A River Ericht Salmon!!!! they do exist!

[johnmac]

A Salmon from the Ericht!!! and before you all rush yo congratulate me....no it aint mine! to make matters worse it was caught by a friend of mine that i got up for the day 2 weeks ago. We gave the river a full day, but nothing was really doing although we saw a couple in the early morning in the cementers. Push came to shove and on the advice of Dennis the "garden fly" was brought into action I've never used it before for Salmon..... but i did manage two eels and a trout! needless to say my mate got this Grilse in the cementers inside the hour! and i got an even bigger slagging at my work as a result!! the joy of fishing!! maybe i'm just crap after all! ;D
well done to Ally all the same! Ba*tard!!

[speyghillie]

Hey johnmac,
That guy is a jammie ba*tard, i know i used to work with him, the picture threw me off, had to look twice, "SUDS" fishing the worm well well.
Tell him he aint getting any better looking, and he owes the fishery where he used to work for a fly reel. ;D
Gordon.

[scottyjock]

Johnmac

commiserations ...

Thats salmon fishing for you ...



Jock

[johnmac]

oh well! i enjoyed the day out anyway!! and as for Ally.....he claims it the first time he's ever fished the worm!!...... he seemed to know a bit too well what he was doing though!! maybe he's to ashamed to admit it! hahaha i'll pass on your regards Gordon aka Spey Ghillie..... i just emailed him the pic last night with the link to this site... so you may well see him on here sometime soon! John.

[kelliefly]

hi John, the water is in good order today, and should be tomorrow . . . . .so STOP MUCKIN ABOUT WITH RAINBOWS and get doon tha water, you could get a fish don't ya know.

[johnmac]

alas...yet again!! i am working this weekend...so i cant get down ..... typical! If the boss aint around i'll maybe sneak of for half an hour!

[johnmac]

I managed to get down for a couple of hours after work tonight!! I fished the part of the river closest to my house as i was on call and had to be near by. I started at the dump pool (for those that know the Ericht) and fished through down to the bend. I was trying a black and silver (temple dog??) and decided to try a cascade for something a bit brighter...... great idea... fish the two flies!! i thought...which i duely did.....

just as i come to the bend, i decide to wade to the shallow middle and single spey of my left shoulder (something i never do!) because the practise if nothing else will do me good! when low and behold, second cast.... just as i'm about to recast.... a fish around 4lb takes me...... as im lifting to cast it basically gets dragged and falls of the fly!!

A few expletives!! and then i figure he might come back... wade to the left and fish it hard for 20mins but no sign but which fly did it take?? dont know!!

i then fish round the bend and into the fast water under a huge tree which comes down to 6ft from the surface of the water......

nice casts... wee mend and then bang!!!! ;D you wee dancer!!!!
Its a textbook take...... rods at my side....reel screams... gentle lift and i'm in!!!!! YYYYYEEESSSSSSSSSSS

at first it just wallows in the mid current...... then after a minute its off like the clappers down stream, then a change of mind and its back my way..... i follow if along the bank downstream but realise im in bother.....this looks like a big fish for one!! im on 12lb nylon..... and the waters very deep....i.e. over wader depth... and quite fast!! and i'm on my own with no net!! BUGGER!! the fish seems happy just to sot mid water doing not a lot. i get my phone out and call the girlfriend who's a five minute walk away to bring a net and my camera i play on....... 10mins gone and no proper sighting yet... then i see the tail.... JESUS! it looks a whopper!! 15lb at a guess I start to shit myself.... the waters too fast to get it in to tail it.... it wants to go down stream... but i know the tree will catch the 13ft'er if i try to get under it!!! and it takes my girlfriend 20mins to do a 5minute walk!!!

I'm shaking.......but the fish is behaving...... i can already taste the smoked salmon!! then 20mins gone... it makes a bee line for the far bank... i apply pressure but it aint wanting to listen...... it makes it through the fast water into the slack shallows..... its head constantly shaking!!! " Im fu*ked" i say to myself.... and then slack.. fish is off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i shout and scream and say the most amount of swear words i've ever managed in a ten second burst... and as if to get it right up me... the fish cuts accross the current and jumps a few times to confirm that it is a belter!!!! bollox!!!

I'm near tears... and still am!!! girlfriend appears with net and camera to console me!!!

I inspect the flies... the cast is tangled badly.....almost certainly when the salmon was shaking its head..... and probably contributed to its escape!!! and im still not sure which fly it took!!!

I opt for the black and silver thingy...... and fish the single fly.... with 18lb leader!!! right through until dark... but not a sniff!!!!

Six months of planning probably 200 hours of fishing and then i lose it!!! Aint Salmon fishing great fun!!!

there's always Monday!

[macsalmo]

Hard luck John,

As Springer says, it doesn't get any easier. Last week I played 10 fish for the week, landed 4 of them and the other six came off as I were deciding where to beach them

Its only a matter of time mate and when it happens, you will forget about every single blank you have ever had

Keep trucking,

ATB

Gary

[johnmac]

thanks for the support fellas!! i'm still gutted!!! I deserve tha first fish for perseverence alone!!! 200 hours at a guess.... and not one fish!! i'm jinxed!! On the plus side..... if i hooked one i can hook another! and it shows i must be doing something right for once! John.

[kelliefly]

that story had tears running down my face, almost thought i was there.
I told you that fish were running ;D
Not to worry you will get a fish I am sure of it[ and this year]
I did see two fish caught and they had lice?, better late than never.
Try the chains at this time of year and you could get a big fish .. . . . . . .commiserations again . . keep plugging away

[sunny1]

NOW thats!!!
the way to tell a fishy story i was nearly jumping into my car to come up with my gye net and i,m from paisley iether that or kick your girlfriends ass for not RUNNING down to the river.. WELL TOLD WAS ROFL
then shed a tear for y at the end.

[johnmac]

maybe i've missed my calling !?!?!? I should be a fishing journalist instead of a fisherman!!! maybe i'll write to Trout and Salmon..... but its still painfull to talk about!! ;D ;D