Saturday 4 February - River North Esk

The forecast was for snow mid morning so I set the alarm to get up early and get a couple hours fishing in before it snows. I was on the river at 8am still trying for the elusive grayling. I wanted to do a bit of experimenting today anyway as I just purchased a pair of breathable scierra waist waders and wanted to check them out. I also tried colouring my fluorocarbon level lines with OHP permanent ink markers. I made two tapered lines about 14ft long and coloured them red. I also used a green pen for a standard level line to differentiate. Well the coloured lines worked a treat...the pen is easy to apply and dries almost immediately you apply it...cuts down on the mess. I'm going to colour another level line black to match my Yamame rod
I'm fishing today with some sakasu kabaris that I tied myself weighted down with a small split shot. I'm travelling real light this morning as I am only fishing for 2 hours...I left the landing net in the garage before I set off.
The river is in perfect condition..it is crystal clear and must only be around 6 inches or so above summer levels....it's been dry for a week now with no melting snow from the hills to worry about.
Floating mid stream down the river is this sliver shape...I initially thought it must be a discarded plastic bag that someone has irresponsibly thrown into the river...but when it passes me I clearly see that it is a dead grayling of just under a pound. I didn't have my landing net some I couldn't scoop it out of the river I follow it downstream hoping that it would lay up in shallow water..but it eventially came to rest in about 4 feet of water at the next pool downstream. That's me goosed..I can't get it out of the water to examine it..I reckon that a heron must have got it then it escaped... but who knows
My two hour session has come and gone very quickly...it's just starting to sleet as I make my way back to the car. Scotland's playing England at rugby this afternoon. The game's at Murrayfield in Edinburgh so looking for a home win

leckie

Hi Leckie,

I have been looking to start fishing the North Esk this year as I will be working quite close by (Easter bush) and I thought I could start nipping out on my lunch break. The problem is I do not have a clue where to start, or if the river is even permitted? If you have any advice on any good spots with parking it would be very much appreciated!

Tight lines,

James

James,

I'll send you a PM and advise where you can find accessible spots for the river.

tight lines

leckie

Saturday 25 February 2012 – River North Esk

I was fishing early at 7:15am. I was using a line that chriscreeler gave me to try….15’ hi viz yellow…perfect for this river. A week ago I guided Buglife round this part of the River North Esk …..he showed me some of the sakasa kebaris' that he tied and gave me one to try…well here I am a week later trying for the elusive grayling …..this time using level line hand painted by chiscreeler ….a fly tied by Buglife …..and a small landing net made by my own fair hand from an old wooden squash racket. All that was required was for the grayling to cooperate…..Well the fly lasted half an hour before it snagged on the bottom.
Never mind …I tied on one of my sakasa kebaris and a PTN NZ style.

Another hour has come and gone and I’ve got less than an hour to go before pack up time. I come to a long run running into some deeper water at the bend …I throw a few lines….and the line tightens and a fish is on….I don’t believe it…..is it a trout or a grayling…..it stays in the fast current and I’m thinking that it might be an ooswbt because the fight is different to what I’m used to……this being my first season trying for grayling. As it comes closer I see that it is a nice little grayling of around 10”, similar size to the last one I caught back in November 2011. I use my squash racket net to land it and now I’m in heaven…magic. I take a quick photo and safely release the fish to fight another day.


All I need now is for Scotland to beat France at Murrayfield tomorrow and the weekend will be complete.

Alex

Thursday 1 March 2012 – River North Esk.

I decided to give the river a try for a few hours before work. Arrived at the river at 07:15 am…not much cloud and only a slight breeze...the river is in fab condition…no excuses then. I’m fishing with a 15’ hi-viz level line…I painted the line with a fluorescent red humbrol enamel paint with a 3’ tippet of x6 with my hand tied sakasa kebari…to increase my chances (not sure if it does) I attached a PTN 18” below this. At the first run instead of wading into the water I decided to fish from the bank and cover as much water as I could from there. In a little eddy on the other side of the river a spot a distinctive grayling rise…I cover it repeatedly for half a dozen casts but no offer. I move upstream…I’m heading to the run where I caught my grayling a few days ago. Approaching the tail of the pool I see a bow wave from a spooked fish that must have been lying in shallow water….my hopes rise.
I’m working my way up the pool and come to the spot where I caught a grayling a few days earlier….after three of four casts my line tightens again and I strike….it’s on…a nice grayling…giving its head a vigorous shake to dislodge my fly…once again it’s gone for the PTN…I’m under a tree and as the fish comes a bit closer to me I raise the rod higher to keep the line taut….damn it my rod’s caught in the tree…I get the rod free easily enough but I have paid the price…the grayling’s shook the hook off and is gone…..c’est la vie.
I fish on for another half an hour without any success then it’s time to pack up and head to work.
Another blank day but who’s counting …it’s still great to be out on the river.

tight lines everyone

leckie

Friday 2 March 2012 - River South Esk

The rain’s forecast for Saturday and I’ve got visitors staying over the weekend so with the weather still holding out I decide to try the River South Esk for an hour or so before work. I’m down at the river for 07:00am it’s going to be another glorious morning…but that’s not forecast to last long before the rain sets in. The river is crystal clear and very low….puts stalking at a premium. I’m using the same set up as yesterday with a 15’ hi-viz level line a sakasa kebari and a PTN NZ style. The first half hour nothing…then a fish rises to my sakasa kebari fished dry…I feel a tug then the dreaded realisation that it’s not hooked…blast. I’m finding it difficult to control the fly with such a long line on a small river which is tree lined. I decide to replace the level line with a 10’6” furled leader and a single sakasa kebari on 3’ of tippet…..that’s much better. I’m still on the same pool where I missed the rise 5 minutes earlier and slowly working my way down when bang…a savage take…it has to be a brownie...and it is…it puts a nice bend on the rod and before long it is safely in the squash landing net. I take a quick picture and release it gently back in the water to fight another day. The brownie is just over ½ pound and in good condition.

Apologies for the poor quality of the photo....I meant to zoom in but was tooooo... excited and forgot.
I fish for another 15 minutes or so thinking that a brace would be nice…but that’s wishful thinking on my part….time I thought about getting to work

tight lines
Alex

Saturday 3 March 2012 _ River South Esk
I have family staying over with us tonight but they are not arriving till 12:30 pm on Saturday which means that I can get a few hours in before they arrive…so I head off early…and I am down at the riverside before 07:00 am.

It’s a bit colder than it was yesterday with the temperature forecast to reach 7 degrees today…about average for this time of the year. At this time in the morning the temperature is only 3 degrees…so I have a few layers on to keep nice and warm.
I start with a single sakasa kebari fished across and down…nothing. I decide to to stick with this tactic all morning as I will be packing up at 09:30 latest. I work my way upstream covering the pools and runs. I miss out the pocket water…and there’s plenty of that in this little fast flowing river…I’ll get that another time.

By now I’m half a mile or so upstream and have fished a number of nice looking pools and runs…I’ve 15 minutes to go so decide to fish downstream to see if the sakasu kebari fished wet will entice them up…..well no joy…never mind the forecast is for rain on Sunday so that might give the river a flush through and put the level up a bit and hopefully stir some of these fish into action.


Tight lines

Alex

Tuesday 6 March 2012 - River North Esk
I had a bit of business to do in Dalkeith so the nearest location for me was the River North Esk at Dalkeith Country Park….so I arrived there before 07:00 hrs. There was some heavy rainfall over the weekend…not enough to put the river into spate but should have raised the level up a few inches. It’s pretty cold at 2 degrees…so I have plenty of layers on. I am using a furled leader for a change with two flies…one weighted and an unweighted nymph…both size 16. I didn’t realise that the furled leader was 13’ long…where did this come from….didn’t know I had one this length. I got a few tugs in the first run that I was fishing but missed them all…damn. I’m finding the 13’ furled leader a bit hard to control as most of the river is pretty tree lined. I continue to fish downstream to the next run…nothing…so I decide to change leader to a more traditional 10’6” length and keep to the same fly set up…that’s much better…at least I’m in control for a change. I decide to head a bit downstream to where I caught the grayling last week…. I’ll take a photograph of the run so that buglife will recognise it next time he is down. As I enter the pool and set up I find myself in a nice position to take a photo of some of the main features of the pool, and as the sun is shining through the trees it will be a nice one….but wait a minute...how can this be…the camera won’t take the shot…battery low….yet I only changed the battery less than a week ago….I’ll check it out tonight. It would just be my luck if a caught a grayling and couldn’t take a photo of it…and wouldn’t you believe it about 5 minutes later the line goes taut and a fish is on…it’s a grayling….this one is bigger than the last one…it’ll be around the pound mark I guess…I can see it mid-stream the silver flashing as it tries its best to shake the fly….and it’s definitely not my day because its slipped the hook…I inspect the hook and discover that it’s gone….I’m using a Davy Knot and this has happened to me a few times…so I think my association with this particular knot is history and I’ll go back to a blood knot or some other knot that’s easy to tie but is more secure.

tight lines

Alex

Friday 9 March 2012 - River North Esk

I left work sharp today to get an hour and a half's fishing in...great this flexi-time. It's pretty windy and the river it heavily coloured...not in spate though...must have been a heavy downpour that's stirred up the silt...never mind...I'm off to the run where I know grayling inhabit.I caught mine right beside the fallen tree. I try with gold bead nymphs....lose a few casts on snags...but don't connect with any grayling...at least I know where the snags are for future reference...might think about buying some jig hooks if I can work out how to tie them...I'll look on youtube.
Plenty of small olives about as its pretty mild. As I pack up the river starts to clear...10 minutes later it's crystal clear...my mind's made up...I'll be back on the river first thing tomorrow morning for a few hours.

tight lines

Alex

Saturday 10 March 2012 - River North Esk
Down by the river for 07:00 hrs. Nice morning...not much wind...a mere breeze..some fly life...but no rises..which is normal for this river. I think last year the first time I spotted a rise was at the end of April. The trout and grayling up here play really hard to get...it's either that or I'm just rubbish at fishing....no no it can't be that because buglife has the same issues as me...they will come on...it's only a matter of time.
I fish the weighted nymph size 16....lost it on the snag that I knew I had to avoid from yesterday..but didn't learn...never mind I'll change to a sakasa kebari and fish near the surface...won't get snagged there...and I don't... I must have the same fly on for at least an hour.. if only I had an audience..just a few folk watching... they'd be thinking..now there's a fisherman who knows what he is doing.. look at these bow and arrow casts flying between the branches without snagging...now he's even switching hands and he's fishing left and right handed....we'll watch him for a few minutes until he catches a fish....well I've got news for you...I've been fishing this river for grayling 5 months now and caught 2 (two)....If I were you I'd go home...'cause that's what I'll be doing in 5 minutes.
So in 5 minutes I headed home...my two hour session had come and gone. My nephew, his wife and daughter are arriving mid afternoon and he wants to try Tenkara fishing tomorrow morning and catch a grayling...no pressure then....I'll try the River South Esk...I bet there's shoals of them there.

Alex