A week on the South Esk, Angus, arriving Sunday 29th June. The musings of a nocturnal sea trout fisherman.
Used a floating line all week, no need for anything else.
Rainfall of 4.6mm 22nd, 4.4mm 25th, little on 26th and 27th, with no rain on the day before we arrived, the 28th nor on the Sunday we arrived, the 29th.
River had been up on Thursday and dropped over Friday and Saturday before we arrived.
Sun evening 29th June
Arrived at Downie Stream hut around 10pm, road down fine but overgrown.
Hut steps have been repaired.
Wandered down to Downie stream to be met with the lowest I’ve ever seen the river.
Rocks have infilled some of the depth at the head of Downie Stream and changed the shape at the very bottom of the run – lost the deep pot to the left.
Path at bottom of Downie Stream overgrown.
Up at Meetings, more of the same. The bushes on the opposite bank at head of run have gone and gravel has built up on the inside of the pool after the Prosen joins.
Sun night 30th June
Dropping slowly from 0.09 to 0.08m @ Gella Brig; Prosen 0.24m steady
Virtually no wind, 60% humidity, around 18C dropping to 14C, 1022mbar dropping slowly
Some cloud, excellent conditions.
Started just after midnight.
5’ Intermediate polyleader, 5’ of 8lb mono
Though we had seen a fish at the run at head of Downie Stream, opted to start at the Meetings, easier under foot for Dad in the lower half of the pool.
Started at wee run above Meetings.
Nice evening, some cloud cover, crescent moon and cooling down so no midges!
Run at the head of Meetings difficult to fish due to a back eddy so fished through quickly. Saw a fish up where Prosen joins, cast, two nibbles and struck on the 3rd into a powerful sea trout 1230am. Really good fight but didn’t jump. Took it a long time to recover but back safely. Caught on size 8 low water Medicine fly, probably around 3 ½ lb.
Fish running into Meetings until around 12:45, smaller sea trout I think and larger resident fish splashing.
Saw and heard a fish trying to escape something which I assume was an otter on the far side where Prosen comes in.
Went down to Downie Stream but disturbed an otter at the head so came back up.
Fished Meetings and had one touch then went back down to Downie Stream.
02:30am caught sea trout from the stream on the far side of the run at head of Downie Stream, 2 ½ lb on size 6 streamer Medicine fly with Squirrel hair, Squirrel and Blue.
Fished down the run all the way to the bottom and hooked/lost one in the middle, right at the foot of the beat around 03:00am
Great start to the week.
Finish 3.15am
Monday evening/night 30th/1st
0.8mm rainfall 30th
Plateaued all day at 0.08m to 4am
Weather mixed.
Headed out on to river around 6.30pm to explore.
Dairy Pool now narrower, longer and a little deeper, but still needs a little more water.
The runs down to Laundry are too shallow and a big tree in the lower one.
Laundry Pool looks bigger again but slow moving and needs a bit more water.
Didn’t try the runs below.
Headed down to Ben Hoose and up to Arn Pool which is disappointing and shallow.
Runs below OK and have pockets for fish but like most of the river, they need a little more water.
Tail of Ben Hoose looks good and there are a couple of runs below to return to and have a look.
Then headed down to Meetings.
9.30pm started exploring the streamy water.
Fished back and forth between Meetings and Downie Stream from 10.30pm
The path at the bottom of Downie Stream has been cut.
Didn’t see or touch anything in Downie Stream all night, apart from a bat!
The Meetings was quiet until around 12.30am and then was active all the way through until we finished.
Caught 2 sea trout, a very acrobatic 1 ½ lb fish at 1am and a far more serious 2lb fish at 1.45am
No other touches until 3am when I hooked, played and lost one fish at 3am and made contact with another at 3.15am, all in Meetings.
Finish 4.15am
Tue evening/night 1st/2nd
0.6mm rainfall 1st
Rising slightly all day from 4am to 0.11m at 10pm then dropping very slowly
Parked down at Meetings hut, started around 7.30pm and headed up to Sturt, Ben Hoose and the runs out of there. Fishing with a dropper and catching a couple of very small parr on a Bibio. Some nice water but again, needs to be a little higher.
After supper, around 11pm, started at Downie Stream then Meetings. Changed to polyleader and single Squirrel and Blue.
Caught a sea trout of 1 ½ lb in the streamy bit of Meetings around midnight and it just pulled on the line, didn’t jump or run.
No other touches, although fish were occasionally moving, until 2am when I missed a fish in the run coming in to Meetings.
Finish around 3.15 am
Wed evening/night 2nd/3rd
8.2mm 2nd rainfall,
Clear night, river rising slightly.
Minimum height at 8am of 0.1m then rising steadily all day and through the night peaking after we finished for the night.
Arrived around 7.15pm and started Downie Stream around 7.45pm using switch rod to provide greater coverage. Heavy rain all day and this evening, with sunny spells.
Put up the 10’ rod with a dropper and had a wee shot at the head of Meetings and a few of the runs.
10pm supper, started late shift at 10.45pm
Fished Downie Stream with switch rod, then took that down and moved polyleader and single fly to 10’ rod.
Midnight, headed to Meetings and tried the tail and caught a finnock of around ½ lb.
A pod of finnock came in at this time along with a couple of larger fish.
Stopped for a cuppa at 12.45am and then went back to Meetings at 1am and missed a good fish at the tail around 1.45am, not many fish showing.
Think fish were running through.
No other touches and finished at 3.15am.
Thursday evening/night 3rd/4th
1.2mm 3rd rainfall,
River peaked at 7am at 0.21m at Gella Brig then dropping quickly during the morning then more slowly during the night.
Started early as the water higher, and had tea at 4 o’clock.
Explored Dairy and Laundry early on. Laundry not as deep as I thought, pool below is massive but slow moving, the Dunt, didn’t fish it.
Went down to Meetings hut.
Fished Sturt twice, saw Mike Nesbit down at Meetings hut – he had caught a fish of 6lb in the Drain at Downie Park beat. He fishes the same method day and night during the summer: floating line, 8’ leader, size 14 hook on small tube with silver body, blue throat hackle and badger hair wing to fish close to the surface. Fly will be less than an inch long.
In September he changes to a size 8 Shrimp style pattern.
Bit more water this evening along with a little colour and Mike thought that night fishing would probably be poor.
Saw fewer fish, they’ve probably run out of Meetings with the higher water.
Fish still moving when we finished.
Missed a fish?? Or no touches, can’t remember
Bit frustrating as the river looked in excellent condition.
Finish 3.45 am
Friday evening/night 4th/5th
Minimum height Gella Brig of 0.14m at 6am and rising steadily all day in to the night.
0.6mm 4th rainfall,
17 to 16C, 1007mb dropping, breezy, showers
Sawmill Dam, 2.30pm to 5pm saw a salmon around 10lb and a sea trout around 2lb at 4.15pm
Sturt 9 to 10 then Meetings at 11 to 1am, hooked sea trout at 1245 around 6lb at tail on needle fly but lost it due to frayed leader (Mike Nesbit’s sea trout from The Drain in beat below!), really annoyed with myself for not checking and re tying the leader.
Missed fish at tail of Meetings when chatting to Dad, then missed one half way down run at head of Meetings
Caught one of 4lb in the middle of Meetings around 2am? Head down type of fight, solid fight, beautiful fish, solid.
Think the smaller fish continued to run but the bigger fish stayed/stopped in the Meetings.
Finish 3.30am
Saturday evening 5th
18C to 14C by midnight, 1007mb dropping slowly, gusty, dry
0.6mm 5th,
River peaked at 6am at 0.24m dropping the rest of day to 0.14m at midnight.
Went up to the river myself in the afternoon,
2.30pm to 4.30pm Dunt, no polyleader as too slow
Disturbed a sea trout, left hand bank after first set of trees
Good pool but need to clear trees to be able to cover deep part for salmon
Met Mike Nesbit on his way down to Downie Park. He mentioned that Finavon fishing was for sale.
Back for tea then 8pm to midnight, Downie Stream, Meetings
Not nearly as many fish in the Meetings as early in the week.
Started with no polyleader, 8’ long leader, small black/yellow double then changed as it got darker.
Around 11pm missed a fish where the Prosen joins on a very slow retrieve, polyleader, squirrel and blue size 6 streamer,
Thought that fish were arriving in to the Meetings as we were finishing up at midnight.
