Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #25 on: 02/06/2020 at 23:18 »
Great stuff Sandy ..... enjoy the dram  :z16

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #26 on: 10/06/2020 at 08:40 »
Had a couple of nice fish last night and Monday night.

Monday’s rise lasted 20mins, last night it was an hour and 45min.

Started with big sedges and finished with micro sedges which makes things interesting in the dark.

My two best from last night both to a size 10 sedge emerger





No pics from Monday as I left my camera at home, but at least I’m getting the dark shots to work now.

Sandy

Steven Sinclair

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #27 on: 12/06/2020 at 17:51 »
 Whilst I was sitting having my tea last night, the look that I gave as I peered out of the window was that of "it feels right". So I quickly finished my scran, grabbed my gear and set off for Don Side.

Unfortunately there was a far stiffer downstream breeze than I was expecting and I had a funny feeling that the cold wind would keep them down and sulking.

I am pleased to announce that one (well two I also dropped one) great conditioned seatrout decided to play ball 😎




Please excuse the fish being out of the water and in the grass. As some of you know I currently have a fractured knee and when couple with a high bank I had little option but to lift her up onto the bank in the net. Suffice to say it swam back strongly regardless.

 :z18

Steven

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #28 on: 13/06/2020 at 12:04 »
Nice fish Steven :z16

We've seen a few this week but not managed to land one yet, been smashed up a couple of times so either big browns or their sea going cousins being brutal towards a tweeked sedge.

There have been a few nice ones though last couple of evenings



Tiny dimples which looked like minnows messing about turned out to be a pod of decent fish and one became 3 all to a small sedge merger, i reckon they were taking hatching pupa and only just touching the surface with a tip of the tail or dorsal.




Lots and lots of fly variety both on an evening and during the day, with Yellow mays, Iron blues, small dark olives, caenis, large green duns and as of yesterday Blue winged olives hatching most of the day. Loads of different sized spinners (but all orange) on a night mixed with sedges of all sizes from great big 6's down to size 20's, so finding the right one depends where you are.
Plenty other nice fish but no monsters yet, hoping the water is fishable tonight, we shall see........

Sandy

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #29 on: 13/06/2020 at 12:42 »
They wouldn't take just any fly though ...... as I found out  :z4  :z4  :z4

Steven Sinclair

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #30 on: 13/06/2020 at 12:53 »
Thanks gents,

A size 8 black pennel with Seniors twist added to it was its downfall 👍 if I was only allowed the one fly to catch all three species from river or Loch that would unquestionably be it 😎

 :z18

Steven

Eddie Sinclair

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #31 on: 13/06/2020 at 13:08 »
Sandy, that is one of the flys I sent to you, I am sure that you know which one it is. I lost two sea trout on the Dee the same night that Steven got his one on the Don.

It is my first choice on any loch and for seatrout.

Eddie

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #32 on: 13/06/2020 at 14:20 »
Black Pennel was always a great fly  :z16

Gavin Stevenson

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #33 on: 13/06/2020 at 18:52 »
I also got number of trout last night with small black pennel. All caught before gloaming but nothing after.

Eddie Sinclair

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #34 on: 13/06/2020 at 19:32 »
Black Pennel was always a great fly  :z16

Mike, the fly that Steven is referring to is a highly modified version of the original, however as you say the black pennel is a great pattern.

Eddie :z18

Steven Sinclair

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #35 on: 13/06/2020 at 20:44 »
Mike,

On a side note. As I previously suspected. The "lochstyle" is absolutely perfect for swinging wets on the river 👍 I couldn't be happier with it 😎

 :z18

Steven

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #36 on: 13/06/2020 at 21:02 »
Great stuff Steven, it's a pretty awesome rod  :z12

Really pleased that you are enjoying it :z16
Cheers
Mike

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #37 on: 27/06/2020 at 11:25 »
I got out last night in the mist, which was warm.
Expected a dead river, but it really kicked off around half 10 with the fish nailing little wee sedges

Last of the summer wine, my mate Foggy  :z4


plenty fish in the 10-12" range happy to nail a size 16 CDC and Elk until about 1115 and then it changed again and they started on the bigger ones, which i think were sand flies as one took a piggyback home with me and i found him on the floor this morning in the kitchen



The yellowish body and tan wings, around a size 10-12 depending on your hook. this is what a Rhyacophilia nymph becomes. When they started hatching the trout were really making some noise.



This one went all airborne on me and i thought it was a seatrout, still thought he was a seatrout when he was in the net, but the photos and his yellow fins this morning suggest he was an acrobatic local.





Good fun in the Dark and the Fog, fishing by ear  :z1 with a dry sedge.

Sandy

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #38 on: 27/06/2020 at 11:39 »
Great stuff Sandy :z16

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #39 on: 01/07/2020 at 14:27 »
The other prolific sedge just now is the Grey Flag, which is one of hydropsychidae family.
About the same size as the SandFly caddis, around  a 12 but grey rather than yellow.



some of the rising fish the other night,  hitting both these sedges, we not locals  :z16



A bit of acrobatic fun in  the dusk.

Sandy

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #40 on: 01/07/2020 at 21:42 »
I thought Scotland was still closed to 'tourists' .... maybe it doesn't apply to the silver ones :z8

Eddie Sinclair

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #41 on: 01/07/2020 at 22:20 »
Nice one Sandy, it’s a brownie coming home from its holidays.

Eddie

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #42 on: 02/07/2020 at 08:55 »
Cheers Eddie, judging by the way she was carrying on, it was the butteries she'd come back for  :z7

Last night was pretty decent too, superb BWO hatch from about half 8 onwards



the fish started on the hatching nymphs and then progressed through the emergers onto the dries. CDC spider in a 14 was a decent match for all, although i switched to a Plume tip when they were obviously taking the Duns



About quarter to Eleven they switched onto the Caddis and a size 12 CDC and Elk did the business again.
Lots of decent fish in the 10-14" category, which are fighting way above their weight, so a lot of fun



The one good fish i got to the net, didn't fancy getting his photo taken :z7 he preferred to give me a good soaking instead.

Sandy

Allan Liddle

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #43 on: 02/07/2020 at 09:05 »
Some cracking fish there Sandy  :z16

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #44 on: 02/07/2020 at 09:05 »
Mine always give me a soaking  :z4

Duncan McRae

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #45 on: 02/07/2020 at 12:41 »
Some great looking fish there Sandy.
Don't think i've seen the trout in better condition than they are this season.

Duncan

Duncan McRae

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #46 on: 04/07/2020 at 19:09 »
Cracking trout pictured on the Kintore FB page.
A real whopper!

Duncan

Jamie Rennie

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #47 on: 06/07/2020 at 10:37 »
It was a real fight with that one! Caught it on a Alexandria.  I’ve been following the posts on the site for a long time but never joined.  The information I’ve read over the past has been a god send. 


Duncan McRae

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #48 on: 06/07/2020 at 13:13 »
Well done Jamie,you'll remember that fish for a long time :z16

I was chasing seatrout the other week, upstream of the golf club and there were some huge trout feeding at dusk.Regretted not having my trout tackle with me.

Duncan

Dave Robb

Re: River Don 2020
« Reply #49 on: 06/07/2020 at 17:53 »
I see there was a Brownie of over 8lb caught last week as well, Upper Fintray.

 




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