River North Esk - nr Edinburgh

[Deleted]

Dalkeith CP 20th March 2.30 - 4.30

Headed down for a couple of hours fished just down from the bridge.

Amazing day, warm lots of hatches, Olives etc, low level water and water running clear. Should be good for the early season trout.

Used new furled line 10.5 ft and 4ft of tippet Partridge and orange, then switched to Tenkara Jingler high breed fly that I tied at the week end.

Ended up randomly meeting up with Mikey1990 and his friend and shared fishing tactics for the river and told him that Leckie the man to talk.

Lovely to be on the river at this time of day. Didn't see any rises and had no takes

Maybe one of those days to be greatfull for spending time on the river. ;D but a fish would of been nice better luck next time


Tight lines

Buglife

[leckie]

buglife,
Bad luck about not connecting....it makes it all that more memorable when you do....the Esk is a funny old river....the fish in my experience aren't free rising in the early season....last year it wasn't till the end of May would you believe when they started to come up....but they're definitely there
I am going to try for an hour after work today at Lasswade...will let you know how I get on.

tight lines

Alex

[leckie]

Wednesday 21 March 2012 - Lasswade

Got down to the river at 17:30 hrs and fished till light faded at 18:50 hrs.....the river was low and clear...plenty of olives...a proliferation of them in fact...you'd think it was summer. Still no sign of any rises...the lack of surface activity always amazes me about this river....anyway I decided to fish downstream for a change with a simple black bodied sakasa kebari this time I went for a barbless size 14 hook and a clear level line. I did get a single pull for my efforts... saw the silver flash...felt the pull then the realisation that the hook never connected...been there many a time...you get over these disappointments pretty quick. Another blank day but who's counting.
I think I'll head further upstream tomorrow...see if my luck changes.

tight lines

Alex

[leckie]

Thursday 22 March 2012 - Polton Bridge looking upstream

It was cold this morning...2 degrees driving to the river...there was quite a hard frost....but there wasn't a cloud in the sky...it's going to be a cracking day...weatherwise at least
I was toying with changing my fly but kept with the same set up as yesterday which is a size 14 black sakasa kebari fished upstream.
I did see a fish rising in the bridge pool but I fished for an hour and a half without the fish showing any interest in my offering.
Still a morning like this does have its compensations.
Work beckons

tight lines

Alex

[Deleted]

Alex

Had the camera but left it in the car lol it's free for the esk in Penicuik there is a ton of great little pools the whole way up and so many fantastic runs, I'll take sum pics as I should be out that way again tomorrow,

Tight lines

Mike

[Deleted]

River was at a good level today at Penicuik but a bit murky though, lots of good hatches on the go. Had two small brown trout, one on a stonefly nymph about 6oz fish and the other on a pheasant tail nymph about 4oz, then me and the angryscotsman (Jarvis) (frog lure man lol) who is new the forum went back to mine to let my dogs out decided to go for a wander up the moorfoot hills as it was a nice day to try the river that runs down from the top of the hills, so we got permission from my mates dad who owns the hills farm and the river to have a look and a fish. so we took the fly rods just in case there were any fish up there, as it turns out it's a nice little chalk stream with a ton of little brown trout par of about 4 to 6 inches in length and a ton of minnows.

Mike

[leckie]

Mike,

Looks like you and angryscotsman found a nice little stream to fish...well done...they're probably some nice little 1/4 lbers that will put quite a bend in your rod when you connect....will need a bit more water in the stream to get them out from under their lies I suspect...
Thanks for writing up the report and look forward to some photos as the season progresses.

Alex

[leckie]

Wednesday 28 March 2012 – Dalkeith Country Park
It’s going to be another brilliant day…and even better is that I’m taking a half day’s holiday this afternoon….the plan is to have a few beers, BBQ at 4:30pm…nice
Being so warm of late I decided to leave the fishing jacket in the garage and use the sleeveless wading jacket for the first time this season….I transferred the magnetic net holder and net to the wading jacket and set off. I arrived at the river early as usual…my first cast was just after 7am….the river was a bit cloudy…not sure why…so I decided to try some of my hand tied nymphs, tied on a size 16 jig hook..this way I thought I could target both grayling and trout using this method….I’ve 2 grayling to go to catch my personal target a total of 6 before the 31 March. I’m sticking with the Yamame and using a thingamabobber as an indicator. Blimey…first cast and the indicator dips under the surface then it is back up again…I didn’t even have time to react….I’ll up my concentration levels...you better believe it…half way down the run the indicator dives under the surface again…this time I’m ready and strike and a fish is on….this is a nice fish…its putting up a fierce battle….even the Yamane has a significant bend it in…then it jumps clear of the water shaking its head violently….a nice trout of around a pound in weight….this fellow doesn’t want to get close to the bank where it shallows up but it is tiring…it’s on its side…time to land it…I give the handle of the net a pull, but it doesn’t come free….another pull...then another…still its not releasing….I’ll have to beach it….I start to hand line it in but the delay in me messing about with the landing net has given the trout time to recover and it makes an almighty dash for mid stream and the inevitable happens…the line snaps and the fish is free….I’m disappointed because I wanted to show you guys a photo of this fish…it was in perfect condition and very handsome markings…another time then. I go to the riverbank take off my wading jacket to find out what the issue is with the magnetic net release……aaargh …I discover that I have attached the split ring of the net to the D ring on my jacket rather than the split ring from the magnetic net release to the jacket….no wonder it didn’t release….Alex you plonker.
I’ve still got another hour of fishing to go so still time to nail one before work beckons….I work my way upstream and there’s definitely a few pulls that I miss and don’t connect with…until the indicator dives again...I strike and a fish is on…it’s a nice grayling which gives a good account of itself in its struggle for freedom…I take a quick photo and release it to fight another day.



I had another few takes but no connection and one where I connected…the rod bent…I could see it was another grayling then slack…and my thingamabobber and fly are now 10’ up the tree behind me…Time to call it a day…and what a day….best of the season so far with many more to come

Tight lines
Alex

[leckie]

Thursday 29 March 2012- Dalkeith Country Park

Determined to catch another grayling I fished for a few hours after work. The river is still a bit cloudy...I am using the same set up as yesterday with a size 16 weighted nymph under a strike indicator....Nothing....could have been a few takes...hard to say...but did not connect with anything. I saw one fish rise....I think it was a grayling.

Alex

[Deleted]

Alex

Looks like you had a couple of good days fishing.. Keep it up hope you get your personal best record for grayling let us all know how you get on.


Mike

[leckie]

Friday 30 March 2012 - Polton

A view from the bridge pool looking downstream - the end of the pool is the weir

This is the first run on the other side of the weir

One grayling to catch and only 2 days to go to equal my internal target of 6 caught during the wbt close season ....just hoping that the 2 that got away 'cause the knot came undone doesn't come back to haunt me
I fished for an hour before work this morning...and headed upstream to Polton...parked at the bridge and the river is 30 yards away...and it's on my route to work...okay with a little diversion...but it's be worth it if I nail a grayling....a brace would be nice...then I would beat my record....oh for goodness sake just get on with it and stop dreaming
I put on my sleeveless wading jacket leaving the full 3/4 length jacket in the car....why did I do that ....it's freezing....I think the forecast is for snow on higher ground this weekend
Anyway, I want a grayling so I'm sticking with a size 16 weighted nymph fished under an indicator....the river is crystal clear...makes me wonder why the river is cloudy at Dalkeith Country Park....I make a mental note to phone SEPA to see if they can shed some light on this matter...I'm sure it's not pollution but I'm curious for an explanation
Half an hour has come and gone with no interest shown in the fly....about 10 metres ahead there are a number of rises....think they are trout....but I don't care I'm changing tactics. I take off the indicator and the weighted nymph and use a sakasa kabari....I cover the rises slowly working upstream...I'm past them now so I'll fish the fly wet downstream....not a touch....time to pack up

tight lines

Alex

[custheyder]

Come Alex! ... I'm cheering you on here to at least equal your record! I have to admire your dedication.

Cust.

[Deleted]

Headed down to rosslyn Glen country park for a few hours to day water levels were perfect , colour was a bit too clear for me, and it was a bit to sunny and bright, so not to many rises lots of good insect activity, and one good hard run on a pheasant tail nymph on a size 16 hook but the fish went for a snag and my hook got transferred to a bloody fallen trees branch. But oh well got to keep on trying.

Mike

[leckie]

I reported the fact that the water is pretty discoloured down at Dalkeith Country Park to SEPA...whereas further upstream, Lasswade,Polton and Roslin it is crystal clear. The SEPA inspector was going to have a look and take samples of the water for quality testing if necessary this afternoon. For the guys that fish the River North Esk....I'll keep you posted on their findings....I'm sure it's not pollution...but it will be good to know what is the cause...natural or otherwise.

Alex

[leckie]

Well I did not equal my personal target of 6 grayling . I did catch 5 however and lost 2 due to the knot coming undone and had at least half a dozen hooked but lost after the a brief encounter.
This is the first time I have targeted grayling and I have learnt a whole load of things through this experience...just glad the rivers close to me hold the 'ladies of the stream'.
For the final session this morning (7am - 9am) I thought I'd double my chances by fishing with the hopper dropper method NZ style....I fished upstream in the run I've had some success on over the past couple of months....saw nothing...no touches...no rises...did see a fox scavanging across the other side of the river...it had something in its mouth...not sure what it was....I hope it was that mink I saw a few months back...but wouldn't count on it...there survivors these mink...they know how to take care of themselves.
Anyway, when I got to the head of the run I turned back and fished down and across....at 7.30 am I got a savage pull...a trout...it leapt clean out of the water....I could see its yellow belly...as it landed the hook was thrown and that was it.
I fished hard for the next hour and a half but nothing.
I will be starting to fish using more top of the water styles...so I guess it will be mostly brown trout from now on...but you never know....it would be nice to get a grayling on the dry.

tight lines

Alex