River Don 2017

« **Reply #100 on:** 19/04/2017 at 18:11 »

Grant

The flies don't really care about the beats, you will find the same patterns will work wherever you are, provided you are roughly matching the hatch. Taking the time to walk and find the fish is the key to getting the bigger ones.
Not many secret patterns, i mention the ones i use all the time, as do many others and we re-wrote the Don fishing guide this winter to reflect the new patterns we have been using. For any specific advice, then feel free to contact any of us by PM i'm sure we would all help point you in the right direction.

Cheers

Sandy

« **Reply #101 on:** 19/04/2017 at 18:23 »

Cracking day for it today

Lucky me, i got out on a great beat with Mr B (finally dragged him away from the computer)
Some cracking fish.

Water is fantastically clear at the moment, which makes thing a bit tricky, but is helping the photo's

Scaling down the tippets, is a risk with the fish we chase, but seems to help, although a few tourists about today too, quite happy to pick the plume tip off the top.

The march browns looked particularly big today, and upsizing to a size 10 dry was the job.

The hatch ran right through till 4pm with selected fish still picking off the hatching flies when they appeared.

Sandy

« **Reply #102 on:** 19/04/2017 at 18:32 »

Great photos Sandy ..... what a cracking day to be on the water, I really needed a day off

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #103 on:** 19/04/2017 at 19:03 »

Tough day , covered miles, but rewarded with this bonny fish and a few around the 2lb mark.

« **Reply #104 on:** 20/04/2017 at 07:43 »

Doh!

Stupid me, figured out why the March Browns looked big. They were Large Brook Duns.
I checked some of my other photo's from yesterday, the Forelegs are too wide and they have the purple stripes on the abdomen .

I thought the wings didn't quite have a big enough clear patch in them, so i checked this morning. Pretty sure the fish didn't mind either way and they did seem to be taking the bigger ones even though its early for LBD's

Sandy

« **Reply #105 on:** 20/04/2017 at 08:46 »

Excellent stuff guys, one thing though, is there any wee fish in our rivers this year ?

« **Reply #106 on:** 20/04/2017 at 08:52 »

Quote from: Allan Liddle on 20/04/2017 at 08:46

Excellent stuff guys, one thing though, is there any wee fish in our rivers this year ?

Here's one I released yesterday Allan

« **Reply #107 on:** 20/04/2017 at 09:53 »

plenty of fish, big and small, in the Don.

I was in right places at right times to find a couple of 3lbers the other day. The first one dove into a weed bed and tangled us up for a while, much the amusement of a passing dog walker (who kindly cheered and gave a thumbs up when i finally coaxed the trout into the net).

The second one was feeding hard, and clocked in at 3 1/4, and around 18" and a bit, but was still very skinny; you can possibly see lack of depth/firmness in his belly, particularly around the dorsal fin. Compare that to the bruiser that Scott posted recently! Guessing this lad has spawned, and been slow in chowing down.

Last Edit: 20 April 2017, 11:27:59 Attachments and other options

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« **Reply #108 on:** 20/04/2017 at 18:58 »

It was a lesson in the Class of Grass and Glass today.

Lovely day to be out, but not many rising fish, so it ended up being a day of picking pockets with Tungsten. Worked though

Liam had his biggest so far this year

But for once, i managed to go one better, and broke my PB

So an awesome day all round, the fish were all in superb condition, deep and solid, who needs to fly half way round the world

Sandy

« **Reply #109 on:** 20/04/2017 at 19:07 »

Awesome ....... well done guys

Maybe I should have tagged along today instead of yesterday

« **Reply #110 on:** 20/04/2017 at 19:32 »

Well done guys 👍🏻 Quality troots!!

But sandy, I parked on the bridge for 5 minutes just after lunch & saw 3 different fish rising in the pool infront of the cottage 🙈 come on, just admit it, young Liam's turned you 😂😂

« **Reply #111 on:** 20/04/2017 at 20:44 »

Not quite Ali, i did get on the dry today too

he is trying though, its very funny

Another nice picture from today

« **Reply #112 on:** 20/04/2017 at 21:09 »

Cracking fish, well done on the PB.

Eddie

« **Reply #113 on:** 20/04/2017 at 21:19 »

I've almost broke him Ali! Another couple of good fish will see those dries up for sale.

« **Reply #114 on:** 20/04/2017 at 22:03 »

Quote from: Sandy Nelson on 20/04/2017 at 18:58

But for once, i managed to go one better, and broke my PB

Congratulations

« **Reply #115 on:** 20/04/2017 at 22:09 »

Do you guys just spend every day fishing?

« **Reply #116 on:** 20/04/2017 at 22:14 »

When I'm not at college yes. I fish as often as I can, wouldn't have it any other way.

« **Reply #117 on:** 20/04/2017 at 22:25 »

Thanks for the comments guys

It's taken me 25 years to break that PB. So I'm still buzzing, I smashed it as well , by about a pound and an Inch.

Sandy

« **Reply #118 on:** 20/04/2017 at 22:40 »

Truly an awesome fish. Something that you'll never forget I'm sure. The memory of seeing it surface and roll mid stream will stay with me for a long time. The bend in that rod was crazy, netting it was quite a laugh as well.

Proper chuffed for you, in case that wasn't clear today!

« **Reply #119 on:** 20/04/2017 at 22:41 »

With work and a young family I'm lucky if I get out once every other week. I'm jealous.

Still haven't made it out on the Don yet this season but hopefully get out for a few hours on Monday pending decent weather.

« **Reply #120 on:** 20/04/2017 at 22:52 »

Good luck when you do get out

My son is nearly 20 now so I don't have to book school holidays any more, hence having most of April off

so it gets better

Sandy

« **Reply #121 on:** 20/04/2017 at 23:12 »

To be fair once the proper light nights are in I will stand a better chance to sneak out when their in bed,

« **Reply #122 on:** 21/04/2017 at 15:06 »

Getting sick of being pestered by these wee fish 🙈
PB Smashed 😎
It's in my 26" salmon net

« **Reply #123 on:** 21/04/2017 at 15:28 »

Another day, another PB...

Cracker

« **Reply #124 on:** 21/04/2017 at 15:32 »

Nice one Ali