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Post by Tyne Angler on Jan 30, 2008 14:13:19 GMT
I’m heading up to the Spey at the end of May for a week at Grantown. During this week I’m hoping to have a crack at night time fishing for sea trout (depending on conditions). I have an idea which pools are the most productive for salmon based on last seasons catches but I have no idea what the best area’s / tactic’s are for the sea trout.
Any advise would be much appreciated.
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Post by sinkingtip on Jan 30, 2008 14:50:24 GMT
Hi Tangler - don't know the Grantown water but I would imagine that there are a few here do.
You will probably find that your salmon pool's also contain the 'silver ghosts' albeit in the quiet glides and tails. Local knowledge is definitely your best bet - regional variations and all that. Tactics ? - 11' single hander , full floater or slow sink tip, one flee (silver stoat or silver blue variant), 6/8lb leader and gently "wang it oot" and carefully "let it come roond". Keep yer rod point a tad lower than normal and avoid, if possible, false casting. Sorry I cant be anymore help on the 'specifics' than that. STip
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Post by Tyne Angler on Jan 31, 2008 11:21:24 GMT
Hi Tangler - don't know the Grantown water but I would imagine that there are a few here do. You will probably find that your salmon pool's also contain the 'silver ghosts' albeit in the quiet glides and tails. Local knowledge is definitely your best bet - regional variations and all that. Tactics ? - 11' single hander , full floater or slow sink tip, one flee (silver stoat or silver blue variant), 6/8lb leader and gently "wang it oot" and carefully "let it come roond". Keep yer rod point a tad lower than normal and avoid, if possible, false casting. Sorry I cant be anymore help on the 'specifics' than that. STip STip Thanks for the reply. Any reason why you would use an 11' single hander rather than a shorter rod?
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Post by sinkingtip on Jan 31, 2008 12:34:52 GMT
Hi Tangler - don't know the Grantown water but I would imagine that there are a few here do. You will probably find that your salmon pool's also contain the 'silver ghosts' albeit in the quiet glides and tails. Local knowledge is definitely your best bet - regional variations and all that. Tactics ? - 11' single hander , full floater or slow sink tip, one flee (silver stoat or silver blue variant), 6/8lb leader and gently "wang it oot" and carefully "let it come roond". Keep yer rod point a tad lower than normal and avoid, if possible, false casting. Sorry I cant be anymore help on the 'specifics' than that. STip STip Thanks for the reply. Any reason why you would use an 11' single hander rather than a shorter rod? None whatsoever TA - it is just my preferred choice of length - give or take a couple of inches. I use the 11' Hardy Sirrus which is rated a canny #6.
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Post by Tyne Angler on Jan 31, 2008 12:50:07 GMT
So I should be ok with a 9' 6" #7 Hardy Ultralite?
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Post by sinkingtip on Jan 31, 2008 13:03:10 GMT
Absolutely ! You will certainly get to 'feel' the fish ! Still hoping that some of the Spey guy's here will give you a bit of 'inside' or beat specific info.
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Post by John Gray on Jan 31, 2008 14:11:19 GMT
I am no expert on the Spey, or anywhere else for that matter, but I have fished the Grantown Association beat for a couple of seasons, the sea trout being my main quarry during the summer months. On the basis of my limited experience, if I was planning a visit to Grantown specifically for sea trout, I would choose a week between mid June and mid July, ideally the last two weeks in June. Having said that, there will, I think, be sea trout in the beat in late May. There should also be a decent number of salmon, so both species may be targeted. Both might, of course, be taken during the daytime. I rarely try for sea trout during daylight hours and would probably concentrate, in late May at Grantown, on the salmon, particularly if the river was running at 6 inches or more above summer level. I would also fish into the darkness, with a reasonable chance, I would hope, of a salmon or a sea trout. For sea trout specifically, I have heard that the rough water between the New Bridge and the Old Spey Bridge can be productive during the daytime. Being generally more keen on sea trout than salmon, if the river was running at less than 6 inches (ideally about 2 inches) on the gauge at the New Bridge, I would be tempted, even as early as late May, to fish through the night. I would begin well before dark, probably on the Lurg pool below the Old Bridge, hoping for a salmon or a sea trout in the top half of the pool. I would continue to fish this part of the pool as darkness fell, then fish down to the tail of the pool, where I would concentrate for a good part of the night on the sea trout, with a floating line if the night was mild and the river low, or with an intermediate or sink tip line if the night was cold or the river running at much more than a couple of inches. If there was no evidence of sea trout in the Lurg on the first night, I might try further upriver, around Auchernack, the next night. There are some nice pools for night fishing up there. I had a good couple of nights there last season in the third week of June. You can read about it on the following page: www.trout-salmon-fishing.com/spey-sea-trout.htmI might add that, because of the unreasonably high prices charged to visiting anglers on the Strathspey Angling Improvement Association water of the Spey at Grantown, I am unlikely to fish the beat again. The local angler, resident in Grantown, can buy a season permit for £210. A visiting angler will have to pay £45 per day or £185 per week or £565 per season. What this means, in effect, is that the visiting season permit holder must pay a surcharge of £355 in order to subsidise the local anglers, who generally fish more often, catch more fish and have much less to pay, in the way of associated costs, such as transport and accommodation, than the visiting angler. In the same way, the local anglers are subsidised heavily by those visiting anglers who buy day and weekly permits. The angling association insists that not only are the visiting anglers most welcome on their water but that they are, indeed, indispensable to the local economy...... at those prices, I cannot see how that would be in dispute. Now, while I fully appreciate the excellent work done by the office bearers, committee and members of the Strathspey Angling Improvement Association in making the fishing at Grantown available to ordinary people, I would suggest that those charged with the running of the association might usefully consider whether this is the best way to attract visitors to the town. The following is an extract from the association website: The Association came into being after the death of the Countess Dowager of Seafield when the Trustees of her will elected to change the fishing arrangements that had existed ‘since time immemorial’.
The Countess had expressed her wish on many occasions that the rights of local residents to fish for trout should be maintained. This privilege had become a keystone of the local economy attracting summer visitors to Grantown – on - Spey which had gained a reputation as an inland health resort.
A deputation of local figures approached the Trustees of the Seafield Estate seeking to add to the fishing, the right to fish for salmon on a more extensive stretch of the river Spey on the grounds that:
“Given the inducement of salmon and trout fishing on a good stretch of the river, they (the deputation) felt sure this would mean not only a bigger influx of visitors, but would tend to induce a better class of visitors” It would seem from this that the association, and the town, have always been keen to attract visitors, indeed that the very survival of the association may rely on the income from visiting anglers. I believe that, as a direct result of the unreasonably high price of visitor permits, there are far fewer anglers visiting Grantown now than in previous decades...... a fact which should come as no surprise to anyone. I simply cannot see the logic in asking a visitor to pay more than a local angler to fish the same water.
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Post by Tyne Angler on Jan 31, 2008 20:36:58 GMT
Thanks for all of that John. The salmon fishing is the main reason behind my trip but i'm looking forward to having a go at the Sea Trout even if it is a couple of weeks or so too early.
With regards to the pricing, it is a little disappointing that the visitor tickets are a lot more expensive than what the locals pay however the way I look at it is £190ish to fish the Spey for a week in late May is still good value.
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ar
Active Member
Posts: 15
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Post by ar on Feb 1, 2008 15:35:06 GMT
When I went to Grantown last May I got some very good advice from a local about sea trout pools. In addition to those mentioned by John (Lurg and "The Bends" at Auchernack), Long Pool (at the very bottom of their water) and Dulnain Mouth (near the very top) came highly recommended.
You lucky man. Wish I was back there this year.
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Post by Tyne Angler on Feb 1, 2008 15:48:01 GMT
When I went to Grantown last May I got some very good advice from a local about sea trout pools. In addition to those mentioned by John (Lurg and "The Bends" at Auchernack), Long Pool (at the very bottom of their water) and Dulnain Mouth (near the very top) came highly recommended. You lucky man. Wish I was back there this year. AR Thanks. How did you get on last year?
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ar
Active Member
Posts: 15
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Post by ar on Feb 1, 2008 17:04:29 GMT
We were there for 4 days in early May, just at the end of that very dry spell that we had last Spring. Rain came whilst we were there and up came the fish with it, running very hard with their heads down. Watching the fish jumkp every 50 yards as they swam hard upstream from the corner by the cemetry was an awesome sight. Just wished they'd hung around enough to look at a fly. Didn't touch a thing all the time and it was too early for the sea trout. I will be back for sure. Where are you staying?
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Post by Tyne Angler on Feb 1, 2008 17:14:54 GMT
I have a caravan booked at West Anagach which i'm told is a short walk from the upper Castle Grant pools.
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ar
Active Member
Posts: 15
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Post by ar on Feb 4, 2008 10:22:48 GMT
Ideal, a short walk to the Lurg and the Long Pool. I stayed in a house up by Auchernack burn but I think you're in a better spot for walking to the river.
Enjoy
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Post by Tyne Angler on Feb 4, 2008 12:24:34 GMT
AR
Thanks, I will post a report and photo's on here after my trip.
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