This small salmon may not look like much, but it could be one of the most significant fish landed in the UK for decades.
It was caught by fly angler Hector Rodriguez from the River Wandle – a chalk stream flowing into the Thames – and is the best-documented report of a salmon being landed from one of capital’s rivers for over a century.
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“I’d already had a barbel when, at 3pm, I spotted a flash beneath a tree. I thought great – another barbel – I’ll cover it,” said Hector.
Using a fly called a Squirmy Worm, he did just that, and the fish took it the drop.
“It wasn’t until it hit the net that I knew it was a salmon. I couldn’t believe it,” he added.
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The Wandle has undergone extensive restoration work over recent years, and this salmon is being seen as proof that all the effort has been worthwhile.
“This is hugely significant,” said Theo Pike, who was involved in the early work on the Wandle.
“It looked like a kelt – a salmon that’s spawned. Hopefully, this means it found another one, and there are eggs incubating in gravel on the river.
“It shows that removing rubbish to provide spawning gravels, and work to make weirs more accessible, is paying off.”
Hector sells hand-tied flies and offers guiding services. Visit his Instagram page: hector_flyfish
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