Not ..

..The glorious end to the fishing season that we were all hoping for. Monday, the rivers where high the South Esk being completely unfishable the North in pretty much the same state. This left the last day of the season on Tuesday for some to have a last cast, and crossed fingers that the rivers had dropped. Lucky for some it had dropped but not by a lot. As far as I am aware the only beats fishing were on the North Esk. Owen Walker and another angler had a very good day at Gallery, with the beat pretty much to themselves Owen managed four salmon up to 8lbs. Two of the salmon had not been in the river that long, well compared to the others at least. Ali Parkin was fishing upriver at Stracathro, he had a lovely salmon at 12lbs in not ideal, dirty water. Interestingly he caught his fish on a Sunray type of fly with a green body with some drab yellow and red in the wing, not your usual type of late season fly. Just goes to show put the fly in the right place even in dirty water (see photo). Typically, as the season has now finished the weather has greatly improved. So, the river levels are dropping the nights at long last are getting a touch of frost, so let’s hope the salmon get a peaceful time spawning. So next season will come around quickly, but alas there is a lot of work to be done clearing up our rivers after Storm Babet. So please offer to help your favourite beat or angling club, every little bit helps.

North Esk

Gallery. 4 salmon to 8lbs.

Stracathro.1 salmon, 12lbs.

Total:  Salmon 5                                                      Sea Trout 0

       Grand Total 5                                                         

Photographs (top to bottom)

Downie Park, South Esk.

Photo’s 1-4 Owen Walker with all his salmon from Gallery, North Esk.

Ali Parkin with his salmon from Stracthro on the last day.

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!!