Perch being caught at West Pond after 10 year absence
Last updated 08:38, Friday, 03 October 2008
After an absence of more than 10 years, catches of perch are now being caught once again at Longtown West Pond.
Young Joe Uttley from Carlisle was the first angler to catch perch using a small perch pattern Mini S plug intended for pike. Joe landed two perch of around 8oz each.
I was fully expecting to see a Jack Pike emerge from the water when his lure was grabbed as it neared the lilies, and I think I was more excited than Joe when his first West Pond perch came out from underneath the lily pads on the end of his line.
Just to show that it wasn't a fluke, Carlisle angler Paul Dane landed five perch between four and 8oz on worms during a session.
Jack Hodgson, seven, from Carlisle, also got in on the act by landing two, and, not to be outdone, West Pond warden Mark Yeomans landed eight during a short evening session.
I met Mark on the bank shortly afterwards he was once again float fishing a worm over the marginal weed and we began debating about how strange it was that the perch had avoided capture for years.
Then just as suddenly you can virtually catch them to order, Mark's float quivered, the conversation stopped, and his float gently slid away.
As he struck and his rod bent I gave a cheer fully expecting a perch to appear on cue and Mark swung in a perfectly formed pike all of six inches long.
That's fishing for you!
Salmon anglers have been enjoying good sport on the River Eden since Brian Rowland of Butterton, Staffs, caught his 23½lb salmon, as reported in last weeks paper.
Warwick Hall has probably had the best of the sport but fish are now being caught right through the river system.
R Hinchcliffe landed a 5½lb grilse on a Flying C Warwick Hall's Garden Wall, Lol Ellwood used the same method in the Rushes to take an eight-pounder, and Paul Davidson also fished the Rushes landing 14-pounder on a Rapala.
John Hindle landed a five-pound fish on Friday in the House Pool before landing a 15 pounder in the Gravel Bed. Robin Gillett landed fish of six and seven pounds on worm before taking a 15-pounder on a Flying C.
On Sunday, Keith Brownson and Stewart Rose fished the Nunnery, Keith landing a worm caught seven-pounder and Stewart a 12-pounder on the fly.
The same day Paul Davidson landed fish of five and four-and-a-half pounds at Irthing Foot and a five-pounder in the Rushes all on the fly.
On Monday, Alan Parr landed a brace at three and five pound, Tom Kay landed a 12-pounder in the House Pool. But Jim Robinson, after landing a five-pounder in the lower Gravel Bed, hooked the best fish of the week, an 18-pounder, on a Flying C in the Rushes.
On Tuesday, David Bamford had fish of 14lb, five pound and three pound on a Flying C all in the Nunnery, and John Leighton landed a four-pounder in the House Pool.
Further upstream at Armathwaite on Friday Mike Noble landed a fish of seven-and-a-half on a Toby, and Pom Davidson landed a 10-pounder in Tobies Hole also on a Toby at Addisons Bank on the Low House beat.
The same day John McClay landed a 10-pounder also on a Toby in the Willows on the Carrnook beat.
On Sunday local rod Roger Graves fished Nichol Hole on the Low House beat with a Toby to land a salmon of six-and-a-half pounds.
This year's big Tarnside Sea Angling Club Autumn Charity match will be staged over Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19. For more information contact Heather on 07517045013 or 07511453159.
