N Esk

[Sloggi]

Hi H,

The Otter would have been useful on Saturday - I guess it's a good high water pool. I fear the fresh fish you saw headed up the WW

Was out again today and landed one coloured fish about 9lb from Inversaldye (incorrect spelling) Pool.

Here are few photos of the lower beat:

The Snek is really the tail of Lyn Martin (400 yards away) but is such a good bit of water it deserves its own name The pool is made up of rock shelves with a deep run through the middle - averaging seven feet. A lot of fish rest here after coming up through Inverscaldye - in the spring, there are often many fish holding here.



This White Water and Bulwork (I think) - good fast runs that hold fish from time-to-time. Nice water for a Monkey/Collie D





This is Lyn Martin Pool which is a very productive pool. A fast streamy run which peters out after about 100 yards although in higher water, it can fish all the way down to the Snek. There are usually fish about in this pool and further down in the canal-like stretch you will see large kippers thrashing about all day long - very tempting but usually trying to catch them is ultimately fruitless



When the grilse run starts, Lyn Martin and Coble build up a head of fish and the beat fishes right through until the season's end. When to fish? I like the fishesks website to show two things: at least 5" on the "dalhousie water level reading" and reports of fish at Stracathro.

[hornet]

I only saw two fish at the otter along with someones line that had snagged a bush. I found out later it had a toby still tied on . The river was almost level with the high bank and running pretty fast and dark.

Usually it is pretty slow,clear and about 2ft lower. The tide marks from earlier in the week showed well up and over into the grassed area behind. The report from an angler who had three days or so last week said that it was pretty much unfishable.

The Lyn Martin does look good. As mentioned before i will need to give Edzell a cast.

Cheers,

Hornet

[Sloggi]

Was on the Edzell beat of the N Esk today. The water is dropping and it'll soon be too low for Edzell.

Fished the upper beat this morning. Fortunately it was well sheltered from the strong wind and bright sun.

Had a fish on within ten minutes



and duly landed this wee chap



Had another about the same size but my photographer thought the Edzell Gala would be more fun so off she went hence no photo. Both these fish were on a Cascade size 11 fished on a floating shooting head.

The afternoon was spent on the lower beat. The Snek was too low to fish but the other pools were fine. Started at Lyn Martin and lost two fish on a Monkey (a thrid followed much later) but did hold on to this grilse - about 4 or 5lbs. It was also taken on a size 11 Cascade but fished on a Guideline hover/intermeidate shooting head (this is a terrific line). With the strong wind, I had the 15' rod out.








Saw lots of grilse about. All appeared to be fresh and quite small.

[greenalert]

See you are on a roll
3 of us thinking of going down next Saturday

Unsure of your comments as to the height, do we need some rain to make it more viable?

Cheers

[Sloggi]

greenalert said:

See you are on a roll
3 of us thinking of going down next Saturday

Unsure of your comments as to the height, do we need some rain to make it more viable?

Cheers

I'd go if there was 5" or more on the Dalhousie gauge. Yesterday was good in most pools - but not the Snek which I like a lot.

Can't really go wrong with a half-decent cast and a small Cascade (preferably one tied by me )

[hornet]

Hi Sloggi,

Another good shift eh .

I was fishing below at Stracathro and had one fresh 6lb grilse that still had sea lice from the lower junction on a temple dog tube. I was also using a DH along with my Mach II floater plus.

The Junction marker was at 1ft when i started and dropped 2" when i stopped at 5pm. The Westwater looked a wee bit dirty, not as clear as normal.

There was a few fresh fish showing along with a number of grilse that came belting through after i had caught mine and probably headed off into your beat .

The weather was scorching so i got a nice tan into the bargain for my night out at the Blackwatch in Blair ;D.

Cheers

Hornet