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Post by leckie on Apr 13, 2012 12:46:12 GMT
Friday 13 April 2012 – Newbattle Abbey College stretch The college itself and the river ..high but clear I’m here at the riverside just before 7am….blue skies but cold….there is quite a covering of ground frost on the grass….so I decide to switch the fly to a gold head nymph… I’m fishing across and down….don’t see much fly life…not surprised though… the temperature is only a few degrees above freezing. Nothing in the first run…or the second…or the third….this is going to be hard going…one hour has come and gone very quickly...a guy is calling to his dog to ‘stay’…the mutt doesn’t listen to his master’s voice…he comes over to me…he only wants a clap…he’s already soaking wet from a previous swim further upstream….the guy comes over to talk to me….he’s been walking his dogs down here for over 10 years he says, and he always stops at the golf course bridge and the wooden bridge half a mile further upstream to look over to spot any fish….he hasn’t seen one in 10 years….he asks me if there’s any fish in the river ….Oh brother…I tell him that I almost caught one last week…I could tell he was thinking that this is probably just one of these fishy tales…anyway he wishes me all the best and continues on his merry way leaving me completely despondent…and cold…and getting hungry as well….this stretch of river is going to make or break me…. I give it another 20 minutes but without any takes, pulls or swirls….there’s a bit more fly life as I pack up but still no fish are showing. Tight lines Alex
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Post by custheyder on Apr 13, 2012 13:09:29 GMT
Really feeling your pain here. I look forwards to the pictures and I've a beer chillig in the fridge to celebrate when you do catch something from this stretch! ... You've still got a cheering section here. Come on that man!
Tight lines.
Cust.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2012 14:39:20 GMT
Hi Leckie, Keep on going they must be in there.. or could it be Mr Adam Dryden, from 1862 how has had them all out years ago..
Dont worry I drew a plank today on the Tweed stobo stretch as well , I will post fishing trip and pics up soon. The temperture merely got over 7 degrees.. and theres still snow on the tops of the hills.
Tight lines
Buglife
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Post by custheyder on Apr 13, 2012 16:45:09 GMT
Dont worry I drew a plank today on the Tweed Did it put up a good fight?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2012 20:41:53 GMT
Good evening Cust, Oooops ! Typo error classic post fishing head. Very mellow after a few hours on the Tweed.... But boy if I had caught a plank it would have been my first..
Tight line happy planking
Buglife
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Post by custheyder on Apr 14, 2012 9:03:38 GMT
It's great Buglife... I make so many myself and don't worry about them, but this one made me chuckle and I had to comment. Did you know there is an official "Planking" home page? www.planking.me/Anyway, back to making up sight indicators and fishing. Cust.
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Post by leckie on Apr 17, 2012 6:50:50 GMT
Monday 16 April 2012 – River South Esk – Dalkeith Country Park I'm fishing about half a mile up from the junction where the River North Esk and the River South Esk meet….I intend to fish the South Esk using a wet fly across and down until I reach the junction pool then fish the North Esk working upstream and I will change a dry fly if I see any rises. I'm on the water by 5:40 pm….the river is clear and running steady…there are numerous hatches of olives but no fish showing….I ‘m using a single fly this evening…I start off with a Partridge and Orange, size 14 barbless…I try this for 30 minutes without any offers…I decide to switch to a size 16, weighted nymph with a silver head tied on a jig hook…this should get the fly closer to the bottom where the fish are….after 30 minutes my first tug…no hook up….I cast over the same spot again then a strong pull…I tighten but again no hook up…blast...I can see a half decent trout showing its golden flanks in midstream...I keep moving downstream….the river here is fabulous....nice glides, runs and pools all the way down…I get another three tugs on the line but again no connection….on another day this could have been four or five captures but not today…it’s always encouraging when you get some interest in your flies…especially ones you have tied yourself…it’s now 8:30pm and I am now approaching the junction pool….there's no time to fish the North Esk....it's time to pack up and head for the car…it’s a 15 minute walk Tight lines Alex
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Post by leckie on May 7, 2012 10:01:04 GMT
Monday 7 May 2012 – Newbattle Abbey College I’m on the river just before 7am…there is a hard frost on the ground so I’m going to fish downstream with a 2 fly set up, a size 16 spider on the dropper and I’m using a size 16 PTN that Simon gave me to try out….I start off at the head of the run just above the wooden bridge….first cast and I’ve got a hard pull on the line….I wasn’t ready for that and missed it…drat…I cast again and I’m in this time… no I’m not…missed it…these trout are lightning fast….another half dozen casts and another solid tug only this time the hook isn’t set and the line and hook end up in the branches behind me….my lucks in a gentle tug and the line and fly falls in the water…phew…only a few minutes into the session and I’ve had more action that the past couple of sessions on this stretch put together….no fish though so I keep slowing working my way down the pool….another good tug and this time it’s on….the trout leaps once, twice three times…it thinks it’s a sea trout…anyway after a good struggle I finally land him…take a photo and he’s on his way...he fell for Simon's PTN This is the stretch where I caught the trout from...looking back upstream I’ve broken my duck on this stretch and if the action continues in this vein then this this stretch will fast become my favourite….I’ve worked down a few runs with no touches then as I lift my line for another cast I feel a weight on the end of the line then a tug and another trout is on and safely landed....again falling for the PTN I try another few runs and it’s almost time to pack up…I decide to head back to where I started…a brace is good but three will be better….I try for 5 minutes on the run where I first started but the fish are not interested so I give up and head home for breakfast. Tight lines Alex
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Post by custheyder on May 7, 2012 21:14:26 GMT
Enjoyed reading the reports and seeing the pictures. I really will have to do a river tour sometime to try these places.
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Post by leckie on May 16, 2012 20:22:41 GMT
Wednesday 16 May 2012 – Newbattle Abbey College I’m here bright and early this morning…it’s 06:45 and I’ve just thrown out my first line…the forecast is for a nice sunny day today albeit a bit on the cold side…the river’s a bit high, slightly coloured and there’s no fly life at the moment….no excuses then…the last time I was here I got my first trout from this very stretch I am fishing on at the moment….I’m fully expecting a tug on the line at any moment….I’m using the Yamame for a change…it’s got a nice thick handle which I like and although the action is stiffer than the Iwana...it’s a dream to cast….I have 10’ clear level line with 5’ of x5 tippet with one dropper…on the tail I have Simon’s size 16 PTN which is tied with some silver tinsel at the thorax and it has a small silver bead on the head and on the dropper I have my own tied partridge and orange size 14….half way down the pool I get my first pull but I don’t connect….I move down to the run over the wooden bridge…nothing….I’ve never had so much as a pull on this run but there must be fish in it….I head downstream again this time I get out of the water and walk a 100 yards or so to the next fishable run…for me anyway….it’s white water rapid stuff….anyway at the next run I get another good tug on the line but again no connection…on another day that would have been two good captures…but that’s the beauty of fishing….sometimes the fish win and good on them…it’ll make me try harder the next time…I fish on for another 20 minutes but no more takes….there is a hatch of flies but no trout showing…they seldom do in this river…but now it’s time to head to work. Tight lines Alex
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Post by custheyder on May 17, 2012 8:27:29 GMT
Rain, more rain with continued and persistent rain. Our rivers are out of action so it's good to hear you're still managing to fish. If I wasn't dropping the kids at school perhaps I could sneak in the odd hour in a morning.
The fish are there! I always feel better if I've had a pull on the line. Means you must be doing something right. Good to hear about the flies as well. I must remember to include them in my reports. Perhaps take a picture of each change in case it catches.
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2012 13:38:58 GMT
Hay people , not been on in a while got a question I live right next to gladhouse reseviour, the river south esk runs in to it, so does any one know if I can fish it for free or not, cause I would not like to be done for poaching, so any info would be much appreciated.
Cheers mike
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Post by leckie on May 22, 2012 6:20:27 GMT
Mike, It's not free...here is the information you need regarding permits...
Gladhouse Reservoir nr Penicuik.
It is bank and boat fishing for browns. The season is from April till Sept 30th.
For further information and permits contact East of Scotland Water :
Telephone : 0131-445-6462
tight lines
Alex
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2012 8:02:00 GMT
Cheers alex good info very useful
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Post by leckie on May 23, 2012 19:38:13 GMT
Wednesday 23 May 2012 – Newbattle Abbey College I’m here early this morning…and it’s a nice warm sunny morning…notwithstanding it’s only 6:45am….I’ve decided to fish the upstream dry so I’m using a size 16 Grannom….I start at the tail of the first pool above the wooden bridge….I’m about a third of the way up the pool when I spot an otter diving in the run at the head of the pool….not only that he’s caught a fish…could be a grayling I suppose… I can see the fish in its mouth but can’t distinguish it….don’t fancy my chances them….I preserve and continue fishing upstream…..a squirrel comes down from a tree…hops onto a boulder and takes a drink from the river…it doesn’t see me ‘cause I’m in the river keeping close to the bankside vegetation…when it does spot me it’s up the nearest tree….I continue fishing upstream for another half an hour before I head for work…another blank…but at least I saw some wildlife and there were a few rises spotted. Tight lines Alex
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