Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Ali Mcewan

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #150 on: 28/04/2017 at 14:38 »
Went for a look at the levels at lunch time, still brown, with visibility about 18",  I got a couple of new flys off these dodgy geezers I met the other day, cough, cough.
Anyway despite feeling like a course fisherman with a fly rod, I thought I'd give it a go 😄



What a tail it had on it, no wonder it went like stink





The "fly"





Cheers Liam, you saved a blank 😂👍🏻

James Laraway

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #151 on: 28/04/2017 at 15:20 »
 oh no, not a squirmy wormy  :shock

Liam Stephen

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #152 on: 28/04/2017 at 17:48 »
No idea what Liam he means....... Never seen those before in my life!  :roll

Nice fish mate!

 :z18

Allan Liddle

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #153 on: 28/04/2017 at 21:50 »
Aye aye Liam, looks like yer 'Squirmin' there a wee bit  :oops :oops :z4 :z4

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #154 on: 29/04/2017 at 10:27 »
Well its been  fair old week :z10

Mr Ellis came up for a few days to have a go at our browns, So after months in the planning it was the Law of Sod that dictated the weather would play foul :X1



Nothing quite went to plan, the river was in great shape on monday but the relentless snow just when we hoped for a hatch, put pay to anything other than a trip to the pub to dry out.

Tuesday we headed for the Deveron as planned, see the separate Deveron post :z16

Wednesday we had left open to fish somewhere nice, but the Deveron was rising fast and the Don had gone up and come down over night, with the lower river still running in poor condition we headed for the hills to find the clearer water.
The upper river was in much better shape but running at 6-7degrees, so another day of nymphing with hardly a fly to be seen. At least we picked up a couple of fish. Still that nasty northerly wind, but we did see the strange yellow orb, initial thoughts of alien abduction relaxed as the air temp increased  :z5



Thursday was meant to be on the Deveron again, but the snowmelt had it running like Willie Wonka's chocolate river, so with the upper Don starting to do the same, we headed to the lower river and although slightly coloured it was fishable. Again the nasty wind had us working hard, Poor Andrew was starting to feel like we had been beasting him all week, but his loops stayed sharp.



We even had a hatch of uprights to get us excited



One decent fish to get us warmed up, but that was all she wrote....



During the evening in the Pub, the river choose to rise significantly, rendering Friday a total washout on the Don, so the plan was scrapped , Again! and we went in search of fishable water...... (we did find some , but you'll need the Deveron half of the post)

So not the week we had planned, but a great time in fantastic company and the fishing was enjoyed by all, even if the fish spent all week sulking and we had to chuck Nymphs far more than any of us would have liked.

Sandy

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #155 on: 29/04/2017 at 10:38 »
Great stuff Sandy ...... fingers crossed for better weather for Andrew next time!

Cheers
Mike

Pete Winn

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #156 on: 29/04/2017 at 19:39 »
Great day on the river this morning, before the wind got up.  Given the recent high water I decided to get the trout spey rod and the 2" mini intruder streamers out, paired with an OPST 275 gr head. It makes casting streamers really easy on a 5 weight rod. Had 4 fish off, only managing to take a picture of this one. It absolutely nailed the fly on the swing and put up a great fight. A really fat, energetic fish in great condition for this time of year. All my decent trout this year have come to this intruder from Salar flies.

Cheers Pete





Simon Bruce

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #157 on: 29/04/2017 at 22:04 »
Wasn't too sure about going out today with all the weather we have been having lately. But decided to have a go and get to grips with my new(old rod) was a bargain on eBay( brand new g tec for a very cheap price) headed for the upper river as I thought it would be fishable and it was(running at a good level but coloured) had a few fish on the duo in the morning best probably a couple of pounds. By midday there was a sign of a hatch coming on but it never really kicked off as such maybe a 10 minute spell of a few fish rising, I thought I seen something rise out the corner of my eye so had a cast thinking that I might get it with the nymph and then bang it took the Klink quite a few heart stopping moments later I landed my best of the season so far. Don't know the size,weight or anything like that just glad to be in the right place at the right time


Liam Stephen

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #158 on: 29/04/2017 at 22:34 »
Simon there's something about you and stupidly fat fish! Where and what are you feeding them??  :z4 :z7

Cracking fish mate!

 :z18

Ali Mcewan

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #159 on: 29/04/2017 at 22:59 »
2 super fat fish lads, been feeding well 👍🏻

Simon Bruce

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #160 on: 29/04/2017 at 23:09 »
As I said right place right time, a lot of the big fish up there eat well and the fishing pressure is very low( nobody fishes there as it's to far too go for many folks apart from me lol  :z4 :z16

Simon

Hamish Young

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #161 on: 29/04/2017 at 23:30 »
Couple of belting fish there  :z18

Simon Bruce

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #162 on: 29/04/2017 at 23:48 »
Here's a couple from earlier on in the season







The last picture is a fish from today on the same beat as you can see the condition of the fish has greatly improved and the fish are feeding well and have plumped up :z18 Simon

Ali Mcewan

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #163 on: 30/04/2017 at 09:22 »
I think I may have seen you the other day up by ally's farm?

Dave Robb

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #164 on: 30/04/2017 at 10:16 »
Some stunning fish this season, love those fatties.

Scott Cumming

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #165 on: 01/05/2017 at 23:55 »
Was out for a couple of hours yesterday and the best part of today. The Don is clearing nicely and the water temp is on the up.

Caught several fish on the nymph both days...






but when the Uprights made an appearance it was time to do some proper fishing, and the trout took a real liking to my dry fly... :z16






Wee Aaron wanted in on the action and helped play, land and return several fish  :wink




and he can take a good photo too




Cheers
Scott C

Rob Brownfield

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #166 on: 02/05/2017 at 08:24 »
I always hate putting catches up as I got home last night pretty chuffed with the fish I got, only to see what others have been catching which make my fish look tiny! lol

Anyway, out last night, fished a favourite bit for 3 fish, all around the 1lb mark on PTNs so decided on a move as a pesky Salmon was making a bit of a commotion.

Moved to a very fast section that is pretty deep and passed by most. On went a silly weighted GRHE that is more like casting a stone! First cast I hit a 19" fish that shot of down stream at speed. Not sure why but it went mental with loads of jumps. Glad I had a "proper" net with me!

Another Salmon started to pop its head up and after the commotion of the previous fish I nipped back to the car for the switch rod and Sunray Shadow.

Cast square, down stream mend, strip strip BANG. Something nailed the sunray 5 feet from the far bank in a big spray of water. Whilst I hoped it was the salmon I had seen 20 minutes before, it turned out to be a 16" Brownie that gave a pretty good scrap on the Switch.

All the fish seemed to be turbocharged last night, fighting a lot harder than normal.



A size 10 facet tungsten bead with extra wraps of lead GRHE! Check the teeth!


And finally the sunray smasher.

Dave Robb

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #167 on: 02/05/2017 at 08:33 »
Some very nice fish.  I was out on the Don on Sunday and just couldn't get going at all with the wind really gusting.

Even went seeking shelter but it just wasn't happening.  I couldn't get in the groove, got fed up with it all and quit early.  Wind aside, it was a nice day and the water was looking  good.

Last night I left the river alone and went on to the Parkhill fishery. 

Hopefully get out tomorrow, need to get me one of these bigger beasts.

Kevin Bell

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #168 on: 03/05/2017 at 11:59 »
Just got to say lads the quality of these fish is somethin else,absolute stunners

Been a long time since Ive been on the Don,gonna have to organize a trip up the road  :z16

Liam Stephen

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #169 on: 04/05/2017 at 00:13 »
This solitary lump was the only fish to end up in my net today. It was a bloody belter though!  :z14

The upper river definitely has a proper trophy hunting feel to it. Thanks Ali for taking me along.





At only 22" it fairly pulled the scales. Huge across the shoulders and a big belly.



 :z18

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #170 on: 04/05/2017 at 08:13 »
Nice one Liam :z16

Rob Brownfield

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #171 on: 04/05/2017 at 08:33 »
Just got to say lads the quality of these fish is somethin else,absolute stunners

Been a long time since Ive been on the Don,gonna have to organize a trip up the road  :z16

Better hurry, we had a muppet on Facebook last night telling us to kill them all because they are eating all the salmon...

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #172 on: 04/05/2017 at 08:46 »
we had a muppet on Facebook last night telling us to kill them all because they are eating all the salmon...

Still beggars belief, whenever I hear that :X1 :X1 the Salmon and Trout have lived in the river since the last ice age, with no issues, just the interference of man that buggers the Salmon and thats not even in the rivers!!
Not just the Salmon either, the drop in the eels has been dramatic in the last 30 years and I don't think the trout are eating many of them either.

I will resist getting on the soapbox of the Don being a Limestone based Trout river that happens to have a run of Salmon more akin to the Test and Avon rather than being a 'proper' Salmon river, which is why it is historically cheap to fish for Salmon but Famous for its Trout. :z16
 
ooops  :oops couldn't help myself :X1

Sandy

Liam Stephen

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #173 on: 04/05/2017 at 08:49 »
Thankfully the fish mongers are now a dying breed. Long live the big beautiful trout!

 :z18


Rob Brownfield

Re: River Don 2017
« Reply #174 on: 04/05/2017 at 10:23 »
Don being a Limestone based Trout river that happens to have a run of Salmon more akin to the Test and Avon rather than being a 'proper' Salmon river,

Which is why it would make the perfect Barbel river ;)

The "chap" saying this last night is well known to me unfortunately.  He used to be on a certain Deveron club Committee a good few years ago and I have seen him chap small trout on the head and throw them up the bank. He was not the only one back then either!

I am glad to say he is well into his 70's now and I very much doubt he has fished for a good number of years.

 




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