[Liam Stephen]

Well Lindsay if we bump into each other I'll show you how it's done 

Hopefully the weathers kind to us tomorrow 

Liam

[danbruce]

Yeah Liam seems to be the only person getting fish regularly.
I only got away with the 3wt today as i was fishing spiders downstream and down wind. Did try and cover a couple of fish with the dry fly into the wind but it just wasn't happening.

Fingers crossed the wind drops would be good to bump into you and Liam depending where we all end up.

Cheers,

Dan

[Noel Kelly]

Just checked weather site windfinder and tomorrow is looking quiet blowy I'm sorry to say. Finding that sheltered spot is vital in these conditions IMO.

[Liam Stephen]

Yup Noel, pretty chilly too 

[Loxiafan]

Just checked weather site windfinder and tomorrow is looking quiet blowy I'm sorry to say. Finding that sheltered spot is vital in these conditions IMO.

Yep, and looks like it is Southerly. That rules out North(left) bank at Kintore for me I am afraid, bits of Kemnay may be difficult too.

[Loxiafan]

Yep, and looks like it is Southerly. That rules out North(left) bank at Kintore for me I am afraid, bits of Kemnay may be difficult too.

Now Easterly according to BBC ! Rolling the dice and away to make my move, might get a couple of hours before the squalls.....

[Rob Brownfield]

I am fishing tonight too..The Switch rod makes windy conditions a bit easier to deal with..so I will be spotted somewhere on the Don "swinging wets" and not catching!

[Loxiafan]

Nowt wrong with "swinging" Rob....wet flies that is  Used to be my preferred method before I saw the light, converted and joined the Church of The Dry Fly.

Luckily I ignored Laura Tobin's weather report and hit a Don beat near to town. Glad I did as there were Large Dark Olives streaming down from 12.30 till around 4 pm. Some Yellow Sally's as well. Mainly small fish rising, tried to target at least ones that would bend the rod and had a handful at 1/2 lb all on CDC Olive dry fly. After my blank spells they were welcome and I suppose competition guys are happy with that size (in numbers). They certainly put a bend in a Streamflex ! I did see one decent fish move and hooked him second cast but although I kept him on through two impressive polaris like leaps a moment of slack line as he ran straight at me meant the barbless hook invariably dropped - hooked in upper jaw ? No worries, I have caught this fish before I am sure - same lie, same fly ! He is now well over 2 lb from the looks of his belly. Low point was seeing another angler retain a nice wild fish - all legal as it was under 2 lb but I for one don't like seeing it especially as these beats are no longer stocked. Have got the guy clocked and won't be sharing any info with him now I know he is a "chapper" - I didn't give any info to him today btw.

John Walker emailed tonight to say he had 4 today on a middle beat, biggest 2.5 lbs all on dry fly. They were taking LDO's. That is a good haul considering hown things have been/are.

Lindsay

[Liam Stephen]

Great stuff Lindsay 

Pity about losing the big un but that's fishing 

Kintore was miserable today, sounds like it was better where you were? 

Liam

[Loxiafan]

Pity about losing the big un but that's fishing  

Kintore was miserable today, sounds like it was better where you were?  

You're right Liam, and......you gotta be hooking em to lose em, so something is right !

Other parts of the beat I was on were actually quite poor apparently. I just knew that this stretch was holding fish and that some of them, whilst not monster's, would be decent. I also knew there could be a decent hatch of LDO's there too. Nearly paid off !

More rain due though, hope river is ok next weekend.

[Noel Kelly]

Good stuff Lindsay sounds like you had fun. The day turned out not so bad after all weather wise.
Was working today but I've got the bug now so headed out this evening at about 6.30. I seen a good fish rise far bank last week so decided to pay it a visit tonight. It was quiet a walk...about 50 minutes.
There was the very occasional LDO coming down and a trout picking them off. Wasn't the big one I was after but after watching it for half an hour I couldn't resist any longer. Hooked it first throw, leaped and off. About 1.5lbs and that was that. Didn't see another rise.

[danbruce]

Sounds like an enjoyable days fishing lindsay, I had a couple of hours at fintray but called it a day when it started getting wet and windy. Didn't see much fish but Still better than being at work.

Dan

[Noel Kelly]

Seen a dead sheep tonight, washed up by the high water. That's 3 I have seen in a week

[Liam Stephen]

Good observational skills Noel 

Would you say an evenings fishing is worthwhile at this time of year? Unlucky on losing your fish dude 

Liam

[Noel Kelly]

Thanks I think?

Well I walked about 2 or 3 miles of river tonight Liam and saw one rising fish and about 5 olives so no probably not! Beats tv though. If we ever get a mild evening without cold wind I would expect a bit more action.

[Loxiafan]

It was quiet a walk...about 50 minutes.

Nice cryptic "clue" Noel  Can only but guess, but reckon I maybe know the beat !  Would be good to see some fish coming in from there...actually anywhere - check the catch returns on Assoc website, there are more Broonies being caught in the Dee just now  . Unlucky on the fish lost too, pretty good on the dry at that time of night the now.

[Hamish Young]

Seen a dead sheep tonight, washed up by the high water. That's 3 I have seen in a week

Hmmmmm size 21/0 'extreme' Tupps indispensable a suitable representation maybe

I'll get my coat 

H

[Rob Brownfield]

Fished upper and lower Parkhill last night. Waste of time!! The wind was a horrible upstream affair and very cold. In 4 hours I did not see a single fly or rising fish.

However, I did find a slightly sheltered spot on a dead bit of water and spent half an hour with the Switch and with a 6 weight single hander and one of Mikes SLX's practicing single handed Spey casting. So all was not lost.

Moved onto Parkhill Loch, again more for the casting practice with a GT140 in a 5 weight and a Orvis ZG.  Again no fish moving although one chap appeared to catch on a fast stripped lure. I just had a couple of boxes of spiders and traditional river pattens so was not expecting to catch really.

I then got cold and went home!

This year for me has been total pants! Not sure what I am doing wrong, but this is the first time in years I have made a real effort to game fish, and its the first time in years I have not been catching! Normally I only get out once in a while on the rivers, but I normally do ok. Arrrrrgh!!!

[Loxiafan]

This year for me has been total pants! Not sure what I am doing wrong, but this is the first time in years I have made a real effort to game fish, and its the first time in years I have not been catching!

It has been pretty hard going lately Rob, what with conditions etc and I have had quite a few blank sessions myself, not that I deserve or expect to catch fish every time. Maybe all those easy to catch coarse fish have softened you up  I have only been using a JT Olive dry fly, targeting only rising fish and only fishing between 11 and 4pm since the season opened. Hasn't worked every time, but when fish are rising I have been confident and usually had some action or near action. The weather and water conditions I blame for the poor start this year.

It will all come good in the end, next fish may be a 5 pounder !

Lindsay

[Rob Brownfield]

Maybe all those easy to catch coarse fish have softened you up 

   Considering I have been chasing perhaps only a dozen large carp in the entire North of Scotland, and catching 4 of them so far, one at 21 pounds, I think I would say they were a bit harder than those Don stockies you chase

[Loxiafan]

.....I think I would say they were a bit harder than those Don stockies you chase

  Nice one ! But what Don Stockies  ???  !! No stocking by ADAA this season. I must admit, I only caught two, maybe 3 marked fish last year the rest I considered wild. I could be wrong but think as qualified fish stockman I would recognize one. I guess it must been be where I fished last season...or didn't 

If you have got the discipline to "hunt" a dozen individual Carp ( do they have individual names ?) then a few blank days doing some real fishing should be E-A-S-Y !   

Cheers,

Lindsay

[Rob Brownfield]

If you have got the discipline to "hunt" a dozen individual Carp ( do they have individual names ?) then a few blank days doing some real fishing should be E-A-S-Y !   

  Names?...hmmm...well..yes, but only because I gave them names to describe them to a mate. They have never been caught before so not the normal "pet" fish as down south.

Blanks don't bother me, seeing Mr Cameron catch and I am not does..  I swear I saw him walking on water the other day 

[Loxiafan]

Names?...hmmm...well..yes, but only because I gave them names to describe them to a mate. They have never been caught before so not the normal "pet" fish as down south.

Cool, of course they be "stockies" too ! 

Couple of hours lower river this morning/afternoon. Had a 3/4 lb BT on the dry. Then it totally peed down and when it stopped there was a really decent March Brown hatch - checked a few and I am pretty sure they were MB's on wing and body markings. Only problem, the water coloured up and the fish didn't rise to them, presumably as they couldn't see them . Such is life. Quite a few Yellow Sallies now too.

Lindsay

[spencie]

A few fish rising today. Didn't catch anything big but managed a couple of small trout on the dry fly.

1 of the trout from today, small but perfectly shaped



Stuart

[Noel Kelly]

A few fish rising today. Didn't catch anything big but managed a couple of small trout on the dry fly.

1 of the trout from today, small but perfectly shaped



Stuart

So that's what they look like lovely trout