Another..
tough week not through lack of salmon or sea trout, rather the water levels were on the move. With rain on Sunday both rivers had a lift in water, the North Esk came up about 8 inches, while the South Esk came up to about 1ft 6 inches. So, on the Monday both rivers were dropping away and the week ahead looked very promising. Then both rivers came back up again on the Thursday dropping away again in time for the weekend, perfect water conditions and plenty of fish? Well just like you and I the fish take time to settle down after a few spates back-to-back. The salmon seem to have taken a back seat just for now and the sea trout are most certainly in the limelight. Not huge catches last week for sea trout but consider the above and all told pretty good I feel. The South Esk has picked up now after a slow start with the odd salmon and plenty of sea trout being caught in the Middle to lower upper beats and with plenty of water we should being hearing more from here in the coming weeks. Inshewan had 7 sea trout for their week with most of them caught on a small Copper Stoats Tail. Cortachy had 2 salmon and 5 sea trout, Finavon Castle Water had the best sea trout of the week (that I know of) at 5lbs. A few grilse have been seen and caught on the North Esk but as we all know the main grilse run will start in earnest in towards the end of this month and into the beginning July. This week is shaping up to be a good week, rivers topped up so plenty of water. Just need the North wind to swing around to the West to top it off.
The Week Ahead.
Its all about the sea trout. So, if you are unable to fish late into the night and the day have been bright and sunny fear not, sea trout will take dry flies after all they brown trout gone to sea looking for some grub. When the evening hatch starts the sedges and BWO will start to appear the sea trout will readily take these flies and some great sport can be had. For interest there is a very good article in this months (June) Trout and Salmon on the very matter. If you are aiming to fish the night and have the weather gods on your side leave the pools that you wish to fish well alone during the day. Instead recce the pools on how the best way to fish them, where are the fish lying, where might they move to in the evening. When to go onto the river is a big debated question, for me about 10.30pm in mid-June. It might be a little before or after depending on what the day has been like before, i.e. sunny with blue sky or dark and brooding. Flies, small dark flies Stoats Tails and similar at night time I feel colour makes not a jot of difference its all about the silhouette. A hitched fly or a surface lure later in the evening can be a lot of fun, be warned it can be heart stopping stuff. Just get out there, try night fishing for sea trout and enjoy these long warm evenings that we are blessed with in our part of the world, bin the Netflix and catchup you have all winter to do that!
Tight Lines.
North Esk
Kinnaber. 2 salmon up to 9lbs, 2 sea trout up to 3lbs.
Canterland. 1 sea trout 3lbs.
Pert. 12 salmon up to 16lbs, 4 sea trout up to 3lbs.
Stracathro. 2 salmon, 5 sea trout.
South Esk
Finavon Castle Water. 3 sea trout up to 5lbs.
Inshewan. 7 sea trout up to 3lbs.
Cortachy. 2 salmon up to 8lbs, 4 sea trout up to 3lbs.
Total 18 salmon, 26 sea trout
Grand Total 44
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 sea trout from Inshewan, South Esk.
Stracathro North Esk.
Bridge of Dunn, 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!!
