Don Today

« **Reply #75 on:** 18/04/2009 at 16:14 »

What is alot of people

« **Reply #76 on:** 18/04/2009 at 19:51 »

Quote from: bigtroot on 18/04/2009 at 16:14

What is alot of people

Ah good question, well there was 4 cars parked at one access point and i met 2 guys who were parked elsewhere so at least 6. Thats a lot for this beat. Two guys decided to join me on the riffle i was fishing after watching me release a fish which was nice and cosy

« **Reply #77 on:** 24/04/2009 at 17:00 »

Out today, strong upstream wind which made me feel like i was loch style fishing with the rolling waves. No hatch at all that i could see. Propected with drys and must have rose and missed 2 dozen fish. Only hooked and landed a few in the first half hour and they were all small. Lots of salmon parr having a go which can be a bit off-putting.
Any ideas in how to convert these rises into takes? I tried different sizes, letting them turn on the fly and striking as fast as i could, none of which worked ???
My theory is with no flies hatching and no surface activity at all, the fish were making a half hearted swipe at the fly and not really commiting themselves. I guess another more accurate theory could be that im shite

Now im thinking about it maybe a nymph or spider on a short dropper nz style would have been a good idea?
Im planning fishing the same water tomorrow so im open to suggestions.

« **Reply #78 on:** 24/04/2009 at 19:45 »

Yes, I'd try spiders Noel

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #79 on:** 25/04/2009 at 20:53 »

Good day today few rising as soon as i reached the river. When casting to the first rise changed direction to cover a nearer better looking rise and a nice fish about 1.5lb to rabbitangler,s (Peter) MB. Had another lovely fish of 20 inches to the same fly later that absolutely hammered it, rising a foot out of the water on the take, and lots more acrobatics followed. Have a photo or two that I will post asap.

« **Reply #80 on:** 25/04/2009 at 21:10 »

Hi Noel,
Well done. I don't know about the I,m shite bit .

You seem to be doing pretty well so far !

Sometimes the fish are just like that . I guess it's why we call it fishing and not catching .

Interesting that you mentioned lots of people out , maybe the fish are wising up a bit ?

Anyways, keep going !!

Paul.

« **Reply #81 on:** 26/04/2009 at 09:08 »

hi noel what beats do u fish on the don? i wouldnt mind joining u 4 a day if thats ok?

« **Reply #82 on:** 26/04/2009 at 11:05 »

Hi Garry john
I fish the council beats. Most fridays and saturdays im on one or the other from 11 onwards. Not sure about next weekend though might be doing this

. I will send you my mobile number by pm.
Noel.

« **Reply #83 on:** 26/04/2009 at 11:53 »

Here are a few pics from yesterday

« **Reply #84 on:** 26/04/2009 at 15:30 »

nice photos and lovely lookin fish noel,iv never visited your stretch of the water,might be worth a go some time!

« **Reply #85 on:** 27/04/2009 at 18:56 »

Good day out today, reasonable hatch of LDOs with fish moving to them quite freely from about 12 until 4 depsite the cold strong wind. Had a good number of fish on olive parachutes and klinks but nothing big, largest 1lb11oz.

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #86 on:** 27/04/2009 at 20:08 »

Hi Noel,
Nice pic of an adult stonefly.
Ben,
" but nothing big, largest 1lb11oz."

Aye right mate .

That's plenty big for a river troot

Good stuff.

Often think it's odd that some folk think that you need warm weather for flies to hatch eh ?

Paul.

« **Reply #87 on:** 30/04/2009 at 08:34 »

went out to inverurie after work last night for a couple of hours.....

was very bright, water was very low and it was fairly breezy....so all in all nae perfect!!

didnt see any fish moving....couple of small trout...very few though....hope theres a bit of rain before the weekend..

« **Reply #88 on:** 01/05/2009 at 18:26 »

first time on the don today; briliant

had a brownie 1lbs and one too 3 1/2 lbs also had a sea trout 5/6 pounds all on my barrio 3weight great fun

« **Reply #89 on:** 01/05/2009 at 19:32 »

Thats a great day Koi Keeper

Jim

« **Reply #90 on:** 03/05/2009 at 22:02 »

Was out doing a bit of casting on the Don today for most of the day. Good number of hawthorns about, from about 10AM, saw some spinners of some description and some size 14 sedges, these appeared about 1 and increased in numbers throughout the day and are the first I have seen this year. I went back down to the river about 6 when the wind dropped for a look, there was a lot of sedges on the water, nothing moving though!

Ben

« **Reply #91 on:** 03/05/2009 at 22:27 »

Shock, horror

Ben its the Sabbath

Jim

« **Reply #92 on:** 04/05/2009 at 21:31 »

i have to say the whole no fishing on a sunday malarky really grinds my gears!!!

« **Reply #93 on:** 04/05/2009 at 21:34 »

Quote from: j.r fartley on 04/05/2009 at 21:31

i have to say the whole no fishing on a sunday malarky really grinds my gears!!!

Me to JR , if they want the fish to have a rest day why not make it a Monday when most people are at work, you can fish the Tay and its tribuatries for trout on a Sunday and also the Clyde.

Jim

« **Reply #94 on:** 05/05/2009 at 11:55 »

Quote from: Jedi on 04/05/2009 at 21:34

Me to JR , if they want the fish to have a rest day why not make it a Monday when most people are at work, you can fish the Tay and its tribuatries for trout on a Sunday and also the Clyde.

Jim

sundays my only day off and i cant even wet a line on the don! is it ok to hang your washing out on the sabbath??

« **Reply #95 on:** 05/05/2009 at 14:10 »

The Sunday fishing thing for trout is at the discretion of the riparian owner, it is a legal thing in Scotland with regard to migratory fish. I have no problem with not being able to fish for salmon on a Sunday other than that the rule stems from an old Kirk ruling, I do find that rather irritating. Sea trout is another issue, sea trout are trout and it is a pain having to stop at midnight Saturday or only be able to start at midnight Sunday.

Anyone got anything to report from the river today?

Ben

« **Reply #96 on:** 10/05/2009 at 01:05 »

I fished Beat 11 at Monymusk on Wednesday Afternoon. Really cold, blustry wind and rain was keeping the fish down, with just the odd small trout taking flies off the top.

I spent quite a while walking and watching but to no avail, so found a lovely deep run where I thought i might winkle out a fish or two. On with a couple of very heavy GRHE's and spent an hour "high sticking" the flies down the run. Second put through I had a savage take but did not connect. A few "casts"..well...flips later the line flicked straight, I struck and connected with a lovely Brownie of around about a pound and a half to a pound and three quarters.

By this time the wind was getting unbearable and the rain was making life a tad miserable...I was frozen.

Suddenly the sun burst through for no more than 10 minutes and the river surface errupted with hatching flies. I have never seen anything like it. As I stood there, mid river, the spent shucks were sticking to my waders and the flies themselves were landing on me, making me look like one of those fly catcher papers.

Entimology (and spelling) are not my fortee but I am sure the flies where Grannoms..

Anyway, i eagerly swapped to a suitable dry fly and waited to see a few fish rising..nothing..not a thing!!! So on went a wet March Brown (closest I had) and a GRHE to see if they were taking subsurface..not a pull or a pluck.

The sun went, the wind remained, so I headed home about 5...cold but extremely happy.

« **Reply #97 on:** 10/05/2009 at 13:51 »

Good stuff Rob sounds like you had a fun day. I have heard elsewhere that the trout dont seem to take the grannom, havent seen a hatch yet so cant say personally.
Fished the local beat friday and saturday. Friday was blowing a hoolie but the fish were looking up and I finished my few hours with a best of about 1.25lb.
Saturday conditions seemed better but the fish didnt agree, no hatch to speak of, couldnt get a take, lots of rises from small fish but the big boys were not playing.
I had to come off the river about 3 with the feeling a big hatch was due at any minute.

« **Reply #98 on:** 10/05/2009 at 21:32 »

Noel,

Last time we were on the Don there was no activity until appx 3:30pm then all of a sudden there was a hatch of Grannom and I could see 4-5 good Trout of 2-3lbs taking them off the surface. This lasted for 15 minutes and was good fun.

Down where I live (Yorkshire ) and fish regularly(Yorkshire and Cumbria) the Grannom can get taken avidly and I have witnessed them being selected on the Don before. They are finished down here now but I guess they still have 1-2 weeks to go up there.

Olive Uprights,Large Brook Duns and Iron Blues were coming off on Don when we were up. There were plenty of Hawthorns and Black Gnats too and some big Trout feeding on them.So good to see Iron Blues......the last decent hatch I witnessed was on the Water of Leith as a wean back in 1978!

Richard

« **Reply #99 on:** 12/05/2009 at 05:49 »

Hi folks,

As a don virgin, I just wanted to get your opinion on the Castle Forbes fishing. I am back up to Scotland for a holiday (home from the UAE) and have booked up a day on their water. The thing that is worrying me is that on Fishdon.co.uk it was the ONLY fishery that had any availablity and seemed to free all month... Is it rubbish???? Why doesn't anyone else want to fish it in May???
Thanks in advance.