How do you tackle pools like these?

[builnacraig]

On the beat I fish on the River Ayr there is a lot of sandstone bedrock. As a result there are only a few pools with the classic run opening out into a pool then tail, that you often find in a gravel bed river. A lot of the pools are defined by the bedrock with deep channels, upwelling flows etc. I find these pools difficult to fish with the fly as a floating line gets dragged down and swept into eddies. I was fishing one of these pools yesterday with the usual frustration and feeling that I wasn't fishing very effectively. The photo below shows one of these pools, it doesn't to the situation justice, although it can be seen that my floating line has been dragged under.

On the right bank there is a shallow sandstone shelf which extends about halfway across. On this side there is a deep channel. The water is upwelling in front of the fallen tree and the fly line has been dragged down by the undertow. This pool is a well known spot for worming.
Has anyone got any advice for fishing this type of pool with fly? I figure a sinking line may be the answer and I will try that this week once the sinking shooting head I ordered arrives.

Builnacraig

[Speyducer]

Depends on where the fish lie...

It may be useful to try an inty line or a type 3 (or even type 6!)sinktip and a 'bouyant' light fly - that way, the fly will be sunk by the line, but then rise up with the upwellings and entice the fish just like a free-lined worm may do.

Such bouyant flies don't need to have deerhair in them, but perhaps marabou or other light & fluffy winging materials. Twitching or irregular fig 8 retrieve may also stimulate a pull.

It may be worth trying a plastic tubed collie dug or sunray as well, again with the 'sunk' and alternating slow & faster stripping between casts.

Mike

[dragonfly64]

Hi Bully, nice wee pool there on the Ayr...don't have much by way of advice for this type of water but I can only echo Speyducers comments on the sinking line floating/bouyant fly trick. Try it out with something like a 1 inch black&orange or Black&yellow tube. Also try putting a 5 foot floating poly leader onto the end of the sinking line with a short (4foot max) leader and a G.P. or similar tied on a light or low water hook. Tite lines, Shuggy

[builnacraig]

Thanks guys, that sounds like good advice. I will give it a go this week. Water will be perfect tomorrow and I am on holiday this week. ;D. There are plenty other wee pools or pots like that on the ayr and I intend to spend some time fishing all the out of the way places, once I have had a couple on the bank that is!

[sinkingtip]

Hi BNC - it looks remarkably like the Lower Kaimbridge on the Downiepark beat of the South Esk (see 13th pic down on my most recent post) - red sandstone ledge .... the lot.

Regarding your line being "dragged under" (and I know exactly what you mean), what I would advise is that you stick with the full floater (or sink tip) and employ a series of short mends in quick succession in order to control the line (or parts of it) before it has a chance to completely submerge in a snake-like manner.
Failing this, just "whang it oot and let it come roond".
regards
STip

[severnfisher]

My tuppence worth. could be completely wrong...

Most of my local river has features like this, but on a bigger scale.

I would have thought that the fish lie against the edge of the sandstone shelf and maybe even under it if it is undercut as they usually are. i.e in and towards the other side of the main current away from the upwelling.

If you can, fish it from the other bank and wade out on to the sandstone - go as far as you can, but try to stay upstream of the fish Using a sink tip and a heavy fly on the dropper, cast square and let it swing round and down, then work back against the edge of the drop off.

If you have to fish from that bank cast a long shallow angled line with the same set up, mend upstram like mad to try and keep the line from being sucked into the upwelling and work the fly back with a mix of tipping and fast FO8.

Tom

p.s.
How do the successful wormers fish it? You can learn from what they do.


pps
when fishing from that bank hold the rod out at 90 degrees to the bank, to aid keeping the line away from the upwelling, don't try to follow it round as you would usually.

[builnacraig]

Thanks for the advice. I can only fish from the left bank unfortunately otherwise I would be hanging the fly under the ledge. The worm fishers use bouncing weights to trot the worm along the deep channel where the fish pick up the worm as they are coming through.

The water was too big to try that pool today but I will try your tips asap.

Conditions were great this morning then the river started to rise and colour. However, I did manage to get one from the tail of one of the big pools on the beat. A nice wee grilse of about 4 1/2lb, complete with red vent and well rubbed underside.







The taking spot was in the extreme tail of this pool.


Builnacraig

[G Ritchie]

Well done, that is a good start to your week.

[fredo]

Glad to see you managed a fresh one!
Are the midgees bad in that jungle?
Its not often that anglers in the Hebrides are looking at the rest of Scotland wishing we had your river levels.
Bone dry here again with no prospect of rain this week.

[hf]

builnacraig... well done on getting the grilse. What are the chances the fly was a 'copper still' or a 'priest'?

cheers

hf

[severnfisher]

Nice to see you catching.

[robmason]

Well done! Something must be working!

I fish a couple of pools like that and find them very frustrating too. Recently I found that casting slightly upstream with a shortish line, letting the fly sink, then paying out line with a mend let it fish quite well through the channel. A floater was dragged down so I didn't resort to a sinking line.

I guess all these pools are going to be very individual and dependant on height also. Lots of trial and error.

[sinkingtip]

Yo BNC ! Well done that rod !

Not at all surprised that your fush took in the very extremities of the tail - a classic resting place when the water is 'up'.
Just out of interest, what is the water like below this particular pool tail ? ..... fast, boulder strewn and thin for a couple of hunner yards perhaps ?
If so, all the more reason to concentrate on the tail in this type of pool IMO.
Well done once more.
regards
STip

[builnacraig]

Cheers.

Tried there again this morning but no joy. ST, Just below the pool there is over 100m of fast flowing run. It is a good taking spot in high water, not worth a cast for salmon in low water, although a great place for trout on the dry fly in the evening and would surely have been a great sea trout pool back in the olden days.

I also made the long trek down to the pool referred to at the start of the thread. After a few casts I moved on to the next run and pool!
Why waste time on a Devil pool like that when there are other options below that are rarely fished from our bank.

The bottom pool is a real big awkward one with huge boils, eddies, overhanging trees, etc. It looks very fishy but next time I am taking the spinning rod!

[colin]

Hi Builnacraig,

Can I ask what beat this is?

Thanks

[builnacraig]

Hi Colin,

Stairaird (Left bank), or Tarbolton & Failford AC (right bank) at the lower end, private syndicate at the upper end.

Do you know the Ayr?

Builnacraig

[colin]

No I don't know the Ayr but I had a walk up some of the lower beats near Ayr itself last night as I'm staying here in a motor home on the caravan site.

I was hoping to get a days fishing today, but I know it could do with some extra water. I'm away to Game Sport now to ask what they think.

It looks nice where your fishing and that's a nice fish you had.