|
Post by leckie on Apr 24, 2012 20:33:21 GMT
buglife, Thanks for writing up a report about your fishing experience on the River North Esk....I told you when we first met that it's a very finicky river to fish....last season I didn't see a rise in this river until the middle of May....but the fish are there...and when you get one...and you will....the sense of euphoria that will come over you will fill you with great joy....keep some smelling salts handy just in case. I blank a lot when I fish...so I'm no river expert by any manner of means...but as we both know...there's more to fishing than catching fish...right Keep fishing and take a camera with you on your next outing(s)....we want to see a photo of the fish you catch and scenery of course....your trip to Skye will be coming up...so you'll have a chance to win this months competition now that custheyder is not in contention....conflict of interest or something like that...nice one Simon...give the rest of us a chance. tight lines Alex
|
|
|
Post by custheyder on Apr 24, 2012 22:22:51 GMT
buglife... keep going! A bad day on the river is better than any day at work. There must be fish there. My next trip on Thursday is going to be a tough one on water that I've not fished before in a semi-urban environment.
Alex... Thank you for the compliment on my photographs. They are just snapshots really on a simple compact camera. My Pentax 6 megapixel Optio W10 is quite old now and well abused. I would love a digital SLR to play with but then I'd be taking pictures and not fishing. Perhaps the up to date Penatx WG-2 is the way to go?
Back to the fishing....
Keep up the great reports! It's real fishing, not magazine fishing. We all blank... yes we do!
Cust.
|
|
|
Post by leckie on Apr 27, 2012 19:45:48 GMT
Friday 27 April 2012 – Lasswade The river is high but clear so I head downstream and will use the same tactics as I did this morning…that is a 2 fly weighted nymph set up under an indicator…..there’s a tree fallen right across the river just above the pool where I start…it wasn’t there the last time I was here but it hasn’t changed the dynamics of the river very much as it has fallen on fast shallow water…perhaps upstream its slowed the water down to create a deeper run….trout love lurking around fallen trees as it gives them a place to dart for cover….a bit of security from predators….anyway it’s the same story as this morning with load of flies on the water but no fish showing any interest in the naturals or my offerings. tIght lines Alex
|
|
|
Post by leckie on May 9, 2012 11:55:45 GMT
Wednesday 9 May 2012 - Polton It was such a lovely morning that I decided to try this stretch of water for an hour on my way to work....I'm sticking with a single size 16 olive sakasa kebari on 4' of tippet and using a 10'6" furled leader....water is in great condition so no excuses...after 20 minutes on non action I decide to change the fly....I put on a bigger one...a size 14 this time...still a sakasa kebari....I work my way down....my hours up and not a touch...and just as I was packing up a trout rose in the far bank .....I'll get him next time. tight lines Alex
|
|
|
Post by custheyder on May 9, 2012 12:28:19 GMT
They know! ... Just we walk away they pop their heads out of the water and blow bubbles at us!
|
|
|
Post by leckie on May 20, 2012 19:58:12 GMT
Sunday 20 May 2012 - Dalkeith Country Park I set the alarm for 5am, had breakfast and was down by the river just after 6am....the river was clear but pretty high...i tried a size 14 Partridge and Orange tied sakasa kebari style....no touches...persevered for half and hour then decided as there were no rises to fish with a weighted nymph....tried this but still no takes....no fish showing but I decided to switch to a dry fly and fish upstream for a change...no offers or fish showing....then tried a two fly set up...the old hopper dropper method...nothing...it's getting a bit warmer and there is more fly life activity but still no rise of offers....I fish on till 10:30am with not one touch for the whole session and didn't see a single rise...I did bump into any chap who was using a conventional fly rod and reel...when I looked closer at his set up I noticed that he was using split shot weight and a garden worm on the end of the line.....I'm not that desperate so I head home....just one of those days tight lines Alex
|
|
|
Post by leckie on May 25, 2012 17:49:24 GMT
Thursday 24 May 2012 - Ironmills Park
Stopped off for an hour before work...never fished this stretch before...so I headed up to the falls where the old iron mill used to be and here's a photo of the dam
You can see a heron right in the middle of the picture....guess there must be plenty of frogs in the river 'cause I ain't seen any fish...maybe this stretch will be different…I’ve got two flies on...the old hopper dropper method…I get a pull just down from the dam but don’t connect…I try again and the trout slashes at my fly but misses….I work my way downstream…there is some nice pocket water and runs
But access can be tricky as it’s a bit steep in place and I ain’t no mountain goat….I fish for over an hour with only the one pull to show for my efforts…still I quite like this stretch and will give it another go in the near future.
Tight lines
Alex
|
|
|
Post by custheyder on May 28, 2012 22:28:35 GMT
They look like great falls and pools. I've always found fishing the deep pools more of a challenge than the pocket water. Perhaps it's because the fish have longer to study the fly.
|
|
|
Post by leckie on May 29, 2012 6:22:05 GMT
Sunday 27 May 2012 - Ironmills Park I thought I'd give it a go late evening...it's 9pm and I'm throwing my first line in the run just down from the weir.....I'm using a single size 14 olive sakasa kebari....no touches....work my way downstream...I fish for an hour with no success...not even a pull on the line....I only saw one rise....another blank....the fish will have to come out and play sometime tight lines Alex
|
|
|
Post by leckie on May 30, 2012 21:09:43 GMT
Wednesday 30 May 2012 – Polton I’ll give it a go for an hour after work…the river is low and clear and there are a few fish rising in the Bridge Pool, one of my favourite spots….I decide on a clear 12’#4 level line, with about 5’ of tippet and a single dry fly…I’m still using Simon’s size 16 Grannom…which I used to good effect up in Gairloch….I’m in luck there’s a hatch on and there are a few fish rising….I cover one and bang….I’ve got him…he give’s a good account of himself before he’s photographed and returned. I miss a few takes….and also have a couple on for a few seconds before they shake the hook…it’s non- stop frantic stuff…magic…I’m glad I stopped off….I cover another rising trout and I’m in again…this time the little blighter is leaping all over the place…I eventually net him…a brace… I continue working upstream for another half hour but no more takes…still an nice evening…..time to head home for dinner Tight lines Alex
|
|
|
Post by custheyder on May 30, 2012 22:51:08 GMT
It's always a great feeling when you cover a fish and get an instant reaction. Well played!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 31, 2012 15:51:12 GMT
Keep bangin them out Alex.
I swear you'll be the first person in the UK to wear a T rod out.
Regards Stevie.
|
|
|
Post by leckie on Jun 3, 2012 20:40:25 GMT
Sunday 3 June 2012 - Dalkeith Country Park An early start which is the norm for me...this morning it's upstream dry fly fishing all the way....I start at the pool above the meeting of the waters and make my way upstream....it's showery and pretty cold for this time of year...what a change from this time last week....I end up hooking two and landing one The one that got away was a beauty...around a pound in weight I estimate....there were a few rises that I spotted but not many...enjoyable all the same. tight lines Alex
|
|
|
Post by custheyder on Jun 4, 2012 5:55:23 GMT
Oh no!.. Not another of those ... The one that got away was <----- THIS BIG -----> stories. Still we wouldn't be fishermen without them. Another pretty fish in the squash racket. Early mornings are no good for me. You're a trooper.
|
|
|
Post by leckie on Jun 5, 2012 18:55:49 GMT
Tuesday 5 June 2012 – Polton It’s an early start even for me this morning….it’s just gone 5am and the car’s parked near the bridge and I’m making my way downstream for half a mile or so and work my way back upstream using a size 16 olive klinkhammer…..I get to the water edge and start to set up the rod….10’ to my right is a little two man tent tucked under a tree….there’s no screaming reels to wake up the campers….within a minute I’ve set up and I now in the river and casting upstream….I’m using 20lb clear fluorocarbon as a 10’6” level line and 5’ of 5x tippet…..the level line is casting in coils…oh dear maybe it’ll straighten out after a few casts….I cross over the river and get to the tail of the pool and work my way upstream…after half a dozen casts it’s clear that the 20lb fluorocarbon line is too heavy…I won’t be using that again…I quickly change to a 10’6” furled line and a single klinkhammer as before….that’s much better…I’m back in control just waiting for a hungry trout to snap up my offering….to my left a roe deer bounds up the slope from where I crossed the river…it stops turns round and gives out a barking sound….I see there’s another deer standing right beside the campers tent…it’s hesitant because it sees me and bounds a bit further upstream and crosses there….this pool / run is normally very productive for me but today nothing….I did see a few rises so that’s encouraging….I move up to pocket water for about 100 yards and nail two nice trout I’ve got my brace so the pressure is off….moving further up I come to a large pool…I cast slowly and steady upstream…no takes…I spot an otter diving at the head of the pool…it’s working its way downstream….I get the camera out and take a shot…I can see the top of its head and eyes when I zoom in but in the photograph that I’ve posted its too small to make out The otter gets to about 20’ of me before it spots me and takes evasive action…it actually clambers up a fallen tree trunk and sits there for a moment then disappears ….a fish rises at the head of the pool where the otter was fishing not two minutes earlier…I cover it but it doesn’t show any interest in my fly…..I move up to a run at the head of the pool…a couple of casts and another trout comes to hand I’m doing really well in the pocket water and runs…and at the end of the session I have landed 14 trout, lost two by the net and had numerous rises to the klinkhammer some of which I nicked….this has been my best day tenkara fishing so far and I think I’ll stick with the Yamame for a while as it’s a pleasure to fish with, and the big thick handle suits me fine. Tight lines Alex
|
|