Friday 6 January 2012 - River South Esk

The River South Esk where I'm fishing this morning is 3 miles from my home and 11 miles from Edinbugh city centre.
I headed to the river at first light, which is 8.30am in these neck of the woods. It was a cold night -2c and there was some ice on the road. The forecast was good though with a south westerly coming in with cloud build up and rain forecast for the afternoon. I'll be long gone by then. I'm packing up at noon. At least the temperature is climbing to +8c. Could be a hatch of flies on the water. Here's hoping.
This is the first run that I stopped off at. It looks inviting. The river was in spate yesterday pretty brown and really unfishable. But today it's quite high but clear. Perfect. I tied some reverse hackle flies yesterday so I'm going to start off with a dry fly for half an hour or so to see if I can attact any interest.

Half an hour's come and gone with not even a swirl. Might be a bit cold still. I'll change to a ptn. Nothing doing so I'll move upstream

This looks quite inviting so i'll through a few lines out here and see what happens. Nothing so I keep moving upstream.

I'm thinking about changing my single fly but I can't be bothered so I'll just perserve. I'm after grayling and I caught one in November but none since then. Maybe there's not many in the river system I don't know. I don't care either its good to get out of the house and get some fresh air down my lungs. I give it a few more minutes then I move on.

There's been severe gales over Scotland at the start of the year and there are a lot of fallen trees. I can hear the sound of a chain saw and a whole family is out stocking up on wood for their fires.

Another nice bit of pocket water but still no takes

This is as far as I get. Its 12 o'clock now and I promised SWMBO that I would be back in the house for 12.15pm. I'm packing up now and heading home. It's been a great couple of hours spent even if it was one of those dreaded blank days.
Leckie

Saturday 14 January 2012 - River North Esk

I've got a couple of free hours so I'll head to the river to try out a few Sakasa Kebaris' that I tied the other evening. I tied them on a size 16 standard hook so we'll see how it performs. I'm using a 15 ft tapered fluorocarbon level line cast. I've used 5 ft - 20lb:5 ft - 15lb and 5 ft of 12lb. To the end of that I have attached 14lb of red power gum to act as a sight indicator then 2 -3 ft of 3lb tippet.
A 5 minute walk from the car takes me to a nice little pool with a good run at the head sweeping into a nice deep holding area. I caught my one and only grayling out of this pool back in November so I know the fish I'm after are in this pool.
The air temparature is 7 degrees are the are some small flies hovering about but no activity on the surface from any resident fish. I already have a tipppet made up with a weighted nymph so I decide to give this a try first.
Well I've tried for 15 minutes with the weighted nymph with no success so I change fly and try the Sakasak Kebari that I tied the other day. Wow... it looks (to me anyway) good on the water and its so simple to tie all I need is a grayling to engulf it and I'll be in heaven.
Nothing.
Not to worry I head upstream and fish the next run straight ahead.



I like fishing runs like this with the tenkara rod..its great fun and although I don't entice any fish to rise to my fly I notice that my fly casting with the tenkara rod and level line is improving all the time, so time out on the river is an investment for me in river craft and tenkara technique. You can't beat it ...you know what they say ..practice makes perfect..can't agree more.



I really like the look of this little pool. I've seen fish rising in here before (but not today) but never managed to catch one..well I've only fished it four or five times --but I'll keep persevering.


Hold on I see a rise at the tail of the pool. Yep, its a grayling with the tell tale bubble appearing in the middle of the rise circle. I cover it a number of times but no joy.
It'll get dark soon so I'll pack up now when the light is still good and head home. I've got plenty of time to catch the elusive grayling

leckie

Very nice report!
Thanks from the blustery midwest USA.

_________________
Tenkara Redi

millarky,
Thanks for taking the time to read it
I take it you'll be a level line tenkara man from your neck of the woods.
Lots more posts to come during 2012.

tight lines

leckie

leckie,

Have you used Frank Sawyer's Killer Bug (historically called Sawyer's Grayling Killer ) in the manner prescribed by his grandson in the following article? It's a good read; I'm going to try this method come spring.

http://www.huntfishguide.com/faq/fly-fishing-using-the-sawyer-killer-bug/

- Albert

Albert,

I have heard of the Sawyers Killer Bug but I don't have any and never used it on the river. I'll do a bit of research and perhaps I'll put the materials together and tie some for the fly box.
The article from Frank Sawyer's grandson was very interesting and I fancy giving it a go using the technique he describes...I think it would be perfect for tenkara fishing.
I'm determined to catch a grayling so that I can post a photo of a fish rather than the rivers I fish for a change.

leckie

My version of a killer bug.
Not sure if it'll catch any fish though

It's tied on a size 16 hook and I've wrapped some lead wire around the hook to get it down into the killing zone



leckie

These are the Sakasa Kebaris that I have tied and currently using to catch a grayling.They are tied on size 16 hooks. One has been tied with a bit of foam to keep it afloat and one tied as a wet fly.
I haven't tied my own flies for 15 years or so (you've probably guessed that already) but I'll give it a go...you never know

And now that I a few weighted bugs as well..I've no excuse for not being able to catch these grayling that's lurking around the rivers I fish..they ain't going to get the better of me.

Mmmmh.... not so sure about that



leckie

Sunday 28 January 2012 – River North Esk



The river was in perfect condition steady flow, not too high and clear. There was no wind either….always a bonus. It was real frosty yesterday morning but today the forecast was for the temperature to get up to 5 degrees or so which is about the average for this time of the year, it didn’t feel that cold I guess it’s because I’ve got 6 layers of clothing on (wimp) and there’s no wind chill.
My target remains the elusive grayling….for me anyway.
I started with a kind of Sawyer’s Killer Bug that I tied earlier in the week. I gave that a go for half an hour or so….nothing. I reckoned it was about time to change the fly to a GRHE. Then I thought I’ll double my chances and put on two flies on the one cast. So that’s what I did….I attached another foot or so of 3lb fluorocarbon with a PTN on the cast as well. My confidence soared.. won’t be long before I feel the first tug on the line. Before I even got a cast in one of the nymphs caught in my wading boots…aaaargh..what a plonker…..why didn’t I debarb that hook. Spent ages it seemed (probably less than 2 minutes) working the fly out of the wading boot. Free at last. Back to the fishing….I don’t believe it…after only 5 or 6 casts, one of the flies has got stuck up a tree. I’ve had it with two flies....I’m never going to use two flies on a cast when tenkara fishing ever again. I completely lose control of the cast when trying to guide them under the overhanging branches of trees…and that’s without leaves.
After changing back to a single fly I decide to stick with SKB and will change to a sakasa kebari it I see some surface activity. I work up the pools and runs and although no takes I’m still happy to be back on the river. For the last half hour I put on a sakasa kebari and practice my presentation technique. The 3 hour fishing session produced no fish, no takes didn’t even see a fish move..but I’m already thinking about my next trip on the walk back to the car.

leckie

really enjoying your posts, all the more so for your perserverence! those grayling are out there....somewhere