Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Iain Goolager

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #90 on: 30/04/2011 at 00:19 »
Since Matt ditched me for his Dad I fished on the lower Don today on me own :oops
Although it was quite pleasant while ‘tackling up’ it got quite cold and overcast as I reached the river, even threatened to rain with a few spits here and there.
Fished the nymph and spider,  Waterhen Bloa this time as it was LDO’s in prominence on the previous outing.  Although there were a reasonable amount of, what I think............... Medium Duns? (Baetis Vernus) :z8




Managed a stocked 1lb fish on the PTN relatively early on but had to work a bit (and sit about a bit) for the next two in what was a dour morning, small fish were rising freely to both emerging and Duns of the LDO persuasion.

Midday and I went for a wander, finding larger fish rising to what turned out to be a trickle, although very prolonged show of upwinged flies. Again both duns and emergers were being taken.
This was more like it, and with a mind on the theory I heard recently that CDC flies may appear to receive more positive takes than say traditional or Klink type dries on slow calm water – on one went. Now I’m not a great believer / user of CDC flies, not due to their effectiveness but due to their lack of industrial strength (always needin’ pampering) but I had in my possession a tube of Veniards CDC oil (as described by Bigtrout in the close season ) and was keen to give it a try...................... 100% impressed. I used three different patterns and their fishability was a revelation, nice one Baz!
I lost count of the fish I caught on these ‘dries’ but it was one of the best days (couple of hours) dry fly fishing I can recall, almost every fish that showed within reach and reason was at least risen. Only 1 wild fish though @ 3/4 lb. :z6


I think the highlight was fishing a lovely pattern which I saw in a T&S article then radically adapted – ‘MB Emerger’  March issue.

More than a little worse for wear


Quite a bit of fly life today with lots of cranes, a few sedges, wee moths, midge, etc on the go along with a fair showing of olives - didn't see a MB though.



Scierra Folding wading staff - £30 or so – absolute 100% hit, had to use it in anger earlier in the day and it saved me a soaking. Ultra light, strong and folds into a pouch which you’ll easily forget you have on.

Iain

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #91 on: 30/04/2011 at 06:23 »
Nice photo's Iain :z13

Looks like you are now spending your day on the river the way i used too :cry
I love looking at the bugs.

Cheers :z18

Missing spring on the river :cry but perhaps not for long :wink

Sandy

Noel Kelly

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #92 on: 30/04/2011 at 08:01 »
Good post Iain.

Iain Cameron

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #93 on: 30/04/2011 at 10:11 »

I think the highlight was fishing a lovely pattern which I saw in a T&S article then radically adapted – ‘MB Emerger’  March issue.


liking the chewed & abused flee pic!

i saw lots of hawthorns in flight yesterday, but didn't clock any being blown onto the river. a lot of big stoneflies zooming around, many of them landing on my head - from where they were flicked onto the stream and noisily chomped by the trout.

mostly caught on partdridgey spiders yesterday, but that's because that's all that I fished with... self-fulfilling prophecy!

DJG1984

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #94 on: 30/04/2011 at 22:25 »
I managed to fish The Don at Inverurie between 10am and 1pm before i had to go to work.

 Just as i was leaving my car an old lady out walking her dog stopped and spoke to me, she told me there was a man Shampooing :mad his bloody dog in the river and had told him to stop but he didn't. How stupid are some people? Fair enough let your dog have a swim (provided its not disturbing any anglers) but shampooing the beast in the river, releasing chemicals into the eco-system.

As for my fishing, I caught 7 tiddlers and a salmon parr, all caught on MB spider. Lost one better fish on an olive klink. As others have said the water is very low and too clear right now. Got sunburt and suffered a mild dose of sun stroke all day at work.

Dave.

Ben Dixon

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #95 on: 30/04/2011 at 23:20 »
Out for a few hours tonight, fishing was pants but managed a few small fish on streamers.  There was a lot of fly life on the go, several type of midge, the odd spinner (could not get close enough to see what they were but not enough about to be significant), crane flies, hawthorns and Grannom.  First time I've seen Grannom this year, they were over the banks and in the grass until the wind ceased at about 8PM then they were hovering (laying) on the water.  Things looked like they were going to go down tonight for about 20 mins, no wind, warm flies over the water and the odd small fish starting to move.  Wind started up again and temp dropped fast, that was the end of that!!

Ben

Noel Kelly

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #96 on: 01/05/2011 at 20:56 »
Was out for a few hrs early saturday morning. Loads of fly life but didn't see anything actually hatching. Saw a few small trout rising and one lunker that must have been 4+lbs. It only rose once and I waited for about an hour. The wind got up about 10 am and seemed to kill any activity so another blank for me. 

Ben Dixon

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #97 on: 01/05/2011 at 21:16 »
There was a few small fish moving this afternoon to grannom, lasted for about an hour and started about 2.  Went back out later on and there was again a few small trout moving, nothing worth casting at really.  A lot of fly life, same as yesterday with the odd Olive Upright about too.

Ben

Iain Goolager

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #98 on: 07/05/2011 at 10:07 »
Eager to try out a couple of new CDC ties I sneaked in an hour yesterday (lower Don) late afternoon after work.



Weather was fine although there was a slight nip to the breeze & every now and again a fish would show as a puckle olives came by.
Rose and pricked a few fish but had a frustrating time getting numerous swirls from three decent trout lying along a narrow run. Frustrated I waded to the edge of the run & then had an interesting time watching them try to drown flies two or three times before finaly taking them  :z6
Even fishing at very close range, 3 feet of fly line on the surface, checking for micro drag & trying heroically to 'not lift' when a fish swirled I finaly gave up and went for targets that should have been less difficult.

Managed a few and lost a few :z16

A swift check of the clock and I decided to fish to a few rises over the other bank which was slacker water over a tongue of faster stuff but I wasn't to fussed about spooking anything by now.

One rise and momentary weight - then slack.  :z6

Try further down and POP! on flies a very acrobatic trout - three 2' jumps in rapid succession allowed me to see enough to convince me it was a wild fish, and that it was.




Iain

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #99 on: 07/05/2011 at 15:26 »
Hi Iain :z16

Reading back through your previous post ..... I can't believe the river is being stocked again! :shock

Cheers
Mike

Barry Robertson

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #100 on: 07/05/2011 at 19:44 »
Since Matt ditched me for his Dad I fished on the lower Don today on me own :oops
Although it was quite pleasant while ‘tackling up’ it got quite cold and overcast as I reached the river, even threatened to rain with a few spits here and there.
Fished the nymph and spider,  Waterhen Bloa this time as it was LDO’s in prominence on the previous outing.  Although there were a reasonable amount of, what I think............... Medium Duns? (Baetis Vernus) :z8




Managed a stocked 1lb fish on the PTN relatively early on but had to work a bit (and sit about a bit) for the next two in what was a dour morning, small fish were rising freely to both emerging and Duns of the LDO persuasion.

Midday and I went for a wander, finding larger fish rising to what turned out to be a trickle, although very prolonged show of upwinged flies. Again both duns and emergers were being taken.
This was more like it, and with a mind on the theory I heard recently that CDC flies may appear to receive more positive takes than say traditional or Klink type dries on slow calm water – on one went. Now I’m not a great believer / user of CDC flies, not due to their effectiveness but due to their lack of industrial strength (always needin’ pampering) but I had in my possession a tube of Veniards CDC oil (as described by Bigtrout in the close season ) and was keen to give it a try...................... 100% impressed. I used three different patterns and their fishability was a revelation, nice one Baz!
I lost count of the fish I caught on these ‘dries’ but it was one of the best days (couple of hours) dry fly fishing I can recall, almost every fish that showed within reach and reason was at least risen. Only 1 wild fish though @ 3/4 lb. :z6


I think the highlight was fishing a lovely pattern which I saw in a T&S article then radically adapted – ‘MB Emerger’  March issue.

More than a little worse for wear


Quite a bit of fly life today with lots of cranes, a few sedges, wee moths, midge, etc on the go along with a fair showing of olives - didn't see a MB though.



Scierra Folding wading staff - £30 or so – absolute 100% hit, had to use it in anger earlier in the day and it saved me a soaking. Ultra light, strong and folds into a pouch which you’ll easily forget you have on.

Iain

Great post Iain and a very intresting read along with some great photos :z16 :z16 :z16

Irvine Ross

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #101 on: 08/05/2011 at 14:37 »
At last I ditched the paintbrush for the fly rod and got out yesterday. There were a few flurries of grannom in the sunny spells and maybe half a dozen olives drifted by in the course of the afternoon.

No sign of any trout other than tiddlers. The decent fish were all sulking somewhere. :cry

Today's rain might make a difference, 33mm on our guage since Saturday morning.

Irvine

Richard Tong

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #102 on: 08/05/2011 at 21:22 »
According to FishDon the river is 1'3" at Alford so is 11" up. We have fished it at this level before and whilst it is a bit high, we had some nice Trout. However after such a long dry spell no doubt it is running very dirty so probably not fishable. Would appreciate it if you could let me know when the colour has cleared sufficiently. Itching to get up...this season has been a nightmare so far for our usual Scottish rivers...

Richard

Ben Dixon

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #103 on: 08/05/2011 at 21:52 »
Chocolate brown with me at 18:30, rising fast and still rising at Strathdon at the same time despite having levelled off at Alford.  I'll be out later in the week so will give you a shout when it fines down a bit.

Loads of hawthorns, black gnats, yellow sallies and a few grannom kicking about today.

CHeers

Ben

Barry Robertson

Re: River Don 2011
« Reply #104 on: 09/05/2011 at 01:02 »
After reading your post again Iain i see you mentioned about the cdc oil being a hit, glad it worked well and i honestly think i would be lost without it  :z16

 




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