River Don 2013

« **Reply #75 on:** 05/04/2013 at 22:39 »

There you go Rob

« **Reply #76 on:** 06/04/2013 at 07:38 »

That's a Bonny fish, if the fins were a bit lighter you would almost take it for a seatrout.
This double handed nonsense seems to sit quite well with you rob

Great stuff and nice to see some pictures

Sandy

« **Reply #77 on:** 06/04/2013 at 17:52 »

Nice brownie rob it will be streamers for me from tomorrow until I see rising fish.

Suppose that opening line gives it away but first day after Don trout today and it was an all too familiar experience.
First call this morning the post office to collect the needle vice recommended by Euan and home to try out the method of attaching leader detailed in Sandy's excellent sbs. Only got the needle about 1/4 inch up the fly line before it poked out a side but after sanding gluing etc tested it and its as strong as a strong thing. Would have prefered 1/2 inch will see how it goes with other lines.
On the river today I loved this leader set-up. Straight through tip ring without a bump and only one knot in the whole set-up, a definite confidence booster for when I'm playing that big trout!!!

No big trout today though. No little ones either...
Got to the river about 12.30. Klinked and dinked without a touch until after 2 when I seen the first upright coming down.
Changed over to a dry which never actually touched the water.
There was fly coming off slowly but steadily until about 4 but never seen a rise despite checking 2 different areas a few miles apart both favourite spots for rising fish.
I thought they were olives until I finally managed to snaffle one and surprise surprise a March Brown.
After Sandy's pics I'm almost embarrassed to post this but it will have to do

« **Reply #78 on:** 06/04/2013 at 17:55 »

Great stuff Noel

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #79 on:** 06/04/2013 at 21:12 »

That's a pity Noel, but unfortunately half expected, the way the weather has been.

Interesting photo Trig.

I fished the upperish middleish river yesterday from about 13:15 until 16:00 and did not see one upwing, not a one

the weather did improve around 15:45 and the sun came out as did two fish but both just the once.
I felt obliged to cover the first fish but he was never seen again.

Possibly should have stayed but was scunnered.

Iain

« **Reply #80 on:** 06/04/2013 at 21:31 »

Thanks, the more I look at it the less I like it.

« **Reply #81 on:** 06/04/2013 at 22:30 »

Funny that...........the less I look at it the more I like it

« **Reply #82 on:** 06/04/2013 at 22:56 »

I have put a bid on something with a proper macro. Those pics ye are doing are way cool and it gives you something to do while there's Fek all happening in the river!

« **Reply #83 on:** 06/04/2013 at 23:12 »

Noel,

I don't know what you are bidding on, and I'm no expert on Macro stuff but I do know that I have had (and still have one) digi compacts that the macro shots are really, really sh** so please do some searching/ reviewing on the net before you spend any money.

The camera that Sandy uses puts out great stuff (as you can see) and I think that has a macro function, my camera has both a macro and super macro (the difference? I don't know) but with the correct lighting the super macro is excellent for a compact.

Hope you get what you want and am looking forward to your first pictures

Iain

« **Reply #84 on:** 06/04/2013 at 23:28 »

It's an Olympus tough tg 320. Seems the biz to me and cheap but if anyone knows better please let me know.
Cheers goo.

« **Reply #85 on:** 07/04/2013 at 09:12 »

My Olympus EX-FH25 does good macro considering it is not a proper SLR but they are hard to find and very expensive even second hand. I got it for the video function mainly but takes good pics too.

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #86 on:** 07/04/2013 at 19:02 »

Do you mean Casio Ben?

« **Reply #87 on:** 07/04/2013 at 19:32 »

Watching the snow come down last night I put my Sunday fishing plans on hold. Good day to get one of the spring jobs out of the way. Did you go out Michael?

« **Reply #88 on:** 07/04/2013 at 19:34 »

Noel..... how did you get the cat to sit still whilst you pressure washed it ??? I've been trying that for years and the wee ginger b*stard keeps fecking off every time I get the pressure washer out

« **Reply #89 on:** 07/04/2013 at 20:11 »

River Don today, better than Deveron yesterday (for me). Biggest hatch of LDO's I have seen this year (anywhere), streaming down from 2 ish till well after 4pm but as usual only a few trout rising. Had a nice fish on the dry about 1.5 lbs but he decided he didn't like wearing fishnets so ta-tae-bye. Rose and pricked another, then at 4.30pm hooked and landed a 12-14 oz just to avoid a blank. Again on a dry. Had one lunker, castable but he only came up once so left him for another day - he is marked !

Troot Dinner:

1st Don trout 2013 and on the dry fly:

Any more dropped fish and the Helios 104 is getting relegated, beginning to think me and 10 footers don't get on.

L

« **Reply #90 on:** 07/04/2013 at 20:46 »

Hamish ours don't like being washed either but put one in charge of the power washer and that's a different story!! Obviously I have to set it up for him (no thumbs) and supervise

Lindsay well done

I really didn't expect much would be happening today. Just goes to show its always worth checking out.

« **Reply #91 on:** 07/04/2013 at 20:51 »

Well done Lindser

Pity about the trout that got away.

Iain

« **Reply #92 on:** 07/04/2013 at 22:50 »

Well done Lindsay

possibly just missed you I left river to early at 130 it was bitter cold plenty flies midges and olives but nothing moved for them so thought I would try get some brownie points as away fishing the Clyde and tweed next weekend.

Michael

« **Reply #93 on:** 07/04/2013 at 23:46 »

Shoulda stayed a bit longer Michael ! Iain, you win some you lose some, im my case mostly lose

Just nice to connect with something. I'm blaming the rod and will be seeing my therapist Dr. Dixon about it all ( I have already raised this issue).

Lindsay

« **Reply #94 on:** 07/04/2013 at 23:53 »

Fished Fetternear today. Saw 3 fish up, once each and about a dozen flies. Left about 3:45 just as it got warm, got into Inverurie then due to change in weather turned straight around and went back again. Sat for another short while, saw no flies or fish so sacked it and went home.

Which 104 Helios are you struggling with Lindsay?

Ben

« **Reply #95 on:** 08/04/2013 at 00:07 »

Quote from: Ben_D on 07/04/2013 at 23:53

Which 104 Helios are you struggling with Lindsay?

The old one dude (eg. my one) ! It's like we talked about a few weeks ago about leverage etc. Dropped a few at end of last season on it (I only uesd the rod literally 3 or 4 times) and this one today. I Guess I am on about 65% conversion. Access 904 TF was 100 % !

It's a real nice rod to use so will persevere - your always gonna bounce a few 8- 10 oz on a long, stiff rod I suppose but I don't want to make a habit of losing anything over a pound ! The fish today was well hooked, jumped a couple of times and all okay, hook pulled and line went slack possibly as the fish turned.

I liked the Helios 2 103 TF but being a munter in the casting department it won't help me I think and only cast with it so no fishing per se !

Lindsay

« **Reply #96 on:** 08/04/2013 at 07:56 »

Fished the Don Yesterday, rather disturbed to see some sort of creature on the far bank, something I ave not seen before. Quite dark, moving up the road on the Fetternear bank, every now and then stopping in the cover of the trees and watching. Very strange. It made a kind of low growling noise as well. Big cat maybe? not sure. The only markings I could make out was what looked like the word Surf on the side. Answers on a post card!

As for the fishing..nothing, nadder, not a thing! Considering it snowed most of the day I was not to surprised. I saw one fish take something off the top and that was it for the trout.

I tried bugging but the flow was a little strong so switched to swinging wets to no avail so went back to the car for the streamer gear. Not even a pull.

I did spend an enjoyable 30 minutes watching two salmon in a lie just pushing each other out of the way, twisting and flashing away. Eventually the smaller fish left and headed upstream. I managed to follow it for about 100 yards before I lost it in the faster water. Amazing to watch. Bigger fish was perhpas 15 pounds.

« **Reply #97 on:** 08/04/2013 at 08:25 »

Ah, was you Rob, thought it looked like someone fishing for pike

Did you get much of a hatch at the top end there?

Lindsay, I'm not sure what to suggest re bouncing the fish mate. I'll do some thinking and get back to you.

Looks from the weather like it could go down today on the Don, I'm heading over to fish the Dee.

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #98 on:** 08/04/2013 at 12:33 »

Quote from: Ben_D on 08/04/2013 at 08:25

Ah, was you Rob, thought it looked like someone fishing for pike
Did you get much of a hatch at the top end there?

No hatch, just one or two LDO's coming off not long after I saw you. Standing on the bridge I thought there was a hatch of Caenis coming off...until I realised it was fine snow being blown up from under the bridge arch!! Had me confused for a minute or two!

All in all a pretty grim day regarding seeing trout or flies.

« **Reply #99 on:** 08/04/2013 at 19:09 »

Yup, was poor. I saw a few flies and a total of about 1.5lb of trout moved (that was about 6 fish).

Cheers

Ben

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