[wildfisher]

!/2 dozen of us from the Wild Fishing Forum are having a grayling trip to the Isla / Dean near Meigle on Sat. 11th Nov (a week on saturday). Plan is to meet up for a  full cooked  breakfast at a hotel near Meigle at 9.00 am (£6.50 / head) and then fish until late afternoon. Some of us are going to have a go at trotting with a float as described  by Brian Tulloch in the last edition of Fish Wild, but will likely be fishing  the fly too.

http://www.fish-wild.co.uk/index.php?database=1&getpage=features&pid=54

As I  consider this our sister (brother?) forum, I would like to extend an invitation to members here to attend if they wish.

Permits available on the day, an outrageous £9 for the whole season (I think day tickets are about £3)

Let me know within the next few days – have to know very soon if you want breakfast. It's a long drive / day out but it will hopefully be worth it. Sorry for the short notice, I was so busy arguing with Sandy that I forgot about it.  :

[Sandy Nelson]

Fred

I would have love to have gone ,but i'm working :

I fished the Isla/Dean water for about 3 years during my apprenticeship in Perth, always had great fun, grayling and Brownies.
You're probably fishing just about the last of the decent times as the the fish become less common than a big brownie at Alford once December comes in.
The Dean is an interesting piece of water but is quite small, quite difficult to get a fly out, but will fish well trotting maggots.
The top end of the isla by Meigle is really overgrown too and fantastic dryfly water for trout in the summer, creeping about under trees and the like, some nice grayling too, especially where the Dean meets it.

The isla down by the bridge to blairgowrie is the bottom of that beat and can be quite good at this time of year, but its a very different river.

The  bit i always liked was where the Ericht and Isla met, and about a mile downstream from it.That is great czech nymph water but watch out for tourists.
All in i have some very happy memories of the rivers and as you say £9 for a season is fantastic. There is a lot of duff water but some really nice bits too.
I hope you have a fantastic trip, i wish i was coming :

Sandy

[Hamish Young]

Fred,
Sorry, cannae go :  as I'm fishing the Annan on the 10th & 11th for Salmon instead  :z9  Maybe next time :

[wildfisher]

Never mind chaps, perhaps next time.

Sandy,  I have not fished any of these waters for a long, long  time. As a youngster in Arbroath our club used to go to the Isla a few times a year. The upper river, like the Don, is (or was)  very unpredictable. I more than once saw  plague hatches of march browns there- and I mean plagues you could scoop them off the water with your hands- not a bloody fish to be seen anywhere…. Same day down the river our other  guys had a great day with fish rising and no real sign of a hatch…. Fished the Dean too (in November), in fact that's the only place I have ever caught grayling. Best bit was in Glamis castle grounds (not supposed to fish there – but as lads you get away with murder) waving beds of ranunculus  – like the Don, but canal like and as you say  overgrown in many places and not easy to fish. Fair looking forward to it though. By the way the £9 season ticket is for grayling – winter season!

We are also planning a trip to the Earn in the new year, it's reckoned to be about the best place for grayling in Scotland.  I'll keep you posted nearer the time – it's a bit of  drive for us though – shame there are no grayling in the Don………………………or are there?  :

[Jim Eddie]

Fred

I would have been delghted to come , however I'm just down the road in Dundee with the family that weekend.  :

Never mind I might make the Cod day out.

 

Peem

[Rob Brownfield]

I would have loved to have gone too, but its Rememberence Sunday weekend, so saturday will be spent polishing medals, brogues, Sporran and Cap Badge for the parade...sorry.

I really enjoy fishing on the Dean and Isla with a centrepin and long trotted maggots..my best Grayling so far was a MONSTER of 3 pounds 4 oz but most are around the pound and a bit mark in recent years.

I am sure you are already aware, but red sweetcorn can be a killer bait too ...