Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Liam Stephen

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #720 on: 13/08/2012 at 22:34 »
I'm presuming that you have! So why not tell us about it :z7

Of course I have  :z7 it's been shite. Nothing over 2lb for 3 weeks now, I have located a few big ones but they are tricky fish  :z8 This weeks forecast looks all doom and gloom to  :cry

You need to get down the river some evening soon Trig  :z16

Liam

Loxiafan

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #721 on: 14/08/2012 at 00:35 »
I too have been thinking it was becoming 'unfashionable' to post on this thread but possibly the August 'blues' ? :roll

Have had 3 days out since (and including) last Sunday and although no blanks no 'red letter' fish either, but plenty perfectly conditioned wild brownies around 10 to 12 inches. All targetted and all on dry, sometimes in difficult conditions so overall can't complain. Saturday evening I made a total of only 4 casts and caught two fish that were 'midge-ing' (on a tiny cdc olive), best 12". Friday morning/afternoon there were rising fish at Parkhill and managed to catch on the dry while out with my nephew. Lots of Sedge around including many Black Silverhorns, but for me Sedge imitations haven't done the biz this year, wtf ?  :z8 Needle flies now out in abundance too ( Seaton Park beat) yesterday.

Looks like I'll be sticking with dry fly for the remainder of the year, though the way the river has been looking I've nearly been reaching for the 10' 4wt and French leader !  :shock

Another competition this Sunday both Parkhill beats guys. Then another SNFFL 'premier league' one in early September. Just as well we have other beats !

Lindsay

Ewan Lindsay

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #722 on: 14/08/2012 at 04:30 »
it's been shite. Nothing over 2lb for 3 weeks now,

Liam

 :shock

Your a hard man to please Liam!  :z8

Ewan

Noel Kelly

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #723 on: 14/08/2012 at 07:04 »
Catches are about what I'd expect for this time of year then. Every year I promise myself that I won't fish the river in August and this year I have pretty much stuck to that. Too much time for too little return plus there are always other matters backed up that need attention.
I have had a very poor season anyway despite putting the hrs in during may/June.
Hope to get some action in sept on streamers/wets. Had a few decent trout last sept.

Phil

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #724 on: 14/08/2012 at 13:20 »
I decided to try something new and went to one of the upper beats above Alford on Saturday. I have never been so far upstream before, absolutely stunning scenery and the Don looks so beautiful  :z14! Caught some lovely little brownies, all small, about the size of my hand... but on dries... And a guy caught a salmon of about 8 pounds, already coloured... I have seen one as well, jumping. But I had to go home after 4 hours of fishing, after having hay fever like crazy and I forgot the allergy tablets  :mad ... well, next time I will be better prepared...

The season for me was so far more or less... It's not easy...I had one of 1.5lbs and lots of small ones... I ordered the Oliver Edwards DVD on Wet fly fishing and Anatomy of a trout stream, maybe that helps  :z4 :z4 :z4

Phil

Mark Zhang

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #725 on: 16/08/2012 at 14:20 »
Hi, saw river level is high now from Webcam, but don't know if it's colored. is it good for salmon fishing? or I have to wait until the water drop off again. Cheers. :z14

Mark

Liam Stephen

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #726 on: 16/08/2012 at 14:47 »
Hi Mark  :z16

Its not actually too high - I think  :roll? Check Sepa river levels. As for colour I cant comment as I havent seen it today, I am guessing it could be quite murky. I personally love when the water goes like this, my best fishing has been when it starts to clear. I'd just give it a go, if Salmon fishing try a big bight Tube Fly. For the Brownies try a big streamer, Ben swears by an Orange Conehead Black Wooly Bugger, something big and yellow could be worth a chuck - Zoo Cougar??  :z16

Liam

Mark Zhang

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #727 on: 17/08/2012 at 14:11 »
Went to the river last night, the water level was a bit of higher, and colored.  tried spinning for less than 1 hour, but no bite. saw a fish at the side of riffle. should I put more efforts at this area, or the tail of riffle, or pool? probably will go out on Sat morning if I can get up on time.  :z4Cheers.

tight line.

Mark

Iain Goolager

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #728 on: 21/08/2012 at 23:43 »
Had an hour and an'alf last night - saw a few fish feeding, nothing large.

Cast at four, hit 3 and pricked the other which was quite pleasing at this time of year.......... all on this;



The best fish, the others just falling a bit shorter.



Iain

Loxiafan

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #729 on: 22/08/2012 at 12:14 »
Well done Iain, the trutta have been giving me a beating recently, though I am stupidly sticking to dries  :z7 Fish defo taking stuff just on/under surface, I reckon ascending Midge pupa or tiny caenis spinners ??

Had one on (then off) on one of Ben's Black Midges (size 22, black thread half down body). Second fish I have lost when Dan has been there onlooking ( Dan you may be my "Jonah" !  :z4).

Had some real probs with these tiny flies even with 6x tippet with the Access/SLX as there was no weight to turn the fly over (plus the wind wisnae helping). I am reaching for the 3.5ft Dibble Furled Leader next time (Sorry Ben  :oops), and my whippy Streamflex.

Weekend not looking promising.

Lindsay

PS like Baz mentioned elsewhere on the Smutting thread, has anyone stomach sampled at this time of year ? You can get stomach pumps that apparently don't harm the fish, though personally I am not sure about that.

danbruce

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #730 on: 22/08/2012 at 12:54 »
Yeah sorry about that lindsay, I will start looking the other way when your covering fish. :grin

Was having the same problem as you, fish coming up to have a look at the dry fly but just nosing it and turning away.
There was a small hatch of something that evening but just as the trout were coming on a kayaker came shooting down the middle of the pool and they all disappeared. Fair doo's they have a right to use the river but I mean have a bit of consideration.

Cheers
Dan

Loxiafan

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #731 on: 22/08/2012 at 13:44 »
There was a small hatch of something that evening but just as the trout were coming on a kayaker came shooting down the middle of the pool and they all disappeared. Fair doo's they have a right to use the river but I mean have a bit of consideration.

Hi Dan,

Aye, fishing is hard there they now ! Had fish 'nosing' the flees all night and was striking in to thin air quite a bit. Exciting stuff though !

Kayakers were there on Sunday as well, two of them, blootered the pool of rising fish on the way down and then they came back an hour later and did it all over again ! The guy there on Monday parks in the Anglers Car Park - not sure if he is an angler or what the status of that car park is re other's accessing but he was there one time and I really struggled to get parked. He is a nice enough guy though. Will be raising this with ADAA Boffins soon to see what the situation is.

The way I see it, we pay for the privillege of using the river, whereas these guys are a 'free for all'. It is not something we want to be encouraging at that site IMHO but maybe the farmer gives them permission to access in which case we have have no grounds to complain. It would be considerate if they didn't come back upstream after going down eg. someone should drive their vehicle downstream and pick them up ?

Cheers,

Lindsay

Iain Goolager

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #732 on: 27/08/2012 at 12:51 »
Out last evening, getting that 'loneliness of the long distance dry fly fisherman' feeling as the season progresses.

Been thinking of ditching all this pseudo 2012 modern man fly-fishing techno junk and going back to mono tippet as I've been degreasing every three to five casts with my preferred co-polymer, and enough is enough - I'm positive that it is also costing me fish.

picked up a 1/4lber - which was exciting  :X1 as it was the only 'decent'  :X1 thing splashing as the night drew in.
The sky went red and it seemed to warm up?

A few better rises (relatively) appeared and I started to pick up some 8" fish......better.

Then a short spell of larger FEEDING  :shock fish showed and I had 2 fish around 1 1/4 lb which made my bathnight.

CDC emerger still doing the buzyness.

Iain

Rob Brownfield

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #733 on: 27/08/2012 at 15:49 »

The way I see it, we pay for the privillege of using the river, whereas these guys are a 'free for all'. It is not something we want to be encouraging at that site IMHO but maybe the farmer gives them permission to access in which case we have have no grounds to complain. It would be considerate if they didn't come back upstream after going down eg. someone should drive their vehicle downstream and pick them up ?

Try standing on Potach Bridge on a Saturday afternoon. The poor sods that pay a lot of money to fish the Bridge Pool have recently been plagued by kayakers and the likes using the Bridge pool as a resting pool whilst their mates "shoot the rapids" upstream of the bridge. One angler had 4 kayaks sat bang smack in the middle of the pool for a good 30 minutes before splashing back upstream to shoot the rapids again before heading down stream.

Not sure what,if anything, can be done about it thanks to this "Right to Roam" nonsense.


Allan Liddle

Re: River Don 2012
« Reply #734 on: 27/08/2012 at 16:37 »
Out last evening, getting that 'loneliness of the long distance dry fly fisherman' feeling as the season progresses.

Been thinking of ditching all this pseudo 2012 modern man fly-fishing techno junk and going back to mono tippet as I've been degreasing every three to five casts with my preferred co-polymer, and enough is enough - I'm positive that it is also costing me fish.

picked up a 1/4lber - which was exciting  :X1 as it was the only 'decent'  :X1 thing splashing as the night drew in.
The sky went red and it seemed to warm up?

A few better rises (relatively) appeared and I started to pick up some 8" fish......better.

3lb Maxima Green for river troots.  Also take a wee bit of your degreaser (i assume your using some form of 'mud' fullers earth type thing) and stick a wee 'blob' onto the rod at the handle joint for easy access as required.
Yup you're right it is costing you fish in so much as your concentration is constantly being broken and you're being distracted from what's happening on the water.

Allan L


 




Barrio Fly Lines - designed in Scotland - Cast with confidence all over the world

Barrio Fly Lines

Designed in Scotland

Manufactured in the UK

Cast with confidence all over the world

www.flylineshop.com