Archive for October, 2012

South Esk season ends with a 31bs fish from Marcus

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

These bulletin blogs represent news about Finavon and the South Esk, and my views as a riparian owner. They are not the views of any other organisation, nor are they designed to promote the interests of any individual or organisation other than Finavon Castle Water and factors affecting the fishery. Tony Andrews

These last few days of the season have been a disappointment, mainly because there has been a shortage of fresh fish, and precious few stale ones to keep the spirits up. The main pools – Willows, Red Brae and Indies – have shown a few fish, with Red Brae holding a reasonable number, including at least two respectably silver large salmon.

Charlie fishing through Willows on 30 Oct 12

Charlie Palmer concentrating on fishing the main lie at Willows in crystal clear and rather low water, with no result on this occasion. The last days of October 2012 were a disappointment for Will and Charlie, who are both teachers and come to Finavon every year to fish during the autumn term holiday.

With two mustard-keen fishermen in the forms of Charlie Palmer and Will Simper fishing every daylight minute, and with no mean level of skill, the only catch has been a sea trout (probably a kelt) and a small grilse, both caught and returned in Harry’s Bar (Bogardo Beat) and Volcano (Milton Beat) respectively.

Will Simper fishing Volcano

Will Simper fishing the glide into Volcano in a nice water on the 29th of October, but there were only a few fish in the pool. However, later in the day he caught and returned a small grilse from this pool.

Despite the poor show of autumn fish I will not be bewailing the demise of the South Esk as a salmon fishery, which all too often I hear from those of little faith and absolutely no data (!), because in general there has been a reasonable show of salmon from the beginning of March and throughout the very wet summer. As I have said before, rod catches should not be giving us any more than the broadest indication of the wellbeing of salmon stocks, and we certainly should not be setting our management objectives in stone on the strength of them. However, I would not contest an opinion that, in terms of abundance of both salmon and sea trout, 2012 was no better than an average year at best.

 On the subject of rod catches, I note that the three major middle/upper river beats, Cortachy & Downie Park, Inshewan and Finavon Castle Water are reporting (on 30/10/2012) 117, 112 and 137 salmon totalling 366 salmon and grilse for the 2012 season. Not great. Sea trout catches for the upper river are also poor at 373 for the three beats.

Tom fishing Red Brae

Tom Emerson fishing the Red Brae at the Lemno Burn junction on 29 October

Based on observation of the FCW beats, coastal nets catch reports (unreliable) and rod catches, I think it is fair to claim that 2012 was not a prolific year for the South Esk’s wild salmon and sea trout. For the angler it was lacklustre, but not disastrous, and it did have its good moments. Perhaps the most exciting but ultimately disappointing moment was the fish hooked and lost by Alec Towns in Beeches back in August. That really was a big fish which he saw again and again from close quarters during the 30 minute struggle. Losing a fish as the result of the brand new £500 rod shattering when applying side strain to a played-out salmon of 28 lbs or so is an angler’s catastrophe, but will guarantee Alec’s return!

Ian Hardy's 31 lbs cock salmon from Marcus

This 31lbs cock salmon (49″) was caught in Root Pool on the Marcus (N) side by Ian Hardy on 30 October 2012. This is the largest salmon caught at either Finavon or Marcus for many years, although both fisheries have seen fish larger than this one in every season, and there are records of big fish landed in former times, including one of 40lbs plus from Breadalbane Pool in the 1960s.

A final blast from the season came last night when Ian Hardy, the tenant at Marcus Estate sent me the photo above of a 31lbs salmon, in the glorious colours of a cock fish nearing spawning time, caught in Root Pool on Marcus Estate’s fishing. This salmon is the biggest for some years from either Finavon or Marcus, but I do recall a fish of similar size at Careston from the Common Pool, which was netted by the late Alasdair Petrie, ghillie at Finavon, for John Wood, the Glamis Estate factor. Sadly we have no record of that fish apart from the verbal accounts. In 2012 we saw and connected with a number of big fish, but probably nothing as large as Ian’s fish above.

TA 1st November 2012

Difficult fishing in closing days of 2012 season

Friday, October 26th, 2012

These bulletin blogs represent news about Finavon and the South Esk, and my views as a riparian owner. They are not the views of any other organisation, nor are they designed to promote the interests of any individual or organisation other than Finavon Castle Water and factors affecting the fishery. Tony Andrews

The pools have been well fished by rods who know FCW well, but catches have been erratic with a dearth of fresh autumn fish. Each autumn is different, and the adundance or otherwise of salmon returning to the river is another variable. We have had good water levels, and even now, with the water gin-clear and falling after the big spate of mid October, the level is at a good fishing height. But, in this section of the South Esk, there are very few fresh fish.

Simon Walter fishing Kirkinn 20 October 2012

Simon Walter fishing Kirkinn on Castle Beat in excellent water in mid October. Simon and his brother, Hugh, caught 5 salmon and a seatrout during their late season week at Finavon.

There appear to be a good number of old stagers, familiar by now to everyone who fishes here regularly, but ‘pods’ of fresh salmon arriving in the pools are a rarity. I did see at Willows last Saturday a good shoal of fresh salmon, maybe a dozen MSW fresh salmon, passing through, and that is exactly what they were doing by not even pausing as they made their way upriver. A verbal report from Inshewan indicated that no new fish have been seen there.

The main lie at Willows in perfect autumn water.

The main lie at Willows on Milton Beat in perfect autumn conditions. But where were the fresh autumn salmon in October 2012?

Upriver, it is encouraging to see on Fishpal that Cortachy and Downie Park are catching fish every day. It will be interesting to learn what proportion of those salmon were fresh. At Careston I have heard of coloured fish being caught in reasonable numbers. Inshewan, like Finavon, is currently struggling to catch even the occasional fish.

Simon W fishing the best lies in Willows

Simon Walter fishing the best lies in Willows (Milton Beat) in excellent conditions in October 2012. Although Willows is undoubtedly the most productive place of all Finavon’s pools to catch an autumn salmon, it was not as generous this year as it can be.

It is a bit too soon to comment on the 2012 season as a whole, so this blog is just an October snapshot. If we get rain – and some is forecast for Saturday (tomorrow) – and if a blizzard of falling leaves doesn’t impede fly fishing too much in the last three days of the season, we could yet see additions to the FCW catch, which today stands at 136 salmon and grilse and 160 sea trout.

TA 26/10/2012

Big Frosts, a gentle breeze and sycamore leaves

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

 These bulletin blogs represent news about Finavon and the South Esk, and my views as a riparian owner. They are not the views of any other organisation, nor are they designed to promote the interests of any individual or organisation other than Finavon Castle Water and factors affecting the fishery. Tony Andrews

After the big spate at the weekend the river level dropped slowly to give us a good day on Monday with seven fish to 12lbs, most of them coloured, but two fresh grilse amongst the catch. All were returned.

A sharp frost two nights running ensured that leaves were hanging onto their branches by a thread, and they fell in blizzards at the slightest movement of air. A large sycamore leaf, propelled by a strong current, feels tantalisingly like the draw of an autumn salmon taking the fly.

Autumn Sycamore Leaf

Autumn Sycamore Leaf

With rain now forecast and the days shortening, we are into that late October raw cold and sogginess, which is why swallows and wise men and women head south. In my opinion there are very few fresh fish coming into FCW pools; just the occasional bright grilse, most of which are small (4lbs or so) and thin, but not as emaciated as some I have seen.

Simon Walter caught a salmon and a grilse yesterday in Kirkinn and Willows, and Jack Dobie had a 5lbs grilse today in Tyndals. Some fish have been showing but very little response except a big dark fish took Simon’s fly, again in Kirkinn, but detached itself soon afterwards. This is very much an end of season scenario!

TA