Slightly more up to date; I was at South Waterside on Friday 10 May
South Waterside
Another beat that i had not fished before, though I had walked some of it previously. Parking is conveniently available at top, bottom and near to the top. I parked at the Roads depot, about ¾ up the beat, from where it’s a quick hop over the stile to the river bank. Handy, as I later needed to return for warmer clothing.
My Don 8 Event luck continues to evade. I arrived in a storm of hailstones…sheesh! 10th May, i thought we were past the winter! And got to the river to find that it was coloured and running up a little after some overnight rain. Sigh….
I strolled to the top of the beat, at Bridge of Alford, and even though the water was brown, you could see the potential of some lovely straights. ABout-turned, and hoofed it to the bottom end, at Montgarrie bridge. ABout 20-25 min walk, or less, so it’s a fine size beat for covering in a day.
I settled there at a likely spot, and, spotted a rise. Not just any old rise, but a decent fish that was feeding in a foam line tight to the bank. Now there was a real mix of insects in the soup: gnats, hawthorns, some olives, some sedges and the very occasional larger upwing (brook dun?). This trout took some olives, and some other offerings from the surface film that I couldn’t see. I waded into position, having to go mid-stream to get a cast owing to overhanging trees near to the bank.
Cold? It was bloody freezing mate!!! Fish wasn;t showing often, and I had to stand for 10 mins or so til he rose. Had a go, covered him well enough, then landed a heavy cast. Doh! I waited a bit, but no show, so I retired to the bank, sat down, and he rose again… right! Back into the river. Same as before, except this time I was shivering with the cold (only had my leggings on under waders, and the water was really cold). Returned to car to get layered up, long winter trousers, and suitably thawed out returned to the trout, and tempted him on a simple black gnat pattern after a couple of refusals on olive emergers. Weighed in at 2 and a quarter; a decent enough trout that just about justified near-hypothermia!
Saw two other rising trout that were showing regularly enough for a cast, and caught them (one at a pound, one at 8 oz or so).
A great wee stretch of water, also on my mental wishlist for return visits; just the same old story of rising trout nowhere to be seen!