[Ben Dixon]

Nice fish Noel,

Good to see someone is getting some sport, you deserve a few nice fish, I notice you've ben putting in the hours.

Iain,

Do a google search on killing jar.

Cheers

Ben

[Sandy Nelson]

Nice 'Don Blue' Broonie Noel

I've always loved the colour of the Don trout, especially on the lower reaches.

Cheers

Sandy

[Noel Kelly]

Thanks lads sorry about to pants pic. It gave a great account of itself, and lots of acrobatics.

[Covenantor]

Hi guys, just returned from a VERY long weekend on the Don from Thur-Sun, some great fund and in celebration of a good friends 50th birthday.
In some exalted company in the form of some senior figures from the Scottish International Rivers scene, including some managers, and captains, in the form of; Matt Walker, John McCallum, Robert Irvine and the birthday boy Paul Buchanan.
Now these guys are no thrashers with a rod, but the lovely Don was reluctant to give up one of its prize specimens to us southerners?
Enjoyable, you bet, hard - nightmare at times with the winds, bright sunlight, lowish water and too much drink  
We will be back however, as we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and although some sport on short rods was had (2 Salmon, nearly landed, one lost when tailed, the trout net's too wee    and one snapped a 3lb tapered leader at the net, my wee pan net -  
Lots of small fish, anywhere from 6 - 12" were common and although i had lots of small offerings, I did manage one fish to 12" below the weir at Forbes and further down got a double on the czech nymphs, photos uploaded.
Excellent food and lodgings at the Glenkindie Arms Hotel, the chef Ian Simpson is superb and the rooms very smart indeed, look inside this books cover if you get that far upstream, very nice hostelry indeed. Menu to die for!
Some of the team fished on the Sunday at Semeil and i'll update that with some other photo's when i get them.
Excellent water and you should be rightly proud of this venue.
Cheers

[Iain Goolager]

No wind and stretching evenings had me down at the river last night. 

Fly life increased as the evening wore on.....why aren't Alders Trichoptera?? spinners, midge, sedge, crane, smuts ...lots on the go 

CDC sandfly sedge pulled a nice 1lb fish to the net soon after entering the water. Half a dozen casts (20min's) later a nice 1 1/2 - 1 3/4lb brownie was in the net but escaped from my mit as I fumbled with the camera

Fading light and poor eyesight had me changing the fly for a larger CDC/aerowing emerging sedge pattern just as there was a couple of successive rises from what appeared to be a larger fish (small rise forms), two unfruitful casts into the cross currents had my annoyance glands on full alert but the third cast had the fly floating over him very nicely..........bang, fish on, out of the water he flew, 3lb if an ounce. Sadly the fly and him parted company on the second jump and I stuck my thumb in my mouth and rocked back and forth. :z19

Content with the fishing and aware of ever fading light I decided to head upriver and see how me old mucker was getting on. I was halted in my tracks by a reasonable sploosh down downstream and hastily manouvered myself downstream of him. Three very hasty searching casts as I approached him and I was in position. Second cast saw the fly about a yard upstream of him but just as I was preparing for the money shot he took in a massive boil. nanoseconds later the rod was bent double as I tightened into the fish..........wait a minute, has it wrapped itself around an underwater obstruction? I tightened , slackened, held...no movement at all  Bu***r fish off, boulder on.

Ah well! twas an eventful evening - much more to come 

Iain

[Jim Eddie]

Sounds like an interesting evening Iain , good to see you are getting out 

 

Jim

[Noel Kelly]

Well done Iain. I didn't have any action worth reporting. Seen 2 teenagers spinning the private beat opposite and that was enough to make me call it a night. They hid their rod as I approached where have all these chancers  come from this year? I hardly ever met any in past years.

[Ben Dixon]

Saw your motors parked up, was going to fish last night myself but simply too knackered so went & tied some more for my Assynt trip.  Thought it could have been a good night, hoping to get a few hours in later on.  Any sign of any caddis?

Noel,
If you see anything, give Martin a buzz.  Only way it will stop is to get a few of them knicked and word will get round

Cheers

Ben

[Richard Tong]

After what has been the worst Spring fishing on Don since I have fished starting in 2004 it looks like you finally have a bit of rain there and the river is up a couple of inches. Hope you guys land some big ones in the next few days (wind allowing which looks strong over the weekend). There's now too much of the wet stuff on Eden and other border rivers and with 25mph winds forecast Saturday it looks like I may be at home watching the Man Utd v Barcelona game

Richard

[Noel Kelly]

Was watching the weather last night and between the torrential downpours it was quiet warm with not a puff of wind so at about 8.30 I headed to the river. The pools were flat calm for a change and the trout were rising everywhere. I couldn't see anything on the surface so tried a small spinner pattern which worked quiet well. Landed a few small trout and covered one at maximum distance which took instantly, leaped high and threw the hook. That one was about 1.5lbs.
Worked my way up to a favourite pool where I noticed a few olives coming down and over the next hour this turned into the biggest hatch of olives I have seen this year.
I have seen a large trout feeding at the head of this pool in the past so instead of trying for the small/average risers I got into position and waited to see if this hatch would bring the big un up. It did.
This was a big fish... Checked leader and knots and covered it. It took instantly and shot like a missile back past me and into the deepest part of the pool. It had stripped all my line and a few yards off the reel in a second. Felt it's head shake once or twice and then the line went slack... It had opened the hook. Biggest trout I have hooked on the river I think. Then again it stayed deep so I can't be sure. To be continued...

[Peter McCallum]

 

[Ewan Lindsay]

 :z19 

[Matt Henderson]

You must feel sick Noel!  Always next time!

[Jim Eddie]

Bummer Noel 

 

Jim

[Noel Kelly]

Think we all know that kinda sick feeling when the line goes slack. I wasn't 2 disappointed, was good to make contact. Now I know where it lives so I will prob set up a semi permanent camp at that pool