Regular ‘Tagger’ and very experienced stream fisher Iain, cradling fish (note wet cloth hat that’s another story) as longtime friend and beginner John, carefully removes the upper lip fly from this magnificent small river wild brown prior to release.

Estimate over 24 inches and between 3.5 and 4 lbs taken on small Humpy.

A great effort by John, the angler on this occasion, a ‘never used a fly rod in his life’ learner before he started his trip three days earlier.

Sighted, stalked, presented, to hand and released, it was no wonder the hat was a tight fit after this.

John insisted it was the fact that it had shrunk after his mate kept dunking it in the water to handle all the fish he caught, by I think there was a deserved slight swelling of the cranium after this effort … no not the hat again!