" but I wouldn't mind being back up there now, roll on October!

[kercock]

Well done,after a six year break,you must have been over the moon,all you hoped it would be. Great..

[ryanol]

lovely looking salmon
the head of that fish looks like a sea trout
so does the position of the eye
its probably just me

[stoater]

Well done, your good year continues!
Me, I'd say your fine fish is 100% Salmon. Gill markings, colouring down the lateral line, and the tail all indicate to me she's a late Springer. Don't they colour up quickly? In summer on Tweed they look like this-almost exactly- within 2 weeks of entry to the warm and often semi-stagnant bottom Beats,

[666shaft]

Hi all,
DEFINATELY a Salmon, I have caught over 500 in my time and more than a few Sea-Trout too so I do know the difference! I do have other photos showing the fish layed flat and you can see the forked tail better. As stoater said, a late springer thats been lying low for some time. I wouldn't have objected to it being a Sea-Trout as it would have been a new personal best fly caught ST!

[tynetraveller]

Yup, that is 100% a salmon, no doubt at all.

Whether or not it is a 13-14lb salmon, That is a different question :-)

[666shaft]

tynetraveller said:

Yup, that is 100% a salmon, no doubt at all.

Whether or not it is a 13-14lb salmon, That is a different question :-)

The fish was witnessed by a river keeper and 2 other anglers and estimated at 13 - 14lb, she was very broad across the back and very solid. Like I said before, I have caught a lot of Salmon and most of them before the days of catch and release so have weighed a lot of fish and don't think that estimate is too far of the mark!
At the end of the day it is just a number and whether that number is 1lb or 100lb it was a Salmon and I was delighted to catch and release it.

[severnfisher]

Well done 666 and bet you won't leave it another five years.
did I see your pic in FF&FT this month?

Don't they colour up quickly? In summer on Tweed they look like this-almost exactly- within 2 weeks of entry to the warm and often semi-stagnant bottom Beats,

Stoater,
Genuinely interested to hear you say that. I've always assumed that fish that looked like that had been in the river a wee bit longer. The Severn is a couple of degrees warmer than the Tweed or Tyne, but I wouldn't expect an early June runner to start looking like that till well into July.

Tom

[tynetraveller]

666 shaft- It is very true that sometimes the breadth of the fish does not come over in photos. - I just couldn't resist a michael-take..

Congratulations on getting amongst them after a long break.

Cheers, Simon

[666shaft]

Tynetraveller
I'm all for a michael take but couldn't resist biting back!

Severnfisher
yes that was myself in FF &FT

Thanks to all for congrats