[Hamish Young]

Thread for your River Ythan reports/news from season 2014 

H

[Sandy Nelson]

Well I've had a few trips down the river out back in the last couple of weeks, but so far not seen much, but then the river has been pretty coloured as well.

But this afternoon i decided to make a sharp exit at work as the weather was lovely.

So i headed home, got my gear set up and popped off to the river. The water was running a bit above normal height but nice and clear, so i thought i'd hedge my bets and use a wee size 12 black and red shrimpy spidery type fly that the Finnock liked last year.
So armed with my switch rod and a fastish polytip i worked my way down the water.

it was a lovely afternoon to be out so when i got my first short sharp pull i was day dreaming but encouraged i continued down the stream and soon got another take from a nice lively finnock about 11"



a few casts later and another lost fish, and i got a second, almost identical to the first, Great fun and i was considering going back to the house for the 4wt.

However i decided to finish the beat with the switch, as i got near to the bottom i got a good solid pull which didn't feel like a finnock Cool. It didn't come to anything so i moved back upstream about 100m and fished back down.

Same spot, good solid pull again and i was in Much stronger and quite a surprise.
After a few minutes the fish came up and i managed to get it into the small Sea-trout net i carry down here.



A Kelt for sure, but in great condition and my first Ythan Salmon, not quite that impossible Ythan Springer, but ace fun on a 6wt switch rod in a wee river and a size 12 fly. It was about 6-7lb and swam off strongly. could have been very interesting if i'd gone for the 4 wt

I had a great afternoon and am full of encouragement, especially with finnock in the system

Cheers

Sandy

[Liam Stephen]

Cool report Sandy. 

Liam

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Sandy

Cheers
Mike

[Ben Dixon]

Just clocked that Sandy, cool 

Ben

[Sandy Nelson]

Was down Saturday morning and got some nice photo's, when i had a look at them tonight, i got a great Photo bombing fish

Must be immense odds to catch it like that



I thought it was a bird till i blew it up



 

Popped down this afternoon for a few casts, got a good few takes even though the water was just clearing up after the rain.
These translated to a brownie about 8" and a lovely wee fish of about 3/4 lb that doesn't look like a finnock more like a small sea trout and it fought like a sea-trout too. I had a classic small finnock as well but it was this one i found interesting.

Any thoughts? I'm thinking Slob?



Sandy

[Mike Thornton]

Hi Sandy,
The shape of the fish,it's forked tail, and most importantly the yellow pectoral fin, lends me to think that this could probably be a large sea-trout smolt which has not yet made the transition to a mature fish. Such fish, which could be up to nearly 1lb in weight, used to be very common on the Ugie and Ythan in the fifties and were known locally as "yellow-fin". The pectoral fins on a finnock or sea-trout are either white or light grey. If the fish was a slob trout I think it's tail would be more square in appearance.
Hope I have not confused matters further.

Regards.....Mike T.

[Sandy Nelson]

Hi Mike

I'm used to catching Yellow fin and this didn't really look or act like one. The picture actually looks a lot less silvery than the fish did, but i know what you mean regarding the pectoral's, thats why i wondered.
I had a few like this down at the estuary last year and they were sea-liced and all about 3/4-1 1/4lb.
Even my biggest of the season had yellowish fins




I'd be happy classing it as a yellow fin, or a brownie even, just amusing that it was bigger than all the finnock i've had so far.
It fought like a demon and i was surprised when i got it in.

All good fun regardless

Sandy

[Mike Thornton]

Hi Sandy,
It might be worth running it past Sandy Milne, the Ythan fishery board bailiff. If you get another one, sending scales to
Pitlochry may provide a conclusive answer.

Regards...... Mike T.

[Sandy Nelson]

Mike

I believe Sandy is now chairman of the YFB, but its not a bad idea, i'll ask him next time he pops round
If i get another, similar, i'll maybe get some scales, but i don't really like taking scales off fish, unless they come off and this fish had pretty tight scales not like a finnock.
Think i'll chalk it down as a big Yellow fin, that was my initial thought and it makes more sense.
 
Hoping this rain doesn't do much, so i can pop out tomorrow again

Sandy

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Sandy

I think your fish may well be a finnock which is still sporting it's Autumn colours.
The picture of your first finnock clearly shows new silver scale growth over the darker Autumn colours.
Well done.

Regards
Duncan

[Sandy Nelson]

Back to Finnock, looking like finnock last night



Sandy

[Mike Thornton]

Certainly.

Mike T.

[Magnus Angus]

You hearing that Usan have bought the netting rights for the Ythan?

http://flyfishing-and-flytying.co.uk/news/view/usans_acquire_ythan_fishing_and_salmon_netting_rights/

Has me wondering who sold the rights and what the Board were doing when the rights came on the market?

[Dave Mundie]

I was told about this today and that it would be in the paper this week. 

Dave

[Sandy Nelson]

I had heard about this and it will be interesting to see the outcome.

Some quite impassioned opinions so far, But....... the quote from the article

"Some limited netting will be required on the foreshore and lower estuary. This will allow us to fulfil our management role and commitment to addressing the current predation issues, returning the Ythan to its former glory."

May well hold some water

The current number of seals at the mouth must have some sort of impact on the stocks, they can't all survive on eating little flatties.
If they do manage to control the predators, then i can't imagine the effect on stocks being a dramatic change, we swap one predator for another. This of course is likely to be wholley dependent upon how they net the river, mesh size, target species, etc. There are not really enough details to make any sort of informed and disspassionate conclusions.
I've a couple of good fishing mates in the Newburgh angling association, so it will be interesting to hear what they think or know.

The river was a better fishery when it was netted and the seals controlled, so it might be an interesting experiment to see what the outcome is and whether in fact it may even improve the fishing.

We shall see..............

Sandy

[Magnus Angus]

Calm and considered reply Sandy.....I don't agree with much of it but.....

Thing is, who sold the rights to Usan and what were the Ythan District Fishery Board doing when those rights were up for sale?

[Sandy Nelson]

I've done a little bit more asking around, and seem to have set the cat amongst the pigeons a wee bit

My information is second hand, but from reliable sources.
The Fishing rights it appears are owned by Auchmacoy estate and The Newburgh angling association were aware of the offer to USAN last year, however the members i have spoken too had belived the offer had fallen through, so it has come a surprise to them that it has now happenend. There was certainly no mention of it at the AGM in January and the Auchmacoy estate Baliff was there, although no member of the YFB was present.
They are now more than a little concerned that it will implicate on the Estuary fishing which is run by the NAA. The press release that was linked too, mentions the fishing as well nets.
Apparently the original proposal was for 3 years salmon only and then no specifics (the inference being they could then fish for sea-trout) after this, which is why it was rejected. there were no guarantees for the sea-trout beyond 3 years, however no-one knows what HAS been agreed too, so people are now off to find out more

I'm not sure how much influence the YFB has in these matters and i know that last year they lost a good chunk of their funding, which is usually spent on maintenance. So they might not have been in a position to do much about it.

So it seems there are not many details, it will be interesting to see what sort of Hue and cry is raised when they start to remove the seals ,there are estimates of between 500-800 at the moment, which is down on the last few years, but then there are reports of Orca's patrolling the NE coast form The Broch down to Balmedie.

I shall post more if i get more info.

Sandy

ps. Had a few bonny wee Finnock last night

[Rob Brownfield]

but then there are reports of Orca's patrolling the NE coast form The Broch down to Balmedie.

They have been seen of Aberdeen beach since the storms have died down. A "be aware" was issued to the surfers, just in case

They were here last year too http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/photos-killer-whales-off-collieston-angus/

They are very quick to take advantage of an easy food source, so perhaps they have cottoned onto the seals?

[Rob Brownfield]

Its in the papers

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/angus-the-mearns/angus-fish-firm-casts-salmon-net-wider-to-ythan-estuary-1.261302
 and

http://www.sportinglets.co.uk/general/another-netting-station-opens/

[Sandy Nelson]

I was miss-informed earlier .

Its Udny and Dudwick Estate that hold the fishing rights for the estuary, which is possibly why the Auchmacoy baliff didn't know much. Auchmacoy is further up where the Machar pool is.

Sandy

[Sandy Nelson]

I've had quite a few wee finnock over the last couple of weeks
All with the Shrimp spiders



But this afternoon i thought i'd get some practice in for tomorrow, so i took the Epic out and used a wee waterhen bloa

A few of these were great fun on Glass and they were easier to catch than on the shrimp



I have seen quite a few Water rats swimming in the river over the last few years, but never managed to get any photo's.
This might be cheating but this poor wee soul was found in the margins, no obvious damage so not sure why he had croaked, but i left it on the bank and it was gone the following day.



Sandy

[Eddie Sinclair]

Sandy,
well done on the finnock, they are great fun on a wee rod. I used to fish for them in spring up at Methlick many moons ago when I was a loon.

Eddie.

[Iain Cameron]

Nice fish, and the rod does pretty Epic too

[Iain Cameron]

You hearing that Usan have bought the netting rights for the Ythan?
http://flyfishing-and-flytying.co.uk/news/view/usans_acquire_ythan_fishing_and_salmon_netting_rights/

Folks

I received the following press statement last night from Usan:

Dear Sirs
 
....following our earlier Press Release in relation to the above last month.
 
George Pullar, Director said 'After extensive deliberation, we have decided not to exercise our Ythan netting rights. We will, however, continue with our plans to exercise our angling rights, thereby retaining the associated local employment. We intend to fully consider the future options for our Ythan fishings in due course. For the avoidance of doubt contrary to considerable speculation from the angling community, we have no plans to acquire further netting rights in Scotland’.

George Pullar

For now, looks like no netting.

Iain