Fishing The Fly Scotland

Index => Rivers & Lochs => Topic started by: Noel Kelly on 31/05/2010 at 21:26

Title: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Noel Kelly on 31/05/2010 at 21:26
Anybody target the above with any success?  I  would like to have a try but wouldn't know where to start.
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Matt Henderson on 01/06/2010 at 20:49
Only ever by accident when salmonoiding...  In the summer think small flies, silver stoats etc.  I'm not sure that the approach should be any different than that of fishing for salmon really.  The Hugh Falkus book is pretty good.  I've never fished at night for them but some people fish all night for them.  I struggle enough casting in the daylight without not even being able to see the line! 
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Piscator on 03/06/2010 at 22:49
Yep, wouldn't try much above Kemnay tho, fish dont seem to go much above waters between Kemnay & Inverurie,  but definately worth a go at night, low water, mild settled evenings. Fish from dusk with usual seatrout patterns, teal blue & silver, Peter Ross (If it works for ya) silver stoat.....etc. Fish small, size 10 doubles if cool 12 for warmer nights, full floater/maybe sink tip with your reservoir trout rod #7 or 8 weight. June/July best months. Can also get them with a big Klinkhammer around dusk - great fun
You're looking for runing fish so streamy waters/glides, heads/tails of pools, they often show when running but you usually only hear them splash, usually just round the corner.
My best seatrout was 5lb at Kintore & I once landed a 11lb salmon with the trout rod at dusk whilst out for sea trout, saw something move in smooth shallow water at head of pool, covered it & all hell broke loose!

Tight lines

Stewart
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Noel Kelly on 04/06/2010 at 06:42
Excellent Stewart thanks for that :z16
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Steven Kidd on 04/06/2010 at 17:20
Was out at last night somewhere on the Don, fishing the usual tackle, 3wt, 3lb line, caught a nice brownie on a stewarts black spider, about 1/2 pound.  :z4

Saw two sea trout rise and jump clear of the water........at about 21.30, noticed large dark olives on the surface, covered the rises from the bank two or three times, then hey presto, I seen it rise to the fly as well from about 3ft depth, hooked into it, a fish about 3lb, jumped.......still on.....jumped again......then the line parted.  :cry

So if anyone catches a seatrout with a size 12 olive klinkhammer attached to it.......can I have it back.
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Iain Goolager on 04/06/2010 at 18:22
Hi Steve,

1/2lb fish on the 3wt is not to be sniffed at.  :z15

Quote
So if anyone catches a seatrout with a size 12 olive klinkhammer attached to it.......can I have it back.

Now would that be the fish or the fly?

 :z10

Iain
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Noel Kelly on 04/06/2010 at 21:49
Interesting Skidd. I have been out late last 2 nights and only seen brownies.  Is it the case that they move fairly quickly through the system or do they hang around/move up and down?
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Ben Dixon on 04/06/2010 at 21:59
I have not targeted sea trout on the Don and have caught only about 6 from this river but my experience on other rivers is that they tend to move quite quickly through the system and that once in the river, they will move upstream in next to no water.  I have had some success fishing for sea trout on dries during the day, there are a few rivers where they do feed, rises are easily distinguished from brown trout rises.  Sea trout rises are splashy, like a brown trout with no table manners.

Cheers

Ben
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Steven Kidd on 07/06/2010 at 13:55
Interesting Skidd. I have been out late last 2 nights and only seen brownies.  Is it the case that they move fairly quickly through the system or do they hang around/move up and down?

I am not too sure how quickly they move through the pools etc......however I do agree with Ben on the difference in how they rise, I actually heard the fish splash a couple of times before I saw it further up the pool :wink
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: John Reid on 17/07/2010 at 02:22
I caught my first Don sea trout tonight.  A fish about 3.5 lbs.  Caught it on a size 12 wickhams spider.

I also got 3 nice brownies to 1.5 lbs which were all returned (I kept the sea trout for supper tonight).

All in all I have had a brilliant day with an afternoons fishing at Haddo and an evening on the Don at Kinaldie.

Here is a picture of the sea trout.
(http://i28.tinypic.com/r2s57s.jpg)
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Mike Barrio on 17/07/2010 at 12:15
Hi John :z16

Great to see you had a good day!

I don't think anybody would give you a hard time about keeping your first ever seatrout, especially since it was for supper and not your freezer!

Are you sure you caught it on the Don and didn't buy it at Makro? :z4

Best wishes
Mike
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: John Reid on 17/07/2010 at 13:48
Hi John :z16

Great to see you had a good day!

I don't think anybody would give you a hard time about keeping your first ever seatrout, especially since it was for supper and not your freezer!

Are you sure you caught it on the Don and didn't buy it at Makro? :z4

Best wishes
Mike

Thanks Mike

The new line made a difference to the casting tonight and I must thank you for the help and service provided by you today.

I am thinking about heading back out tonight since the Mrs is away...... :z2

Got my fishing buddy heading over tonight for a sea trout supper then we will decide whether its beers or fishing!

I might pop along tomorrow to see how the experts do it   :z16
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Iain Goolager on 17/07/2010 at 22:35
Nice Sea-Trout John

They are special fish indeed  :z16

Iain
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: John Reid on 18/07/2010 at 00:21
Was out tonight again.  Think I have become a Don addict!!!!!  It has to be the best trout fishing I have ever had.

Got another nice sea trout about 11 pm a bit smaller than last nights but what a beautiful fish and a great fight, she is away back to fight another day. 

Got a few decent brownies as well and brought a 3/4 pounder home for my supper.  Felt a bit like Hugh Fernley Wittingstall coming straight in an eating my catch.......
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: John Reid on 18/07/2010 at 00:22
Nice Sea-Trout John

They are special fish indeed  :z16

Iain
\

Thanks Iain.

They certainly are.   :z16
Title: Re: Sea trout on The Don
Post by: Mike Barrio on 30/07/2010 at 23:48
I can remember when these ran the river in quite good numbers, but like the rest of the country, we have seen quite a downturn in the last 10 to 15 years :z6

It's great to see a few of them in the river again and they appear to be in good condition, unlike our experience with some of the grilse over the last few years. I hope this is the start of their return :cool:

Having heard of a few being caught in the lower and middle sections of the River Don recently, it was great to hear that the first one for this season has just been caught at Kildrummy ...... excellent :cool:

Gus the ghillie described it as "a belter of a fish" and said it weighed 6 lb. It came to the net of Huntly angler, Ian Sutherland, but unfortunately it was kept ..... which is a pity! :cry

Best wishes
Mike