River Don 2012

« **Reply #425 on:** 15/05/2012 at 08:35 »

Anyone heard how the Deveron is fishing? Much the same weather as the don I suppose but it does tend to be less fickle according to articles in trout & salmon. Any of you guys ever fish there?

« **Reply #426 on:** 15/05/2012 at 08:47 »

Quote from: kinloch on 15/05/2012 at 08:34

Know how you feel Edin. I come up in mid May every year and love it, but not this year after reading these posts and seeing the forecast. I'm going to stick in the west! The weather has not been brilliant but a lot better than the east and the spring river fishing the very best in living memory.

So annoying... Where about in the West would you suggest? Assume your river brownie fishing.

« **Reply #427 on:** 15/05/2012 at 09:39 »

Edin,

You'll get the info you need here.

http://www.riverannan.co.uk/upper/
http://www.ucapaltd.co.uk/index_files/Page559.htm

Both these rivers tend to fish more reliably and are less fickle than the Don but the Clyde does get busy on spring weekends. If you can get on mid week go for it, that said there is far more day ticket water. They are the two best trout rivers in Scotland imho (and have big grayling) followed by the Deveron but I have not fished that baby for many years now. The Tweed (east flowing) on the other hand has fished almost as badly as the Don is reported to be here so far this year so i'd give it a miss. Hope that helps!

« **Reply #428 on:** 15/05/2012 at 13:15 »

Quote from: Rob on 14/05/2012 at 22:25

Fished Tornasheen and Candacraig/Edinglassie today. Wow..what amazing water! A total of 10.5 miles to explore, just Sean and myself....and it rained, it hailed, is shone and boy did it blow. I had one pull on a swung March Brown and Sean had a few small fish on wets.

We did get a bit of a rise around 3pm, but the fish were small and holding in slack on the other side of a very fast run, into a head wind. So, they went unmolested!

Got the tickets from Skellatar house (i can't help think of a 1980's cartoon!) and was met by a nice couple who went through the beat maps with us, pointed out where to park and wished us well.

Some of the pools were amazing. Absolute classic, linked together with fast runs, stoney riffles, one minute open fields, the next in forest.

If we could have had better weather I am sure we woud ahve caught more.

If the wind stays away.. it might not be all that bad this weekend? .... maybe.

« **Reply #429 on:** 15/05/2012 at 16:46 »

Strong winds and very heavy rain are forecast for Thursday & Friday followed by a SE wind and low temps on Saturday.

Looks like the north east rivers will be in flood at the weekend. Might be worth a go at the salmon though! Which beats allow spinning?

« **Reply #430 on:** 15/05/2012 at 17:00 »

Just crossing fingers there is a change in the forecast...
Tempted to abandon East and head West - See what the weather is looking like tomorrow.

« **Reply #431 on:** 15/05/2012 at 17:18 »

I've been down at parkhill today , water is perfect, dropping nicely and nice and clear

Didn't see any fish other than a couple of wee brownies

thinking they might have switched to evenings for mealtime.
Worked the water quite thoroughly for the tourists but no sign of anything

Plenty wind but you could get out of its way so it didn't affect things much. My mate came through behind me with the flying C and he saw nothing either. Nice day to be out and about, in between hail storms

However there is loads of flylife about, i saw Iron blues, small dark olives, medium olives and hawthorns all in good numbers.
Plenty sedges of various sizes and species too, one or two L.D.O's still fluttering about as well, took a few photos, will maybe post some later.

Sandy

« **Reply #432 on:** 15/05/2012 at 17:41 »

We certainly saw small olives, hawethorns and what I think was March Browns, but small ones..even though it was raining and cold.

Saturday saw a massive hatch at Monymusk, but no rising fish. The flies were being blown into us, making it feel like rain!

« **Reply #433 on:** 15/05/2012 at 21:18 »

Iain

« **Reply #434 on:** 15/05/2012 at 21:50 »

Nice one Iain

End bit made me chuckle

Cheers
Liam

« **Reply #435 on:** 16/05/2012 at 08:31 »

Question..am I mistaken or was that a "downstream" dry fly approach?

« **Reply #436 on:** 16/05/2012 at 09:01 »

Looks like it Rob. I'm embarrassed for him.

« **Reply #437 on:** 16/05/2012 at 09:23 »

Quote from: An Chuileog on 16/05/2012 at 09:01

Looks like it Rob. I'm embarrassed for him.

Might as well be stripping lures, the heathen!

« **Reply #438 on:** 16/05/2012 at 10:59 »

Quote from: Spiderman on 15/05/2012 at 17:18

My mate came through behind me with the flying C and he saw nothing either.

One assumes you were fishing with Hamish?

« **Reply #439 on:** 16/05/2012 at 15:14 »

Thats Cheeky Matt

It wasn't 'H' i was fishing with.

Anyway.
As promised some flies from yesterday, I've annotated them with what i think they are

Large Dark Olive (although it could have been a large Upright, distinctly bigger than the other uprights i saw though and a different colouration but you never can quite tell

) There were a few of these about.

Olive Upright, there were a lot of these about

Small Dark Olive, Loads of these as well

I did catch an Iron Blue as well (not so many of them about and i couldn't catch another

), but the wind blew it away before i got the camera out.

but it was of the genus Baetis Muticus going by the eyes.

From what i ascertain there must be lots and lots of various Baetis nymphs darting about, Hmmm..........

Sandy

« **Reply #440 on:** 16/05/2012 at 15:16 »

Awesome photos Sandy

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #441 on:** 16/05/2012 at 22:20 »

Thanks for these great pics, sandy - really captures the differences between the insects.
I usually just say, "oh aye, looks like an Olive-y thing"

Cheers
Iain

« **Reply #442 on:** 16/05/2012 at 22:24 »

Given the looming doom of another weekend write-off I took opportunity of the window in the weather today to get out today for an hour and a bit before work. Downstream wind made dry fly presentation challenging and also for my newly made up tapered leader (more of that later on another thread).

Decent hatch of various Olives, one fish rised but missed. Changed from size 16 to size 18 JT Olive and third cast things improved right away with a suberbly conditioned 2 pound Brownie. Released alive and well as always.

I have got a nice pic of the fish but can't upload it - the Tinypic logo does not respond when clicked. Anyone else having this problem ?

Sandy, nice pics - that suspected LDO above looks like it may have a large hindwing (or is it a crumpled forewing on the near side ?), but an LDO has small hinds as I am sure you know. Think you might be right with O. Upright or thereabouts ?? A 16 and 18 JT Olive covers 'em all anyway

Lindsay

« **Reply #443 on:** 16/05/2012 at 23:02 »

I've just uploaded this Haddo trout photo with tinypic Lindsay ...... works ok for me, anybody else having a problem?

Best wishes
Mike

PS: If you send me the photo via email I'll post it for you if you like.

« **Reply #444 on:** 16/05/2012 at 23:11 »

It is now initiating Tinypic Mike but I get "Error 503 Service Unavailable" ? Tinypic is a bit of a nightmare for this as I understand it. Has worked on here for me before though

L

Nice trout Lindsay!
I've hosted the image for you, thanks for the email

Best wishes
Mike

« **Reply #445 on:** 16/05/2012 at 23:42 »

Thanks Mike. I have been having computer nightmares so prob may be my end. Getting new compter 2moro though !

Fish was weighed in my new McLean Folding Telescopic Net, a shade under 2 lbs, solid, superb condition - definitely been feeding on more than Olive Duns !

Lindsay

« **Reply #446 on:** 17/05/2012 at 06:06 »

Nice trout

I been using the same net for a year now, love it. One suggestion, at some stage grease the sliding areas including the scales. Mine seized up a bit over the winter and wouldn't work when I first needed it to this season. Was easy free up once back home. Did you get the scabbard? I find it excellent, no more nets falling off those damn magnets.

« **Reply #447 on:** 17/05/2012 at 08:11 »

You should be looking at a photo of a Brownie around the 2-2.5 mark just now, and another of about a pound and a half, but you are not, because I lost them

I was doing my version Czech Nymphing last night, which is really a cross between French and Czech. I use around 20 feet of 8 pound line, then 6 inches of orange braid, then a leader around twice the depth of the water, with two very heavy czech nymphs. This lets me "long line" czech nymph.

Anyway, second flip upstream I hooked the smaller fish on a size 14 czech nymph, dressed on the Partridge barbless hooks. Just reached around for my net as the fish was wallowing in netting range and "ping"...the hook comes out

I was not too worried as at least I had proven my "method" was working on a new bit of water. A few casts later and the braid dips down, I strike and the rod hoops over. The fish made a run downstream but, my dam reel jammed!!! The fish was on the surface flapping about in a really srong current, got a real clear look at it as it rolled and leapt for a good 30 seconds as I was desperately trying to run downstream, in deep, fast flowing water, to try and relieve the pressure..and "ping"..the hook came out again!

I then carried on for another 3 hours without a touch despite covering a great deal of water

I saw one fish rise the whole evening despite olives coming off.

« **Reply #448 on:** 17/05/2012 at 11:20 »

I just want to say a big thanks to you guys for your candour on how poor the fishing and the east coast weather has been this year. If it had not been for your forum I would have been in Aberdeenshire this week and I am told it has actually been snowing to quite low levels in donside over the past 24 hours.

I might have another attempt later but the forecast for at least until well into June is for north / north east winds to continue and more of the same. The best of the season may now be lost.

http://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/aberdeen

« **Reply #449 on:** 17/05/2012 at 12:13 »

Quote from: An Chuileog on 17/05/2012 at 06:06

Did you get the scabbard? I find it excellent, no more nets falling off those damn magnets.

Hi Noel,

No, mine is a collapse/hinging McLean net (not folding as I said ?). The frame sides do not collapse in on themselves but folds flat against the handle then clips on your D ring. You just take the net off, turn it upside down and it locks.

Was glad of it yesterday, that fish was pretty spunky and the extra reach meant I could get it in easier than the pan handle net. Cost £74.99 but I used my Orvis vouchers and got it for £50. Bargain, really. Telescopic too.

Was beginning to think Fiona had sold me a jinxed net, but that is it christened with a decent fish now !

Lindsay