As the end of May approaches the rivers of the east coast of Scotland are at desperately low levels. For the dedicated salmon angler gloom is descending.

‘Oh for a decent spate’ is the oft heard lament.

But there is a hardier breed of fisher out there for whom the blood is starting to pulse in their veins. Sea trout are not restricted by low flows and will run at almost any level of water. Fishing is a sensory experience and there is no type of fishing which will get all your senses racing as much as a dark June night casting over a pool full of sea trout.

Scotland’s best sea trout river

The river South Esk in Angus can lay claim to being Scotland’s best sea trout river.

The 10-year average rod catch is over 700 fish for a relatively short season and if one goes back a little further the annual catch was regularly over a thousand-fish peaking at an eye watering 3354 fish in 1995.

The recent relative decline is not all doom and gloom as looking at the figures back as far as the second world war the catches have always been cyclical, indeed the lowest ever catch was 268 in 1955.

The Spey, Dee and Tweed will rightly point to the fact that they have larger overall catches but these are rivers with many more miles of fishable water.

The South Esk rises in the Grampian mountains on the southern slopes of Lochnagar and flows down Glen Clova and on into the fertile arable lands of Angus before hitting salt water at Montrose Basin and on into the sea through Montrose harbour, before finally reaching the North Sea at Scurdie Ness.

It is the Basin which gives the river it almost unique environment for sea trout. Probably more famous as a wildfowling area (the 3000-acre tidal basin is winter home to upwards of 70,000 pink foot geese) the rich feeding afforded is perfect for juvenile sea trout. Every autumn where the fresh water and salt meets vast numbers of finnock are commonly seen.

Last year locals who regularly observe this area reported more young fish than they had seen for many years so hopes are high for a good sea trout run this year.

The serious fishing begins below Gella Bridge in Glen Clova with beautiful streamy water flowing through spectacular scenery. This section of the river is all under the control of the Kirriemuir Angling Club who sell very affordable daily and weekly tickets to visitors.

This is some of the best but least known sea trout water on the river. As you go down river the well-known beats roll off the tongue. Cortachy, Inshewan, Finavon, Kintrockat, Brechin Castle and finally the three Kinnaird beats between Brechin and the sea.

Booking for these beats is available either through Fishpal or their own websites

So, let’s go fishing

Ideally it is a warm June evening with a waning moon or even better no moon at all. I have never been a day time sea trout fisher as I would rather reserve my energy for nighttime forays to the river but they certainly can be caught through the day.

There is a small band of expert dry fly fisherman who do well at it. The first and hardest test is not start fishing too early.

Despite knowing this I always get to the river earlier than I need, but time spent in quiet observation is never wasted. The sun will eventually set behind the Grampians and the light start to go.

Choice of fly

By now the rod is up and the next thought is which fly or flies, (I normally fish a dropper). Somehow after the old favourites magic themselves onto the line. A small tube Silver Stoat on the point and a Dark Mackerel on the dropper seems like a good place to start. Single hooks only as if I catch a fish it is going back. I am a totally convinced catch and releaser and am happy to argue the case with anyone, but that is probably for another time. Teal Blue and Silver, Peter Ross, or Hugh Faulkus’s Medicine fly would do just as well. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and hopefully the fish.

By now there are hopefully one or two fish starting to show. As the light starts to go one’s hearing starts to take over from eyesight and the plop of a sea trout coming clean out of the water is easily distinguishable from the lazy splash of a resident salmon. Quietly starting in the fast run at the neck of the pool I lengthen the line.

A word on wading

Don’t, unless it is unavoidable. Sea trout are spooky, skittery creatures and any disturbance will send them somewhere you are not. The gloaming is a magical time for wildlife, roe deer coming down to drink, an owl quartering the meadow at your back, even an otter swimming up the pool, they all seem oblivious to one’s presence.

A sheer adrenaline thrill

A natural rhythm starts to develop in the cast and instinctively your fly is landing close to the far bank even though it is too dark to see properly. A pluck at the fly, then nothing. Was that a sea trout, a salmon parr after a late-night snack? We’ll never know. A few casts later a solid take and fish turns with the fly. Any angler who has not experienced the sheer adrenaline-fueled thrill of a sea trout taking your fly in the dark, when all one’s senses are supercharged has yet to live in angling terms.

This is the moment that will always keep us coming back to fish for these elusive and mercurial fish. Unlike a salmon which can often feel in bored stupor when first hooked, the sea trout is the teenager of the piscatorial world, it will almost certainly go plain daft mental. It may well take your line straight down to the backing, acrobatics of Olympian proportions. You are in for rollercoaster ride, short but epic. As many will throw your hook as you will bring to the net. Although a fresh sea trout is gastronomic heaven, I would still urge you to return any you catch. These fish are just too precious to end up in a frying pan.

I could go on to discuss other tactics for sea trout, pulling a surface lure with its irresistible looking wake veeing across the top of the water, bigger sunk lures as the night draws on and the fish go down but these are all techniques that are better to work out for yourself.

If you love to fish I urge you to find the time and the place to go sea trout fishing at night and experience what in my view is the pinnacle of our sport.

There is no better place to do it than the river South Esk in Angus.