Friday 31 May 2019

May Paves the Way

A well earned Brown for Charles
Although very inconsistent in terms of the weather, May, (as per usual) didn't disappoint, and given that the trout were difficult to tempt at times, especially when some good fish were obviously in attendance visually, we certainly had several sessions where they did oblige, especially when fishing the dry fly, which is always an exciting prospect.

Another on the Dry
It was noticeable that the trout were at their most indecisive when the weather coincided with the colder winds on the surface, which often seemed to curtail the insect life and put the fish down. During these periods the gold head nymphs were more effective, searching the nooks and cranny's of the sub surface areas where the trout were tucked away. The goldheads saved the day on a few occasions throughout the month, but as soon as we saw any hint of surface activity, albeit for short intervals, on several occasions, we generally managed to achieve some kind of interest to the dry fly, which was very satisfying!

Brown trout to Richards Dry
That said, during the slightly warmer periods, as the wind calmed down, there were more obvious signs of potential dry fly opportunities with a variety of Upwings on the water. Earlier in the month we saw a few Iron Blues and then as the month progressed we saw more Olive Uprights, and often encountered several very noticeable Large Brook Duns sailing past as we covered the rising fish. In addition to these Upwinged flies, we did witness a good smattering of Sedges (Caddis Flies) from time to time too.

Mike with one on the Goldhead Nymph
Salmon continued to be caught in the early part of the month too, especially on the lower river, (as before) but as the water levels continuously dropped away they became much more difficult to catch, and even though we were still seeing fish in the beats, it was obvious that they were becoming more and more agitated as they await fresh water entering the system to get them going again.

Back to a dry for Steve
However, we did get a lift of water at the end of May, but nowhere near enough to get the salmon interested again, in fact, because of the extended period of low water we have experienced, this small rise simply lifted the algae and weed from the rocks that had accumulated there as a result of this and suspended it in mid water, thus propelling it downstream and causing a couple of days of very difficult salmon fishing on the fly. 

"A good lift of water would be very welcome now to flush the river through and help improve the salmon fishing as we move into June".

Bluebells along the River Bank
On the up side, if you like fishing in beautiful surroundings, this longer, slightly cooler period, has most certainly encouraged the Bluebells to stick around for a bit longer this year, and whilst we have been enjoying some good trout fishing there has also been some amazing views along the riverbanks as a result of this as this years Bluebells have really taken hold. Great to see and always a bonus!

Borderlines Day
Some very enjoyable Borderlines days with the kids this month too, including a few school classroom sessions exploring the history of angling (amongst other things) and how we came to be using the equipment we are using today. However, the highlight of this months youth sessions has been the Rainbow trout fishing on a new Stillwater venue, specifically donated to us by the Buccleuch Estates in SW Scotland for the benefit of the youngsters we are introducing to angling and the environment. A big thank you to Buccleuch Estates!

Finally, here's hoping we get the opportunity (conditions permitting) to do a bit of Sea trout fishing at night this year, during the months of June and July, which is always something that can get the heart pumping, especially if these hard fighting fish decide to give us some exciting sport.