A Pinch of Salt

Today we headed to a bass mark, for 12pm low tide. On arrival we decided to have a shot in the rock pools with the LRF gear , and we had fun catching blennies although we are really hoping for other species such as sea scorpions to put in a appearance, though Brian thinks he may have moved one. plenty of small stuff in the pools but don't know if these are just other blennies or gobies of some sort?
here's a few captures, pink and red isome was the bait of choice.

 Between LRF ing we had a good shot for the bass the conditions looked ideal but unfortunately apart from a take we never got any action, it was though a nice day to be out casting in the salt.

Flogging away but with a Spring in our step!

Fishing in winter has been hard lately , what with snow, rain, high winds , coloured water and to be quite honest , I'm really longing for March the 15th to arrive so i can once again, cast a fly to the brownies again. Well yesterday the signs of spring was in the air in the guise of birdsong, i even had a pair of spotted woodpeckers fly over my head , just gives you a mental pickup that spring is on it's way. Tomorrows forecast ....... snow!

Snowdrops

Today found us once again in pursuit of the "Lady of the stream ". We were fishing by midday but what followed was a few cold fish less hours   , So eventually we decided to head upstream . The first pool we fished seemed barren. The next a giant of a pool  which is fairly featureless, getting in waist deep water there was only one thing for it but to search the pool methodically with our bugs  taking a pace upstream each cast and eventually i got a take and landed a bright grayling of 1lb 8oz. She had taken a tungsten beaded olive bug .

Brian started below me and a rise caught his eye , so he moved to the area and first cast took a fish. a bonny wee grayling just the ticket to lift your spirits and put a smile on your face, it's also nice to see smaller fish in the system it's not often you come across them .

A wee jewel

 we thought we might end up getting a succession of these fish being shoal fish  but despite seeing another riser  and throwing the kitchen sink at them we could not tempt one .

We then walked downstream to fish a pool we've never fished before , but anglers had beaten us too it, turned out to be a few gents we met before, we talked about fishing mostly about pike , and by the time we had finished it was time for home , not the most succesful of trips,  quite hard work but i really quite enjoyed it.

all the eggs in one basket

 Pleasingly from a fishing point of view there hasn't been much of a thaw as yet so the river was still running clear and at a good height for fishing today.

 After a while czech nymphing through a pool i thought i had snagged the bottom again but this time the bottom moved! i caught sight of the big Grayling on the end but wasn't feeling at all confident about how good the hook hold was, the fish moved down stream but i was in an awkward position to follow him down, Col was on hand below me though and i was relieved to see the big grayling in his net!

the fly came out in the net so not sure what he took

2lb 12oz







after a while and no further offers we decided on a move and fished a couple of pools that have produced some good grayling for us in the past, unfortunately this time we drew a blank so in the late afternoon we found ourselves back where we started the day.It didn't take long  for my indicator to dip this time and i lifted into what felt like another hefty fish. A nervous fight took place with the fish staying deep but after a while we got our first glimpse of another monster Grayling, it seemed to take an age before she was ready and Col slipped the net under her.

Just shy of 3lb



after all the excitement i gave Col the wee coral egg fly to try and no sooner had we started to fish again and he was into another big grayling

2lb 10oz on the egg pattern again

we fished on a bit after that but not surprisingly with grayling of this size that was our lot for the day,i hear rain tonight so looks like we timed it right.  



Grayling in the snow

 With a Grayling trip on the cards this weekend i thought i had better stock up my depleted box with a few essential  patterns, nothing fancy, but enough to give me some options.

tan glister bug

pink shrimp

egg fly

The snow started last night and Col and i were in two minds as to  whether it would be a good idea to travel or not today, in the past we have driven to rivers in some horrendous weather, blizzards and all, but with old age setting in we're getting a bit more cautious! as it turns out this morning the snow had stopped and the roads were fine so we made our way expectantly to our chosen river.

we were pleased to arrive at an icy cold river 

   we set up with our bugs and began to search a big pool, after twenty minute's or so my indicator dipped and i found myself connected to a good Grayling

he took the tan glister bug and at 2lb 12oz i was glad to get him in the net!

a few minutes later and i was in again, another good fish by the feel of it but unfortunately the hook didn't hold this time.  Col's turn next with a fine Grayling which went 2lb 2oz on the pink bug.

nearly there

as try as wee might that was the last of the action for the afternoon, but we went home contented with a Grayling each for our efforts.

   

Bashful Blennies

Today  we headed out with multiple saltwater species on our mind. Only one method produced the goods  though Lrf for mini species in the rockpools, it was a opportunity to try out our new LRF outfits and what fun it was pretty sure all the fish we caught were all common blennies some tiny some a little larger but for a few hours before the tide moved us on we had addictive fun catching them on what is to us  new ground.

     Over the months we hope to indulge in  more LRF and hopefully we can increase our species range, the wrasses in particular are on that most wanted list .

Fisherman's handbook fish

In the late 70's my brother and I collected the fisherman's handbook, a weekly publication covering coarse , sea and game fishing. Each week would feature a new species with a little information on their habitat and how to catch them, all very exciting for a young boy who had only caught the odd brownie from the local burn.

The capture of some of these fish seemed highly unlikely at the time, a lot of them still do, but through the years a few have been ticked of the list. I remember my first Roach from a tiny pond in the middle of a farmers field, or my first Perch from a local quarry like it was yesterday. The great thing is it's just as exciting to capture new species now as it was then, recent captures such as Bass and Turbot, all be it small have been a real thrill.

yesterday Col and i fished for some typical Fisherman's handbook type fish!

my biggest bream to date! 

lovely markings on this roach, or is there a bit of something else in there too?

the Ide wasn't  in the handbook's as it wasn't over here in the 70's, seems to be a popular stocking choice in coarse fisheries these days, although their fun enough to catch, for me they don't hold the same attraction as the beautiful roach.

      

hopefully there'll be some more new captures in the years to come, got one or two in mind already! 

Trotting on the Tay

Today we decided  to do a bit trotting, and headed to the mighty Tay, we thought it might be a good bet with river levels still being high in most areas, and sure enough it was high but clear. We picked different swims , and pretty much stuck to them, first to put in appearance were the out of season trout and a few were pretty muckle , the sort of fish you would cherish in season  and on the fly but we were after grayling.

The grayling though were proving elusive , though we both lost fish , and they could have been grayling, it was though a lovely day , quite warm in the sun , so warm in fact my maggots in my bait pouch were changing to casters.

Eventually though i did manage  a couple of modest grayling  one male and one female.

  Brian lost  a grayling in the gloaming just before we called it a day.

An enjoyable day , one thing i really must get though is a centre-pin reel for this type  of fishing every year i say i will and never do, it would make the trotting experience more pleasurable .