What…
…a week on the rivers, rain on the previous weekend put the rivers on fine from for the week ahead. The weather has been settled and warm making for perfect conditions. The grilse and summer salmon have most certainly arrived on the North Esk. Kinnaber had their best week so far with 22 grilse and salmon, strangely no sea trout. All the beats above have had a very good week, Canterland 16, Gallery 11, Balmakewan 11, Pert 25, and Stracathro 7. Stracathro have a very good week previously with 19 in the book. What a lot of anglers are saying up and down both rivers, is that the grilse, salmon and sea trout are coming short, seems to be a continuing theme this year. As to why, well I am sure we all have our theories. It does mean one thing though, there are plenty of fish in the North Esk. Sea trout again have not been caught numbers, even though the North Esk is not a sea trout river per say it usually produces its fair share of sea trout at this time of year. Grilse and summer salmon are not so plentiful on the South Esk, or is it that the fishing pressure is less? There was a run of summer salmon and grilse on the Tuesday last week on the South Esk, which is just a little later than usual. Grilse could be seen jumping in the pools at Inshewan, I am sure else whereas well on the Wednesday, so they have arrived. Sea trout on the South Esk are in, you only have to walk the bankside in the evenings to see and hear them sploshing about, yet they are proving very hard to catch.
The Week Ahead.
No rain forecast this week, warm weather and low water. So, with this in mind keep an eye on the water temperature. Thankfully we have not had much warm weather so far (from a fish point of view). If the water temperature is too warm during the day fishing the mornings and evenings when hopefully it will be cooler. With the water temperature sitting at about 14c (57f in old money) there is a lot of fun to be had with hitches, bombers and stripping sunrays, some of the best fun to be had with a fly rod when after Atlantic salmon. Small flies seemed to do the trick last week, the micro Hauger is a fantastic low water pattern. Fished on a long leader from a full floater to a sink tip for in the faster water. Again, do not forget the old favourites Stoats Tails, Willie Gunns and another fly that caught its far share last week the Cascade. Long range weather is for rain at the beginning of August? It is only a forecast so that could well change.
Tight Lines.
North Esk
Kinnaber. 22 grilse/salmon to 14lbs.
Canterland. 16 grilse/salmon to 10lbs, 3 sea trout to 4lbs.
Gallery. 11 grilse/salmon to 8lbs.
Balmakewan. 11 grilse/salmon 13lbs, 2 sea trout 3lbs.
Pert. 25 grilse/salmon to 25lbs, 3 sea trout to 3lbs.
Stracathro. 7 grilse to 5lbs, 7 sea trout to 4lbs.
Total: 92 grilse/salmon, 15 sea trout
South Esk
Kinnaird Lower and Pow Mouth. 1 sea trout 3lbs.
Kinnaird Middle. 2 sea trout to 2lbs.
Finavon Castle Water. 2 grilse to 6lbs, 7 sea trout 4lbs.
Total: 2 grilse, 10 sea trout.
Total Salmon/Grilse 94, Sea Trout 25
GRAND TOTAL: 119
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 grilse from Gallery North Esk.
Photographs 2 & 3 Steven Reid with his two salmon from Balmakewan, North Esk.
Grilse and salmon from Balmakewan, North Esk.
A few grilse and salmon from Gallery, North Esk. caught by Jason Walls.
Bryn making sure catch and release is done correctly at Gallery, 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!!
