Outstanding Catfish

We are overjoyed to hear of the recent success of Mr Phil Buckingham, with his Hexagraph Specimen Float rod.  He has had many enjoyable hours with his Hexagraph over the last 20 years and it has served him well.  But it surpassed all his expectations recently, when he landed a 90lbs catfish, and then an 85lbs catfish!  He said the the Hexagraph was kitted up with an old reel and only 15lbs line, but everything managed superbly - even if it caused his heart to flutter, just a little!  Many, many congratulations, Sir!

Outstanding Catfish and Hexagraph Specimen Float rod

Mr Phil Buckingham with his recent success, landed on his Hexagraph Specimen Float rod.  Not one, but two amazing catfish:  85lbs and 90lbs!  WOW!  Well done Mr Buckingham!  Definitely, your "fish of a lifetime" moment!

River Wensum, Norfolk

The River Wensum in Norfolk is a beautiful chalk stream set in idyllic countryside, within spitting distance of the North Norfolk coast.  The Wensum supports an abundant fly life with a good Mayfly hatch in the month of May.  The river holds a good head of wild browns, chub, pike, dace and perch and is carefully managed by the syndicate with stocking of tagged brown trout in the season. 

Our lovely young gentleman, Mr Chris Bentley, who features regularly on this Gallery page, caught some superb browns recently on the Wensum.  He was using his Powerlite  7' #4 rod, which gave him a deft presentation, whilst offering plenty of strength when controlling bigger fish in the narrow and weedy environments of a chalk stream with abundant spring vegetation. The 7’ rod is a great tool to have when fishing unknown quantities, allowing you to reach tighter lies whilst still managing to cast a line 30m without effort. 

His last fish of the day smashed a dry mayfly at the bridge pool top of Yarrow beat running to 2 1/2lb (18").  The  first fish of the day fell to a PTN with crystal flash at the county school bridge running to 1 3/4lb (16"). 

 Fish began rising steadily later in the afternoon from 3pm, but he had to head off and drive back towards Cambridge to prep the fish supper!   A very good day out!

Upper Skagit River, USA

This is one of those photos that makes you think......."I so want to be there!"  This was taken on the Upper Skagit River near Seattle, Washington, USA.  To escape the unusually high temperatures this summer in that part of the world, our dear friend, Mr Paul Dudley, headed up there.  The Upper Skagit has some good rainbows and bull trout, and he was using his Switch 11' rod to good effect - it's not just a pretty rod!  That has got to be on the "bucket list", surely!

Success on the River Dee

What a fabulous scene!  This just sums up the joy of salmon fishing. Such a beautiful fish!   It was taken in June, on Borrowston beat on the River Dee in Scotland. The lucky fisherman is Mr Frank Fletcher and he caught this beautiful 12lbs salmon, with fresh long tailed sea lice on it, using a Yellow Monkey fly, on his Norway Speycaster 15'. It had been a slow start to the week, but the water dropped away nicely, and then the fish started to come along...... patience. And hope!  Well done that man! 

Success in British Columbia

A great success for Mr Tim Arsenault in British Columbia.  This beautiful steelhead was taken on the Thompson River in British Columbia, using a Walker 16'6" salmon rod.  And even better,  his fishing companion that day was a professional photographer, Mr Aaron Goodis (www.aarongoodisphotography.com)  who was on hand to capture this magical moment!

Stylish Casting

A beautiful shot of the Thompson River in British Columbia and tournament casting competitor, Mr Tim Arsenault.  There are some very stylish moves, and you can just see a very smart D Loop (though conversion to website size has reduced photo size considerably).  The rod is his vintage Walker 16'6" and the whole effect was caught on camera by Mr Aaron Goodis, (www.aarongoodisphotography.com),  who kindly allowed us to share this with you.  I'm sure you'll agree, that with such breath taking scenery, catching a fish would be a bonus!  

Keeping it in the family

Mr Clark Snr and Mr Clark Jnr both had a day's fishing together on the Borrowston Beat, River Dee, Scotland. Although a life long coarse fisherman, it was Mr Clark Jnr's first ever day of salmon fishing. He borrowed the Walker 15'6" rod belonging to Ghillie, Bill Palmer and under Bill's tutilege, set off for the morning. At Bridge Pool on the beat, Mr Clark Jnr was into a fresh run 9lbs spring salmon. His first ever salmon! He said it was the most exciting fishing experience ever! However, when they returned down the beat to Green Bank, where Mr Clark Snr had been fishing, they discovered that he too had been successful. A fresh run 12lbs salmon! Father and son, in one morning. Doesn't get much better than that!   Happy days.

Further Success for Mr Trevor Dale

Riding on the success of the christening of his new Walker 14'6" salmon rod, Mr Trevor Dale of York, continued to make the most of the clear water of the River Tweed at Carham.  He caught a second salmon, again using the 3" black and yellow "Posh Tosh", and his new Walker 14'6" salmon rod.  As you can see, it's a most beautiful specimen - his two salmon weighed 9lbs and 6lbs.  He was overjoyed with the performance and ability of his new rod and can't wait for his next trip!

A Great Start to the New Year!

This has to gladden the heart of every fisherman at the beginning of a New Year!  Mr Trevor Dale of York, took his new Walker 14'6" salmon rod to the River Tweed, for a few days' fishing on the Carham Beat.  The previous three days, the river had been up and coloured at 5', with branches and debris coming down, and very strong winds, gusting 40mph.  But overnight it dropped to 4' and was clear.  Using his new Walker 14'6" with a 3" black and yellow "Posh Tosh", he landed this beautiful salmon.  It was a great way to christen his new Walker 14'6"!

Stunning Sea Trout

Mr Paul Edwards christened his new 9'   Bruce & Walker spinning rod with this beautiful sea trout.  What a magnificent sight it it.  This and another sea trout, (3lbs and 4lbs respectively) were caught on the River Till in Northumberland in May of this year.  Mr Edwards also has a new Powerlite 11'3" rod, which he hopes to christen as well, very soon!

Spring Dee Salmon on the new Walker 15'6"

Mr Bill Palmer from the Borrowston Beat on the River Dee sent this fabulous photo to us of an 18lbs spring fish, caught in February of this year, on the Borrowston Beat.  It gave a good fight in high water conditions.  It was the first of many for Bill on his new Walker 15'6" salmon fly rod.

Supreme Sturgeon

Mr Daniel Hughes wrote to us with this amazing sturgeon weighing 96.5lbs.  It is truly an awesome sight.   It was caught in the Celtic Lakes in Wales and was caught on a 2.5lbs Bruce & Walker Expert Carp rod.  The sturgeon took 40 minutes to land.  This must be Mr Hughes'  Fish of a Lifetime moment.  Mr Hughes is a Bruce & Walker fan, having 4 Expert Carp rods that he uses all the time, and this sturgeon was caught on his 30 year old Expert Carp rod!

River Moy salmon

This splendid 15lb salmon was caught by Mr Ken Hall, in June 2012, on the River Moy in Ireland, on the East Mayo club water.  Mr Hall was using a Norway 13' #7-9 with a home made variation of a size 10 single stoat's tail in blue and silver, with a red butt.  The smile says it all!

River Dee summer salmon

This beautiful summer salmon was caught on a new Norway 15'  Mk II by Mr Ashley Gibbins on the River Dee.  It weighed in at 12lbs.  Many congratulations!

River Dee success

Mr Keith Harris caught this amazing salmon, weighing in at 16lbs, with his Bruce & Walker rod.  A great success for all concerned and a happy memory of a wonderful day's fishing.

Another good day on River Dee

Another successful day's fishing on the beautiful River Dee.  Mr George Thompson landed this good fish weighing in at 7lbs.  Photo shows Ghillie, Mr Bill Palmer, with Mr George Thompson.

Hooked on Dorado

Mr Chris Bentley of Cambridgeshire spent three magical weeks in Argentina on honeymoon.  He had special dispensation for a few days' fishing for Dorado whilst out there.  This is a salmonid river fish, found throughout the length of the Rio Parana in Argentina.  The river starts in Brazil and outwashes into the Atlantic near Buenos Aires.  The river forms a natural boundary between Paraquay and Argentina.  The wildlife is incredible.  Eagles, cayman, capybara, water buffalo and snakes all providing great opportunities for the photographer.

The Dorado fish shelters underneath the Calimoti lily pads, away from the view of eagles and cayman.  Although bait and spinning are both popular with locals, fly fishing for the Dorado is gaining in popularity.  The Dorado gives an explosive take and aerobatic runs as they fight to get away.  Ideal tackle for fishing Dorado would be 9' - 10' rod, at least a #8 line, strong reel and smooth drag, plus a 7' leader made from 20lb knottable wire (12") and 25lb fluorocarbon (6').  Flies should be large on a saltwater hook.  They are typically made using dyed hen and cock hackles, tungsten eyes and deer hair.  The fly should be bright, with contrasting material in black or white, and a little tinsel to aid the attraction.

Mr Bentley stayed with a family who arranged the fishing with a local fishing guide, who is an experienced fly fisher for Dorado.  The best approach is to take a boat which will ease you through the maze of the vegetation and go to the head of the point, where the water is fastest.  Stripping the line back quickly to maintain contact with the fly, before lifting the rod and placing the fly in a different spot, until the water has been fished through.  Takes are explosive.  You must keep tension on the line, or else the fish will be lost within a fraction of a second.  Once hooked, the Dorado will not give up.  They fight hard all the way to the boat, so you can expect sore fingers and tired arms after a day's fishing!  In two days, Mr Bentley landed 10 Dorado, ranging up to 10lbs.

Monster Mirror Carp in Italy

This monster mirror carp weighs in at 41 lbs!  It was taken on a Hexagraph Avon 11' on a carp lake in northern Italy, near the small town of Vercelli, by Mr Ray Johnys.  The carp was taken only a rod's length out.  Mr Johnys fishes the lake most years, but this was an exceptional year for him.  The lake record stands at 51 lbs 9 ozs!

River Test success for Peter Buckey

Mr Peter Buckey collected his bespoke trout fly rod from Bruce & Walker in April for his 30th birthday present.  He also received a birthday gift of a day's fishing on the River Test.  Before lunch he had landed no less than 10 fish, weighing between 3lbs - 5lbs!  After lunch, he landed another 8!  Clearly the little sprinkling of magic dust we use on every rod before it leaves us worked well for him.

Action in Argentina

This spectacular photo was taken at Lago Argentino, a glacial meltwater lake fed by Pueto Morineo glacier, near Calafate.  In the background is the Patagonian step with the snow capped Andes, forming a natural border with Chile.  What an amazing place to go fishing!

This lake covers 1,500 square km with an average depth of 180m and over 700m at its deepest point. The surrounding banks are frozen with ice and the water is ice cold.  Mr Chris Bentley of Cambridgeshire,  took his bespoke Powerlite 4 piece trout rod and within a matter of minutes had a wild rainbow (1lb), followed shortly by this 3lb fish.

Findhorn Salmon

Many congratulations to Mr Len Nicol.  What a wonderful start to the season.  This beautiful 27lb salmon (40 inches long) was caught by Mr Nicol, using his Bruce & Walker Powerlite 15' in late April, on the lower Findhorm.  A superb fish and a fantastic start to his fishing calendar!

Shaggy dog story

Who doesn't love a shaggy dog story?  This is Vilma.  Vilma was a homeless dog rescued from Spain and now much loved in her forever home.  Apparently, whenever Vilma goes fishing with Mr Pekka Huttunen of Finland, she brings good luck.  As you can see clearly from the good fish and the Bruce & Walker Norway 15' rod!  What goes around, comes around.  I think we should all rescue a dog and take it fishing!

Pekka Huttunen of Finland

Mr Pekka Huttunen of Finland is shown here using his Bruce & Walker Norway 15' #10-11 three piece rod on the River Kalix in Sweden, fishing for salmon.  He managed to land a good fish, but lost two others the same day.  Salmon in the River Kalix are often very large.  Mr Huttunen also fishes the River Tornio which is the longest free flowing salmon river in Europe.  The river's length, together with headwaters, totals some 550km.  

Success in New Zealand

Mr Trevor Fowler commissioned Bruce & Walker to make a bespoke Hexagraph 9' trout fly rod.  In February 2012, Mr Fowler embarked upon a trip we would all enjoy - fishing in New Zealand.  And here is just one of several superb 6lb brown trout he caught on his new Hexagraph rod!  This was from the Leslie River, in the Kahurangi National Park, South Island, New Zealand.  An amazing fishing trip and a fabulous photo.

Mirror Carp from The Netherlands

This lovely story confirms, as if you ever doubted it, that we always sprinkle a little magic dust on all our rods before they leave us for their new homes.  Mr Remco Heijmen of The Netherlands commissioned us to make him a matching pair of Expert Carp rods, 12'  2.5lbs. They were finished to his own colour specification and had a personal inscription.  On their very first outing in July 2011, in a swim very close to Houten in The Netherlands,  the Mirror Carp weighing 29lbs gave Mr Heijmen a little excitement at 5.30am.  It was still quite dark, but he could feel everything through the rod - and what a fantastic start to his day!

Largest salmon on the Usk for 62 years

This is an amazing story, which will raise every fisherman's spirit.  Measuring almonst 50 inches in length, this 42 lb salmon was caught by Dr Mike Scott on 14 September 2011.  Using his Bruce & Walker Powerlite 15' #10 rod, it was virtually the last cast of the day when Dr Scott realised that he had no ordinary salmon on his fly.  It took almost an hour to beach.  It was a powerful fish and after weighing and photographing, this magnificent specimen was released, once fully fit to go.  Hopefully it will contribute well to the gene pool of the fish breeding in the Usk this winter.  From information provided, it would seem that this is the heaviest fish from the Usk in 62 years, being bettered by only one pound in 1949.  One has to go back 100 years to significantly better its weight, and then by only six pounds by catches recorded in 1911 and 1913.  Truly, a fish of a lifetime.

Mr Charles St Pierre

Mr Charles St Pierre of North West Angling of Tacoma, America, caught this amazing fish on his Bruce & Walker Powerlite 15' rod.

Lise Christensen of Norway

Mrs Lise Christensen of Norway caught this magnificent 24lb salmon on the River Reisa in northern Norway, on just her second cast of the day.  She was using a Parabolic Speycaster 14'.  The very next day on the same rod she caught a beautiful 20lb salmon!

Mr George Lilley

Mr George Lilley of Forres was fishing the River Findhorn in Scotland using his Bruce & Walker Norway 15' rod when he caught this splendid 13lb springer.

Mr Ian Hone

Mr Ian Hone caught this superb fish on his Bruce & Walker  bespoke 7' spinning rod

Ben Ripley

Here is a story to break the hearts of many seasoned salmon fishermen.  Mr Ben Ripley has been a trout fisherman of many years, but was entirely new to the world of fishing for salmon.  He bought a Norway 15′ #10-11 three piece rod, and went to the River Spey with three friends in April 2009 for his first week’s salmon fishing.  The conditions were not splendid, but on the very first day he caught a 26 lb salmon!  What are the chances of that?  Sadly, for his friends, it was the only fish caught all week. 

Mr Steven Waterhouse

Mr Steven Waterhouse was fishing on a lake called Les Croix in south west France, when he caught this magnificent carp on his Bruce & Walker Expert carp rod 2.5lbs.  In total, Mr Waterhouse had an excellent week, catching 39 carp ranging from the low 20 pounds up to 42 pounds.

Bjorner Christensen

Bjorner Christensen fishing on the Laerdal, Norway on a Bruce & Walker rod made to his own design.

Tomo Nakajima of Natural Inc, Japan

Fishing in Canada – nearly, the one that got away!

Letter to the Editor, Trout & Salmon Magazine

Mr Stephen Ward and his friend, Tony

Mr Stephen Ward and his friend, Tony, with the results of a terrific week on Sprouston, River Tweed, February 2009. Over 22 Kelts were caught and returned, as were 3 Springers.

Mr Nigel Hartley in Wales

Mr Nigel Hartley with 18.5lbs of Welsh Salmon

Rory Frampton with a double figure mullet

Rory Frampton, 13 years, with a double figure mullet, caught on a bespoke Bruce & Walker spinning rod. Caught on the River Yealm, the fish is approx 40-50 years old. It was released immediately.

Fishing in Japan

The photos shows a gentleman fishing in traditional fishing dress in Hokkaido, Japan, using a Bruce & Walker salmon fly rod.

Ito in Hokkaido, Japan

Hokkaido is the most northern of the four islands that make up Japan. This is the coldest of all the islands, and reportedly, the best for fishing. Their cherished fish is the Ito, which looks similar to a large brown trout.

Simon Bath fishing in Russia

Dasho Jurme Wangchuk 70lb

Dasho Jurme Wangchuk, North India landed a 70lb Golden Mahaseer using a Bruce & Walker Multspin 10′

Brian Potter Fishing Ponoi, Kola Peninsula, Russia

Brian Potter Fishing Ponoi, Kola Peninsula, Russia

Ian Neale