Finavon Castle Bulletin

The last fortnight has been hard work for Finavon’s night sea trout fishers. As the water level has dropped, and the water temperature increased, resident sea trout have become reluctant to take the fly, except late at night or very early in the first light of dawn. Every pool has sea trout and the big holding pools – Indies, Tollmuir, Melgund, Red Brae and Boat Pool – have shoals of sea trout ranging in size from 1lb to well over 5 lbs.

It is therefore not surprising that Ian Ingledew had a beautiful sea trout of 5lbs 4oz from red Brae on Friday 25/6.

Two other smaller fish were also caught during the same night. I fished Boat Pool, Volcano and Willows with my brother, John. We saw lots of fish: in fact there was barely a moment when the surface of these quiet pools wasn’t being disturbed by shoal sea trout, some big fish amongst them, moving sub surface. But neither of us had so much as a nudge.

These are the numbers of fish for which the South Esk is justly famous and it is great to see them back. It is also worth noting that all sea trout caught this year have been in prime condition. It seems that there is plenty of food for them along the east coast. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Let’s also start practising our rain dance numbers as the farmers plug in their crop irrigators and drain our already parched river still further. A few days of rain would please the farmers and us by watering thirsty crops of potatoes and barley, refreshing the stock of fish in the river, not to mention bringing in new stock. But, as always, clouds and rain wouldn’t please everyone.

TA

Last week we caught 21 sea trout, amongst which were three nearer 5lbs than 4lbs. These fish are fresh-run and in the pink of condition. In fact, as an experienced sea trout night fisher myself, I can say that these sea trout are as good as I have ever seen them in the South Esk. That tells me that they are well fed, and that clearly there is no shortage of zoo plankton, sand eels and the other marine prey species so important to coastal zone-feeding sea trout. It is hugely important to the South Esk, by repute in the top three of Scotland’s sea trout rivers, that good stocks of sea trout can provide an alternative target species for anglers concerned about the declining abundance of Atlantic salmon.

Just after midnight on Saturday I called in at Indies to see Alastair Young and his companion before they left the River to return home in East Lothian. Alastair was delighted to have caught two sea trout in the Steps, downstream of Tollmuir Pool and just above Marcus House Pool. The first was a nice fresh sea trout of close to 2lbs, but the next one was a real cracker at 4lbs 8oz. Alastair told me that the second fish was in prime condition and “fought like a ten pound salmon”. Both fish were returned alive to continue their upstream migration.

MARTIN SMITH FISHED A GUEST ROD ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SENT ME THE FOLLOWING REPORT;

“Just the one fish landed last night – a sea trout of 2lbs. Took a few yards down and off the big stones sticking out into the Bridge pool. #10 S. Stoat variant. Dour fish, little aerial intent and a lot of boring down; all the same didn’t give up in a hurry. Landed Fish was not released – had tried to swallow hook, took a lot of removing and I couldn’t get hook out in the water. Fish badly distressed, knock on the head seemed kindest. I’ve seen fresher but no sign of colouring. Lost a 2nd more acrobatic one of similar size further down Bridge, perhaps fresher – from its behaviour. Further confirms you’ve got fish top-to-bottom.

About 30 mins after you left I wandered down to Boat leaving Willows undisturbed. Wasn’t sure where to go into Willows now – and was a bit too tired to go adventuring in the dark. I was a silly boy not stopping to see where you were beginning down there. Some huge splashes in Willows while passing – was tempting, but you can catch them tonight. Fished upper boat from some yards above Volcano and then down through Lower Boat – as Mike showed me. Good few tugs down the stretch and one lost somewhere just above Volcano itself. Splashes down that stretch was smaller than in Willows – I’m working out that the latter is THE pool to fish for ST!

Having left Murray some nice flies in tree on far side of Lower Boat, I decided this meant it was probably bed-time! Forgot to say earlier – I had one decent tug around bottom of first concrete wall of Red Braes as well as the good number of splashes I noted earlier”.

TA.

We had good rain on Tuesday, and the river rose at least 12″ overnight. As always with the South Esk, it came down peaty and unfishable at first. Once the flood had peaked, the river started to clear and we began catching sea trout. Altogether, during Wednesday we had 10 sea trout, with the best of the fishing in the middle of the day. The fish are all in excellent condition and there were some nice three pounders amongst them.

With the river level now dropping, the water clearing and new fish in the pools, we can expect the night fishing for sea trout to pick up. The way things are looking at present I think there is a good chance that 2010 could be the year of major recovery of the South Esk’s renowned sea trout, after too many recent years in the doldrums. It helps that the coastal nets are not selling sea trout this year. Long may that continue!

TA