[Allan Liddle]

Kind of the same as the anywhere fishing thread and following the recent spell of dry, mild settled weather, i'm just wondering if anyone's spotted any surface movement, or early LDO (or MB) hatches on the running locations?

If things follow as they did three years ago, end of March came on with a bang, and fishing was good right through to June.  Here's hoping anyway. 

Allan

[Graham Ritchie]

Saw the first few olives of the year hatching off the Spey yesterday.

[Derek Roxborough]

Snow this coming week might just delay the broon fellows, easgach1

[Allan Liddle]

Saw the first few olives of the year hatching off the Spey yesterday.

Brilliant news.  Given the Spey is notorious as being later to come to life than the Deveron or Don looks like a wee walk along the banks of the former is in order to check things oot.  Hopefully the snow Derek's forecast dosen't come to much and fish get into the feeding zone quickly.

About six or seven years ago there was an explosion of Heather Beetles early season that lasted from mid April right through to mid June.  Keepers were pissed off as most of the damage from these beasts happened outwith the burning season and a lot of heather was effected, giving them concern for the young Grouse (especially for the following winter.  There real worry was if this became a regular feature as with heather being slow growing, it could be drastic on the young birds.

Anyway every cloud and all that meant that the troots on our upland water (Lochindorb was superb) lapped up this unexpected massive protien manna and banged on the beef (bit like myself, although mine's is more pies and beer than beetles and bugs  )
Beetle imitations were 'wolfed' by the troots on running and still water and the sport was brilliant.  So good was it in fact, that i was glad the mayflee hatches on the west were patchy to get a rest    Ok that was a lie.  Truth was it became a bumper season and fished very well right through.  I even managed to break a pound out of Lochindorb for the first (and only) time later in August (on an olive DHE), however 12 - 14 oz fish were regular, and 10" fish common place.

There were reports of massive amounts of Heather Beetle from Perthshire all the way up through Sutherland and Assynt.  Keepers had to ware goggles to prevent eye injuries when out on the quads.

Who knows,if it continues to stay mild followed mid April by a sudden warm spell (that particular year myslef and Graham Young were sunburnt on the Deveron right in the middle of April, although it snowed again late May when i was up in Orkney  ) we may see this again?

Ahh the good old Scottish weather.  Ye canne beat it. 

Allan

[Ben Dixon]

Caddis seen on the Dee and Don on Wednesday afternoon and saw a small stonefly on the Don today, been various midge about for the past two weeks.  Seen nothing moving as yet.

Ben

[DJG1984]

There was a healthy number of fish rising at Loch Insch on Saturday, especially on Kelloch. I managed to catch 4 and another one got a away from me. All fish were caught on an olive damsel. Might go fishing again tomorrow since i'm on holiday till Saturday.

Dave.

[Silver Stoat]

Had a good afternoon at Kellas last friday taking a bloodworm or a lime green and white okay dokay spent four hours and had twelve on biggest at 6lb 2oz only had a couple under the 3lb mark beautiful full finned hard fighting fish well pleased with my outing .

[Conehead]

 Allan,

Glad to see that someone else has noticed the fish getting bigger at Lochindorb, I too broke the pound barrier and have noticed the fish are loooking a good bit chunkier.
Maybe see you up there sometime this season, looking forward to having a crack at the wild broonies again.

Geoff

[the water buoys]

       I might be going to Lochindorb for the start of the wild Brown trout
       season. Dont think it will be frozen over like last year.


              Henry.

[Allan Liddle]

Hope not H.  I'll post a pic from last year if i can find it.

Any other news on fly / fish activity on the rivers guys?

[Graham Ritchie]

Nothing hatching off the Spey yesterday.

[Allan Liddle]

Brilliant news.  Given the Spey is notorious as being later to come to life than the Deveron or Don looks like a wee walk along the banks of the former is in order to check things oot.  Hopefully the snow Derek's forecast dosen't come to much and fish get into the feeding zone quickly.

About six or seven years ago there was an explosion of Heather Beetles early season that lasted from mid April right through to mid June.  Keepers were pissed off as most of the damage from these beasts happened outwith the burning season and a lot of heather was effected, giving them concern for the young Grouse (especially for the following winter.  There real worry was if this became a regular feature as with heather being slow growing, it could be drastic on the young birds.

Anyway every cloud and all that meant that the troots on our upland water (Lochindorb was superb) lapped up this unexpected massive protien manna and banged on the beef (bit like myself, although mine's is more pies and beer than beetles and bugs  )
Beetle imitations were 'wolfed' by the troots on running and still water and the sport was brilliant.  So good was it in fact, that i was glad the mayflee hatches on the west were patchy to get a rest    Ok that was a lie.  Truth was it became a bumper season and fished very well right through.  I even managed to break a pound out of Lochindorb for the first (and only) time later in August (on an olive DHE), however 12 - 14 oz fish were regular, and 10" fish common place.

There were reports of massive amounts of Heather Beetle from Perthshire all the way up through Sutherland and Assynt.  Keepers had to ware goggles to prevent eye injuries when out on the quads.

Who knows,if it continues to stay mild followed mid April by a sudden warm spell (that particular year myslef and Graham Young were sunburnt on the Deveron right in the middle of April, although it snowed again late May when i was up in Orkney  ) we may see this again?

Ahh the good old Scottish weather.  Ye canne beat it. 

Allan

Well the hope of a prolongued dry mild spell didn't last eh    Hopefully it'll turn back warm again very soon.

[Allan Liddle]

Now the March winter period is hopefully over (now i've sid that que another fecking prolonged cold spell  ) any hatches guys?

[Graham Ritchie]

A few midges off the Spey yesterday, no olives. Plus saw a couple of small sedges, wing length about 6mm and a dark mottled brown colour, it's the earliest I have ever seen sedges.

[Allan Liddle]

Ben's been saying that as well.  Hopefully the mild settled weather continues and the olives start in earnest, troot will follow soon after.  MB's should also make an appearance soon, although you don't tend to get prolongued hatches and certainly sporadic.  Not very often the troot don't respond to them though.