[Duncan McRae]

Following the recent rise in water, fished one of the Middle beats last night and was rewarded with a good sea trout.
It weighed around the 5lb mark and was in great condition for so late in the season.Normally the hen fish are turning dark by now.
Sea trout catches on the river seem to have been reasonable this summer.Nothing spectacular but managing to pick up a fish or two with each small rise in water.
Have been involved in scale sampling for the Ythan trust and really look forward to receiving the information that this will provide.
Haven't picked up any finnock yet but they should start to run the river any time now.Hopefully they will give us some lively backend sport.

Duncan

[Mike Barrio]

Nice one Duncan

[Sandy Nelson]

Cracker Duncan

You make an interesting comment

.Normally the hen fish are turning dark by now.
Have been involved in scale sampling for the Ythan trust

We've been involved with the Deveron,Bogie and Isla trust doing similar scale samples, and have been to a couple of interesting meetings, with the smolt tracking as well. The fascinating thing for me to learn is they have found that All sea trout are female. We all know that a sea trout is just a brownie that heads of to the salt, but apparently its only the females (not all the females) which migrate, which i i guess makes sense as they need to pack on weight for spawning. But so far they have no evidence that males do the same, so when they make redds the males are all resident browns.
Fascinating stuff.

Sandy

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Sandy

Yes,it is  fascinating stuff and  there's a lot we still don't know.
I would like to learn more about the life cycle of our local sea trout populations.I think that during the close season I might try and find some of the Ythan spawning areas and hopefully observe what's going on.

I can say without any doubt that male sea trout do exist ,at least on the Ythan and Don where I have taken them.Probably less than 5% of my total sea trout catch  on the Don but a bit higher on the Ythan.
Maybe this percentage varies from river to river?

Duncan

[Allan Liddle]

Cracking fish and very interesting stuff guys 

[Eddie Sinclair]

Gents,

it is the same on the river Cowie in Stonehaven. Pretty much all of the seatrout are female and we had Adrian Hudson the Dee biologist tell us that they spawned with the wee burn trout in the river. These trout are tiny but sexually mature.

Eddie.

[Duncan McRae]

Seems to be quite a few salmon entering the river over the last week.I'm now seeing fish splashing most evenings on one of the lower beats.Some hefty fish amongst them.
Fished a lower beat yesterday but no joy,although one fish came at my fly four times but didn't take hold.Heart stopping stuff.

Did manage to take a 12lb fresh salmon and two good sized sea trout from a middle beat during the week but my photographic skills let me down once again.Really disappointed to see the resultant blurred photos.

Can anyone recommend an inexpensive camera specifically for fishing photos?Preferably one that you just have to press the button without having to think about settings etc.

Duncan

[Sandy Nelson]

Duncan any of the modern crop of compacts are pretty good, For fishing, if you want to keep the cost down, look at a refurbed waterproof. some great machines for low expenditure, great for carrying with you when fishing and will stand up to most punishment, plus won't break your heart if you do manage to destroy it. Something like this perhaps?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Panasonic-DMC-FT30-2-7-Inch-16MP-Tough-Camera-Black-From-the-Argos-Shop-on-ebay/332287996034?epid=1237937935&hash=item4d5de87082%3Ag%3A4lAAAOSwwvZZVxlA

Cheers

Sandy

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Sandy

Thanks for the information.
Must confess,l know next to nothing about cameras but reading up the spec. and reviews on your suggestion has helped greatly.
I would definitely consider buying this particular model.

Duncan

[Graham Allan]

Hi Duncan.
Good  report  from mid week 🎣👍.
I tried Tarvis , Ythanbank ,Haddo Wednesday evening
Then had a run down the  fast water below the methlic bridge in the dark for not a touch.
wee doubles and sink tip line .
Hope to get out Tomorrow.

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Graham

Water should be a good height for tomorrow but has risen fast so could be a bit coloured.

With so much good water available it's difficult to decide where to fish.If it wasn't such a long trek to the river i wouldn't mind having a go at Gicht.There's some nice looking wee pools there which should be holding the odd fish at this time of year.

With the water at a good height ,the next few days could be interesting.

Tight lines
Duncan

[Graham Allan]

Hi  Duncan/All.
I must take the time to investigate the Gicht waters
I had an afternoon on the river Tuesday tried several of the Haddo beats for not a touch apart from a finnock last cast.
Went up again Wednesday morning thinking with all rain the start of a rise might bring them on as it  sometimes does .
Well it rained buckets but the water stayed pretty clear and didnt rise much while I was there, could of worked the fly no bother but spinning was the chosen method.
First fish was a bright (for the time of year)Sea trout about 3lb  First one from the Ythan   .

I had another 3 Sea trout to the bank well coloured  fish a  lost a cracker about 5-7 lb slashed about at the top of the water and came off pretty sure it was a sea trout
and 2 finnock. Fantastic day and found 2 good pools I never knew about.
With the rising water to day I thought it would be a waste of time and it was I will never learn.
Lets hope this rise will spread a few salmon through the river.

Graham

[Duncan McRae]

Very well done Graham.A day to remember.
Never tried the flying C but obviously a very deadly bait!

Looked over Methlick bridge yesterday but the water was very coloured.I would imagine it's the same today.
Can't wait for water to settle down.

Duncan

[Duncan McRae]

Arrived at my favourite back-end ADAA beat last night full of anticipation with the river flowing at a lovely height, but was dismayed to see that the banks had not been cut for quite some time.
Decided to persevere, but after an hour and a half of hacking my way through the undergrowth and continually having to release my fly from the bankside vegetation,i decided to pack it in.I'm glad i didn't hook a fish as landing it would have been near impossible.
On my way home i decided to stop at a beat where the banks are better maintained and with the light fading fast i had a bit of luck.

[Graham Allan]

  Cracking fish Duncan well done looks like you have mastered the photos now .
I had a go with the fly today  never rely tried the fly for salmon on these shores before.
floating line fast sink tip  cascade on point executioner on dropper 3rd cast  on the dangle mid stream and boom everything went solid looked 10- 12 lb as it made its way upstream past me .
Then after 5 minutes I did the most stupid thing ever, I tried to bully the fish in giving it a heep of welly and pulled the hook  dont think ill sleep good tonight. . I am gutted.

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Graham

No still rubbish but Borrowed my wife's camera for this photo.I'm hoping to get the camera which Sandy suggested for xmas.

Bad luck on losing the fish but plenty time to get another.You really have to play them hard on the Ythan as there's no places to beach them.

Had a great afternoon amongst the finnock yesterday using light fly tackle.All powerful little fish 10-13" and plenty of them in the river now.

Duncan

[Graham Allan]

Hi Duncan .
Sadly I am off to work tomorrow for a month so Ill  miss all but the last 4 days of October  I tried the fly a few more times for nothing  but had some success spinning 
Any tips on what flies and sizes to use would be appreciated (hint,hint)
Ive seen a few finnock this week and last but not in any amount 1 yesterday they all seem to be a good size. I was hoping they would be further up by now ,There were loads in the estuary this summer .Looking good for the future .
Hope you guys get good water for the last month Ill be keeping an eye out on here.

Tight lines
Graham
 

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Graham

You won't go far wrong fishing a Cascade.
I started off this current rise in water fishing a 1.25" Brass tube going down a size as the water receded until currently i am fishing a size 12.I think anything' flashy' would do, provided there are fish on the move.

Have just taken a weeks holiday and fished the river fairly hard but no salmon or sea trout to be seen.
Thankfully there are a few Finnock on the go which provided some welcome sport.

[Sandy Nelson]

Hi Duncan

I spotted you out  a few times,  i also saw the Seal!! did he bother you at all, i reckon he is affecting much of the lower river from Ellon up to Haddo, he has been spotted on all the beats by folk.
He popped his head up next to me on Thursday and i just about shat myself, otters are quite common and give you a nice a surprise but when its a seal up the river it is quite unexpected

Sandy

[Mike Barrio]

I used to see seals at Esslemont pretty much every year when I fished the other bank Sandy, back in the 90s.

Cheers
Mike

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Sandy

No, i haven't encountered the seal yet.The bailiffs were telling me about it last week.I must be the only one who hasn't seen it.
Maybe that explains the lack of fish last week

Are you still fishing the Ythan?Thought i might have bumped into you as i've been sneaking onto your favourite stretch of the river where i have had a bit of success.

Duncan

[Sandy Nelson]

Hi Duncan

not been out as much as i would like, for various reasons but will try a bit harder this month.
I have seen you a few times, but not wanted to interrupt you, but i'm sure i'll bump into you at some point.
My stretch isn't that long and you are the only other person i've seen fishing it from our bank, tricky with a single hander though 6wt Switch makes things much easier.

Here's my friend from the other day, difficult to get close to him, but you know where he is!!



Sandy

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Sandy

Yes,casting is tricky there.Have been trying to cast over my left shoulder but it's hard going.There's a fair few of my flees in the trees behind.

I'm amazed at your photo.How on earth did he get through the shallow streams below?

Duncan

[Graham Allan]

Hi All,
I managed home for the last few days of the season  and went up on Monday  for a wee look. 
Worked the fly and spinner  through the beat for nothing .I got to my favourite pool to find out two friends had fished it up and down with the spinners for nothing .
I decided to try the flee -floating line with a 15ft fast sink tip and 2 small flies .
Half way down the pool the line swung in  to a large bolder sticking out of the bank with a nice deep eddy behind it I let everything hang for a while everything looked perfect then wallop I was rewarded with my first Ythan salmon on the fly .
A nice hen fish that quickly went back.
Chuffed to bits and a perfect end to a damned good season. 




Regards
Graham.

[Duncan McRae]

A great end to your season Graham.Well done.

My last Ythan fish was also a hen of around 11lb.Heavily laden with eggs,she was landed quickly and swam off strongly.



Fished the Gicht water on the final day but nothing doing.What a lovely peaceful place to fish.Will try again next season.



Have thoroughly enjoyed fishing the Ythan this season.Roll on the start of next season.

Duncan