BOOKS

[toucan]

A great and inspiring story. I've ordered a copy of Hill's book this morning as I'll be tackling Carlogie for the first time next month. We've fished Ballogie for the last three years in March but I'm looking forward to getting to know Carlogie as well.

Stories like that, whether from books or ghillies, give you the confidence to fish places which you might otherwise pass over, or at least fish without confidence which is worse! The other way we gain that confidence is when the fish provide a lesson, either by showing or better by taking your fly, but lessons can be few and far between in the early spring.

It is also lovely to fish water that you have read about. And that is also a test of the author's ability to paint a realistic picture. Wading in the footsteps of greats like Ashley-Cooper and Jim The Fish brings a special thrill .

Any Ballogie or Carlogie secrets gratefully received Jim!

Mark

[macd]

got to agree about francis grant. I really enjoyed his book.

sad to hear of him passing so young.

[jimthefish]

toucan said:

I've ordered a copy of Hill's book this morning as I'll be tackling Carlogie for the first time next month.

Any Ballogie or Carlogie secrets gratefully received Jim!

Mark

A sound investment. You wont regret it. Before he retired as ghillie on Carlogie/Ballogie last year after 40 years or so, I heard Davie Gibbons say that the pool descriptions and heights quoted in Hill's book are as sound today as they were when written in the forties.
Carlogie is a beautiful beat, more private than Ballogie with some wonderful flywater. For years I fished Kincardine and Borrowstone beats on the opposite bank. In Kincardine I had some great catches wading the stretch opposite and below the Carlogie Hut. The wading was torture up to your armpits in a jungle of underwater boulders and throwing a long line to cover a trench that runs from the Carlogie side through The Flats. Conversely the wading on the Carlogie side is easy gradient gravel.
If you do find yourself with low water in March I would say be careful you don't go too deep and heavy. Experiment with smaller flies and lighter polytips. Hill talks about catching fish on the greased line in February and March when the deeply sunk fly failed. You'll see !

[williegunn]

jimthefish said:

robmason..... Well done. are you a medical man ?

I heard Rob was a plumber ??

[toucan]

Many thanks, Jim. I'll note the point about lighter tactics if we get low water - although in March low water can mean hard frosts which tips the odds away from the smaller flies high in the water.

I know where you mean on Kincardine (I fished it once a long, long time ago and remember getting a lovely fish in the Calm Pool). We watched with envy as the laird came down and fished the Flats from the Carlogie side in the evening without having to worry about a long cast or deep wading.

All the best,

Mark

[robmason]

williegunn said:

jimthefish said:

robmason..... Well done. are you a medical man ?

I heard Rob was a plumber ??

Jack of all trades. Medical plumber if you like, men of a certain age. That sort.

[tayspringer]

Urologist by any chance??

[robmason]

That's the one!

[jimthefish]

williegunn said:

jimthefish said:

robmason..... Well done. are you a medical man ?

I heard Rob was a plumber ??

Malcolm, did he fix your leaking downpipe ?

[salmondan]

jimthefish said:

Malcolm, did he fix your leaking downpipe ?

;D

[macd]

Rob

what a job. Getting paid for taking the pis s ;D

[elwyman]

;D ;D ;D

This is getting more like the Comedy Channel than a fishing forum.

[salmonking]

macd said:

Rob

what a job. Getting paid for taking the pis s ;D

Has he replied to any of scottyboy9nro's threads? ;D

[williegunn]

jimthefish said:

Malcolm, did he fix your leaking downpipe ?

No Jim, my pipework is all fine, it is not as ancient as yours.

[bg110960]

elwyman said:

bg110960 said:

Oh how I wish I could fish in Scotland

Go for it then!

A friend said he had booked a flight to Inverness for £12 + tax - cheaper than driving up!

Whats good up in that direction and how do I get on a beat?

[elwyman]

If you fly to Inverness or Aberdeen you would be close the Dee, Spey, N Esk, S Esk, Deveron, Findhorn and loads of other good rivers in the NE of Scotland.

FishScotland is one easy way to fid a beat:

www.fishsalmon.co.uk/pages/rivers.asp?dom=FishScotland

Turrifftackle can arrange fishing on the Deveron:

www.fishingthedeveron.co.uk/

The other way is to ask for advice on here - the locals are generally a helpful bunch!

[bg110960]

Thanks John I'll follow that up.