16/08/2012 - North Esk

Time - 1500 - 1600
Water - Normal
Weather - Nice
Method - Two fly set-up, Wickhams/Greenwells Nymph
Total - 1
Species - Brown Trout
Size - 6 inch

A quick session from Valleyfield down to Eskmill. I've totally neglected local fly-fishing this season, mostly due to the amount of rain and the rivers being up more or less all the time.

This was a maiden expedition with H who is trying to hone his fledgling fly fishing skills.

There was another fly fisher out who reported one plus a few offers. Another dude was bait fishing in the Ele's hole. I didn't entice anything until the last pool alongside Eskmill, where, when I was reeling in, a daft wee brownie decided to take the Wickhams.

22/03/2012 - North Esk

Best of the Eskmill pools

Time - 1630 - 1800
Where - Eskmill - Ele's Hole
Weather - Lovely but cooling down
Water - Summer levels, clear
Method - Mepp no 2 & bread
Total - 0

I effectively employed an upstream fishing method on this day. A couple of years ago I fished this stretch and concluded it was dead. Then last season I had great success a bit later in the season with a decent average size. But it was back to blanking with no interest at all. Saying this, once conditions hot up, I'm sure many of the wee pools and lies along here will produce nice fish again.

I also came across a pickaxe which is a river debris first.

I fished the right bank at the Ele's Hole and comprehensively covered the pool. But to no avail. I had however anticipated such an eventuality and brought along a couple of floats and some bread. I was confident that on opening day, although the water levels weren't conducive to the mepp, bread would be successful. So I was ready to give it a try

Wrong. I gave it a decent shot and baited up two slices worth, but there wasn't anything interested in meeting me.

15/03/2012 - North Esk

Time - 1530 - 1830
Water - Low and clear
Method - Mepp No 2
Where - Serpy Weir - Ele's Hole
Weather - Nice, windy
Total - 0 (two taps)

Is there a better day of the year than the first day of the trout season? And this year we were blessed with very fair weather for it. It's always interesting to see how the river has developed during the winter. Which obstacles have been flooded into or out of place, has there been any landslips, have any pools been filled in or gouged out, where are the currents and suchlike.

I began on the Auchendinny stretch from the old railway bridge to the mill weir pool but couldn't stir a thing. On a plus point a lot of the logs and debris that was in the weir pool the previous season has been flushed out.

New obstruction

Next to my home stretch beginning at the Serpy Weir. Last season I caught a smallish and still skinny and out of condition brownie here, but also a bonus rainbow. If they are going to be anywhere on opening day, here is as likely as anywhere.

I induced two tugs. The first was quite interesting, really hard to estimate, so I'll say at least 7 inch, probably about 10 and maybe even bigger than that as it hit me quite hard in the turbulence masking its true strength. The next tug was much gentler, probably no bigger than 7 inch.

Storm damage galore

I had no joy above the weir, still a lot of debris in the water restricting access, although, dare I say, providing an excellent nursery and maybe even hiding spots for bigger fish. The high winds we had over the winter have taken their toll on many of the trees, at one point, in a straight line I could see 11 downed trees.

Next I tried the top and bottom of Telfords. The top was quite hopeless. The water was too low and clear and there was hardly any cover, so fish were scarce at best (I didn't see any). At the bottom, similar story, no interest in unconducive conditions.

I tried the wooden bridge, the pool below it and the corner pool below that, then the Corner Pool itself, the pool below that, all with no success. However there was a rise in the Corner Pool which was good to see. Finally I made for the Ele's Hole with exactly the same outcome.

I suspect that fly may have been a better tactic & also suspected that bread would have done the trick at the Serpy Weir and possibly elsewhere too.

So the total results were two taps, no fish.

24/08/11 - North Esk

View upstream from left bank

Time - 18.00-20.30

Water - Turning peaty from brown, 10 cm or so up

Where - Wooden Bridge to Ele's Hole

Weather - Damp

Method - Bronze mepp size 2
Total - 3
Species - Brown Trout
Size - 7.5 - 11 inches

Fairly typical session for time of year & conditions etc. Connected with excellent example of the Salmo Trutta coming in at 11 inches on the measuring tape. Twas such a nice fish I've added two photos profiling both flanks.

Note the vivid red on the tail and adipose. It emerged from quite close to the waterfall.

There were another couple of fish trying to jump the waterfall, nothing over 9-10 inch.

17/08/11 - North Esk

Time - 17.00-20.30
Water - As peat stained as it could be, still a good 30 cm's or so above summer level. A little bit of rain during the day probably helping to maintain the level, but possibly falling a little bit too.

Where - Telfords-Ele's Hole

Weather - Had been a shower of rain, but quite fair.

Ele's Hole Waterfall - Higher Than Usual

Method - Silver mepp size 2
Total - 6
Species - Brown Trout
Size - 5.5-8.5 inches

Nothing at all below Telfords Bridge, different story above where water levels gave the pool enough water without it being too fast. Got 3-4 taps, all off smallish ones. Wooden Bridge & Road Pool similar to bottom of Telfords, although a couple of bites above Wooden Bridge. Three dogs in the Corner Pool kyboshed that. At the next pool down, was just finishing saying to B how much I always liked the look of it, though it never produced when I connected with a lovely Brown of around 12-13 inch, but it was off after a few seconds. Next cast into same spot produced a tap of another of about 10 inch. B took a couple of taps too in the same pool and I had another semi-offer of 7-8 inch.

One of the 8.5 inchers

I then had a dip in the pool above the Metal Bridge and extracted an 8 & an 8.25 incher. Not much else doing apart from the odd bite until the Ele's Hole. Got a fish first cast, close in on right bank under edge of the torrent from the waterfall. Was also hitting more or less a fish a cast right over on the far bank. Managed to get another two. All three were 8.25 inch making it four out of 6 for the day at that length.

02/08/2011 - North Esk

11.5 incher

Time - 15.30-19.00
Water - A bit cloudy due to heavy afternoon showers, 5-10cm above summer probably rising

Where - Telfords to Ele's Hole

Weather - Nice to begin, drizzle later
Methods - Bronze mepp size 2
Total - 7
Species - Brown Trout
Size - 5 - 11.5 inches



Lovely wee session, fish in sporting mood. Enough interest, most fish again above 8 inch. Best Esk brownie of the season at 11.5 inch, closely followed by 2nd biggest at 10.5 inch in next pool. 



10.5 incher

First was in a shallowish fast run, second right under the bank in a deep current. Lost/missed one in the 10-14 inch range that was really darkly coloured. Nothing at Ele's Hole or bottom of Telfords today.



 

28/07/2011 - North Esk

Time - 15.30-19.30
Water - Clear water, tint of peat, about +10cm on summer levels and rising.
Where - Valleyfield to Eskbridge.
Weather - Constant drizzle
Method - Bronze size 2 mepp.
Total - 12
Species - Brown Trout
Size range - 6.5-10 inches


Fishes #5-12 no smaller than 8 inches. All in very good condition. One 8 incher really fat. Pic shows 9.75 incher, also quite chubby. Top class condition and excellent markings on this one. Most of the bigger troot had sparser markings than normal, less big spots.


Didn't (knowingly) lose anything bigger. Plenty of interest.


Two 8-9 inch brownies jumping up Ele's Hole waterfall. Most success in runs in the pools below the waterfall.