Spring

I feel has finally arrived when the Primrose’s appear on the river banks, on a damp wet day they can make a welcome sight to the otherwise still fairly dull brown landscape. I could waffle on for hours about wild flowers but I will spare you this time, enough about Primula’s onto to the springers. Last week was a good week with the rivers and weather fairly settled. Firstly congratulations to Deacon MacDonald who travelled all the way to Pert on the North Esk from Fort William to catch his first fly caught salmon at 8lbs. The biggest fish to come from the North Esk was again from Pert out of the Mill Stream, a 15lb springer on a Black and Orange Tube caught by Mr J Miller from Dunbartonshire. The springers coming from the North Esk this year seem to be on the smaller side, with an average weight of about 10lbs they are still in tip top condition and a worthy prize for any angler casting a line. News from the South Esk is that Finavon Castle Water started off their season with six springers with the largest being 14lbs, a good start for them well done all. In other news from the South Esk a certain Mr J Mitchell at Inshewan has done it again, managing to wrestle a 30lb springer (messured at 41 3/4 inches) on a Munro Killer out of the Esk Pool. The fish took him down to Auchleuchrie Pool where he had to swim across the river to land the fish!  I was told that it was not easy swimming in waders and playing a fish of that size all at the same time… I sure it was not?  Well done. They also had two other fish 7lb and 8lbs. This is good news for the South Esk as this would be the third spinger of over 20lbs (29lbs 26lbs 30lbs) in two years to come from Inshewan, were there is one there are more? I am sure that if Finavon Castle Water and Inshewan are catching fish there will be others as well that are catching fish, there have been plenty of anglers about on the South Esk.

Note: If any of the angling clubs or anyone else that has anything to report on the North or South Esk please get in touch via email with your catches and stories. The more we can show what is being caught on our rivers paints a good picture.

Thank you.

Week Ahead

The weather is a bit of a mixed bag this week as it usally is at this time of year. So in the mornings bigger flies, fish a little deeper. As the day warms up come up in the water column plus move to a smaller fly. Never be shy of trying somthing differant, Collie Dogs on alloy tubes fished on a sinking tip are always great fish catches for those that have seen it all. Also remember that Esks are not particularly large rivers so be steathly and wade carefully, amost as if you where dry fly fishing for trout. Flies for the week if the water is clear black based flies like the Munro Killer, good old Tosh or Posh Tosh. Water with a little colour, Willie Gunn.

Tigh Lines.

North Esk.

Mophie. 1 Salmon 8lbs

Canterland. 1 Salmon Largest 10 lbs

Gallery. 4 Salmon Largest 9lbs

Balmakewan. 1 Salmon 9lbs

Pert. 9 Salmon Largest 15lbs

Stracathro. 3 Salmon Largest 9lbs

Total 19 Salmon.

South Esk. 

Finavon Castle Water. 6 Salmon Largest 14lbs

Inshewan. 3 Salmon Largest 30lbs

Total 9 Salmon.

Grand Total 28

Photographs (top to bottom)

A happy angler at Balmakewan N.E

Photographs 2,3,4 Neil Anderson and anglers at Gallery N.E

Deacon Macdonald from Fort William, with his first fly caught salmon from Pert N.E

A quick photograph of John Mitchells 30lb from Inshewan S.E

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