There is an opinion circulating in this Club that there are no fish in the Northern or Gichuki Rivers. This is as truthful as the claim from Pakistani Government that no-one of any interest was living in a mansion in Abbottabad for five and a half years.

So we ask you all to try the Northern Camp this year. Here are ten good reasons to fish the Northern and Gichuki:-
1. The biggest fish in 60 years was caught there, by Ross Samuels. An 8lb 9oz brown trout on Beat 6. And its mother and father are very annoyed. Mr. Bell and Mr. Brainch can also tell you stories of dragging monsters from the deep. One thing’s for sure, your are more likely to catch a record fish here than on the beloved Southern.
2. The temperature of the Gichugi is one and a half degrees colder that the Northern, and fishermen claim the fish fight harder there.
3. The colour of rainbows seem to be much redder and better looking on the Gichuki so maybe the food source is more abundant. The evening rise here is better than the morning.
4. The rivers run faster so members need to change their technique, with less casting and more time ‘feet wet’, getting their fly in the right place for longer. Slow retrieves are more productive than fast ones. Use sinking line. On a 9ft rod.
5. Fish the camp grounds. The rebuilding of the weirs in this area has improved our ability to hold fish. The bigger fish are near the camp.
6. The best beats are currently:
• Beat 6 up to Njoroge’s pool. And all the pools on beat six are holding browns as well as rainbows.
• Beat 4 fish the concrete bridge to fig tree area or from the Kiro Bridge down the first two big bends.
• Beat 2 top end is also very good although only for those intrepid fishermen.
7. Fish until it gets dark to the point where you can’t even see the fly . Northern fishermen have found that last ten minutes can be the most productive.
8. On both rivers Princes Beaded Nymph on the end, and Royal Coachman on the dropper work best. Carlton, Peter Ross and Dynamite all work well for rainbow. And for browns Princes Beaded Nymph or Beaded Coachman with a Bloody Butcher or Blood Worm on the dropper.
9. The Camp and staff are great, with a new cook and a lady housekeeper. The Camp is clean and tidy.
10. With directions on the new road to come, the trip will be cut down by 25 min on a tar road all the way to Kiro by the end of the year.

So, gentlemen, what are you waiting for? And to encourage the competition, I will provide a trophy for the biggest fish caught on the Northern or Gichuki, to be competed for annually from the 2011 season. It shall be known as Harrison’s Horn. And it shall be substantial.