Thursday 31 May 2012

Under Cover:

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Blistering heat and a fierce sun might well have curtailed hatches to the witching hour.  However, on more tree lined sections, undercover trout still went about their daily business if nothing had changed.  In fact, you could argue that the unwelcome heat wave benefited many terrestrials which in turn provided lunch for our spotted residents.  Of course these fish were tucked away in the shadows, which required a fair bit of observation to locate them.  As they say “time spent watching is never wasted” and never a truer word has been spoken in such circumstances.  Paul~

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~The spotted flank of a good trout is just visible as it rises to nab a terrestrial in the reflection of a verdant canopy~

 

 

 

 

 

~Nudging 3lb this thickset beauty sipped down my NDT~

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Saturday 19 May 2012

Spates bring success:

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Up north we’ve been experiencing endless bouts of rain.  So much so that at times it’s been difficult to get near a river.  That said, such replenishment seems to have benefited countless upwinged species which are now hatching in abundance,  Currently, we’re enjoying good flushes of Olive Uprights, Iron Blues, Large Brook Duns and one of the “unidentifiable” Medium Olive family.  Not that the trout care one jot what species they’re chomping, all they want is an honest, easy to catch meal.  Thankfully the cold, damp weather has hampered emerging flies, keeping them stuck to the surface for longer.  Knowing this, once a hatch gets underway, some fairly hefty trout have taken up station and gorged themselves.  I happened to find such a trout sipping down duns and following some rather tentative moments the net finally folded around a massive, if not defiant fish.  Paul~

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~Glued to the surface this Large Brook Dun is certain to end up as trout fodder~

 

 

 

 

 

~5lb plus of pure wild brown trout, it doesn’t get any better~

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Friday 11 May 2012

Rain, rain, go away:

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Nearly 24 hours of relentless rain drenched our region yesterday.  At 1pm the level hovered just under 2 inches in my rain gauge and by 4 o'clock this had risen to a smidgen over 2 inches.  Consequently,our local rivers are in some turmoil and it’s going to be a few days before things come good.  At least I’m missing nothing by demonstrating at the Sportfish Show this coming weekend…

Paul~

Thursday 10 May 2012

There’s Gnats about:

Black Gnat

It’s usually about the end of April when Black Gnats begin to appear.  Last year the 29th of April saw them swarming over rivers and streams in Cumbria.  This season they’re a week or so late and not in any great numbers yet thanks to a chilly nor’easter which has pestered us for weeks now…bugger. These tiny terrestrials might appear humble to you and I, but the trout go potty for them.  Fingers crossed a spell of warm weather is set to kick start them proper when their numbers should swelling to epic proportions.  Paul~

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~This plump trout couldn’t resist a CdC black gnat pattern~

 

 

 

 

~Despite the cold, another victim of a carefully presented dry fly~

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Saturday 5 May 2012

Deveron Festival:

Deveron Festival

Last week seemed to flash by as I spent it in NE Scotland attending the Deveron Festival close to Turriff. This event is beginning to gather pace as following an action packed Open Day the river Deveron is then opened up to visiting rods for 3 days of full on fishing.  Despite high, coloured water, salmon came off many beats.  As for trout, it was possible to find a few risers tucked away in a quiet corner or two.  Paul~

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~Deveron ace Allan Liddle searches a likely run using dry flies~

 

 

 

 

 

~Deveron Trout are truly handsome creatures~

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