Time - 2015 - 2045
Weather - Fair, 6-7 degress
Water - +16cm
Where - Polton bank
Method - Mepp
Total - 0
A short evening session to try and loosen my dodgy back had quite the opposite effect. However the water was in lovely spinning nick though with my first lapse in concentration producing the first tap. I'd say it was a minimum o f8 inch, maybe a wee bit into double figures. A short while later in the same pool between the bridge & the weir I connected with about a 6 incher for 2-3 secs before we parted company.
I had a short try at the next 2 or 3 pools on the left bank but had to leave before dark as stiffness set in.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
12/04/2012 - North Esk
Time - 1800 - 1930
Weather - Chilly
Water - Peaty & up
Where - Serpy weir up to Roman Bridge
Method - Mepp
Total - 0
Water levels had dropped below just too high and I fancied my chances. I tried further upstream than the previous night but the results were the same, one tap, no fish. Managed to fish as far up as the old (and soon to be falling down) Roman Bridge.
Weather - Chilly
Water - Peaty & up
Where - Serpy weir up to Roman Bridge
Method - Mepp
Total - 0
Water levels had dropped below just too high and I fancied my chances. I tried further upstream than the previous night but the results were the same, one tap, no fish. Managed to fish as far up as the old (and soon to be falling down) Roman Bridge.
11/04/2012 - North Esk
Time - Evening
Weather - Chilly
Water - Up
Where - Telfords - Corner Pool
Method - Mepp
Total - 0
The first downpours of the season pumped the river levels up so I took a short punt on the Esk but without success. The only tap occurred above Telfords (7 inch or so) and despite nice but probably too high conditions elsewhere, nothing showed. My guess is the water temp is still too low, but it is still intriguing where the fish go, because in similar conditions in a month or two's time it will be fishalicious.
Weather - Chilly
Water - Up
Where - Telfords - Corner Pool
Method - Mepp
Total - 0
The first downpours of the season pumped the river levels up so I took a short punt on the Esk but without success. The only tap occurred above Telfords (7 inch or so) and despite nice but probably too high conditions elsewhere, nothing showed. My guess is the water temp is still too low, but it is still intriguing where the fish go, because in similar conditions in a month or two's time it will be fishalicious.
Labels:
2012,
April,
Blank,
High Water Level,
Mepp,
North Esk,
Valleyfield
10/04/2012 - Humbie Quarry
Time - 1500 - 1900
Where - Main accessible mark
Water - Normal
Weather - Had been raining and windy elsewhere but fine
Methods - Dead bait, maggots/swim feeder, perch lure & worm under a float
Total - 0
A second visit to Humbie and a longer and more concerted effort produced just as many fish as the first visit, a resounding and absolute zero. No signs of fish and no bites or interest. It still looks fishy enough though. Once one fish falls, more will surely follow. Another time...
Where - Main accessible mark
Water - Normal
Weather - Had been raining and windy elsewhere but fine
Methods - Dead bait, maggots/swim feeder, perch lure & worm under a float
Total - 0
A second visit to Humbie and a longer and more concerted effort produced just as many fish as the first visit, a resounding and absolute zero. No signs of fish and no bites or interest. It still looks fishy enough though. Once one fish falls, more will surely follow. Another time...
Thursday, 5 April 2012
04/04/2012 - Loch Lochy
Looking down the loch to the south |
Where - Bay 1 mile south of Laggan Locks
Water - Low, clear
Weather - Cloudy, fresh
Method - Weighted maggots on the bottom & size 3 mepp on wire trace
Total - 0
Initially I intended having a try in the bay at the head of the Loch, but on inspection was probably a bit shallow so I decided to move down the shore to seek somewhere a bit better. Stopping at a layby about a mile down I decided to chuck out some weighted maggots on one rod whilst having a spin either side. I put the maggots out in the bay where a small stream enters and baited up a bit. I built a rod rest of rocks up and the rod was precariously balanced on top in the form of a primitive bite alarm so that if I got any interest at all the rod would fall onto the ground and alert me. Alack there was to be no action on the maggots.
View to the western shore |
In the meantime I fished with a mepp no 3/blue spots around the bay and headland in a northerly direction before returning to the maggot rod and fishing south of it for a bit. Nothing was tempted.
The water was exceedingly clear so visibility wasn't a problem for the fish which weren't in the mood. I did spot the surface being broken a handful of times at about the extent of casting distance but not from anything of any obviously large size.
03/04/2012 - River Garry (Ness)
Rivermouth |
Weather - Everything
Water - Good, clear enough, peat tinge
Where - Various
Method - Mepp & Flying C
Total - 1
During a short break in Fort Augustus I was delighted to be able to secure a rod on the Garry at Invergarry and put myself in serious danger of catching a brute. The full weekly let is 6 rods over a 6 day week costing £1869 at this time of year. If the river hasn't been let weekly, individual day tickets are available at £40. To my delight I discovered I was the only rod on the day and had the entire river to myself.
On the Bothy wall |
Inscription below (above) outlined fish |
View from the Bothy door |
Looking upstream from the Bothy |
Journeying up on Monday the weather was fine if not a bit chilly, but the forecast issued a snow warning from midday Monday until Tuesday 0600 but as the day progressed this morphed into a forecast for snow all day Tuesday. Just before bed time on Monday it began to snow.
On Tuesday morning I awoke to a decent covering of snow and wasn't sure how things would be at the river. A refund would be available if I couldn't fish. But the snow had stopped and the sun broke through and there was a bit of a melt on as we travelled down.
I began fishing at the estuary about 9.15 with a weighted red Flying C (permit allows 8am-8pm). The bank here is well kept and fishable along its entire length ending with three small jetty's right at the estuary. Despite giving it a right good thrash I didn't provoke any interest. There were a few bumps, but I'm pretty sure they were all just rocks on the bottom, I'd been told the fish would be low down. The water was flowing at a decent level and was pretty clear, but there was enough of a peaty tinge to make the waters look dark and deep.
By the time I fished to the lower jetty an impending snow storm was visible sweeping down Loch Oich and a hasty retreat was beaten into the bothy. This being my first experience of a bothy whilst fishing I can only report I was impressed. Just 15 feet or so from the river itself with two windows overlooking the water, it is ideally located. It has a heater, running water, a kettle and enough basic cooking facilities and utensils to make and eat a sufficient meal. Whilst the snow drove sideways outside, my cup of coffee helped put some heat back into me.
Kelt |
It was now after 1pm and not wanting to bore the wife any further, we headed back up into town to pick up some lunch. My intention was to head upstream (sans wife) in the afternoon and return to the Rivermouth for an hour or two in the evening depending on what happened upstream (the Saturday evening 18lber was at the front of my thoughts). Most of the ground level snow had cleared by now although there was still plenty on the hills. When we got back to the digs the snow had completely cleared leaving just a snowman next to the drive that someone had made that morning. The day was characterised by the weather flipping between lovely clear sunny spells, now and again accompanied by a stiff chilly wind and then a stern snow shower, before returning to beautiful sunshine again. Twice there were also hail showers in amongst the 10 or so snow events.
The Big Crooked Pool |
Snowy reel |
Not knowing the river it was always difficult to effectively locate and/or fish the most probable spots. I continued down until the first big bend known as the Big Crooked Pool which looked sensational. Despite this I couldn't tempt anything to show and when the snow began yet again (see the adjacent pic of the snow on my reel on the way back to the car) I made for the car to take some shelter and move downstream to the next stretch.
After the Rivermouth I'd been advised the next most likely spot to hold fish would be the Dog Pool and it was to here I headed next. The top of the beat was much more my kind of fishing with a bit of clambering up and down banks involved and a wilder stretch of river a little off the beaten track.
Looking downstream into the Dog Pool |
The Dog Pool was an outstanding looking pool benefitting from a shallowish wide run into the head of the pool with a large back eddy on the outside of the bend (the right bank where I was fishing) before turning the corner and flowing down into the Shot Pool and beyond.
The Dog Pool |
Looking upstream from The Dog Pool |
The photo I took looking upstream shows a view of a mountain range in the distance. The whole time I fished it was bright sunshine but I could also see a snowstorm raging over the top of the furthest away mountain top. Eventually, downstream and round the corner I could see another snowstorm working its way up the river and I had to make for the car once again before the worst took hold. By now it was time to head back down for the last hour or two at the bothy.
Left view into Loch Oich during evening session |
Middle view into Loch Oich during evening session |
Right view into Loch Oich during evening session |
Labels:
2012,
April,
Best of Species for Season so far,
Bothy,
Flying C,
Kelt,
Mepp,
River Garry,
Virgin Venue
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