River Don 2022

« **Reply #75 on:** 08/05/2022 at 20:45 »

Hello,

I was out and about today, (in the wind).....limited on the days I can get on the river so go whatever the weather.

Now if it wasnt for the wind it would have been a great day in terms of hatches, the best hatch of the day was around 1300 where I was.....clouds of little sedges? and a smatter later on of olives.

I caught plenty of trout, probably 4-5 of report....all around 1/2 pound mark..............and probably about 45 parr,

No bigger fish showing at all

But.....then got thinking about what a 'good' fish means.....a 'good' fish does not matter the size......its how you spot them, how you approach them, and ow you target them.....and get them to take the fly....if you land them, thats a 'good' fish,

Oh.....and I also saw a Mink with a trout today......first time in 15 years I've seen one on the Don.

Steven

« **Reply #76 on:** 09/05/2022 at 07:24 »

Also out yesterday with same experience, very few rises all my fish on nymphs GRHE

« **Reply #77 on:** 10/05/2022 at 08:21 »

Where did you see the mink ?
There's not been many in recent years and the Fishery Board are active and have some volunteers who will trap and dispatch them.
Let them know and they'll hopefully address the problem.

« **Reply #78 on:** 10/05/2022 at 09:32 »

We saw a mink on Saturday too. I’ll show you where today.

We also saw a few fish and again they all seemed to be doing different things

Olive uprights early doors seemed to be the thing, then it swung to sedges for a short time

And then back to smaller olives mid afternoon

The fish in faster water seemed to like the cdc spider, but the better ones in the slower runs wanted a plume tip and wouldn’t take anything more suggestive

Very finicky but some good fish showing and a lot of refusals

« **Reply #79 on:** 10/05/2022 at 20:43 »

The fish are certainly finicky, Sandy. I was watching a good fish confidently taking Olive Uprights when a larger dun, possibly a March Brown or a Large Brook, sailed down and the trout rose and then refused the natural.

« **Reply #80 on:** 10/05/2022 at 21:53 »

Quote from: Fred Hay on 10/05/2022 at 08:21

Where did you see the mink ?
There's not been many in recent years and the Fishery Board are active and have some volunteers who will trap and dispatch them.
Let them know and they'll hopefully address the problem.

I saw one on the Inverurie side at the top of the Marrat last week.
Quite a few ducks have disappeared from Haughton farm recently so I think this might be the culprit.
It's been many years since I last saw one.

Duncan

« **Reply #81 on:** 12/05/2022 at 20:37 »

Been an tricky few days with plenty flies as before but not so many rising fish

Ended up nymphing yesterday for a while and had a greedy bugger take an after dinner nymph

A few on the DHE prospecting in the afternoon and then onto today.

A small sedge emerger seemed to be the ideal balance

The odd sipper here and there seemed to like it. Wandering down to a couple of fish I have marked proved a good call

One was the second best of the season so far and the other on the next cast was a beautiful chunky fish that was nearly as heavy

So finally an afternoon where the fish finally decided to actually take the fly

« **Reply #82 on:** 12/05/2022 at 21:04 »

Great stuff Sandy

Good things come to those that walk the banks

I need to pull my finger out

« **Reply #83 on:** 14/05/2022 at 20:14 »

So I’m having tomorrow off as I’m back to work Monday after my 2 weeks holiday

I managed a few wee ones and a half decent one in the wild wind of yesterday. The wee sedge emerger still the way forward when presented to a rising fish

The same fly worked again today as it has for the last two weeks, for most of the rising fish, looking a bit ragged but still working in a 16 and 14.

Today was a day of hard fighting wee fish picked out with the emerger. But then I found a decent one picking something out of the leaf litter and he was happy to hit a hawthorn, spots in HD and what a lovely looking fish.

So a few fish each day for the last couple of weeks with the odd good one amongst them. Thursday was the special day and the red letter event for the 2 weeks but it’s been fun. I’m even quite happy to go back to work

« **Reply #84 on:** 19/05/2022 at 21:12 »

Hello,

I was out on the river today and had the time of my life.....red letter kind of day.

The hatches were great where I was, however the fish were very picky on what they moved for, really had to work hard for each fish, multiple fly changes and plenty time resting rising fish before having another go.

I landed the fish of my lifetime today

......and on the dry fly, after 4 fly changes and alot of waiting and watching......I have no words to describe the feeling, enjoy the pictures.

Steven

« **Reply #85 on:** 19/05/2022 at 21:31 »

Cracker - Great stuff Steven

« **Reply #86 on:** 19/05/2022 at 21:38 »

Cheers Mike, I'm still shaking!...the others for the day were around this stamp, all just stunning, what a river we have.

Steven

« **Reply #87 on:** 20/05/2022 at 07:48 »

Awesome Steve

beautiful fish and well earned. Plenty time and effort and
The rewards are coming

« **Reply #88 on:** 20/05/2022 at 08:23 »

Steven, well done, belters.

Your time and effort has paid off.

Eddie

« **Reply #89 on:** 23/05/2022 at 11:45 »

So it’s been an interesting weekend.

The fish are still being quite finicky but I had a go during the day on Friday and Saturday and found there are still some nice fish picking off olives , terrestrials and spent spinners

The spent spinner has been quite good in a 14
Especially before 11am and after 7pm

Some of the fish were happy taking a small olive emerger too although the best one of the last 4 days didn’t hang around long enough for his mugshot his buddy did a stand in for him

I tried an early morning and although there were some nice rising fish I found them very reluctant to connect with quite a few refusals. So went back and did another evening instead.

Again spinners from 7 through to about 9.30

But around 10pm there was a 15 min burst where the water came alive and there were suddenly some big fish smashing sedges all around. I managed to get one (one of the smaller ones

) and then it all stopped as fast as it started.

I met up with a new mate on Saturday and he continued to get his head around the art of dryfly, with some success, always great seeing the fish do what you say they should

So definitely worth a look in the evenings although the wind can have a major effect on what happens. And be ready when the fish stop looking at the spinners to change to a smallish (14) sedge or emerger and you will get a narrow window to get the fly in front of a good fish.

« **Reply #90 on:** 23/05/2022 at 12:21 »

there is an imposter on the forum ! The 'real Sandy' would never have a keeper ring on his rod.....

« **Reply #91 on:** 23/05/2022 at 15:42 »

Quote from: James Laraway on 23/05/2022 at 12:21

there is an imposter on the forum ! The 'real Sandy' would never have a keeper ring.

Funnily enough, I don’t seem to notice this one, I think the rod is so light my hand sits further back on the grip so it doesn’t annoy me

« **Reply #92 on:** 24/05/2022 at 09:14 »

Great stuff Sandy, nice pics and lots of useful info for anybody that's on the water

« **Reply #93 on:** 24/05/2022 at 21:04 »

Nice one Sandy, great that the evenings are starting to be productive. I was planning a trip out Friday evening after work but......I have a date with my wife to see Downton Abbey at the cinema...

Steven

« **Reply #94 on:** 30/05/2022 at 16:44 »

An interesting weekend between evenings and afternoons. Lots of flies for the fish to choose from

Large Brook duns

Large dark olives

Yellow mays

Olive uprights

And the trouts all time favourite the Iron Blue Dun

Plus the spinners of all the above made for interesting fly choice, especially when most of them seem to be taking different flies and stages. That’s not to mention the several sizes of sedge and the gnats and hawthorns, etc!

This guy had the often seen scarring on the nose we see during May and June

The iron blues were definitely the preferred food and some of the tiny dimple rises were surprising fish

I got properly smashed up by a real bruiser that hit a size 16 cdc emerger and then ran away from me just as I struck, all the holes in the Swiss cheese lined up and I got my ass handed to me, but it was a rush.

« **Reply #95 on:** 30/05/2022 at 20:05 »

Some cracking fish you and Steve have been catching Sandy. Hoping for a few days on the river this week and your pics and reports have served as inspiration while working away.

« **Reply #96 on:** 31/05/2022 at 16:49 »

Lots of small dark olives coming off last night I managed a better photo

The fish were still happy with an Iron Blue spinner, this guy had another scabby nose.

This afternoon however was something special, but not for the fish. I have seen one of these once before but today I managed to catch one on the Don

Ephemera Danica and easily 2.5” long

So we have proper mayfly on the Don, here’s hoping the population grows, has to be a cracking meal for a big fish

« **Reply #97 on:** 31/05/2022 at 17:11 »

Awesome - great to see

« **Reply #98 on:** 01/06/2022 at 10:20 »

Superb Sandy, Danica also known as Green Drake?

That is just brilliant to see, have you seen these before on the Don?

Steven

« **Reply #99 on:** 01/06/2022 at 11:57 »

I saw one once before, further upstream, it was flying and I couldn’t catch it for a photo to confirm.
This time I watched it hatch and was able to get it and let it dry out on my rod while I got some photos.