So yesterday, Saturday 29th September, was the last day of the season on the Findhorn.
Euan
was up for a late season outing and I had actually booked us on the Farrar (which I had fished earlier in the week) but a chum looks after some fishing on the Findhorn and very kindly offered me the opportunity to enjoy the last day of the season - and Euan would get to fish too. So we talked it out over a dram and the plan was set... Findhorn it would be.
Proved to be a good choice
So we went and were blessed on arrival by a howling downstream gale that continued to spread good will and cheer all day
Because of sadomasochistic tendencies /bull-headedness I opted to fish with my Mackenzie FX1 10' #7wt matched to my Barrio LA 7/8 reel and my own skagit-esque shooting head I've previously waxed lyrical about in other threads.
The beat we were on can be found on FishPal as Freeburn, it's all left bank fishing, and is a relatively unknown quantity as it's not really been let or fished much for many years. As we knew another rod was at the top of the beat, Euan and I drove down to the bottom of the beat and walked up. Hard going, issues with my wading boots being a bit nippy made walking uncomfortable and the howling gale wasn't helping much. Anyway, we walked about half way in and made a start.
I made one quick cast to get the head out of the rod tip and the very next cast (so the first proper one) my Sunray Shadow was violently taken by a nice wee cock fish around 5.5lbs. After a strong but brief fight in streamy water (remember... rods are designed to BEND into fish) he went back - Euan had legged it down to help out but all was in hand.
After such a cracking start I thought this was going to be an epic day..... but try though we did we could not connect with another fish in that pool or others as we moved about. Now I should explain, there are one or two key pools on the beat which I imagine change very little (even in big floods) but the rest of the beat is very subject to the effect of a spate and contains much pocket water. In other words... my bread and butter
I just love exploring wee runs, tiny pools and features where I know fish will be holding. Anyway.... we were joined by David who had been fishing up the top of the beat. He had had two fish early on, but it had gone quiet and he'd popped down for a chat.
We all worked our way upstream, we 'dropped' David at a very fishy looking run and went to the top of the beat. The wind, the high bank and the wind made covering that water effectively almost impossible.... but boy did we see some muckle fish
Couple of fish that showed were easily in the mid to high twenties.
By now it was past lunchtime (lunch was in the car....1.5 miles away over rough ground) so we said cheerio to David (who was heading home) and started to work our way back. Long story short... we covered shit loads (and I do mean SHIT loads) of fish.
Nada. Nil.
I bypassed a lot of water and wondered down to where there was some pocket water hitherto unexplored by any of us and what do you know
First cast my sizeable Red Francis was grabbed eagerly by a hen fish around the 8lb mark, she fought hard but my gear was up to the challenge and she was quickly subdued. Unfortunately I couldn't get to my mobile to get a shot of that one (complicated.... essentially I had left my fishing camera in the car and had to use my mobile instead) so she went back without getting her photo taken.
Two casts later.... bang... fish number three. Another hen, probably around 5lbs. But this time I had my phone ready... as I sort of had that 'fishy' feeling
And that was it. Despite covering water
really well Euan wasn't blessed with a fish, which he deserved for the effort put in. Next time chum
We retired to the car hungry, happy and looking forward to a coffee and a curry
Herewith some pics of the day:
