It was our last trip together on the Don this year...at least for Spring. We fished in the Borders Wednesday then stayed overnight in Dundee and dropped in to see Ben Thursday morning at Banchory,booked in to Grant Arms in Monymusk. I had business in Aberdeen on Thursday and dropped Paul at the river at 11am. He had to endure hail,rain, wind and some sunshine too. Conditions were not good but he saw 2 fish rise and got both, one of which was 2lb 7oz (I think). I got back from Aberdeen and picked him up,he was cold and needed some hot tea! We went out in the evening but there was nothing doing-too cold.
We fished Deveron on Friday and met Allan Liddle and a friend. Some nice new water to look at. I hit a hatch of Olive uprights at 4 o'clock and saw 3 rising trout in a pool,got the first at 1lb 8oz and then was joined by Paul, I hooked the second and it shed the hook after a minute(appx 2.5lbs) or so and then in a heavy rain shower hooked and played the third almost to Paul waiting with the net when the rod sprang back with a flattened,sheared end to the leader-Paul reckoned this fish in the 3.25lb class. This leader break has happened 3 times now to us in the last 2 weeks and all we can think is that sometimes it shears on the teeth of big trout;the dentures really are impressive on these beasts if you have a look. Paul got a fish at appx 6pm which we both saw rise and put at appx 1lb but turned out 18.5" and 2lb 6oz!
On Saturday we fished at Monymusk on Beats 5 and 6 and it dawned perfectly,great cloud cover and a light breeze. Some big fish started moving to Olive Uprights at 11am,there were lots of Small Yellow Sallys and caddis about too. We took it in turns to target fish and got a 20.5" 3lb 5oz fish,18.5" 2lb 8oz fish and a 20" 3lb 1oz fish(last 2 were caught by Paul). The larger fish was caught by me and was one that Paul had caught previously and I got it in the same lie(id'd by photos taken last May)-last year it was 19.5" and 2lb 12oz ,so it had put on 1" and 9oz in a year. Unfortunately the activity petered out but we went out in the evening and I managed to get a trout at 9:30pm that we had seen rising sporadically over the last few nights,it was 24"and seriously underweight at 3lb 14oz. All fish were caught on cdc Olives which have taken the bulk of our Trout this Spring.
We look forward to our Don trips so much and I get really excited before we set off on the first one and it seems that there is loads of days to fish. It all goes so soon however and then there is the 10 months to wait until it all starts again. I love it but it leaves me feeling very frustrated. You guys don't know how lucky you are,trust me! If I was a local I would be plaguing the Don and Deveron and I know Paul would be the same.
Great memories,good laughs,superb river,magnificent Trout.
Good luck for the rest of the season you guys. I look forward to reading Don River Report 2010 and hearing of some cracking Trout,
Richard
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