Salmon and trout fishing, Tamar Valley
The River Tamar and its tributaries ( the Inny being one of them ) are a spawning ground for salmon, sea trout and brown trout; the season runs from 1st March to 14th October. When the fish start running obviously depends on how much rain falls during the season, but generally, small numbers appear in April, with more arriving between May and June in line with increased rainfall, followed by a second run during August and September. Since all netting in the river and estuary was stopped, the annual average number of catches has been increasing - the largest salmon caught in 2005 was 14lbs, and the largest sea trout 4½lbs.
Fishing is by fly only, and the relevant licenses must be obtained. If you do not have these they can be purchased from Stoke Climsland post office, a couple of miles away, or directly from the Environment Agency's website. The Environment Agency rules state that: all salmon caught before June 16th must be returned alive, as must any red fish and all salmon over 10lbs from September onwards. Rods are expected to return at least 70% of their catch ( 2 out of 3 ).
Probably the best organisation to contact to arrange permission to fish is the Launceston Anglers Association ( 01822 855053 - not likely to be answered out of season ), who manage a number of beats on the rivers in the area. One of these beats consists of a good stretch of the River Inny and the area around where it joins the Tamar, a short walk though the woods from our front door.
Alternatively you could try Endsleigh Fishing Club, who manage several beats on 12 miles of the lower River Tamar below Greystone Bridge, ten minutes by car.
The valley is a haven for wildlife, is exceptionally quiet and peaceful, with woodland on either bank that supports much birdlife and deer. During your day out fly fishing you should hear the high scree of buzzards as they circle overhead, maybe catch a flash of blue as a kingfisher flits by, and possibly, if you are very lucky, catch site of one of the otters that are known to live in this stretch.
If you prefer reservoir, or lake fishing then you might like to try one of a number of locations nearby. These include :
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Siblyback Lake, near Common Moor, south east Bodmin Moor
details ~ map
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Colliford Reservoir, near Bolventor, middle of Bodmin Moor
details ~ map
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Roadford Fishery, between Launceston and Oakhampton
details ~ map
