Red

Was the colour of the week last, both with fly choice and in the eyes of the big boys snapping away at anything that came their way. One big grumpy fella looking after his patch in the Brigdes Pool at Pert had a go at Mr S.Miller’s Red Snelda, tipping the scales at 30lbs! Pert caught a few big fish last week, an 18lbs caught by Mr T. Armstrong from the Luther Pool on a Red Francis and a 14lbs salmon for Mr G. Donaldson on a Willie Gunn from the Boat Pool. Mr M
Ferguson most like beat the lot with 10 fish out of the Boat pool all on a Red Francis. Gallery had a good week with 17 salmon up to 15lbs, again as Neil Anderson tell me all caught on flies with red in them. Balmakewan also had a good week with 8 salmon up to 12lbs mostly caught on a Feeler Bann Shrimp fly fished deep, though they where not playing ball unless the fly was on their nose. Stracathro had 6 salmon a a brace of sea trout, with the West Water and the Cruick coming in at Stracathro it is a good spot for fish stopping before heading up their natal rivers. The Burn has at last reported a few fish with 1 salmon this week and 4 salmon for the previous.  South Esk, Finavon Castle Water and Inshewan both had a good week with Finavon at 5 salmon to 12lbs and Inshewan had 16 salmon to 26lbs and 5 sea trout to 4lbs. A 26lbs salmon on any river is a handfull let alone the South Esk though John Mitchell did just that, the fish came out of the Bothy Pool on a Golden Casecade. This is the second large fish to come from Inshewan on the South Esk, the first was a 29lbs springer caught early on in the season. Also worth a mention is that sea trout are still being caught in relitively good numbers, they certainly have had a good year on our rivers.

Note: If any of the angling clubs or anyone else that has anything to report on the North or South Esk please get in touch via email with your catches and stories. The more we can show what is being caught on our rivers paints a good picture for our two rivers.

Thank you.

Week Ahead

You can see  from above there is a theme running in the colour one should prehaps use this week, just in case you missed it red seems to be the in thing. So with that in mind any flies that you have in your box with a touch of red or more should work well, Red Francis, Red and Copper Ally’s Shrimp, Flame Thrower  in doubles or tubes of your choice. The Pahtakorva tube fly for when fishing in big dirty water, it’s basically like a Temple dog with red. Sink tips to match the water conditions and temperatures. If you arrrive the the river is big, no need to go home fish the margins just below the banks therefore no need to cast from here to Timbuktu and back again. I have mentioned it before the bane of fishing this time of year Leaves! Singles help and turning the hook upside down if using tubes, so the point is some what hidden by the wing of the fly, its worth a try at least?

Tigh Lines.

North Esk

Canterland. 2 Salmon up to 12lbs

Gallery. 17 Salmon up to 17lbs

Balmakewan. 8 Salmon up up to 12lbs.

Pert. 9 Salmon up to 30lbs, 13 Sea trout up to 3lbs.

Stracathro. 6 Salmon uo to 13lbs, 2 Sea Trout up to 2lbs.

South Esk

Finavon Castle Water. 5 Salmon up to 12lbs, 1 Sea Trout.

Inshewan. 16 Salmon up to 26lbs, 5 Sea trout up to 4lbs.

Total 84

63 Salmon

21 Sea Trout

Photographs (top to bottom)

Rising Water at Gallery North Esk.

The Loups at The Burn, North Esk.

A salmon from one of the many deep pools at The Burn, North Esk.

Looking down the Coffin at The Burn, North Esk.

A beautiful autumn salmon from Balmakewan, North Esk.

The Loups North Esk.

Fish on at Balmakewan, North Esk.

Fly Size chart.

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!!