River Don 2011

« **Reply #225 on:** 12/06/2011 at 10:48 »

Yeah thanks I couldn't resize it properly.

« **Reply #226 on:** 15/06/2011 at 00:05 »

Had a very enjoyable night tonight. Fished a stretch I hadn't yet fished this year. The fish sit along the far bank so its a case of wading to the middle and casting to rises. Its probably a 200 yard stretch and there were enough fish rising for this to take me more than 2 hrs. It seemed every time I had either caught/lost or spooked a fish the next one would catch my eye 10 yards upstream. I caught about 10 or 12, best 1.5lbs with most being 1/2 to 3/4 lbs. Loads of fun to target every likely looking rise and getting a response most of the time. Most were on a badly chewed cdc&elk. Was frozen and soaked by the end of the stretch. Well past time to get my waders fixed again.

« **Reply #227 on:** 15/06/2011 at 00:18 »

Apart from the leaking waders I could copy and paste your post!

The only thing of note was the sub/surface activity earlier on that had me merely moving or pricking fish - what were they feeding on? I tried every surface thingummy I had even a high viz beetle along the docking infested banks

Things progressed nicely to a CDC Olive Dun then CDC & Elk then as darkness made seeing where the end of the line landed (god knows about the fly) nigh impossible I threw on a large sedge and lifted to anything remotely in the suspected target zone.

23:39 saw a 3/4lb trout to hand and I concluded that with that even though fish were still showing.

10 or so 1/2lb fish a few 3/4lb and a couple in the 1-1 1/4lb range - no Mr Big but great fun selecting specific rises and having a reasonable hook up rate.

Iain

« **Reply #228 on:** 16/06/2011 at 23:42 »

Was out tonight got absolutely drenched. Was down for five when a trickle of up-wings started falling onto the water, followed by some small olives. This stirred plenty of fish some of which weren't to bad. Action slowly died down and then..... The rain came pissing down, thunder lightening the lot. After my drenching I headed down to my favourite pool and waited a while, it was worth it, again upwings slowly started hatching then about twenty minutes later the water was covered in what looked like B.W.O's and Yellow Sallies they just kept coming. Trout were rising everywhere, I counted at least a dozen in about 100yards of water. Again things went quite for while. I left my pool and headed upstream searching for big browns clocked one leaping of around 3lbs and saw plenty of around 1-2lbs. After trying everything to hook up with one of the eventually I gave up on them. Waited for the magic sedge hatch however they didn't show tonight. On my final stroll along the river I stopped by a slow pool and sat around, watching fish after fish slurpping flies. Left at 10.30 with trout still rising not sure what to though.

Have some photos to upload from yesterday should get them up tomorrow.

Thanks

« **Reply #229 on:** 21/06/2011 at 12:16 »

Caught my first proper Sea Trout last night on the Don!

A fresh fish of just under 4lb, according to the weigh net, i am well pleased. Fish safely returned.

It was a hellava fight, with me opting to go for a swim, 'river runs through it' style to get my leader clear of weed and rocks, i kept my head for a change and landed the fish after loads of leaps and tail walking, superb!

Later last night i also hooked and lost what was probably a grilse. I thought my pearly invicta was caught on weed again as it stopped mid drift, i pulled to free it and a huge fish leapt clear of the water attached to my fly

. it threw the hook and was off

.

What a night!

Cheers,

Skidd

« **Reply #230 on:** 21/06/2011 at 12:29 »

Quote from: skidd on 21/06/2011 at 12:16

Caught my first proper Sea Trout last night on the Don!

A fresh fish of just under 4lb, according to the weigh net, i am well pleased. Fish safely returned.

It was a hellava fight, with me opting to go for a swim, 'river runs through it' style to get my leader clear of weed and rocks, i kept my head for a change and landed the fish after loads of leaps and tail walking, superb!

Later last night i also hooked and lost what was probably a grilse. I thought my pearly invicta was caught on weed again as it stopped mid drift, i pulled to free it and a huge fish leapt clear of the water attached to my fly . it threw the hook and was off .

What a night!

Cheers,

Skidd

Excellent! I was hoping that the rain would have brought some fresh fish into the system!

Sounds like a good night!

« **Reply #231 on:** 21/06/2011 at 12:38 »

mdh,

There was plenty of fish in the river last night, and all were willing to have a snap at a fly.

I seen plenty of splashy rises from what i assume were sea trout.

Just a pity i didn't get a photo of the fish, but you can't have everything........(tonight perhaps).

Cheers,

Skidd

« **Reply #232 on:** 21/06/2011 at 19:16 »

Well done Steverino,

no picture? FAIL!

I'm sure the Sea Trout will be 'a roads' and I for one will be having a go very soon

Stopped off to see the water colour and height earlier & it's looking good.

A few trout chasing BWO Duns might prove a distraction

Female Dun

Male Dun (removed from a web - not bad handling)

Iain

« **Reply #233 on:** 22/06/2011 at 10:24 »

Went to the river @ 21:30.

6Wt in hand, floating line & slow sinking poly leader finished off with a Silver Stoat and blue beard

Caught almost every cast - not fish though, grass, weed, tree limbs, Jack Daniels bottles, polystyrene food cartons

A couple of small trout took the fly

and I think it might have been better targeting the rising trout with dry flies in between the flotsom.
Olives were on the go for a decent spell.

An evening tying tonight me thinks.

Iain

« **Reply #234 on:** 22/06/2011 at 11:13 »

Quote from: Goolager on 22/06/2011 at 10:24

polystyrene food cartons

I take it you took a snack?

Quote from: Goolager on 22/06/2011 at 10:24

An evening tying tonight me thinks.

I was planning on heading out tonight, but since the new cork I ordered arrived looks like it will an evening of reaming cork to fit and I might even do some fluff chucking on grass if I get a chance.

Matt

« **Reply #235 on:** 23/06/2011 at 11:32 »

Anyone had a look at the river today, was wondering if any point going out tonight for a few hours or is it too coloured.

« **Reply #236 on:** 23/06/2011 at 15:41 »

Any ideas on how the river is tonight? Height colour? Is trout fishing possible?

« **Reply #237 on:** 23/06/2011 at 16:03 »

check this link for the webcam, sadly can't see the water clarity. The river was 1ft 11" this morning at Haughton Farm just outside Inverurie so should be down a bit further by tonight. Would be worth sticking on a stoat's tail and seeing what happens...

http://www.farsondigitalwatercams.com/live-webcams/scotland/Don/Kintore/

river levels here, sadly only updated twice a day

http://www.fishpal.com/Scotland/Don/RiverLevels.asp?dom=Pal

I wonder if somebody could work out where that webcam is and stick a gauge opposite it. That way you could tell the river level!

« **Reply #238 on:** 24/06/2011 at 06:12 »

Fished the Don at Kemnay last night . Levels dropping one minute then more rain slows things down . Still a bit murky but had a few brownies on the wet fly . Dry fly did not do much .

Don't ask me what the fly was called 'cos I do not know , just big and bushy

Heard a few splashes but did not see anything big . Anyone know where all the sea trout are hiding ?

« **Reply #239 on:** 24/06/2011 at 17:33 »

A height gauge will be appearing on the kintore webcam in due course, it was always the case one was to be erected there so anglers could see the water levels

« **Reply #240 on:** 24/06/2011 at 17:48 »

Quote from: machar on 24/06/2011 at 17:33

A height gauge will be appearing on the kintore webcam in due course, it was always the case one was to be erected there so anglers could see the water levels

Might pay to make it a tall and reinforced one for Kintore Iain

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #241 on:** 24/06/2011 at 20:04 »

Sorry "Machar" I wasn't having a go. It's just that on the brig of Potarch webcam when you zoom in it shows a graphic showing the level at the same time so you get a regular update. Which is better than fishpal or sepa.

Cheers

Matt

« **Reply #242 on:** 25/06/2011 at 08:09 »

Hi Mike / Matt

Point taken Mike ! Matt , I appreciate you were not having a go, I was just mentioning something that will be done in the future and which I should have mentioned before. glad the webcams are appreciated.

cheers

Iain

« **Reply #243 on:** 26/06/2011 at 00:01 »

Out tonigh,t river's settling down again and the Browns were back on the surface in reasonable numbers.
Seen 3 big fish tonight, spent 1/2 an hour waiting for the first one to resurface but it never happened, the other 2 were equally as shy although they did show again at very irregular intervals.

Had a couple of 3/4lb fish on F-Fly but there were a lot of half hearted offers, pricks and dimpling without hook ups and that was to F-Flies, CDC&E's & Klinks so it's not as if various angles weren't covered.

Back onto Froghair tippet, having to degrease every 5 or so casts which I'm convinced is spookin the fish. Irvine what's happening? Have to go back to home made fullers earth mix.

Resigned myself, again, to moving upstream of showing fish and fishing the downstream dry & was rewarded with a nice broonie.

not huge but nice enough

Iain

« **Reply #244 on:** 26/06/2011 at 01:42 »

Nice one Iain.

« **Reply #245 on:** 28/06/2011 at 22:56 »

Had my most enjoyable day on the Don today. Was down for three where I had two otters casually wander in front of me, they seemed to not mind me following them. Got a few pics of them throughout the day as they seemed to follow me from pool to pool. Caught a dozen or so all on the dry, mainly klinks in olive, tan, black and brown. Most of which were small but still good fun, had three better size ones best being just under 1lb. So all in all very enjoyable days fishing.

P.s have shit loads of pics to upload, promise I'll get them up soon.

Thanks

« **Reply #246 on:** 29/06/2011 at 05:31 »

Good stuff Liam.

I would have loved to have been out yesterday but hoping to get
back home early evening and back on the Don at night.
Iain

« **Reply #247 on:** 29/06/2011 at 16:46 »

Don't think I'll be heading out tonight gggrrr!!

f*****g rain. If it does settle a bit, but the waters up and coloured any good tactics for taking trout?

Thanks

« **Reply #248 on:** 29/06/2011 at 21:19 »

worms? drop minnow?

« **Reply #249 on:** 29/06/2011 at 23:30 »

Last nights trip was good... But nothing like tonight!! Caught pretty much every couple of casts.

my highlight would defo be seeing a 5/6lb resident brownie (my judgement on size is shite by the way) but trust me it was huge. So I was skating a CDC Elk over the surface when a 1/2 pounder took hold, then BANG!! The monster went airbourne, it was unmistakeably a brownie. That will now be my target over the coming weeks fingers crossed. I then moved further upstream to a nice pool which Iain showed me and man was it good. Shortly after arrival there was a good steady hatch of olives and the water came alive. On went an olive F-Fly and a few casts later I landed a nice trout of around 3/4 lb shortly followed by another slighty larger one. I then sat around for a while resting the pool when I saw a decent size rise. Dried up my fly and gave it a couple of throws, the fish came a sipped it down. The fish was very athletic and attempted to chuck the hook with a few leaps. But eventually it was netted, a lovley fish just over the pound mark. Was well chuffed, I have really noticed an improvment in my skills and knowlege of the water. Whichresulted in my biggest most consistent catch ever. Get in.

Thanks