The best..

..week of the season so far, settled weather and rivers make for some good fishing. Still a nip in the air with the wind coming from the north with a touch of easterly or westerly. By all accounts most fish were caught when the air temperature rose and wind dropped a little, no surprise there! Kinnaber being at the bottom of the North Esk and in some parts tidal is a low water beat. They caught their first 2 spring salmon of the year last week, so it must be a huge relief to them that the water is at last coming down to a level that will suit them. More to come from Kinnaber I am sure. Canterland had a very good week with 10 salmon plus a sea trout of 3lbs, plus some good mid-teens fish as well. One caught by John Wood at 14lbs, Jason Walls had 2, almost a hat-trick with one breaking for freedom at the net. Gallery had two salmon with one at 16lbs caught by Andy Renwick on a small Monkey fly. for their week with several fish lost. Balmakewan 6 for their week and all the salmon caught were in the warmer times of the day, on a couple on sunrays. Edzell again is doing very well with 4 salmon for the week up to 12lbs. This beat over the previous years has been very lightly fished, it is one of the hidden gems on the North Esk with a wide variety of fishing. Getting to some of the pools is not for the faint hearted. I would highly recommend giving this beat a try. Stracathro had 2 salmon with one very good salmon caught by Gary Chambers at 19lbs on Copper Gunn. Over on the South Esk. Finavon Castle had one, just to note that this beat is now fully accessible with new roads and paths and some wonderful fishing is to be had. Inshewan, 2 salmon for the week with a fair few lost also a few more sea trout are making an appearance. Richard Scott who was fishing one of the syndicate waters on the South Esk had his first ever salmon on a sunray in the evening sunshine.

The Week Ahead.

Up until now the spring salmon have been pushing through both the North and South Esk, they seem to be harder to intercept on the South Esk, or so I have been told! With the rivers dropping away this should slow down the salmon heading upriver. What goes up must come down! Smolts are starting to make themselves known. They can be seen at the warmer times picking away at flies on the surface. They will also have a go at your fly, to stop them becoming attached to your fly move up a hook size or two if using a tube. If using doubles change to a tube and again up the hook size, every little bit helps. With the odd warm afternoon here or there it is well worth to try a sunray. I know the books and Grus say it is not the time of year for this carry on, show the salmon something different and you will be surprised. Another tactic to try is a very small fly 12 – 14 or smaller on a very fast sink tip, it’s one for the salmon that has seen it all. You should not come into the smolts feeding zone as you should be fishing deeper. Always try and think outside the box, rather than just cast, mend, swing, step. It makes your day more interesting as well.

Note: This is the time of year that we will start to see the fungus Saprolegnia make an appearance on the spring salmon. So please try to keep the handling of the salmon down to the absolute minimum.

Tight Lines.

North Esk

Kinnaber. 2 salmon up to 15lbs.

Canterland. 10 salmon up to 14lbs, 1 sea trout 3lbs.

Gallery. 2 salmon up to 16lbs.

Balmakewan. 6 salmon 15lbs.

Pert. 20 salmon up to 25 lbs.

Stracathro. 2 salmon up to 19lbs.

Edzell. 4 salmon up to 12lbs.

South Esk

Finavon Castle Water. 1 salmon 8lbs

Inshewan. 2 salmon up to 12lbs.

Syndicate Water. 1 salmon 8.5lbs.

30 Salmon 

1 Sea Trout

       Grand Total   51

If anyone has caught a salmon or Sea Trout within the North or South Esk and would like to share please get in touch.                                                 

Photographs (top to bottom)

The prize, a spring salmon.

John Wood at Canterland with a 14lber.

Photos 3,4 Jason Walls at Canterland.

Andrew Weir at Canterland.

Andy Renwick releasing his 16lb spring at Gallery.

Happy angler at Balmakewan.

Graham Watson at Balmakewan.

A springer from Edzell.

Richard Scott with his first ever salmon, caught on the South Esk.

Casting a line at Inshewan.

Lastly I should say thank you to the gillies and guests who send the photographs to me, with out them the report would not be complete and certainly not as colourful!!