A wonderful…

…. week on the rivers last week warmer weather a slight rise in river levels. North Esk up to about 1 foot, the South Esk up to about 6 inches. You could feel a change as the cleggs and midges were out in force from the middle of the week, always a good sign not necessarily a pleasant one!  Plenty of grilse, salmon and sea trout have been seen down at Kinnaber on the North Esk coming in on the tides. The grilse and salmon seem to be pushing through and not hanging about for too long so there are fish throughout the system. The sea trout are taking their time may be because they do not need so much water to travel upriver. There are some lovely well fed summer salmon being caught with quite a few in the teens from Kinnaber, Pert, Stracathro and Edzell. The grilse are in fine order as well, none of the small skinny ones caught in previous years have been seen this year. The Dobbie farther and son party had a good time at Gallery, with Andy Dobbie catching a grilse plus a salmon, his son Aidan also landing a grilse. Gary Turner had a very beautiful and heavily spotted grilse from Balmakewan, you would be had pushed to find a more lovely specimen of a grilse. Edzell are back in the game again with a 15lber caught by Calum Robertson and a small grilse caught by Scott MacDonald. The Sea trout are making them selves known on the South Esk, though they are proving difficult to entice to the fly. The grisle and summer salmon are a little thin on the ground in the South Esk, fingers crossed they will turn up shortly, more rain is forecast for the coming weeks.

The Week Ahead.

Both the rivers are sitting at roughly 1ft 4” on the gauge at moment which should mean a very good week ahead, throw in the warmer air temperature and we could all be into a fish or two? This time of year, as we all know is about making the most of the mornings and the evenings when the sun is least likely to be on the water. Long leaders and maybe a short intermediate tip is all that is needed. Single handed rods or switch rods are the go-to, I like to slightly over line the rod as this saves false casting which in turn is less disturbance on the water. Try if you can be careful wading the margins in the evening as fish will swim surprisingly close to the bank. So, with this in mind start with casting a short line trying to make every cast count. As for flies go small and dark when the water is clear, with a little colour in the water add colour to the fly. Patterns, Stoats tails, Collie dogs, Sunrays, also the hitch or a dry fly for the sea trout. Think outside the box and fish a bomber dry fly for the grisle and salmon.

Tight Lines.

North Esk

Kinnaber. 3 salmon to 13lbs, 3 grilse to 4lbs, 1 sea trout 3lbs.

Canterland. 2 grilse 5lbs, 1 sea trout 3lbs.

Gallery.  1 salmon 8lbs, 3 grilse to 5lbs, 6 sea trout to 3lbs.

Balmakewan. 2 salmon, 2 grilse, 6 sea trout.

Pert. 7 salmon 15lbs, 11 grilse 6lbs, 11 sea trout to 3lbs.

Stracathro. 1salmon 14lbs, 1 grilse 4lbs, 5 sea trout 4lbs.

Edzell. 1 salmon 15lbs, 1 grilse 4lbs.

South Esk

Finavon Castle Water. 4 sea trout to 3lbs

Inshewan. 13 sea trout to 3lbs.

Cortachy. 11 sea trout to 3lbs.

 Total  Salmon/Grilse 38,  Sea Trout 58

Grand Total 96

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)

Geoff Coats fish on in the Blue Rock, Inshewan, South Esk.

Aidan Dobbie, with a grilse at Gallery North Esk.

Photographs 3&4, Andy Dobbie with a salmon and grilse at Gallery, North Esk.

Gary Turner with a beautiful grilse at Balmakewan, North Esk.

Scott MacDonald with a grilse from Edzell, North Esk.

Calum Robertson with a 15lb salmon from Edzell, North Esk.

Geoff Coats with his sea trout from Inshewan, South Esk.

Sea trout in the net at Inshewan, South 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!!