Post by diverdave on Jun 18, 2011 19:12:35 GMT
The Diver Dave wader team had another red letter day out this week. We try to take a day clear of work once a month and go fishing or stalking together, and after successful outings to the Dee and Spey we were looking for another fishing venue. After repairing a couple of pairs of waders for Ghillie and goose guide John Lewis we were invited to join him on the Ythan Estuary, an area I probably had not fished for 30 years. Bob and Iain are keen sea trout anglers, I am more of a salmon angler so I suppose it was a fair compromise. The plan was to meet at the Newburgh Bridge at 0630, and catch the second part of the rising tide, initially fishing from the bank. We were to tool up with Tasmanian devils, a substitute for Sutherland specials, and terrors, long sand eel type flies, so both spinning and fly rods were required.
We started with a dram at the bridge, to wish the team luck. The tide was low and dropping, and we had to start reasonably quickly. Iain on one bank and Bob and I on the other, we started with the Tazzies, and on his first cast Iain was into a very lively fish, which jumped regularly before he landed a fine sea liced sea trout of about 3lbs. We waved our congratulations as he landed the fish. However we rather changed our waves as he hooked another fish a couple of casts later. Two seatrout landed within the first half hour. I then went on to catch a series of finnock, I think 3 before I hooked and lost 3 good seatrout in about 15 minutes. It was rapid action fishing!
However as the river dropped the fishing slowed, so we moved on and took out our fly rods. The sun was bright, but the wind was rising and I was finding it tricky to get a reasonable line out, however, struggling of both Iain and Bob landed good sea trout, probably a couple of pounds at least each.
The tide turned and we decided to have lunch, and take a break. It was already a successful day, and now it was very bright and sunny, but also really quite windy. The plan now was to fish from the boat, on the rapidly rising tide. What was surprising now was the number of seals, there must have been hundreds, surfing up the river on the ride. John got us sorted out with the boats and we whizzed off up river, anchoring in a river flowing very rapidly up stream! The incoming tide had huge power and it was not like harling on the Tay, as the river was both wide and powerful. Action was slower now, we could see Bob and John on the other boat, anchored a short distance away taking the odd finnock, but action was distinctly slower, Iain and I were struggling – in what was a baking hot day. We moved a couple of times until john guided us into a quiet bay
The action was not frantic, with fish tugging and following the lure to the boat each cast. It was like a rainbow fishery on a sunny afternoon, except these were wild sea liced seatrout, and fought like demons. We lost numerous fish, had tugs and pulls most casts and landed a good few. There must have been hundreds of fish in the bay!
We ended up with 16 seatrout to 5 ½ lbs, my biggest in probably 30 years! All of us had fish to 3lbs and additionally all had numerous finnock, probably 8 – 10 each. All this on a sunny day, fishing in salt water, Scottish seatrout fishing does not get better. The fishery has a 2 fish limit per rod, thereafter it is C&R. Though the estuary is split into a number of beats and has a small angling club there is tons of available fishing water. It is stunning value at £30 a day.
We started with a dram at the bridge, to wish the team luck. The tide was low and dropping, and we had to start reasonably quickly. Iain on one bank and Bob and I on the other, we started with the Tazzies, and on his first cast Iain was into a very lively fish, which jumped regularly before he landed a fine sea liced sea trout of about 3lbs. We waved our congratulations as he landed the fish. However we rather changed our waves as he hooked another fish a couple of casts later. Two seatrout landed within the first half hour. I then went on to catch a series of finnock, I think 3 before I hooked and lost 3 good seatrout in about 15 minutes. It was rapid action fishing!
However as the river dropped the fishing slowed, so we moved on and took out our fly rods. The sun was bright, but the wind was rising and I was finding it tricky to get a reasonable line out, however, struggling of both Iain and Bob landed good sea trout, probably a couple of pounds at least each.
The tide turned and we decided to have lunch, and take a break. It was already a successful day, and now it was very bright and sunny, but also really quite windy. The plan now was to fish from the boat, on the rapidly rising tide. What was surprising now was the number of seals, there must have been hundreds, surfing up the river on the ride. John got us sorted out with the boats and we whizzed off up river, anchoring in a river flowing very rapidly up stream! The incoming tide had huge power and it was not like harling on the Tay, as the river was both wide and powerful. Action was slower now, we could see Bob and John on the other boat, anchored a short distance away taking the odd finnock, but action was distinctly slower, Iain and I were struggling – in what was a baking hot day. We moved a couple of times until john guided us into a quiet bay
The action was not frantic, with fish tugging and following the lure to the boat each cast. It was like a rainbow fishery on a sunny afternoon, except these were wild sea liced seatrout, and fought like demons. We lost numerous fish, had tugs and pulls most casts and landed a good few. There must have been hundreds of fish in the bay!
We ended up with 16 seatrout to 5 ½ lbs, my biggest in probably 30 years! All of us had fish to 3lbs and additionally all had numerous finnock, probably 8 – 10 each. All this on a sunny day, fishing in salt water, Scottish seatrout fishing does not get better. The fishery has a 2 fish limit per rod, thereafter it is C&R. Though the estuary is split into a number of beats and has a small angling club there is tons of available fishing water. It is stunning value at £30 a day.
