Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Liam Stephen

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #645 on: 14/07/2012 at 11:02 »
Managed to sneak away for a few hours yesterday aftrenoon halfway along the Balbithan and Torryburn Beat. 

Despite the water levels still being higher than normal, starting to run a little clearer and after finding a nice deep pool not far downstream from a burn that flows into the Don, saw a lot of reasonable size fish rising for a hatch.

Lots of fish rising but only the one for the net on a #12 CDC & Elk (approx. 1.5 lbs) - THANKS YOUNG GUN !!  Tips, advice, tapered leader and flies all really helped.  Hope to meet up with you next week now you're back and before we lose you altogether.



Tips I've learnt from some our our forum mates - cast to rising fish and match the hatch - all came together yesterday - made a nice change from the 2 inch tiddlers that seem to plague my fishing !

Here's to the water levels dropping and the sun making a welcome re-appearance.

Tightlines all.

TtF


Tim  :z16

Well done on the cracking trout!! Glad I was of some help, you'll have to show me this little run (it could be the one I'm thinking of  :wink)

I'm back tomorrow, so gimme a shout anytime  :cool:

Cheers
Liam

Liam Stephen

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #646 on: 14/07/2012 at 11:16 »
That sounds ominous for Young Gun ? Nice fish TTF, and good fly !


I'm off to Oz at the begining of August hopefully (If visas are ready for then) :cool:

Will miss the Don but... I can't wait!

Liam

danbruce

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #647 on: 14/07/2012 at 17:08 »
Great trout Tim! :z16
Also sorry to hear you will be leaving soon Liam, will have to get along to your patch before you go.

Manged out this afternoon to try a few shooting heads on my 8/9wt salmon rod (none of which felt right :X1)
So decided to to have a bash for some trout instead. Having spoken to Goolager a week or so ago i decided to heed his wise words and put in some miles to find some brownies that were on the feed and constantly rising rather that covering "oncers"

Wise words indeed as i was rewarded with my best river brownie yet, about 18" long and a bit on the tubby side. Absolutly smashed my DHE on the third cast. Not sure what weight it would have been, would have been interesting to weigh it. (i am useless at weights)


Was hoping to get back out again tonight but have been given a hundred and one things to do instead.
Which is a shame as i was hoping to pick your brains for hints and tips Lindsay. :wink

Loxiafan

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #648 on: 14/07/2012 at 18:55 »
Just heading out in the next hour Dan hopefully to a spot where a fish "pushed a lot of water" ( a Ben_D quote !) last Thursday but a pishy cast sent him away in the huff. Well done on the fish, I need to pick your brains I think.  :z14

Didn't realise you were emigrating Liam - loadsa good trout fishing in Oz and NZ only a wee hop from there  :wink

I can smell Sea Trout in the air ?  :roll

Lindsay

Noel Kelly

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #649 on: 14/07/2012 at 21:33 »
Just heading out in the next hour Dan hopefully to a spot where a fish "pushed a lot of water" ( a Ben_D quote !) last Thursday but a pishy cast sent him away in the huff. Well done on the fish, I need to pick your brains I think.  :z14

Didn't realise you were emigrating Liam - loadsa good trout fishing in Oz and NZ only a wee hop from there  :wink

I can smell Sea Trout in the air ?  :roll

Lindsay

Got all the makings of a good night but this is the don. I'm 2 pissed to go near anything deeper than the bath (half full) so tight lines and pls let us arm chair fishers kno how it was!  :z18

Noel Kelly

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #650 on: 14/07/2012 at 21:36 »
Tim  :z16 well done. Is that a new rod and line?
Dan, good for you. If that trout is 18 inches that should put it in excess of 2 lbs. it's a nice trout for sure but I'm not sure it's that big?

danbruce

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #651 on: 14/07/2012 at 23:25 »
Just a rough guess on the length going by the diameter of the net I have, just measured the net would now guess the fish was 15". But hey anything more than 1lb is a new PB for me so still chuffed :wink

Iain Goolager

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #652 on: 15/07/2012 at 00:22 »
went out at 9 tonight (Sat) a few small sedges and some spinners had a few small trout on the go with the usual slightly better fish up once and in complex currents.

Nice night though and four fish came to the dry so it was good to be out again.

not exactly what I was hoping for but this one shaded it in the size stakes


Iain

Ben Dixon

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #653 on: 15/07/2012 at 00:57 »
Nice rod Iain, fish is O.K too  :z16

Iain Goolager

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #654 on: 15/07/2012 at 01:25 »
Quote
Nice rod Iain
Do you think? You hardly hear them mentioned  :z7

I wonder how Lyndsay got on with the 4wt  :z8

TimTheFlier

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #655 on: 15/07/2012 at 08:59 »
What a great evening - by far my best yet on the Don.  5 in the net, one lost within a few seconds of hooking and the largest one pictured below (estimated approx. 1.5 ~ 2lb).  All fish were approx. 1lb except the one pictured, but the sport was outstanding.



Arrived about 7pm to a frenetic hatch with a steady rise of good size fish.  After trying a CDC & Elk Hair with no show, I switched to a self-tied #10 Black Gnat, then trimmed all the hackle from the bottom of the fly to leave"wings" on the top which I "Ginked".  It seemed like almost every cast caught a fish and brought a massive smile to my face.

Noel - same rod and line, new and improved Tim !!  

Liam - shame you couldn't join me - weather man is predicting more foul weather I'm afraid.

I promise to stop posting pictures now until I break the 4 lb mark !

One again, tightlines and happy hunting.

Tim

Loxiafan

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #656 on: 15/07/2012 at 12:34 »
I wonder how Lyndsay got on with the 4wt  :z8

Rod Christened !

Despite really pants casting on my part mainly by not being used to the new Access 4wt (and despite all Ben's and Kev's great tips), as well as quite difficult casting with wind and high banks, I had one of my best nights on the Don in quality if not quantity. Had 2 at a pound, one at 2 pounds, and one at 3 pounds as well as losing the best fish of the night (had him on 5 minutes and had nearly played him out but didn't deserve him as the cast he accepted was one of my crumple, fall from the sky jobs !). Hook came out. Had I been able to get rid of the fault Kev identified I honestly could have been in to double figures !

What I learned; the new Access is much better at 'controlling' larger fish, I could boss them and put pressure on, hold them and 'guide' them. It was also great with the wee pounders. With the Streamflex I'd have been shouting for my mammy particularly the one I lost. It will be much more versatile.....when I learn to cast it properly ! Which leads me to.....I seem to get tactics right, flies etc, read the water and what fish are feeding on pretty good so the single thing that is going to improve my catch rate is without doubt better casting and presentation. I need lessons and I need to get better. Lastly, Tiemco 212Y's absolutely Rock. Way more solid than the Varivas 2200BL's. Cheers Goolager for the heads up on them.

Ben, despite whipping the Mallard about reasonably (eventually) for me on grass I possibly need a line that loads the Access quicker (at shorter range), as well as the casting lessons ! Thinking about the SLX.....in ORANGE ! Will try the GT90 tonight as that loaded quick on a 10' SF2.

Lindsay


First Fish on New Rod Nice Pounder:



Last fish 11.30pm just Shy of 3 Pounds in MacNet:



All fish weighed in "large" Folding Macleans net (except the pounders). Would recommend a MacLean weigh net to avoid being accused of 'stringing' your weights/fish sizes. All in superb condition and returned alive.




josh

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #657 on: 15/07/2012 at 13:02 »
Also managed out last night on the kintore council beat was fishing from about 7 till 11 had a few little brownies caught 1 about half a pond all caught on wets.
Then about a half hour after the sun went down i threw on a klankhammer after watching the water basically boiling with not bad sized fish but one took my eye now i have heard ppl speaking about the huge brownies in the don but never actually hooked up with anything over 2lb but i watched this big fish rise about 5 6 times pretty close in to bank so hard not too spook it but anyway after 2 casts i had it on i knew it was a decent size but didnt realise how big until it came out the water shook its head then snapped my 3lb line i am still gutted now. I couldnt actually say how big but it was big my mrs actually thought it was a salmon lol.
Now i hear about ppl going for a fish night after night so would it be worth my while going back mon and trying for this big boy?

josh

Allan Liddle

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #658 on: 15/07/2012 at 13:27 »
Rod Christened !

Despite really pants casting on my part mainly by not being used to the new Access 4wt (and despite all Ben's and Kev's great tips), as well as quite difficult casting with wind and high banks, I had one of my best nights on the Don in quality if not quantity. Had 2 at a pound, one at 2 pounds, and one at 3 pounds as well as losing the best fish of the night (had him on 5 minutes and had nearly played him out but didn't deserve him as the cast he accepted was one of my crumple, fall from the sky jobs !). Hook came out. Had I been able to get rid of the fault Kev identified I honestly could have been in to double figures !

What I learned; the new Access is much better at 'controlling' larger fish, I could boss them and put pressure on, hold them and 'guide' them. It was also great with the wee pounders. With the Streamflex I'd have been shouting for my mammy particularly the one I lost. It will be much more versatile.....when I learn to cast it properly ! Which leads me to.....I seem to get tactics right, flies etc, read the water and what fish are feeding on pretty good so the single thing that is going to improve my catch rate is without doubt better casting and presentation. I need lessons and I need to get better. Lastly, Tiemco 212Y's absolutely Rock. Way more solid than the Varivas 2200BL's. Cheers Goolager for the heads up on them.

Ben, despite whipping the Mallard about reasonably (eventually) for me on grass I possibly need a line that loads the Access quicker (at shorter range), as well as the casting lessons ! Thinking about the SLX.....in ORANGE ! Will try the GT90 tonight as that loaded quick on a 10' SF2.

Lindsay


First Fish on New Rod Nice Pounder:



Last fish 11.30pm just Shy of 3 Pounds in MacNet:



All fish weighed in "large" Folding Macleans net (except the pounders). Would recommend a MacLean weigh net to avoid being accused of 'stringing' your weights/fish sizes. All in superb condition and returned alive.





Crackin fish there Lindsay.
You're right on the Vivaras hooks, lost a few Rod Benders on Deveron earlier using them before switching back to B100's.  Yup i know not barbless, but they are so small it's never been a problem / issue for me.

Haven't got a McLean net (not yet anyway) but agree excellent and takes all the guessing and temptation to add a few ounces out the equation.  I'm still farting about with my small battery digital ones (aye must keep it in polybag to keep it dryish and remember to take it out yer pocket when you get home.  Do this for my fleeboxes anyway.  Don't forget to take off 10oz for the net either  :wink)

Crumple fall from the sky plenty slack on the line and no drag as a result not a bad cast for dries.  Hard to get the strike timing / strength right though  :wink)

Loxiafan

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #659 on: 15/07/2012 at 13:35 »
Cheers Allan,

One of those nights, laughable casting but tactics right and a few dozy fish to the DHE (best fly ever ?). Yep, will be getting more 212Y's shame can't get 14's (either 13 or 15, 15 being quite small IMO).

MacLeans Nets are zero'd for the net etc and I think are accurate to within 2ozs. Expensive but great - I reall like the bigger collapsable telescopic one (£75  :shock) though sometimes use the scoop version if wading a lot.

Cheers,

Lindsay

PS Tiemco 212Y's have a microbarb but I have been crimping these down and it was only bad luck on the lost fish all others well hooked in the scissors.

 




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