Sea Trout
Seem to be dominating the catches at the moment with only a handful of salmon/grilse coming to the fly, it might be that most of anglers are out in the evenings as the day time as we all know has been bright and sunny far from ideal fishing conditions. None the less fish are being caught and seen, as I said last week there are plenty of fish and they seem to be pushing on through the rivers and stopping in the middle beats. Pert had a good week last week with 16 sea trout mostly caught on mirco tubes and a 12lbs salmon, all returned. Stracathro had another good week last week with 10 sea trout and I could be sure they would have all been caught on very small flies in the usual patterns. I have been talking to some of the ghillies on the private waters on the South Esk who have been reporting good catches of sea trout, only to go out the next evening and draw a blank, who knows why and quite frankly who cares, it’s what makes us go back again and again.
Warm Water
With these low water conditions and warm weather the water will be warming up, thankfully the forecast for Scotland is not as warm as across the boarder. Even so it is worth to note that as the water temperature rises it might be wise only to fish in the early morning and evening, fishing when the water gets near 19c-20c will only stress the fish more if you are luckly enough to catch one, and likely hood of the fish recovering after being retured is slim. Please have look at the “Water Temperature” think of the fish and its furture and not yourself.
Week Ahead.
With low water small flies and hitches are the order of the day, mirco flies on the tail such as mirco Sliver Elver, mirco Hauger and any form of hitch that you have confindence in, as long as you get a wake that’s all that matters. For sea trout the above will work just fine though you could change you tail fly for a Dark Mackeral or a Teal Blue and Silver, after dark try a large deer hair lure to create a wake across the glides and tails of the pools and wait for the sea trout to hit it. As above just please be aware of the water temperature.
North Esk
Kinnaber. 1 Sea Trout 3lbs
Gallery. 2 Sea Trout 2.5lbs, 3lbs
Pert. 1 Salmon 12lbs. 16 Sea Trout up to 3lbs.
Stracathrco. 10 Sea Trout up to 4lbs
South Esk
Kinnaird Middle. 3 Sea Trout 3lbs, 1 Grilse 5lbs
Kinnaird Lower & Pow Mouth. 3 Sea Trout up to 3lbs
Finavon Castle Water. 1 Sea Trout 2lbs
Inshewan. 3 Sea Trout up to 3 lbs
Cortachy. 1 Sea Trout 2.5 lbs
Total
2 Salmon/Grilse
40 Sea Trout
Photographs (top to bottom)
Boats at Morphie, NorthEsk
Morphie Dyke, North Esk
Stracathro looking up to Slateford, North Esk
Water gauge at Stracathro, North Esk
Looking up stream from Gallery with Balmakewan on the opposite bank, North Esk
Water Temperature fishing guide.
Lastly I should say thank you to the ghillies and guests who send the photographs to me, with out them the report would not be complete and certainly not as colourful!!
