[Jim Eddie]

Iain Cameron and I headed down to the Isla on Saturday. Permits are available from various outlets but the Spar at Meigle is the most convenient. Strathmore Angling Improvement association has 12 miles of rivers on the Isla, Dean and Kerbit. Permits are extremely reasonable, Trout and Grayling for the year is £20, winter for Grayling is £10 for the season or £5 for a day ticket.

A friend from Coupar Angus gave us a tour of the system and showed us the parking spots (Thanks john) there is lots of water to explore but I'm guessing some of the beats are pretty hard going in the summer with overgrown vegetation. Some lovely fly water but also some canal like stretches, in some part the banks are very steep so access to the water is difficult. You get an excellent beat may which lets you know which stretches are fly only and the obes you can bait fish.

Weather could not have been nicer, but despite this we had a fishless day, grand to be out all the same.The closest I got to a fish was a dead salmon in one of the pools, I'm guessing over 20lbs although its hard to tell from the photo.
























 

Jim

[Mike Barrio]

Great pics Jim, looks like a grand day out

Cheers
Mike

[Noel Kelly]

Nice pics Jim. Now I know why ye caught nowt bandy was there!!  only joking John good to see you gracing our forum!

[Iain Cameron]

nice pics jim!

did you get a pic of the tail on that salmon carcass? spade

some pretty challenging bankside conditions, it's fair to say

cheers
iain

[Jim Eddie]

nice pics jim!

did you get a pic of the tail on that salmon carcass? spade

some pretty challenging bankside conditions, it's fair to say

cheers
iain

No, I should have though 

 

Jim 

[Allan Liddle]

Some nice looking, if challenging water there.  Pity no ladies were caught, maybe next time.

[Iain Cameron]

Some nice looking, if challenging water there.  Pity no ladies were caught, maybe next time.

Next time will be tomorrow morning. Anyone free, gies a shout

[Eddie Sinclair]

Iain,
I have never been Grayling fishing but have always thought about giving it a shot. I cant make it tomorrow as I am currently in Azerbaijan but I would like to tag along sometime later.

Eddie.

[Iain Cameron]

I have never been Grayling fishing but have always thought about giving it a shot. I cant make it tomorrow as I am currently in Azerbaijan but I would like to tag along sometime later.

Aye, give me a shout when you are back Mr Ed. It's much closer from your house - 40 mins or so. I timed it last time out

cheers
iain

[Jim Eddie]

Iain,
I have never been Grayling fishing but have always thought about giving it a shot. I cant make it tomorrow as I am currently in Azerbaijan but I would like to tag along sometime later.

Eddie.

Ed

Its very similar to Troot fishing, apart from you never catch any 

 

Jim

[Eddie Sinclair]

Ed

Its very similar to Troot fishing, apart from you never catch any 

 

Jim

Jim,

 I should be okay then. Sometimes I canna catch Troot either.

[Eddie Sinclair]

Aye, give me a shout when you are back Mr Ed. It's much closer from your house - 40 mins or so. I timed it last time out

cheers
iain

Will do sounds like a plan. Any flees I should be making while I am away?

Eddie.

[Iain Cameron]

Will do sounds like a plan. Any flees I should be making while I am away?

err.... grayling flies... I dunno. I'll get back to you after the weekend
Suspect you'd never go far wrong with some Hare's ears with some weight. gammarus shrimps. Notably from the Jim Williams blog, the grayling were taking small nymphs - 16-20s. With weight provided by the other flies or by lead shot.

cheers
i,

[Iain Cameron]

Its very similar to Troot fishing, apart from you never catch any ...

a couple of pics from a beautifully crisp & sunny session on the Isla. No Grayling, but fished a couple of really lovely looking runs. I don't know the beat yet, still exploring, but I'd go back to that part.

Mmm, i love an iced coffee:



I hooked into a coloured salmon here:

Thought it was the bottom at first, as I was just covering shallow gravels before wading closer the main seam. THe bottom doesn't usually move and take line though. An interesting tussle, ended in an equitable draw with my barbless 14 pink nymph returned safely to me.

lovely day, more to explore
cheers
iain

[Mike Barrio]

Love the first photo of the flask Iain

Cheers
Mike

[Iain Cameron]

Love the first photo of the flask Iain

thanks mike. Love those days when it's freezing, but sunny and icy.

[Allan Liddle]

Great pics Iain
Lovely looking water there and would be amazed if you don't find grayling soon.

[Rob Brownfield]

Great pics Iain
Lovely looking water there and would be amazed if you don't find grayling soon.

Iain is looking in the wrong place, he is better off looking on the banks of the Don

[Allan Liddle]

Sorry Rob lost me with that one? 

[Rob Brownfield]

Sorry Rob lost me with that one? 

Iain once found a dead grayling on the banks of the Don.... Its a total mystry how it got there.

[Noel Kelly]

Iain once found a dead grayling on the banks of the Don.... Its a total mystry how it got there.

I remember that photo but didn't realise it was Iain found it!