S
Sandy Howie
Guest
Good afternoon everyone
Another week has disappeared and we are down to the final two week ahead of us.
The countryside is starting to see a change as we edge closer to autumn, the hedgerows are starting to change colour, the mornings have definitely turned colder and the grass is seeing some heavy dew each day. The garden is in its final throws of summer colour and the tomatoes are taking longer to ripen in the greenhouse.
As I reported last week there was an incident of a number of dead fish appearing from Ballindalloch downstream last weekend. At first this was put down to adverse weather conditions but he situation quickly changed as we went into the early part of the week. The number of adult salmon and seatrout found dead reached the fifty mark but we do not know the impact on juvenile fish or indeed the river population of brown trout. The situation became somewhat more grave when it transpired that a child and some dogs had become ill when swimming in the river.
The people from SEPA have been out on the river but to date and found nothing that would indicate and sort of spill or similar incident but I suppose if this was after the rise on Monday any toxins in the water would have been diluted and washed away.
Samples of the dead fish have been taken away for analysis so we await the outcome of that.
It has been a bad enough season without an incident like this happening, as the fish continue to run the river and prepare for this seasons spawning activity and we can only but hope that this incident does not have a big impact on breeding.
Right lets see how its been on the river, but given the time of year outcomes may be somewhat predictable.
Up river, Grantown Water finished their week with 4 fish.
At Castle Grant, Simon Crozier advises of another week gone. The rise at the start of the week failed to stir things up and taking fish were hard to come by , things did improve in the later half of the week across the beats with fish lost and landed. We hope this continues into next week.
As we go down the river there is very little activity to report with fish being difficult to tempt.
Kinermony landed a single coloured fish to the rod of Craig Masson.
Aberlour Angling Club advise that they had a number of visiting anglers on the water but nothing to report for the fishing effort.
At Upper Arndilly, Les Tyson reports some good sport considering the fish are a little shy.
Monday rising water, Martin lost one at last light. On Tuesday a 9lb hen in Upper Dips followed by a 6lb in Lower Dips.A couple of other hook ups. A grilse on Wednesday at about lunchtime in Lower Dips. Thursday not a tail to be seen. Friday 2 grilse from Lower Dips in the morning. Friday last light a grilse from Upper Dips.
We had a couple of fish had a go at the hitch on Saturday but they weren’t committed.
All coloured fish and challenging fishing but we stuck at it and did pretty well considering, with 6 fish landed.
An autumn fish from Upper Dips
Robbie Stronach at Rothes and Aikenway reports a solitary fish for their week.
Down at Delfur, Mark Melville reports , a 6 “ rise Monday night and a frost on Wednesday night still didn’t really switch the fish back on last week.
We had a blank two days and then had a very welcome first ever fish for Josh Edwards late on the Wednesday afternoon with Michael Dean catching a fish in the evening . Laura Barnes who was top rod caught two on Thursday with her husband Jack catching a nice 14lb fish on Friday.
Another first ever fish was landed for Rory Horgan at 11lb in Broom on Friday afternoon. Saturday was fished hard again by all but with no luck.
Rory Horgan with his first ever fish in Broom
Michael Dean with his croc
Laura Barnes with her fish in Collie
Josh Edwards with his first ever fish, 10lbs Hollenbush
Jack Barnes with his fish, 14lbs in Beaufort
Orton had a very quiet week with nothing to report.
David Buley at Gordon Castle/Brae Water reports another tough week with very few fish landed. The change in water temperature and the rise, early week didn’t come to anything unfortunately.
Finally Fochabers Angling Association contact Andy Milne advises that they were very lightly fished but managed 2 grilse, one of which was sea liced and the other was fresh too. A seal was spotted too on Monday heading downstream.
The shortness of this weeks report is in no way a surprise given the conditions and time of year and the “switch off” of the fish has been evident for the last few years when we reach this final month, even when conditions may be ideal.
The week ahead will se a bit more in the way of rain and a cooler feel so we might see more activity towards the end of the week and into the final week before we sign off for 2023.
Tight lines to those that are out there persevering.
Sandy
Continue reading...
Another week has disappeared and we are down to the final two week ahead of us.
The countryside is starting to see a change as we edge closer to autumn, the hedgerows are starting to change colour, the mornings have definitely turned colder and the grass is seeing some heavy dew each day. The garden is in its final throws of summer colour and the tomatoes are taking longer to ripen in the greenhouse.
As I reported last week there was an incident of a number of dead fish appearing from Ballindalloch downstream last weekend. At first this was put down to adverse weather conditions but he situation quickly changed as we went into the early part of the week. The number of adult salmon and seatrout found dead reached the fifty mark but we do not know the impact on juvenile fish or indeed the river population of brown trout. The situation became somewhat more grave when it transpired that a child and some dogs had become ill when swimming in the river.
The people from SEPA have been out on the river but to date and found nothing that would indicate and sort of spill or similar incident but I suppose if this was after the rise on Monday any toxins in the water would have been diluted and washed away.
Samples of the dead fish have been taken away for analysis so we await the outcome of that.
It has been a bad enough season without an incident like this happening, as the fish continue to run the river and prepare for this seasons spawning activity and we can only but hope that this incident does not have a big impact on breeding.
Right lets see how its been on the river, but given the time of year outcomes may be somewhat predictable.
Up river, Grantown Water finished their week with 4 fish.
At Castle Grant, Simon Crozier advises of another week gone. The rise at the start of the week failed to stir things up and taking fish were hard to come by , things did improve in the later half of the week across the beats with fish lost and landed. We hope this continues into next week.
As we go down the river there is very little activity to report with fish being difficult to tempt.
Kinermony landed a single coloured fish to the rod of Craig Masson.
Aberlour Angling Club advise that they had a number of visiting anglers on the water but nothing to report for the fishing effort.
At Upper Arndilly, Les Tyson reports some good sport considering the fish are a little shy.
Monday rising water, Martin lost one at last light. On Tuesday a 9lb hen in Upper Dips followed by a 6lb in Lower Dips.A couple of other hook ups. A grilse on Wednesday at about lunchtime in Lower Dips. Thursday not a tail to be seen. Friday 2 grilse from Lower Dips in the morning. Friday last light a grilse from Upper Dips.
We had a couple of fish had a go at the hitch on Saturday but they weren’t committed.
All coloured fish and challenging fishing but we stuck at it and did pretty well considering, with 6 fish landed.
An autumn fish from Upper Dips
Robbie Stronach at Rothes and Aikenway reports a solitary fish for their week.
Down at Delfur, Mark Melville reports , a 6 “ rise Monday night and a frost on Wednesday night still didn’t really switch the fish back on last week.
We had a blank two days and then had a very welcome first ever fish for Josh Edwards late on the Wednesday afternoon with Michael Dean catching a fish in the evening . Laura Barnes who was top rod caught two on Thursday with her husband Jack catching a nice 14lb fish on Friday.
Another first ever fish was landed for Rory Horgan at 11lb in Broom on Friday afternoon. Saturday was fished hard again by all but with no luck.
Rory Horgan with his first ever fish in Broom
Michael Dean with his croc
Laura Barnes with her fish in Collie
Josh Edwards with his first ever fish, 10lbs Hollenbush
Jack Barnes with his fish, 14lbs in Beaufort
Orton had a very quiet week with nothing to report.
David Buley at Gordon Castle/Brae Water reports another tough week with very few fish landed. The change in water temperature and the rise, early week didn’t come to anything unfortunately.
Finally Fochabers Angling Association contact Andy Milne advises that they were very lightly fished but managed 2 grilse, one of which was sea liced and the other was fresh too. A seal was spotted too on Monday heading downstream.
The shortness of this weeks report is in no way a surprise given the conditions and time of year and the “switch off” of the fish has been evident for the last few years when we reach this final month, even when conditions may be ideal.
The week ahead will se a bit more in the way of rain and a cooler feel so we might see more activity towards the end of the week and into the final week before we sign off for 2023.
Tight lines to those that are out there persevering.
Sandy
Continue reading...