Country diary: the autumn run is a bruising experience for the fish

Hexham, Northumberland Driven by the urge to spawn in the valleys where they were born, salmon and sea trout catapult themselves through the spilling weirCrossing the wet road, I hurry past the agricultural merchant’s yard with its red machinery and silver trailers. The rain drums on my umbrella as I reach the trampled spot on the bank where I can look out over the Tyne. It’s this rain that’s made the river rise, triggering the autumn run of salmon and sea trout below Hexham&rs