Sunday 11 March 2012 - River South Esk
My nephew and I were down by the river for 07:00 hrs. I gave him the 12' Iwana and I was using the 12' Yamame. We tried for two hours and caught nothing....no surprises there then.
The pleasing thing was that my nephew mastered the basics very quickly and really enjoyed the experience. It was a nice bright mild morning...great to be out in the countryside and so near to Edinburgh as well.

Alex

Wednesday 14 March 2012 River North Esk
I was on the river by 07:00 hrs…nice mild day…no serious rain for weeks now it seems and the river is very low but at least it clear. I brought the 12’ Yamame with me this time...by mistake really…I thought I was packing the Iwana….never mind maybe the change in rod will bring me luck.
I left the squash landing net in the garage and brought the net made from an old wooden badminton racket…it’s a bit bigger….I’m having really positive thoughts….I’ve got a couple of weeks to go and 4 grayling to catch if I want to equal my internal target of 6 caught before I concentrate on the brownies.
I change to a clear level line #4 about the same size as the rod, at the end of the level line I have attached a ‘thingmabobber’ indicator with a single size 16 GRHE at the end of 3’ of 7x tippet.
I’m fishing a 20 metre run starting at the head and working my way downstream….after only 4 casts or so my indicator dives…I strike and a fish is on….a nice ½ lb. grayling. It’s only ten past seven and I have one in the net…magic. I take a quick photo but the little critter is camera shy and squirming about….I get the hook out quickly and give him a few moments to recover….then he’s off…nice one.

That’s me halfway there with my target…3 down 3 to go.
It’s one of these special days…the indicator dives again and I’m into another one…slightly bigger this time and safely in the net… another quick photo…this one’s not so camera shy…and quickly back in the river….4 down 2 to go.

it’s only 07:30 hrs…I’m as happy as Larry. Well I give it another 10 minutes fishing this run and with no more takes the wanderlust takes over and I move downstream.
I cover a run then a pool then I find myself back to my favourite run where I caught my first grayling in Dalkeith Country Park. Working its way downstream I spot a mink on the prowl. It’s on the opposite bank from me….I take a photo of it and will let the Park Rangers see it. A couple of minutes after the excitement with the mink my indicator stops mid-stream….I strike and another grayling is on….and now it’s off…I could see it flash midstream and felt the connection for a second…not to worry I’ve still got 30 minutes fishing time left. I work my way up to the fallen tree…I few photos have already been posted earlier on this report….after a few casts beside the tree the indicator dives and I’m into a grayling….a nice one….this is about a 1 lb….there’s a good bend on the Yamame….I reach down to land it and it takes a final run and the next thing I’m aware of is slack line and its off….the hook as well…that damn Davy Knot…I swore I wouldn’t use it again…but because it’s so easy to tie I haven’t got out of the habit yet….I will from now on.
I fish on till 09:00hrs then call time up and head to the office.
It’s the start of the brown trout season tomorrow….I better get a permit for the Water of Leith (although the season there is from 1April – 30 September) and the River Tyne.

Tight lines

Alex

Thursday 15 March 2012 – River North Esk
Thought I’d try the River South Esk for a change….arrived at the car park at 06:45hrs…I’ll get a few hours in before work….I don’t believe it…I haven’t packed my wading boots….what a plonker….is it only me this sort of thing happens to….I’ve driven 3½ miles to get here…I’ll just have to drive all the way back and get the wading boots from the garage…without waking up the wife in the process….this won’t be easy but I manage it…and head for the River North Esk…it’s only a mile away…I’ll be there in no time. I’m using a size 16 jig hook with a 2.5 mm tungsten bead and the fly is a simple black nymph. The knot I’m using is a Palomar …advised to me by a forum member…custheyder I think…as I’m fed up losing good fish on the Davy Knot. I’m feeling more confident with this knot I have to say...so bring on the big ones… I have fished for an hour and can’t find any big ones…the small ones seem to have disappeared as well…a guy walking his Spaniel comes down to have a chat and watch me use the T rod. He fished the river too…so I give him a hold of the Iwana and he comments how light it is and he’ll look this Tenkara thing in the internet when he gets home…mmh….small talk but you never know. Five minutes after he leaves a fish takes and is on…it’s a good one…it’s a wbt about ¾lb – 1lb I guess…. it gives a good account of itself but I can feel it tiring…I take the landing off my back and slowly put it in the water….the trout doesn’t fancy this and turns and bolts for mid-stream…then the hook and my thingamabobber goes flying 10 feet up the willow tree. I’m not sure if the hook is up the tree…in the trout’s mouth or what…what I do decide is that I’m not using 7x line I’m going up to 6x. I set up again and try for another 15 minutes but now it’s time to pack up and get to work.

Tight lines

Alex

Friday 16 March 2012 – River North Esk
I’ll get an hour and a half in before I head for the post office at 9:00hrs.I sold a pair of wading boots on eBay last night…so I better get them posted. I’m back to the usual haunts trying for the grayling…ticked off 4 and 2 to go before the end of the month to equal my internal target of 6. I using a single size 16 barbless black jig fly…after about 15 minutes I connect with a grayling …I can see it struggling in mid-stream…but it’s off pretty quickly. I work towards the tail of the pool then bang….it a trout…it comes flying out of the water once, twice three times….it is not even be ½ lb. but feisty or what…I net it...it’s silvery….I think it’s a small sea trout…we’re only 3 miles or so from the sea….so it could be…I take a photograph of it…let me know what you think.


I fish on for another 30 minutes or so but no more interest.

Tight lines

Alex

Sunday 18 March 2012 - River North Esk
I arrived early as usual at Dalkeith Country Park and fished for a few hours without any success…it was a cold morning around 3 degrees….I was fishing a single nymph under a thingamabobber … nymph was tied on a size 16 jig hook, 2.5mm silver tungsten bead, claret body, wire rib and black thread for the head. It was another cracking morning and the river is in perfect condition…but the fish won this time…..but don’t worry ‘cause I’ll be back.

Tight lines
Alex

Tuesday 20 March 2012 - River South Esk
Headed down to Gore Wood Park...started at 07:00 and fished till 09:00....not a touch...the river was crystal clear and a nice steady flow. I started off keeping with the same set up as previously which was a size 16 claret nymph fished under a thingamabobber. Ifished upstream for 1/2 a mile of so then took the indicator off and switched flies to a weighted sakasa kebari, size 16 jig hook, orange thread body and a reverse hackle from a partridge neck feather. I worked my way downstream imparting some life into the fly as I moved downstream...it looked good in the water...how could a trout or grayling refuse this offering....yet again they didn't play ball.
Next week when the clocks go forward I'll fish for them with the dry...that'll get them up.

tight lines

Alex

Wednesday 21 March 2012 - River North Esk


Got down to the river at 17:30 hrs and fished till light faded at 18:50 hrs.....the river was low and clear...plenty of olives...a proliferation of them in fact...you'd think it was summer. Still no sign of any rises...the lack of surface activity always amazes me about this river....anyway I decided to fish downstream for a change with a simple black bodied sakasa kebari this time I went for a barbless size 14 hook and a clear level line. I did get a single pull for my efforts... saw the silver flash...felt the pull then the realisation that the hook never connected...been there many a time...you get over these disappointments pretty quick. Another blank day but who's counting.
I think I'll head further upstream tomorrow...see if my luck changes.

tight lines

Alex

Thursday 22 March 2012 - River North Esk


It was cold this morning...2 degrees driving to the river...there was quite a hard frost....but there wasn't a cloud in the sky...it's going to be a cracking day...weatherwise at least
I was toying with changing my fly but kept with the same set up as yesterday which is a size 14 black sakasa kebari fished upstream.
I did see a fish rising in the bridge pool but I fished for an hour and a half without the fish showing any interest in my offering.
Still a morning like this does have its compensations.
Work beckons

tight lines

Alex

Saturday 24 March 2012 - River South Esk


Last night I tied a size 14 barbless emerger hook with a green body, fine wire and a dyed green hen neck feather...so I thought I would give this a go...fishing it wet on the second run I felt a hard tug and a fish was on....unfortunately it was only about 5 inches so I didn't take a photo of it....since I was only 15 minutes into my 2 hour session I thought at last I'll see some action this morning....well I fished hard for the next one and a half hours without another touch....but I did a bit reconnaissance and the photos are a run and a pool that I had never fished before....so more experience gained---you've got to take some positives from another disappointing day in terms of fish caught.
Still good to be out and about.

tight lines

Alex

Monday 26 March 2012 - River Tyne, East Lothian






My first outing on this little beauty of a river. I started my fishing session about 5:30pm and fished on till 7:45pm. The river is normally crystal clear but today it was a bit cloudy...I guess it has to do with all the farming activity that's going on at the moment.
Anyways, I was using the Yamame rod, 12' level line, 3' of x6 tippet and a single size 14 sakasa kebari. I decided on the uni knot for the fly instead of the Davy knot.
I only spotted one rise under a large oak, I managed to get a bow cast under the branches and got a pull for my efforts...but that was as far as it went...no fish on the end of the line.
Nice to try another river for a change anyway.

tight lines

Alex