Tweed Angling Fair Sat 2/Sun 3 May

The Tweed Angling Fair is being held this coming weekend at Kelso. Along with all the usual demonstrations and exhibitors, AAPGAI will be offering tuition at excellent rates for seniors and free to juniors. Hopefully the weather will be kind, why not pop along for an informative day out and perhaps brush up on your casting skills. The list of instructors includes stars like; Gary Champion, Glyn Freeman, Jim Curry, Clive Mitchehill and Lee Cummings. Of course, I'll be joining them too.

Paul~

The Mighty Aberdeenshire Don

A glorious view taken upstream of Monymusk. Flowing some 6 inches above normal summer level the middle reaches of the Don offer superb wild trout fishing. Thankfully, cloud cover rolled in later that day, encouraging a few fish out from their many hide-outs. The hatches of March Brown were sparse, but enough to stir one or two of the Don's weighty inhabitants.

Paul~

Meon Springs Open Day:

Meon Springs will be hosting Orvis for an eventful day on Sunday 19 Apr 09. With Demonstrations from Justin Anwyl, Brett O'Connor, Barrie Welham and myself, it promises to be an eventful day. Fingers crossed-the weather is looking good. Why not pop along for a chat and to try out the latest tackle. For directions go to www.meonsprings.com

~Paul

Against the Odds:

~Richard Tong with a stunning 3lb 3oz wild fish (note the clear blue sky!)~

Generally speaking, spring hatches seem best of dull days with a hint of drizzle in the air. And dare I say it, even a chilly edge on the temperature often sees emerged duns resting on the water surface that bit longer, making them easy targets for trout. Yet, here we were in wall to wall sunshine with a thermometer reading more akin to a summer's day. You could ask what self respecting fly fisher would even contemplate heading out in such conditions? Frustratingly, the weather people had got it wrong again! We'd been promised a layer of cloud with a light breeze. Our saving grace (if you can call it that) was a river running high on the back of a spate. Beery tinged water would surely take the sting out on the blazing sun, hopefully encouraging the odd fish out from the safety of bankside cover. It started at at 1.30pm with a wave of Large Dark Olives. Sure enough the trout were on cue. Ten minutes later, a flurry of flies with flecked wings appeared, the much revered March Browns were hatching off. Sport lasted all of 50 minutes though boy did some quality trout show.

Paul~

~Nervous moments as a hefty fish nears the net~

First Uprights of the Season:

A rather drab, cloudy day saw me pacing the banks of the river. Perfect hatch conditions and by 2pm not a fly or fish stirred? Fifteen minutes later however, was a totally different story! The first olives fluttered by on a light southerly breeze. They seemed different from the Large Dark Olives we'd become accustomed to over the past month? Sure enough, we were looking at Olive Uprights and joining them a small, almost black looking upwing fly, yes Iron Blues. Certainly in this neck of the woods both species are a couple of weeks early. Thankfully the trout were just as pleased to see hatching duns and responded accordingly. Not many fish, but a good stamp of wild trout that fought with blistering pace.

Paul~