We had our annual January gathering at the Lower Kinnaird beat of the River Tay on Saturday. This is when me and a group of good pals from various parts of Scotland meet up and blow away the winter cobwebs and attempt to catch an elusive January springer. The river was sitting at 2ft on the gauge and the weather was cold but otherwise it was a perfect early spring day for being out fishing.
Group photo. L/R - Alan, Me, Martin (ghillie), Kenny, Andy, Bill, Charlie and Craig
I was to travel down to Tayside with fellow Donsiders, Bill and Charlie. After rising at 5.00am to pick up Charlie and meet Bill we set off for the Tay just after 6am. The drive down to Tayside took much longer than normal due to persistent thick fog which made driving difficult but we arrived at the beat hut just before 8.30am. After the meet and greet in the fishing hut over a cup of coffee and a bacon roll it was time to get down to business and work out where we were to start fishing for the day.
Kenny and Alan enjoy a bacon roll and coffee before starting the day.
The well equipped fishing hut at Lower Kinnaird.
I was to fish the Guay Pool with Charlie and Andy drove us round and showed us the water. I opted to start with the fly as did Charlie. I tackled up with my 15ft Mackenzie DTX shooting head rod with a Guideline PT Scandi F/H/S1 shooting head line and a 10ft 5.6ips versi tip.. Fly of choice was a 2" Black and Yellow conehead tube. I was to start about half way down the pool with Charlie 50 yards below me. I waded out to just above my knees as instructed and began lengthening line out. After only my third cast I lifted into a fish. The initial take was quite subtle and I applied a bit of pressure once the fish began to pull some line off the reel. I set the hook and carefully began to make my way back to the bank. No sooner had I started moving into the bank the fish was off. I didn't see the fish so there was no way of knowing what it was but it was best not to think about it too much and I was back fishing again immediately. Charlie and I fished the whole pool several time with both fly and spinner but neither of us had any luck so it was up to the Ash Tree pool to meet the rest of the guys and have a bite to eat.
Andy points out the likely spots of the Guay Pool to Charlie.
A very large carcass of a salmon lies on the bank of the Guay Pool. Would have easily top the scales at 20lb plus.
Fishing down the Guay Pool shortly after loosing a fish.
On arrival to the Ash Tree pool the guys were standing round a wee fire willing the soup pot to start boiling. It was soon hot enough to serve and we sat down to some of Kenny's home made Ham Hock soup and bread. The hot soup went down a treat and after discussing the morning's proceedings we were allocated our pools for the afternoon session and set off for another crack at catching a January Tay springer.
Looking upstream to where the River Tummel meets the River tay.
Looking across the Junction pool. The big coloured fish was splashing about just up from the seat on the bank.
Fishing down the Junction Pool. Would love to fish it in April/May time.
Martin, the ghille drove Charlie and I round to fish the Junction Pool. The Junction Pool is where the River Tummel meets the Tay. The Tummel itself is a very productive river and we could fish the lower pools of the river if we so wished. Charlie went in a the top of the pool this time and I went in half way down. I changed lines over to an I/S2/S3 shooting head as this pool held a good bit of depth and was much faster flowing that Guay. Almost as soon as I waded out into the pool a big coloured fish jumped out of the water. This was obviously an old fish but it was easily 25lb. Charlie and I fished through the pool without a touch and apart from the older fish we didn't see anything moving despite how "fishy" the pool looked. Just as we were making our way back to the top of the pool Martin arrived to take us back to the hut as it was nearly 4.30pm. Time doesn't half fly when you are fishing!
A 2.5" Willie Gunn tube flutters in the icy cold River Tay
We arrived back at the hut and met up with the other guys. Nobody had any luck but Bill and Alan were still to return. We sat in the hut with a cup of coffee discussing the day we'd had when Bill drew up outside the hut and announced he'd landed a cracking fish of around 9lb from the Guay Pool. this was great news and we we all delighted for Bill as it was his and the beat's first fish of the season. \it was also Bill's first ever January fish he'd caught in all the years he had been fishing. Kenny presented Bill with a bottle of Fettercairn single malt whisky for catching the first fish and we all congratulated him on getting his fish. It really was the perfect end to a great day on the river in the company of good friends. Here's to the next time we all meet up which will be late March, again on the River Tay.
What we are all after. Bill's 9lb January salmon from the Guay Pool at 3.30pm.
With the customary blowing off the cobwebs cast on the River Tay now over, my attention turns to the opening of my local river, the Dee. It opens again for salmon fishing on the 1st February and I really can't wait to get out for a cast there again. My first outing is at Park on opening day with good pals. Fingers crossed I can get off to good start like I did last season. Another opening day springer would do me just fine. Camera will be at the ready if I do!
With there being little or no rain in recent months the rivers have been very low and the prospects of catching salmon have been poor. As a result I've had no fishing trips of note in the past few weeks so I thought I would do something a bit different than normal. I am a very keen fly tier and I almost enjoy tying flies as much as I do fishing so this is a Blog post about a cracking salmon fly which was created by my good friend, Bill Cook.
A batch of the original Highland Park Shrimps tied by Bill Cook.
Born on the banks of the Don, the name Highland Park Shrimp came about primarily due it's colours as Bill took the inspiration for it's tying from the popular single malt whisky which bears the same name. It's amazing what can inspire new creations and with the fly having great success in the last few seasons I bet Bill was glad he was enjoying a wee dram or two whilst at the vice that evening!
Bill first tied the fly in May 2011 but due to the lack of water that summer it wasn't until July 22nd that the fly finally got off the mark. It was well worth the wait though as Bill manged to catch a fine brace of salmon from the Park beat of the River Dee. The Highland Park Shrimp was to go from strength to strength from there on in as it became Bill's "go to" fly whenever the water had a wee peaty stain to it. I should add that it works well in all conditions but it really does excel when a spate is running off. It has caught fish on numerous river such as the Dee, Don, Spey, South Esk, North Esk and the Stinchar to name but a few. I'm sure if the fly was more well known then it would be much more successful further afield too.
Bill has caught many fish with his fly since 2011 and it's best catch to date came on the 28th August last season when it accounted for 5 fish landed and 1 lost from the South Esk. That's a good day's fishing in anyone's book but made even better catching the fish on a fly you've created yourself. Bill informs me there is a copper bodied version of his fly which is as equally deadly. It certainly must be good to be on par with the original! Bill, like myself, just ties flies for his own boxes and occasionally for friends so unfortunately his pattern is not available to buy. I have included this Step By Step guide below which will allow any tiers who fancy giving it a swim the chance to follow the instructions and tie a few for their own boxes. The fly in the step by step is one I have tied myself so I hope it does Bill's original fly justice.
The Original as tied by Bill Cook
Thread :- Black
Tag :- Fine Oval Gold Tinsel.
Body Rear Half :- Flat Gold Tinsel ribbed with Oval Gold.
Centre Hackle :- Hot Orange Cock.
Centre Wing :- Mixed Orange & Yellow Bucktail and a couple of strands of Yellow Crystal Hair (Tied Flamethrower Style on top)
Body Front Half :- Black Floss ribbed with Oval Silver Tinsel.
Front Wing :- G.P. Tippet tied in flat on top (Strip away the outside fibres till you get the length you want)
Front Hackle :- Black Cock
Head :- Black
Materials required to tie a Highland Park Shrimp. *Jungle cock only used in copper bodied version*
Tie in the oval gold tinsel and form a tag.
Tie in the flat gold tinsel to about half way along the shank of the hook to form the body.
Tie in the rib over the top of the flat gold tinsel.
Tie in a hot orange cock hackle at the end of the gold body. Roughly half way along the shank of the hook.
Mix a small amount of orange and yellow bucktail and tie in over the top of the orange cock hackle Flamethrower style. Add in the 2 strands of yellow Krystal Flash on top.
Form a second body with black floss and tie in the silver rib over the top using oval silver tinsel.
Tie in the GP tippet. I tied it in to about the length of the hook.
Tie in the large black cock hackle. I used 3 turns here to reduce bulk.
Form a neat head and apply 2-3 coats of clear varnish to finish of the fly.
The Copper Version.
The only difference here is the use of red thread. The rear half of the body is copper tinsel, again ribbed with oval gold and a couple of J.C. nails are tied in before adding the black hackle at the front.
I varnish the head with clear varnish as it gives the red thread a nice colour.
Every year I organise a meet with guys from a Salmon Fishing Forum I am involved with. We quiet often meet up during the fishing season and it's always good to catch up with the lads and have a cast on rivers we otherwise wouldn't fish. We have been coming to the River Don for three years now and apart form last year when we had very low water, we've always had a few fish on the bank for our day.
Group photo. L-R Ralph, Dave, Alan, Mel, Kenny, Bill, Paul and me.
On a run up to the day there was the usual banter and chat on line and as the day drew closer we realised we were going to be lucky with water conditions due to heavy rain earlier in the week. We arrived at the estate office about 8.15am and were greeted with 1ft 2in on the Bridge of Alford gauge which was ideal. The river was carrying a wee tinge of colour but we were confident that fish would still come to a fly in these conditions. We chatted for a while to discuss tactics for the day and draw beats. I tackled up with my 13ft Hardy Uniqua and matched this up with a Rio Scandi shooting head and fast sink tip. My fly of choice initially was a 3/4" Monkey.
Fishing down the Dam Pool with Paul Pritchard.
I was drawn to fish Beat 3 with Paul Pritchard and we were eager to get going. Paul hadn't had much luck fishing the Don in the past so I gave him first run down the Dam Pool. the pool was fishing nicely and as we got near the dam itself, expectation levels increased as i was positive there would be a fish or two present. Sure enough, as Paul neared the tail of the pool just opposite the Dam, he had a thumping take but sadly the fish didn't connect. It was really hard luck as it about pulled the rod out of his hand and how it never hooked itself is a mystery. Still, it was a good sign and I followed him down the rest of the pool but couldn't temp anything.
Fishing down the Craig Pot.
Next pool up on our beat was the Craig Pot. This used to be one of the best holding pools on the entire river but a few years ago an Archimedes Screw was installed at the neck of the pool and I just don't think it fishes the same now. This is just my opinion of course but I have spoken with a few Castle Forbes regulars who have the same thoughts as me. Anyway, Paul and I fished down the pool from the right bank but nothing was tempted so we continued our journey downstream to the next pool.
Looking upstream for the top of the Nursery Pool into the Craig Pot and Suspension Bridge
Looking downstream in the Nursery Pool.
Next pool down was the Nursery Pool. This is another lovely pool and another good pool which produces fish through out the year. It really is a lovely cast and is a delight to fish. Paul and I both fished through the pool and were expecting a salmon to grab the fly every cast but it wasn't to be. We just couldn't temp anything but we were both confident that we were covering fish.
Upper Deepstane from the right bank.
Bill's first fish of the day from Upper Deepstane expertly netted and photographed by Kenny Carr.
Upper Deepstane was the next pool on our morning beat and this, yet again is another good opportunity to pick up a fish. On arrival to the pool we received a text from Bill who managed to land a fresh run 8lber from the pool earlier on in the morning. At least we knew there were fish there and confidence is a big part in salmon fishing. Paul allowed me to go first through the pool and he followed me down. By this time I had changed to a Sunray Shadow just to try and provoke a fish into taking but i fished the length of the pool but didn't move anything. Paul, fishing conventionally down behind me had the same result.
Paul fishing down Middle Deepstane.
A lovely cast on Middle Deepstane at this height.
Castle Forbes Estate kindly allowed us to have lunch in their estate office again this year and we are always very grateful for this. Paul's good lady Loreena provided lunch of homemade soup and sandwiches, cheese scones, rock cakes as well as crisps and beverages. It went down a treat and we were all stuffed after tucking into the spread she laid on. As per usual on any fishing trip, the topic of discussion over lunch always revolves around salmon and this was no different. We all put the salmon fishing world to rights before heading off to our chosen beats for the afternoon session.
Lower Auchreddachie. Another nice cast and a pool with good depth to hold fish.
As the river was sitting at a good height, the whole beat was fishable so Paul and I decided to head up to Beat 4. Lower Auchreddachie is a pool I am very fond of so we opted to have a run through there first before fishing any other part of the beat. There is nice depth to this pool on the far bank and I was fortunate enough to land a nice springer from here a couple of years ago. We both fished through the pool with out an offer but there were a few big brown trout showing as we made our way down. Just a pity I never had the #5 rod with me.
Fishing down the Bridge Pool in the afternoon.
Following Paul down the Bridge Pool.
The Bridge Pool is another good bit of water that would hold fish and we made sure we covered the whole pool from top to bottom. Again, as tempting as it looked we just couldn't get a salmon to take our offerings but a couple of brown trout were greedy enough to take my fly and Paul landed one too.
Bill Cooks' second fish of the day from the Dam pool.
On our way down to the lower part of the beat we came across Bill who was fishing the Dam pool and he informed us that he managed to winkle out another Don springer just minutes before we arrived. This was excellent news and spurred us on for a final push before calling it a day.
Paul keeping a low profile whilst fishing down the Middle Deepstane pool.
After fishing down the Bridge Pool without success Paul and I decide to head back down river to have a go in the Deepstane Pools from the North bank this time. As Mel and Dave were fishing the Upper Deepstane we began in the Middle Deepstane. All three Deepstane pools are classic middle to upper Don pools and are all capable of yielding fish on their day as Bill proved earlier. We were both optimistic that we would be covering fish and we made sure we covered the pool as best we could but like the rest of the day, our efforts went unrewarded.
Bill Cook pondering a fly change. Bill managed to land 2 springers for his day. fantastic fishing on the Don at anytime of the year but extra special during the Spring months.
Upper Deepstane from the left bank in the afternoon.
Time got the better of us after fishing the Upper Deepstane but Mel did see a nice fish head and tail in the pool before we fished it but it was long gone by the time we covered it. There was to be no further action for any of us in the early evening so we called it a day around 7pm and headed back to the cars to pack up.
It was another great Forum meet and all the rods had a good time and i was great to see the River Don giving up her bounty once again during the Spring. Spring fish on the Don are scarce and to get two in a day is good going and Bill was in the right place, at the right times to grass a couple of lovely fish. We will look forward to heading back there again next year and fingers crossed we get conditions like we had for our day this year.
Finally, I would just like to thank Sandra who works in the estate office for all her help in organising the day and to Lord and Lady Forbes for once again, providing us with the office to have our lunch in. It really is appreciated from not only myself, but from all the lads who come along to this day. It makes it all the more enjoyable and we will be back again soon for another crack at the Don springers.
After fishing Tulchan back in February as part of Ian Gordon's group I was keen to return and organised a day with some pals, Bill Cook and Andy MacLennan. We managed to book 8 rods on beats B and C. These rods were taken by some more good friends and we made a day of it. The anticipation began with numerous messages and texts during the run up to or day on the 9th April and we were all really excited about the prospect of fishing the water at Tulchan during a good time in the Spring.
Charlie with his first ever River Spey springer.
Charlie with his second springer of the day.
We arrived at the magnificent hut on beat C to be greeted by ghillie, Lawrence de Rosa. After a chat about tactics and previous catches etc if was time to get the gear set up and out on the river. The river was sitting at 1ft on the gauge and was running off after a rise earlier on in the week. The colour was ideal and fish were caught in steady numbers from all beat during the week.
The magnificent fishing hut at Tulchan C
The interior of the main hut on Tulchan C.
Charlie and I raring to go.
I was to fish with my good pal Charlie and we were allocated the pool at the top of the beat called Speanoch. Speanoch is shared in rotation with B beat and it was a fantastic looking pool. Lawrence suggested we fish it off the north bank first then cross the river and have another run through from the opposite side. This is what we did and the pool was a delight to fish at the height we had. Charlie and I both fished through the pool but we couldn't believe we never had a touch as it looked so fishy.
Charlie putting out a nice long line in Speanoch.
Looking down onto Speanoch from the high bank on the South side of the river.
We made our way across the river and started again at the top of the pool from the south bank. I opted to start at the top of the pool this time and Charlie went in 30 yards below me. Just about half way down the pool a good fish showed mid stream which spurred us on. No sooner had we got to the area where the fish showed, Charlie had a lovely take from a fish and lifted into it. The fish was dogged and tried to stay deep. Chalrie soon had the fish under his control though and I was delighted to do the honours of slipping the net underneath it to land Charlie's first ever Spey springer. A cracking fish of around 7lb was unable to resist Charlie's home time Cascade variant.l. The sea lice wasn't long off the fish either. After a few photos it was sent on it's way to carry on it's journey up river to where ever it may be heading. It was great to see a fish in the net and it gave us hope there would be one or two more around. We fished on through the rest of the pool without a touch but we did see a couple of fish head and tail in the pool but it looked as though they were running hard. It was now time for lunch so we made our way back to the hut and with the good news of landing a fish.
Charlie and I fishing down the Speanoch shortly before Charlie struck "silver".
Safely in the net. Charlie with his first ever Spey springer.
Not only did Charlie catch 2 fish for his day, he also landed a fresh water pearl mussel!
Lunch time was a good laugh and it was great to catch up with the other lads Philip Black, Andy Pelc, Alan Mowat, Mel McDonald. The conversation never strays far for fishing when we get together but that's how we like it. Charlie's fish was toasted with a nice dram of 12 year old Aberlour and we all hoped we would be toasting a few more fish in the afternoon too.
Looking downstream at the top of the Tulchan Pool.
Looking upstream in the Tulchan Pool where the Tulchan burn enters the Spey.
Charlie and I were to fish the Tulchan pool and the pool below, Dunbar. This was another lovely stretch of water and Philip and Bill had seen a few fish showing in here during the morning session. The pool was ideal for the Sunray Shadow but with the water still on the cold side we were unsure whether the fish would move to a stripped fly. We stuck with it though and about half way down the pool I looked up to see a good fish rising clean out the water just opposite where Charlie was standing. It turned out to be attached to his fly and he was bent into a strong fighting fish. I quickly wound in and grabbed the net from the bank and made my way down to assist. The fish was boring deep and trying hard to shake the hook but Charlie played it well and I slid the net under the lightly hooked fish much to our relief. It was another spit fresh fish of around 6lb and again, the lice couldn't have been long off it. Charlie was delighted and not only had he caught his first Spey springer in the morning, he had doubled his tally and now had his second! After posing for a quick photo we released the fish to continue it's journey. I went back up to finish fishing the pool but as I got myself into the area where Charlie landed his fish earlier on, there was an almighty bang and my rod had snapped just above the joint on the middle section! My trusty old Vision GT4 Catapult had given up the ghost after a good innings of around 9 years. I was eager to see if another fish was around to a quickly set up my other rod and finished fishing the pool. Sadly it was all in vain as I never had an offer but you were just waiting for the line to go tight at every cast.
Looking down the Tulchan Pool into Dunbar..
Charlie playing his second fish of the day.
Looking up Tulchan Pool just before calling it a day at 5pm.
Fishing finishes at 5pm on a Saturday at Tulchan Estate so we all made our way back to the hut to reflect on what was a great day in great company. Charlie finished top rod with 2 fish and we were surprised to hear he was the only one who managed to land a salmon. There was a sea trout caught by Mel and Andy MacLennan lost a good fish on B beat and also landed 2 kelts. All in all it was a good day given it was still early in the season for Tulchan to produce good numbers of fish.We all went our separate ways and we headed off down the road satisfied with the fact we covered the water well and managed to get 2 fish in the book to add to their weekly tally.
