Big fish on Annan

Spent a day on the Annan fishing the massively underrated (and underfished) Brocklerigg beat with Ian Walls and Jack (top netsman) Beattie. Heavy rain before our arrival had made it a nervy drive down, but we were releived to arrive to a high river at 2.5ft, but with only a touch of colour. Starting spinning we were seeing the odd fish and I felt a the water looked good for the fly. Switching to an intermediate line and fast sink leader with wuliie gunn attached I fished slowly down sorrysykes pool. Halfway down and virtually on the dangle a savage take and run was the start of a long and difficult fight in the high water. After 45 min of to and fro, the fish was eventually netted by Jack and safely returned, what a fight. Estimated at 18lb, it was my largest for a few years and made the trip. Ian managed to also land a fish, an embarassingly small one of 4lb, also released. Planning a return visit soon!

At last a salmon

A salmon at last! Been trying hard for a fish this season but no luck until last Friday when I was fishing cambusmore on the River Teith. A lovely stretch this, but I was on the usually less productive of the four beats, number 4. The river was at 1'9" and looked in great condition. Fishing a mix of spinner and fly I hadn't even seen a fish when I headed down to plasterers, which was best spun in this height. A few casts of my blue and silver spoon soon brought a solid take from a nice 11lb fish, which was soon brought to hand. After admiring it I attempted to return it to the river, but unfortunately after 10 min it seemed it wasn't going to recover and so it was kept for smoking, perfect for xmas! Shortly after, I managed to hook a near identical fish, but had my drag set too tight and lost it after it threw the hook, ah well. All in all a good day, and here's hoping a few more before the end of the season, which seems ever closer!

At last!

Where are all the sea trout?

Just back from our much anticipated annual week on the Spey at Kinchurdy near Boat of Garten. after its wonderful sea trout. Anticipation was high on our first night with ideal conditions of low water and warm weather. Fishing with John and Ian, our usual crew on this week hopes were high. However rumours were of poor catches throughout the river so it was with mixed hopes we began fishing at midnight. Sport was slow and I lost a fish in Shepherd's after an hour or so, but eventually had a good hook up with a strong fish which turned out to be a salmon of around 7lb, returned. Sport remained slow but reasonably steady for the first 3 nights, with 9 sea trout landed and at least that number lost, however at this time of year and in these conditions we would expect many more. Then disaster. On the Wednesday the rain arrived late in the day, heavy and persistent, and by late evening the river began to rise quickly, up to 2ft 3in, completely spoiling sport. Apart from one solid offer which came off that night, we had no further sport with the sea trout for the remainder of the week, though a couple more salmon lightened the mood, with a real beauty of 12.5lb for Ian on the last afternoon.
Overall a disappointing week, looks like the stories of a poor sea trout run this year are true. Ah well, always next year!

Ian's last afternoon salmon

Enjoyable Spey trip

Well, a couple of days on the river Spey near Boat of Garten for myself and River-green director Ian Walls. We were fishing our favourite piece of water, the beautiful kinchurdy beat for salmon. I was by myself for the Thursday and arrived to a low river in blazing sunshine, not the best recipe for a successful trip. However I did see a fish in the morning that gave some hope. Despite plenty of effort only the browns were interested in a stripped sunray shadow. As evening fell and we enjoyed a riverside BBQ, we started to see a good number of sea trout moving in the main kinchurdy pool, very unusual for this time of year. Given it was a lovely warm evening I decided to have a quick throw in the last of the light with a fairly large tube fly on a fast intermediate line. Fish continued to move into dark and amazingly I actually had a decent offer and one more half hearted one, but neither would stick. This might mean the sea trout have fed well this year if they are here in such numbers already.

Above is the famous kinchurdy pool. Anyway next day myself and Ian were joined by a few other rods so found ourselves experimenting in some of the faster runs hoping for a fish, but no luck in the morning. In the afternoon and fishing a stripped sunray shadow across the famous "stones" Ian managed some interest from a few fish which chased his fly but didn't stick, and we called it a day eventually around tea time. All in all an enjoyable if fishless trip, and we can't wait to get back up there for some serious sea trout fishing first week in July.

Ian fishes the famous "stones"

Hard work on Carron

Another day afloat on carron valley today with river-green director Ian Walls. Conditions less than ideal, with a cold wind making casting difficult and the drifts very fast. Finding fish rising off the dam wall at the very top of the fishery, we managed to tempt a few small browns, with Ian landing a nice rainbow too. Yours truly even managing 2 fish on one cast, making landing them a tricky business! As usual Ian continued to pick away consistently most of the day, ending with 4 rainbows and 4 browns, with myself trailing behind with only 3 browns but quite a few pulled and missed, never mind. Hard work in the conditions but as usual good fun. Apologies to Ian for causing him to lose his final fish of the day when my dropper became entangled with his line as he played it, totally unintentional of course!

Nice conditions. Nae fish

Another day on Cambusmore on Teith for our motley crew. Lovely water following rain over the last few days led to a river in nice order at around 15". Jack Beattie had some action in the morning with a fish lost and a kelt from chirrup on beat 1, and thinks he saw a fresh fish before leaving at lunchtime. Over to yours truly for the afternoon shift when I was joined by Steve "bhurka" Welsh, another of the syndicate rods for the rest of the day. Despite plenty of effort no touches for either of us, and only the sighting of the odd kelt to keep us going. So in the race for the Teith quaich, John Anderson leads the way with his (still unverified) early springer and a desperate claim for an additional few points for a couple of baggots he caught. Never mind, plenty of fish to be caught yet (I hope).

Good sport on Carron

A good day had today on Carron valley reservoir when I shared a boat with river-green director and top rainbow basher Ian Walls. Apparently the place had been fishing well even this early in the season, and hopes were high as we set out on an unseasonably mild and bright spring day. Conditions were ideal as we began our first drift in tree bay and Ian was soon into a fish which was lost at the next through a mixture of excitement and incompetence, but still a good sign. Fishing sink tip lines through the morning we had steady if slow sport with some lovely well conditioned rainbows in the 2-3 pound class,  which were taking black/green mini lures keenly when you could locate them. After lunch things went quiet for a  while but picked up again as the day wore on and we were soon picking up fish again in the many sheltered bays along the road shore, with fish lying within a few yards of the bank. Once again Ian emerged victorious having landed and returned 4 nice rainbows and 2 browns, with yours truly finishing with 3 lovely rainbows, and a number of others pulled and lost. All in all good sport considering this is still only March.

Slow start continues

Another day on Cambusmore on the river Teith today. Unfortunately no fish for any of our syndicate, with Jack Beattie failing to connect during the day, and myself doing likewise later on. However at least one fresh fish was sighted, with still a few kelts hanging about despite good water levels and mild temperatures which should have moved most of them on by now. It really was like early summer conditions today, with perfect light and water conditions, but either we were rubbish or it just wasn't to be (probably the former).
Anyway, desperate for another bend in the rod, off to fish Carron valley reservoir on Sunday for trout with top rainbow basher Ian Walls of river-green, a bit early for good sport perhaps but maybe half a chicken dragged through the depths will produce the goods. Full report to follow!

Slow start to the season

Well, so far 2011 has been a bit of a damp squib, quite literally. Everytime we try to get some fishing in it seems either rain or snowmelt decides to put the rivers in flood just as we arrive after perfect conditions beforehand, typical.
Anyway, early attempts at some spring fishing on the South Esk and River Teith have been unsuccessful, apart from a number of kelts from the River Teith for myself and our hardy group of anglers. Don't think I have ever seen so many kelts still around so late in the season as I did last week on the Teith. Among them were some very well mended fish which I am sure are very late runners that have not spawned this year. Are our runs of fish getting later and later?
Anyway still waiting for that heart thumping wrench of a big spring fish. Watch this space!