[Innes Simpson]

Hi there,
This is my first post on any Forum, so here goes ....  Just how do I catch me a brownie on the Don?  I get a few when trying for their silvery cousins but when I specifically target them, nary a tug!  Are there any failsafe flies - wet or dry?  I've been trouting for >50 years - first of all wi' a worm on the Leuchar and Beltie Burns but then for 25+ years on the likes of Chew and Blagdon.

I must admit, river trouting has me flummoxed!  Any and all suggestions gratefully received!

[Sandy Nelson]

Hi Innes

I'd book a day with Liam, he will bring you up to speed with the river pretty quickly. Much easier than trial and error, especially if you have the experience with the basics.
It won't take much to dot the I's and cross the T's.

Sandy

[Dave Robb]

Fly wise you can't go wrong with small PTNs, either weighted, unweighted, coloured thorax you name it, they all work in their own way depending on how deep he stretch you are fishing is.

Other flies work, but you really can't go wrong with an old school PTN.

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Innes ...... welcome to the forum

It usually takes a season or two to start to get to grips with the trout on the Don, at least that's my experience

I second Sandy's suggestion, a day on the river with Liam, preferably on the water that you normally fish, would certainly help a lot. He can show you tactics that he would use on each stretch, the pools, the fast water and everything in between. This would give you a few things to try this month and set you up for a better 'learning curve' for next Spring.

Flies are perhaps mostly about confidence ....... but how you approach the water, find feeding fish and then think about how to present a fly to them is all equally important.

Best wishes
Mike

[Iain Cameron]

hi Innes


I'd second all the suggestions thus far. You've clearly got reservoir experience, and I'm guessing some salmon experience (?) so it's about learning river trout craft i guess.


For the rivers, if you're interested in catching trouts on dries, I'd suggest fishing less, casting less, and watching & waiting more.


Get to a pool. sit down at the tail of the pool, looking upstream. Wait 10 mins before doing anything. Time it on your watch! 10 mins seems like a loooong time. Watch and listen. You'll see the patterns of water, you'll spot the changes that show rising trouts.  Diving straight in, you will spook fish you didn't even know were there. If you see a rise on the far bank, sit tight. Wading across to that might disturb other trout in mid-stream.


Just walking up to a river and swinging flies will catch fish, but watching and waiting and picking your target can be more productive - after all, if a fish is rising and feeding, half the battle is won. You know where the trout, it is eating and looking for food. Put a fly in its path... Simple in theory, of course...

[Hamish Young]

Good solid advice from Iain, well put