[Sandy Nelson]

Can't speak for the Don, but i'm just back up from the Ythan and it was chocolate when i got home at 5pm but it is now clearing nicely and there was a good hatch of some largish upwings, i didn't catch any to id them (they didn't look yellow, so could have been BWO's or medium olives), but the wee troot that were happily eating them rather liked a size 14 DHE

Tomorrow evening could be worth a look

Sandy

[Scott Cumming]

The river will be fine tomorrow, caught 4 on the dry tonight best pictured below



Cheers
Scott C

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Scott, well done and thanks for sharing

Cheers
Mike

[Sandy Nelson]

Nice fish Scott

Nice new toy too I thought about that one, but have gone down a slightly different path Old habits die hard

I went for a walk with my sister and her dogs this afternoon at the river at her house. Nice Hatch of Olive uprights coming off during the afternoon, and a couple of nice looking fish happily sucking them down, Water is looking very fishable but alas i had no gear with me, just the camera.

managed a few nice bug shots. this is the most detailed of them, The fly is a male and was about a size 14



I would imagine anyone out today/tonight would see a few

Sandy

[Mark Zhang]

Went to Don Sat night about 9pm. there were still plenty of fly on the river, but didn't see fish rising in the flat beat. Moved to a faster water, saw quite a lot of fish were rising. Don't know the fish size, but my third cast told, at least 1.5lb. I hold it about a few seconds, then fish jumped out the water, and my 3lb leader was broken.  My biggest fish so far was released with my ELK hair. Quick changed to a 6lb leader, and caught one just over 13in. Not a monster, but it's my first fish this year.  Not blank any more. Then it went quite. Walked along the beat, didn't see any rising.

Regarding my leader (break from the knot, I put 2 flies on it), what do you guys think? just one fly for a 3lb leader, or go for a 6lb leader for 2 flies? By the way, my 3lb hasn't been tested it since I'm blank before Sat. Cheers.

Tight lines.

Mark

[Iain Goolager]

Nice fish (and rod) there Scott 

I fished the lower river on Friday afternoon but didn't stay too long as the river was on the up 

Saw two toddlers rising (7" fish) so felt obliged to try for one  Well it beats blanking 

There were allsorts in the air and on the water so I was surprised to see nowt on the surface even with the water coloured.

So went Stillwater fishing for a few hours on Saturday to boost the confidence (with river flies of course).

Iain

[paavo]

Hi folks
Cracking trout’s there and nice photos from Iain.
Thanks for sharing.

//Harri

[Iain Goolager]

There has been some cracking pictures of fish and fly so far Harri especially as the conditions have been fairly unpleasant so far this season.
It's cold, windy and now raining outside, 4weeks until the longest day too 

Iain

[Iain Goolager]

The stoneflies often get ignored.....................



Bedtime!

Iain

[Iain Cameron]

cracking pic of the stonefly Iain

Had an afternoon on lower ish Don today. One cracking bonus trout, just feet from the bank, in a small glide, he had been feeding visibly but didn't think it would have been more than a half pounder. So, a nice surprise to net and release this 16" chap.





and back in the water, he sulked in a comedy fashion with his head jammed between two pebbles, right at my feet:



a few other wee chaps on the dry, and one big tug when I was reeling in at the end of the day. hmm. Not a huge hatch of olives or uprights, but some midge and an occasional olivey thing.

[Iain Goolager]

Nice one Iain. 

What was he taking and what did he take?

Iain

[Iain Cameron]

What was he taking and what did he take?

I think he was feeding on a combo of wee midge, black gnats and some hawthorns, that was all I could see . But at the time, midday, there wasn't an olive hatch. He fell for a DHE, he was feeding quite steadily, so I guess anything in his lane was fair game.

cheers
iain

[Iain Goolager]

 

[Noel Kelly]

Just home from an interesting evening. Arrived at the river bout 8 and as I was tackling up I was watching a black headed gull working some fast water obviously picking off fly. Headed there pronto through clouds of spinners that were dancing about. Couldn't see any rises in the fast water, but the bankside reeds were crawling with sedge so on with a big Klink and I just prospected the broken water. Few casts and had a fish on, best of the season so far at 1.75lbs and a serious contender for who ate all the pies.
That was the only take though despite persisting with this method for quiet a while.

Later spotted a few upwings which quickly turned into a big hatch, the river came alive! Several fish right in front of me feeding hard with big noisy rises. Excellent I thought time to fill my boots..... Wasn't to be though, despite quiet a few fly changes I failed to attract a single fish amateur hour on the don...
There were other options I should have tried ie spiders but in my growing frustration I didn't think of them.
On reflection I should have given up on the impossible trout and concentrated on getting a good pic of the flies for ID purposes but I'm pretty confident they were iron blues.
Will add pics tomorrow when I can get on she who is not to be woken at this hour's laptop.

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff guys!

Iain - Nice trout

Noel - "amateur hour on the Don" - "growing frustration" ........ We've all been there!

Cheers
Mike