A very…
…slow week on both the rivers last week, though the silver lining on the North Esk at least was that there was a slight rise of the river on the weekend, so hopefully this will liven up the river for next week. The South Esk continues to be very low, they missed a lot of rain at the weekend though it did come up a little not enough to make a difference sadly. The salmon, grilse and sea trout are proving very hard to entice to take the fly. Low water cooler weather is most likely not very helpful, there are plenty of fish in the North Esk. Pert had a big sea trout tipping the scales at 8lbs caught on a mirco tube. A lovely summer salmon was caught at Balmakewan North Esk by Fraser McConnell his first salmon from the North Esk, after 3 fish fell off the fourth stayed on. An 8lb salmon caught by Ian Stewart at Canterland on Thursday looked like it was an autumn fish, and a lovely grilse and 7 sea trout form Stracathro. I am convinced that when or if the weather warms and the rain arrives which it is forecast to do this week, we will see more sea trout and grisle being caught. Also, quiet on the South Esk with most just reporting a sea trout each for their respective week, keep in mind that the fishing pressure on the South Esk is low. Again, as on North Esk there are plenty of sea trout and salmon in the South Esk.
The Week Ahead.
There is rain forecast for this coming mid-week, with weather warnings in place for heavy rain. Along with this it looks as though the air temperature is on the rise, about time if you ask me! So hopefully with all the above we should start to see a little more action the rivers. Tactics will have changed little from last week apart from when the rain comes. When the rivers rise at this time of year, they tend to be very peaty so keep this in mind as to the choice of fly. Add a little colour or flash and come up a size, I doubt very much that one will need a anything more than a slow to intermediate. Thursday might well be a day for talking about fishing and the forth coming bonanza at the weekend and into the following week. As I am writing this report my phone is pining away with messages from the rivers that fish have been caught and lost, should have seen the one that got away at least 20lbs !!
Tight Lines.
North Esk
Canterland. 1 salmon 8lbs.
Gallery. 2 sea trout to 2lbs.
Balmakewan. 1 salmon.
Pert. 2 grilse to 5lbs, 11 sea trout to 8lbs.
Stracathro. 1 grilse 4lbs, 7 sea trout to 3.5lbs.
South Esk
Kinnaird Lower & Pow Mouth. 1 grilse 4lbs, 1 sea trout 4lbs.
Kinnaird Middle. 1 sea trout 3lbs.
Kinnaird Upper.1 sea trout 2lbs
Inshewan. 1 sea trout to 2lbs.
Total Salmon/Grilse 6, Sea Trout 24
Grand Total 17
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)
A South Esk grilse
Fraser McConnell with his summer salmon at Balmakewan, North Esk.
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!!
