[Iain Cameron]

Spent today on the river, from 11am til 5 ish.
Snow, hail, wind. Some sun. More wind.

Very bizarre, fishing a pink dry fly in the snow.... But loving the flouro pink CDC over wing on my pink'n'dink dry fly. Very visible.

One of those days when you kinda know it's going to be pointless...but I had a flask of coffee, sandwiches, warm clothes... 
... so I used it to explore, to practice. Strong upstream wind and short lining (25-30 feet) a klink and dink - was very hard to get slack line for drifts.  Had to really underpower the casts, and wiggle, and also aim high, and add lots of wrist rotation for open loops... What do you folks do to get slack line when the wind wants to straighten the line?

In the end, I did manage to rise a fish to the dry.... Totally, completely missed it...

Also used the duncan knot on my leader ring for the first time, following a post seen on Marc Fauvet's blog  - really did seem to avoid tangling the dropper, so I will play with that and test further

Lots and lots (well, a wee bit more than a few) of LDO in the afternoon, up until around 4. On sheltered stretch, did see a couple of interesting rises...but well out of range

[Rob Brownfield]

Ok, humour me...Duncan Knot? Its a Uni knot to the rest of the world...confuddled.

[Loxiafan]

Just back from mid Don. Faaaarging freezing - I have not been this cold this season 

LDO's hatched later today, well after 2pm, only tiddlers in back eddies showing interest in hoovering up cripples. NE wind was brutal in wind chill but also made casting with any precision (even for me) very difficult - aim 20 feet downstream from target and fly lands where you want it.

After much searching, finally found a fish rising sporadically mid stream. It seemed to be taking the odd March Brown and/or bigger LDO's. Thigh deep wade, some 'freestyle' casting in the wind and finally nailed the bugger on a size 12 Jingler. It was only an oz under a pound but a wee cracker, slipped back with no photo as my fingers were like spades !

At least a another 'non blank' and on the dry too, but these conditions are pretty horrible.

Lindsay

[Noel Kelly]

Good effort Lindsay  it seems our weather is probably going to change by the end of the weekend, southerly winds and rain lol. I for one will gladly take that!

[Jonathan Kerr]

Glad someone saw some fish today lindsay, I was up at kemnay between 1 and about 4ish. As you said there were some pretty cold blasts of wind, but out of the wind I actually found some lovely warm sunny conditions too. Was dissapointed to see pretty much no fly life or moving fish. Didn't even get the usual pesky tiddlers nippin my flies, oh well, another few days off work until school goes back on monday. hopefully some better conditions arrive sometime before then, I plan to be out every day this week.

J

[Loxiafan]

Guys forecast is for snow tomorrow and Thursday. I am off this week so great weather next week will be welcome, but too late  Glad I didn't go to Kemnay - nearly did as was heading over from Orvis, but last year fly was disappointing and unpredictable there ( not much use for a dry fly fisherman !).

It really was hardcore today, even the Mackerel guys wimped out by 2pm ! 

L

[Sandy Nelson]

After much searching, finally found a fish rising sporadically mid stream. It seemed to be taking the odd March Brown and/or bigger LDO's. Thigh deep wade, some 'freestyle' casting in the wind and finally nailed the bugger on a size 12 Jingler. It was only an oz under a pound but a wee cracker,

Must be the first proper Caught Broonie off the Don by the Forum Circle?

Wahay the season is Officially off and running, roll on the warm southerly

Sandy

[Loxiafan]

Must be the first proper Caught Broonie off the Don by the Forum Circle?

Didn't Rob have a 3 pounder whilst Mackerel fishing ?

L

[Sandy Nelson]

first proper Caught

 

[Loxiafan]

  I see ! 

L

[Rob Brownfield]

Must be the first proper Caught Broonie off the Don by the Forum Circle?

Wahay the season is Officially off and running, roll on the warm southerly

Sandy

And an inch and a quarter copper tube is not proper Brownie fishing? 

I saw the fish rise and covered it with the tube, Ginked up of course 

[Sandy Nelson]

At least you got one

Even if it may have been on an Alex style Adaptor dry .

Sandy

[Hamish Young]

I saw the fish rise and covered it with the tube, Ginked up of course 

'kin hell That's a shit load of Gink Rob    

[Ben Dixon]

I've got tubes tied with gold, orange, yellow & black that I fish for trout.  Don't look quite like a Willie Gunn but I'd say they were legitimate trout flies.  About the intention for me.

Ben

[Rob Brownfield]

I've got tubes tied with gold, orange, yellow & black that I fish for trout.  Don't look quite like a Willie Gunn but I'd say they were legitimate trout flies.  About the intention for me.

Ben

The tube in question was a copper tube, gold mylar body (with the hook end left unraveled to cover the hook), black, orange and yellow bucktail tied sparse, with a little more "on top" of the tube than on the bottom, and then gold angel hair through it. By positioning the hook in such a way as to act as a keel, the fly does indeed look very much like a fish swimming.

I have toyed with adding Jungle Cock, but so far not bothered.

The fish seem to approve for once

[Loxiafan]

An interesting day of 'lessons' for me on the Don today. Mid river from around 12.30 till after 5.30pm but much time spent dossing.

On arrival it was pretty awful. Decided I would suss this nymphing mullarkey so chose the Streamflex Plus (first mistake) and a Barrio #3 GT90. This would give me some flexibility if I decided to switch to dries. I must say this is a fantastic outfit to fish with, casting beautifully and with great feel, but as hard as I worked I couldn't tempt a fish in 2 hours. All through this there was the odd LDO coming off but unlike other days no interest. There were however fecking millions of small black midge/smuts - more of this in a separate post laters !

Ok, decided enough was enough and with conditions against me I clipped off the flashback nymph and subbed for a size 14 DHE leaving on the Waterhen Bloa on a dropper. I lurked about and found a pod of what seemed very small fish in slack water - now, myself and Mr.Goolager have had this conversation about splashy rises etc being dismissed as parr/bandies when in fact they are often decent fish (more of this later). I covered some of these "bulges" and got a fish on pretty much straight away, Waterhen Bloa. It jumped, christ a decent fish of around 1.5 lbs ! Well, kept him on tight, then that horrible feeling of slack line...realising that I still had the extension in the Streamflex ( so 10 foot) and bearing in mind everything I have been saying about 10 footers I took it off to the "not quite as crisp as they'd have you believe" 9' 6 ! I checked my flies - Partridge Classic Spider size 14, opened wide ! Mmmm so what Rob was experiencing last season. Clipped the bugger off !

Cast to another "bulge", bang straight on to the DHE, kept him tight and landed, at 1 lb 12 oz :




Had a wee seat and noticed a splashy rising fish in faster water mid stream where I'd seen a lunker on Monday. Up he came again. And again. Right, game on. Wind very difficult (with a Streamflapp #3) but I got the fly right over him, distance about 45 feet. Wallop, sooked the fly doon then out it came right out the water ! Must have been 5 to 6 lbs I kid you not, certainly a PB by a country mile. Kept him tight, out he came again, still on but as he dived the line recoiled. I thought I was broke (using Maxima Ultra at 3 lb you see) but no the fly was still on. However, on examining it the Varivas 2200 BL-B had opened (bottom fly):





Lessons learned today:

1) Go dry fly fishing whatever the conditions - Who Dares Wins.

2) Leave the Streamflex Plus in the car, better still at home if dry fly fishing !

3) Bin all Varivas 2200BL hooks, regardless how sad it makes you.

4) Bin all Partridge Classic Spider hooks.

5) Nymphing ? Pah !  

Lindsay

[Liam Stephen]

Nice fish Lindsay 

Hopefully the first of many for you this season! Cracking flies btw.

Cheers
Liam

[Ben Dixon]

Well done Lindsay, nice fish 

Interesting story re the hooks straightening.  What tippet where you using on both flies that straightened?  When trout fishing I would usually expect to break before straightening metal however my Varivas 2200's went the journey some time back after I had a few snap.  I presumed over tempered, seems like they have now gone the opposite way.

Have you got a pic of the WHB for the spider police to inspect? 


Ben

[Noel Kelly]

Pffff nightmare Lindsay!! Glad you're getting some action though and that's a nice fish in the pic. Great to hear things are happening despite the weather. Roll on the w end!!

[Loxiafan]

Interesting story re the hooks straightening.  What tippet where you using on both flies that straightened?  When trout fishing I would usually expect to break before straightening metal however my Varivas 2200's went the journey some time back after I had a few snap.  I presumed over tempered, seems like they have now gone the opposite way.

Have you got a pic of the WHB for the spider police to inspect?  

Hi Ben,

Hooks 'opened' rather than straightening per se. I pushed the point back ( just to see how soft it was !) so no, no Wat Bloa for spider police ! The bummer is I have got hunners of spiders tied on these fecking hooks ! I do have a 'standby' though, my old spider preference so back to the tying bench.

I was using 3 lb Maxima Green on a 6ft Orvis SS tapered leader. probably about 4 or 5 feet of the Maxima. Whilst I had some tension on the fish it wasn't severe and anyway the Streamflex's tip is like a strand of spaghetti taking all the lunges !  

The biggie was possibly on that limit where sucessful conversion of 'hook ups' can drop. Kicking myself cos I could have waded a bit closer tbh.....

Back to the reliable Access #4, to be honest I am think of flooging all the other shit and getting an Access 904 #5 !

Lindsay

[Loxiafan]

Hopefully the first of many for you this season! Cracking flies btw.

Already had a few dude, have been making the effort ! 

L

[Ben Dixon]

Not good mate although considering conditions I think you did a damn good job 

I'll be salmon fishing on Monday unless the weather changes considerably.

Cheers

Ben

[Sandy Nelson]

 I am think of flooging all the other shit and getting an Access 904 #5 !

About to come cross to the light side Been down the same road, although never got into roachpoles for fly fishing
9ft has always been my personal max for comfort. tried 3's for many moons but now its 4wt or 5wt's depending on action

These days I have an awesome Plastic 2pc 9ft 4wt fast action and a proper rod in a 3pc 8ft 5wt Cane med/fast. I fish both with the 4wt SLX So far its the best idea i've ever tried and i'm comfortable with my fishing gear, for once.

BTW i'm deeply in love with the Cane and it will see most of the use this year, infact i intend to try and use nothing else, so we shall see.

Have a look at some of the super sweet second hand rods kicking around, don't know if H is still selling his B11X, it is the ideal rod for the river Or build yourself something nice, you tie a nice fly, so a rod would be easy

Otherwise Lovely fish I'm going to have a go tomorrow on the Don, not sure where to head yet but i guess i'll wing it in the morning.

Sandy

[Mike Barrio]

Cracking report and photos Lindsay ....... nice trout too!

Best wishes
Mike

[Hamish Young]

Have a look at some of the super sweet second hand rods kicking around, don't know if H is still selling his B11X, it is the ideal rod for the river

I am still selling it