Post by speyvalley on Mar 25, 2008 21:17:07 GMT
I was lucky enough to get a days fishing on the Spey yesterday,for once the weather forecast was spot on,heavy snow showers with strong northerly winds.
I geared up with the "Brass Monkey" clothing just in case,the roads were pretty good up to Grantown then you wished you had any kind of "Banger" Blue or Green ,as the old saying goes "Ma erse wis makin buttons" ;D
Getting to the beat in the morning was rather tricky,as the Arctic blast had turned every back road from "Cheeez Nooos" to the fishing into icy ruts.
The River was at 1 foot on the gauge with a water temp of 39 degrees,I was very encouraged by the Ghillies optimism that fish were on the go and the whole system had a very reasonable score for the previous week,I was trying out some new 4 piece rods so the set up was the Carron Intermediate fast sinking polyleader and a Brass Willie Gunn.
I was allocated the bottom pools of the beat for the morning,as I had just driven past them on the way to the fishing I knew I hadn't a chance with the car of getting near them.So as much as it pained me I had to ask a certain "70s Glam Rocker" to borrow the "Blue Banger,"I remember the days when I was a foot taller than him,but when you have to look up at him and ask for the keys of the "Banger"its no handy
A former member of the Glitter band possibly,or Eltons sidekick?
The day was bitterly cold the car outside temp read -2 degrees with a significant wind chill straight out the North ,but I was very optimistic that there was a good chance of a fish as the pools were fishing beautifully not to fast,ideal Spring fly water.
Fanmore in between the whiteouts
Looking upstream towards Hunters
Tackle for the day
Old faithful
I was working my way happily down through the pool,when I started struggling badly with the casting,I wondered if it was the wind that was making it difficult or just bad timing,I quickly realised on the next cast what the problem was
handbrake on!!
The log fire and a bowl of soup in the hut sounded like heaven by the time I had defrosted the rod rings and my fingers.I arrived at the hut to see a huddle of rods looking at a cracking photograph of a 10lb deep fish which was caught and returned at 12 noon by one of the other rods in the Churchyard pool,very encouraging as the overhead weather conditions were less than perfect in the morning.
Churchyard Pool
Some nice trophies in the hut
We changed over to the top beats after lunch the wind was even stronger and every 15 minutes the rod had to be de-iced,a good pull from a fish and the reel spoke quietly a crazy fish has taken the fly,unlucky for me it was last years model quickly released into the icy water,just after that word came to me from the Ghillie that another fish of around 8lbs had been taken from the Wood Pool during a very heavy snow shower.This to me proves that all the theories about air temp vs water temp, to cold to windy etc dont mean too much,if the fish wants it hold on tight ;D
2 fresh Spring Salmon on what can only be described as an attrocious day on Speyside is pretty good going,so all you guys who have got fishing booked on the Spey the prospects look pretty reasonable.
Whiteout at 2pm
Look out the thermals if you are fishing soon ;D
James Chalmers
I geared up with the "Brass Monkey" clothing just in case,the roads were pretty good up to Grantown then you wished you had any kind of "Banger" Blue or Green ,as the old saying goes "Ma erse wis makin buttons" ;D
Getting to the beat in the morning was rather tricky,as the Arctic blast had turned every back road from "Cheeez Nooos" to the fishing into icy ruts.
The River was at 1 foot on the gauge with a water temp of 39 degrees,I was very encouraged by the Ghillies optimism that fish were on the go and the whole system had a very reasonable score for the previous week,I was trying out some new 4 piece rods so the set up was the Carron Intermediate fast sinking polyleader and a Brass Willie Gunn.
I was allocated the bottom pools of the beat for the morning,as I had just driven past them on the way to the fishing I knew I hadn't a chance with the car of getting near them.So as much as it pained me I had to ask a certain "70s Glam Rocker" to borrow the "Blue Banger,"I remember the days when I was a foot taller than him,but when you have to look up at him and ask for the keys of the "Banger"its no handy
A former member of the Glitter band possibly,or Eltons sidekick?
The day was bitterly cold the car outside temp read -2 degrees with a significant wind chill straight out the North ,but I was very optimistic that there was a good chance of a fish as the pools were fishing beautifully not to fast,ideal Spring fly water.
Fanmore in between the whiteouts
Looking upstream towards Hunters
Tackle for the day
Old faithful
I was working my way happily down through the pool,when I started struggling badly with the casting,I wondered if it was the wind that was making it difficult or just bad timing,I quickly realised on the next cast what the problem was
handbrake on!!
The log fire and a bowl of soup in the hut sounded like heaven by the time I had defrosted the rod rings and my fingers.I arrived at the hut to see a huddle of rods looking at a cracking photograph of a 10lb deep fish which was caught and returned at 12 noon by one of the other rods in the Churchyard pool,very encouraging as the overhead weather conditions were less than perfect in the morning.
Churchyard Pool
Some nice trophies in the hut
We changed over to the top beats after lunch the wind was even stronger and every 15 minutes the rod had to be de-iced,a good pull from a fish and the reel spoke quietly a crazy fish has taken the fly,unlucky for me it was last years model quickly released into the icy water,just after that word came to me from the Ghillie that another fish of around 8lbs had been taken from the Wood Pool during a very heavy snow shower.This to me proves that all the theories about air temp vs water temp, to cold to windy etc dont mean too much,if the fish wants it hold on tight ;D
2 fresh Spring Salmon on what can only be described as an attrocious day on Speyside is pretty good going,so all you guys who have got fishing booked on the Spey the prospects look pretty reasonable.
Whiteout at 2pm
Look out the thermals if you are fishing soon ;D
James Chalmers