Archive for the ‘Finavon Beats and Pools’ Category

Drought conditions end a dour May

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Conditions for fly fishing in May got worse as the month dragged on without any significant rainfall. Some sea trout started to creep into the main pools where, in places, there are now some quite good shoals, including some larger fish of 4lbs+. Salmon fishing came to a standstill.

We now need water and for the cold northeast wind to swing round to the south. Frosty nights at the end of May do nothing for the ambient day-time temperature. In my opinion the main sea trout run is yet to come, with the likelihood of the run peaking in late June. If we get some extra water – but not too much! – and if the weather gets warmer, we should see numbers of new sea trout starting to pack into the pools in far greater numbers than to date.

Other news from FCW is that our new wildlife pond on the north bank of Castle Beat is now settling in quickly, with lilies, rushes and wild irises all starting to grow well. The new hut on the north bank at Pheasantry – Scotland’s first tree-house-fishing hut! – is now under construction in the expert hands of local joiner William Wells. The new track from Haughs of Finavon Farm to Pheasantry is now well compacted and allows access for normal saloon cars, as well as 4×4’s. With a new footbridge under construction to replace the fallen Norway spruce, currently acting as a rather dodgy means of access, it will be possible to get to the new Castle Beat hut from the Red Brae car park dryshod in all conditions.

Wildlife pond: Castle Beat

The main fishing season is about to start. We still have some days left later in the season at FCW competitive rates. Remember, we do not let individual rods because we are committed to giving the visiting angler exclusive and unspoiled access to all the pools reserved for him/her on a particular day. We therefore let beats (for a  maximum of two rods). If you want to fish more rods then you can, if available, rent up to four beats for a maximum of 8 rods. If the river is in good order there is plenty of fishing space for a party of 8, but I’m afraid there aren’t many opportunities to rent all four beats left in 2010.

Tree house in David's Wood

Foundation of Scotland's first tree-house fishing hut

Anyone spending a day on Castle Beat in the future will experience a truly wonderful natural setting. A great place to chill out and enjoy the wildlife – with the chance always present of catching salmon and sea trout. Come and try it! Why not give Moray a call on 07835 717 150.

TA

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Tollmuir Pool and House Pool: two greatly improved pools at Finavon

Friday, February 26th, 2010

The two Bogardo Beat pools, Tollmuir Pool and Marcus House Pool, have received a lot of attention this winter. They both have the potential to be good salmon and grilse pools, and if the sea trout return in good numbers, I would expect to see them both offering excellent opportunities for night sea trout fishers.

Tollmuir Pool used to be called ‘Monica’s Stream’, but is now called ’Tollmuir’ on account of its being close the the site of the old toll booth on the Aberdeen road (now the A90). The pool has all the characteristics needed for a top South Esk salmon pool. A great rippling neck to the pool, a really deep (8′ – 12′) dub and a long and gradually shallowing tail. This is a pool where travelling fish are likely to pause and a place for salmon to lie in drought conditions. It is an obvious holding pool. The squeeze formed by two rocky groynes plus the fan shaped tail under the overhanging left bank willows complete the pool which then runs into the Steps over a series of caulds made of rocks.

Marcus House Pool

Marcus House Pool is a good 200 yards in length with the main lies all along the left bank under the quarried boulders placed there as flood and erosion protection. House pool is a ‘taking’ pool, and a 17lbs salmon came from the neck of the pool in good water in the summer of 2009. The main part of the pool and the tail hold both salmon and sea trout. The night fishing for sea trout in the tail, as it slips into Breadalbane Pool, can be first class.

An arrangement has been made with Marcus Estate, who own the left bank, that House Pool will only be fished by Finavon rods from the right bank in return for which Finavon rods will no longer fish Breadalbane Pool from the right bank, leaving Marcus rods exclusive fishing of Breadalbane Pool from the left bank. This means that people fishing Finavon Castle Water must on no account cross the river to the Marcus side (North).

These two pools, Tollmuir and Marcus House, are more accessible to anglers, easier to fish, and have greater holding capacity than ever before. I look forward to seeing these benefits reflected in their catches.

We heard on the 23rd of December 2009 that our son, David, had died after falling while trekking in Malaysia. We have decided to build a Treehouse in his honour. Scotland’s first fishing hut in a tree! This project is something he and I discussed before he left on his travels on 18/3/2009. We will also put a track from the Aqueduct up to the Red Brae and, using the spoil to make the track good at the same time as digging a pond, we will make a wildlife pond that doubtless will attract many frogs. David loved frogs and ducks, and I’m sure the pond will be home to both species!

TA

Tollmuir Pool

Tollmuir Pool in October

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A New Pool at Finavon

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

Expert angler and woodsman, Derek Strachan, and I have spent the last few days opening up our new pool – to be called the Tollmuir Pool,  formerly known as Monica’s Stream.  We now have a major new salmon pool with at least 12 feet of depth in the centre, a run at the head, and a long tail under the shadow of some willows. I am predicting that Tollmuir will prove to be one of the great salmon and sea trout pools of the South Esk. I can’t wait to fish it for sea trout at night!

Meanwhile the season continues following a flurry of activity in April. The spring run of two-sea-winter salmon has slowed down, although we are still seeing the occasional fish, including some sea trout.

After seeing three very large salmon (probably three-sea-winter fish) at Haughs (Bogardo Beat) in mid April, we caught a very small salmon (not a grilse) which at just under 4lbs indicates that perhaps something is not right in the marine environment. Since then we have seen more normal size fish entering the river and, as I write this bulletin on the 8th of May, the river is well up but a little more coloured than it should be for the best chance of catching a spring salmon. If the weather settles, and the river can then drop back and clear, we should see some action.

Prospects for the coming week, beginning on 11th May are good, but everything now depends on whether the spring run of salmon is late. If it is, then the rest of May should provide good sport. The South Esk is of course 100% catch-and-release to the end of May, which is to be extended to 30th June on a voluntary basis.

Great View of the Head of Tollmuir Pool

Great View of the Head of Tollmuir Pool

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