Last…
…week there was a very small rise in water on the North Esk on the 25th, blink and you will have missed it. It did improve the fish but alas only for a very short time. Thern the North Esk dropped back down again. The South Esk did not have such luck and continues to be very low. Let’s just be thankful that we are not in the middle of the potato growing season because the rivers would very different. Morphie on the North Esk had a wonderful week last week with 21 salmon to 21lbs, it is great to see this beat back in action again after the floods of last year. The big salmon are making themselves known with two over 20lbs last week, one from Canterland and the other from Morphie, plus two in the mid-teens. One from Canterland at 15lbs and the other from from Kinnaird Upper on the South Esk at 16lbs. I am sure that as the season heads into it’s final month we will see a few more. An example of how low the rivers at the moment, what looks like salmon cutting redds ie; the lighter patches of gravel. Are in fact the fish coming into the shallow margins during the night heading to their lies and cleaning the algae off the gravel with their tails by default, then back to the deeper holding pools as day breaks. The South Esk is still very quiet indeed with only the odd salmon or sea trout being caught, rain is desperately need on both rivers just now.
The Week Ahead.
Though the Indian summer has been enjoyable and very much needed, as I have already mentioned above, we desperately need water in both the North and South Esk. Let’s hope it comes in gently and not all at once. So, with the water being low and plenty of salmon, sea trout in the now shrinking pools we need to think very carefully about how we approach fishing for them. As any method of fishing there is an ever-increasing chance of foul hooking a fish. This is most certainly not the time for spinning with any type of spinner, also the use of weighted flies. So, I would suggested that until the water levels have risen to an acceptable level, we should be fishing with floating lines with at most an intermediate tip and an unweighted barbless fly. Again, I have to keep on mentioning it. Your fish handling game must be at its best. Keep the fish in the river, release into flowing water not slack, be quick and make sure the fish has fully recovered. Let me put this to you. Imagine you have just run 1 mile as fast as you can, at the finish line you are very out of breath. Then someone comes along and pushes in the river and holds your head under water. How would you feel? So please be quick and if you want to take a photograph it should take no more than few seconds.
Tight Lines.
North Esk
Kinnber. 1 salmon 8lbs.
Morphie. 21 salmon to 21lbs.
Canterland. 7 salmon to 20lbs, 1 sea trout 2lbs.
Gallery. 5 salmon to 10lbs, 2 sea trout to 3lbs.
Balmakewan. 3 salmon 12lbs, 1 sea trout 3lbs.
Pert. 12 salmon to 12lbs, 2 sea trout 3lbs.
Total: 49 salmon, 6 sea trout
South Esk.
Kinnaird Middle. 1 salmon 8 lbs.
Kinnaird Upper. 1 salmon 16lbs, 1 sea trout 2lbs.
Finavon Castle Water. 1 salmon 8lbs, 2 sea trout to 3lbs.
Inshewan. 1 salmon 4lbs, 2 sea trout 3lbs.
Total: 4 salmon, 5 sea trout.
Total 54 Salmon , 11 Sea Trout.
GRAND TOTAL 65 .
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)
White Water Glen Doll.
Neil Anderson at Gallery, North Esk..
Ian Liptrot into a sea trout in the Castle Hill pool. Inshewan, South Esk.
Neil Strawson with a good salmon on a Sunray Shadow. Canterland, North Esk.
Sally Strawson caught a very good trout while fish for salmon at Canterland, 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!!
