[Iain Goolager]

Nice one Iain. 

What was he taking and what did he take?

Iain

[Iain Cameron]

What was he taking and what did he take?

I think he was feeding on a combo of wee midge, black gnats and some hawthorns, that was all I could see . But at the time, midday, there wasn't an olive hatch. He fell for a DHE, he was feeding quite steadily, so I guess anything in his lane was fair game.

cheers
iain

[Iain Goolager]

 

[Noel Kelly]

Just home from an interesting evening. Arrived at the river bout 8 and as I was tackling up I was watching a black headed gull working some fast water obviously picking off fly. Headed there pronto through clouds of spinners that were dancing about. Couldn't see any rises in the fast water, but the bankside reeds were crawling with sedge so on with a big Klink and I just prospected the broken water. Few casts and had a fish on, best of the season so far at 1.75lbs and a serious contender for who ate all the pies.
That was the only take though despite persisting with this method for quiet a while.

Later spotted a few upwings which quickly turned into a big hatch, the river came alive! Several fish right in front of me feeding hard with big noisy rises. Excellent I thought time to fill my boots..... Wasn't to be though, despite quiet a few fly changes I failed to attract a single fish amateur hour on the don...
There were other options I should have tried ie spiders but in my growing frustration I didn't think of them.
On reflection I should have given up on the impossible trout and concentrated on getting a good pic of the flies for ID purposes but I'm pretty confident they were iron blues.
Will add pics tomorrow when I can get on she who is not to be woken at this hour's laptop.

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff guys!

Iain - Nice trout

Noel - "amateur hour on the Don" - "growing frustration" ........ We've all been there!

Cheers
Mike

[Iain Cameron]

Later spotted a few upwings which quickly turned into a big hatch, the river came alive!

Nice one on the fash Noel.
Good to hear of an evening hatch; I was out on Sunday evening from 9pm til 10.30, and on the bit of river I'd chosen, not a sausage, but it was kinda chilly that evening

cheers
iain

[Sandy Nelson]

Noel and I had a look through the fly guide at break this morning and it could well have been an Iron Blue hatch he saw last night.
Unusual for it to be so late in the day, but the fly description and picture in the book looked more like an iron blue than the BWO's.
Either way a 16 or 18 might be the order of the day

Sandy

[Matt Henderson]

Noel and I had a look through the fly guide at break this morning

You two at school together?

[Sandy Nelson]

Detention 

[Iain Cameron]

Either way a 16 or 18 might be the order of the day...

no way I'm even attempting to tie on an 18 in the dark. Never mind tracking it on the water...

Today was tough on the river - strong downstream wind from the north. Ah well. Managed one fat little chap of 13". Again, spotted him feeding in slack water. He splashed at fly first time, missed, but was kind enough to take it on the 2nd attempt. Phew, blank avoided.



Tired noo, but might have a late night cast. Or a beer. Mmmm, casting...

[Noel Kelly]

Nice Iain  lucky you getting out every day.

Here's last nights fatty
 

[Iain Goolager]

Nice Trout guys 

Iain

[Matt Henderson]

Is anybody else following Paul Proctor on The Twitter? He's been catching some cracking brownies! Was wondering if he's on Donside just now?

[Mike Barrio]

Nice trout and photos guys

Cheers
Mike

[Jonathan Kerr]

that certainly is a little fatty noel, well done to you both.

I love seeing trout photos in the water too, it still amazes me at how camouflaged they can be.  A couple of days ago i was out in the afternoon on that very warm/sunny day, walked to a bit of water that looked like absolutely nothing was there, 2 seconds later i see the big golden side of a large fish i'd obviously just spooked. 

went out last night for an hourish on the lower river, the wind was gusty and I saw no sizable fish, although there were a lot of (mainly small) flies blowing around - nothing i could identify.

I'm hoping it wont be long before we see some photos of good sea trout coming off the don.

[Iain Cameron]

I love seeing trout photos in the water too... photos of good sea trout coming off the don.

cheating slightly... this is a sea trout from last year, sulking at my feet after I released him.



always cool to see a fish in its natural place
cheers
iain

[Mike Barrio]

Quite a lot of sedges around the banks tonight and a few "large olive type things" earlier ..... not my night missed and spooked a few, but there weren't many to have a cast at.

Lovely night to be on the water though

Cheers
Mike

[Noel Kelly]

Aye just home, what a beautiful night. Sandy came round to try some of the water local to me and glad to say he had lots of fish. I had a few, nothing worth a photo. We found 2 pools with lots of rising fish, not sure what they were taking but sandy was getting lots on a dhe, I was getting an occasional take on a Klink.
Seen one big fish rise twice could have been a sea trout.
Next few nights looking good. Just need to see some sedges on the water that should bring the big boys out to play.

[Noel Kelly]

Quite a lot of sedges around the banks tonight and a few "large olive type things" earlier ..... not my night missed and spooked a few, but there weren't many to have a cast at.

Lovely night to be on the water though

Cheers
Mike

Good to see you're getting out fishing a bit nowadays Mike

[Sandy Nelson]

Aye it was a beautiful evening to be on the river.
Plenty fish feeding on whatever was hatching, I didn't manage to get any flies so not sure, but most looked quite olive like.
The fish seemed happy enough with a size 16 DHE although it took a few drifts over each one before they took, so it wasn't  exactly what they were after.
Nothing huge tonight but a few decent sized fish that needed the net I don't think I saw any of the big boys tonight either but they are there somewhere.

I hope we get a decent spell of this weather, it's still 9.5deg outside
And what cracking sunset, might have some nice pictures, will check in the morning  

Sandy

[Iain Goolager]

Wee boys birthday today (oops, yesterday) so resigned myself to not getting out. As luck would have it he tired himself out early'ish so I made it to the water for 9:15.

Due to my excitement I opted to leave the waders in the car and scurry off along the bank, all the time hoping that it wasn't a decision that would come back to haunt me.

It wasn't..............the option to fish the left bank on the other hand was. If there was ever a case for furling up royaly then that was it. a few small things off my bank to the DHE whilst scanning better water upstream had the confidence high, lots of sedge (in the air) and spinners floating about but there was obviously something on the water attracting the Trout.

Off the other bank, which was a complex cast and drift scenario, there were a fair few decent 3/4 - 1 1/4lb fish showing for easily half an hour with a decent biggie at the head of them. I have no doubt that fishing the other bank I would have nailed him, he was constantly feeding.

I threw DHE's, CDC & Elk's at them but the fly would either fall agonisingly short or travel the 1' or so before drag set in (one of the reasons for using the CDC & Elk - skating sedge). I took an age to tie on a large olive Klink which gave the fish a respite from the artillery and within a few casts I was lucky enough to catch a tail end Charlie, not big, around 13" but it was the most appreciated fish I've had in a while.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll tread the other bank.

It was a nice evening to be out indeed.

Iain

[Jonathan Kerr]

As you've all said what a great night to be on the river, I was at the middle river in the afternoon, was attacked left right and centre by big midge things.  Went out lower down the river at night from 7 till 11. Again heaps of fly life but very surprisingly not a lot of fish rising (except the odd acrobatic tiddler). I had nothing big to show for the night but my fishing partner lost a real beauty around 10pm, potentially a good sea trout but not too sure.

here is a bad phone pic of some of what was flying around early evening, and then later in the evening there were lots of yellow ones....i'm afraid thats as far as my fly knowledge goes but I think its about time i learned!

[Sandy Nelson]

Jonathon

That looks like an Olive Imago (ie. Spinner) we saw quite a few of those last night too. Along with a few duns later on.
I thought i saw a few yellow mays as well, but couldn't catch one to be 100% it is about time for them to start and a warm, spell will certainly speed things up.

Some pics from last night

A bonny evening



A nice fish, one of a pair taken from the same spot last night, almost a matching pair but this was perhaps an inch longer




the rest of my pictures came out a bit dark or blurred, i guess its heading to that time of year. Still it was great company and another nice bit of water to explore again.

Cheers

Sandy

[Mike Barrio]

Got a bit dark where I was too Sandy

[Sandy Nelson]

You found your way home though

We were only a wee bit downstream from you, well a mile or so perhaps

Sandy