River Dee - Middle Blackhall

[splash]

Given the ongoing good conditions combining a nice height of water with a low cloud ceiling, Zephead and I were encouraged to take a day on Middle Blackhall yesterday. It’s a lovely secluded beat which marches opposite the famous Cairnton Water. It was also was nice to see David Gibbon again looking very sprightly at 68 years young and in his first season at Middle Blackall after his move down the river from Ballogie. David is a fine ghillie, knows the water intimately and has a dry sense of humour. He is always a pleasure to fish with.

The guage showed 2ft 2in and some of the streamy water such as the falls below Rock Heads were looking pretty spectacular



I drew the bottom bead first with Zep in the middle and Robert the third rod (who we hope to see shortly on the forum) up top. First pool I fished was Rock Heads where the day before, three fish had been caught including an 18lber. Unfortunately no fish seemed to have taken up residence today and I moved down to Invergannie.



At around 11am a school of grilse came through and two hard pulls met with no further resistance. I also say a big fish show opposite the top croy. Returning to the hut for lunch, Robert has lost a fish and Zephead had a sea trout which had taken the fly down deep and had to be chapped. Looking at this fish we all debated whether it was a sea trout or one of these smaller grilse as the tail looks quite pointed before agreeing a sea trout it was



In the afternoon, and after a tactical kip, I hooked a decent fish around 12lb in the Cairnton Stream which promptly fell off but was was buoyed to hear from David that Zep had a grilse about 6lb and a salmon around 8lb from the Canary and Kelpie respectively. At this time Mrs Splash called to say SPK had left a message that he had 5 to his own rod down at Park South and had stopped fishing

Cairnoustie - with banks like these who needs golf. All you need is one's manservant to bring the drinks down on a silver platter



Buoyed by Zeps success, I started the evening on the middle beat in expectation and was immediately rewarded by a sea trout around the same size as the one landed earlier, followed by two hard pulls from grilse that had obviously stopped off and were lying in the Kelpie. Robert was walking down the bank from the upper beat and gestured that he had lost a fish. It turned out that was a fish around 30lb from the Cairnton Pool which had eventually broken him around a stone. Zephead had to administer a large dram of the Baillie Nicol Jarvie as the poor lad was still white as a sheet and shaking from the experience

David has some availability this week, should fish well and you'll enjoy your day out

cheers
Splash

[sinkingtip]

Nice report Splash. Definitely a S/T. Congratulations to all - sounds like a braw day.

[greenbanks]

Should have been with SPK

[zephead]

Indeed Splash,

a tremendous day out and about opposite the famous former home of Mr AHE Wood.

Some interesting points to add/lessons learned from this corner:-

(i)I didn't see a fin all day other than those that I caught and returned-I'm sure this was because the fish were running like the clappers and it was a case of head down-arse up and away thro the pools.

(ii)The wading here twixt the croys is very tricky so be sure to take a stick if you fish it in lower water conditions which is when according to David Gibbons the "serious" wading has to take place.I'm always slightly uncomfortable about fishing from croys gven the extra movement that is presented above the fish,especially where they are likely to be lying close-in to the anglers bank.I do therefore think it pays to wade stealthily down between the croys in lower water to offer a lower profile against the skyline and it is also easier to land fish if you are on your own as I have lost fish before now when losing a bit of pressure on a fish when climbing into the water off a croy to get ready to beach/net it.This is even more applicable with fish like we were hitting on Saturday that were soft-mouthed and fresh in with long-tailed lice.

(iii)The river there is very interesting inasmuch as in certain sections it resembles a Highland spate stream with its narrow fall's etc,fanning out into classic wide runs and pools.If I have a regret it is at that height I didn't fish the necks of these pools with an intermediate to get the fly to swing slowly and a little more deeply in the faster water as this may have well yielded fish waiting to ascend the white water as there was obviously a much bigger run of fish than we had first predicted going through.

(v)Having lost two fish,and experiencing a lot of short hard pulls that only took an inch or two of line,I turned up the check on my reel so as to increase the resistance as I think allowing the fish to hit and run with the fly meant they weren't hanging on properly.Shortly after,both fish that were hooked and landed had taken the fly right at the front of their lower jaw as if they were just pecking at it curiously rather than giving it a good wallop.I used this tactic last year at Tweedhill to devastating effect and I think in future when there are a number of grilse about I will keep a bit of tension on and make them win line off the reel rather than setting the drag more loosely so they can run more freely,as I might when fishing a full floater/hover tip so fish can take line when he turns down on the fly before tightening slowly into him.

Also in relation to the reel drag settings,I do think that the smootheness of the disc drag of my Vosslers as against the ratchet system of the Marquis's I use is better in the initial hooking process if a stronger setting is being used as when I hooked fish in the morning using a Marquis trying a rod/reel combo I'd not used before,the fish seemd to boil earlier and not run as as positively and as smoothly as against the disc drag.

(iv)On a long day fishing-9-1pm,half hour for lunch and then a 5pm turnaround and fishing thro til 9pm I really missed my Test Match Special tea and cakes.

All in all,a great day out in spectacular surroundings despite the weather being a bit wet as we retired homeward to the lilting understated tones of SPK recalling the exploits of his team of rods at Park and their 20 fish for the day.

ZH