Last cast – 2014 reflections
As the curtain has now closed on another season, we thought it would be good to look back on what has been a tough year for many anglers. We have kept a fishing log, which we complete each time we go salmon fishing and thought it would be nice to reflect on the 2014 season.
Over the course of the 2014 season, we fished far and wide, from the Wick and Thurso rivers in the North to the River Tweed in the south. We also fished on a number new beats. In total we had 59 rod days and landed 23 salmon and 3 sea trout. We fished hard throughout the season and like many anglers had to contend with difficult conditions. The highlight of the year came in October when my wife landed her fist salmon on the fly, on the River Alness. She had only just taken up fly fishing a few months prior to this.
Spring 2014
Spring in 2014 was very mild and dominated by high water. It had been a very wet winter and above 2000ft the rain fell as snow. There was a lot of snow in the Scottish mountains. Through January and February heavy rain combined with melting snow resulted in persistently high water levels. This meant that the fish were running hard through most of the lower beats on many rivers.
My wife and I started our season on the 18th of January on the Fishponds beat of the River Tay. Our good friend Tom Davies, Head Ghillie on the Lower Birgham beat on the River Tweed joined us. The water was very high and coloured and unfortunately we only managed one kelt for the day. We fished a number of days on the Tay through January and February. We fished the Newtyle and Dunkeld House beats regularly. Due to the high water conditions we did most of our fishing, harling from the boat. We caught a number of kelts. On the 10th of February whilst harling the Ivy Tree pool on the Dunkeld house beat, my wife‘s rod buckled around in the rod holder. The fish tore off downstream. During the long fight we did not see the fish. Unfortunately the fish got snagged behind a group of boulders at the tail of the pool and the line broke. Was it a springer? We will never know.
Harling in the spring on the Dunkeld House beat
At the beginning of March a good friend and I fished Loch Tay. This was a first for me. Loch Tay had been fishing very well through the early part of the season due to the high water and mild conditions. The scenery was stunning and it was a great day. Unfortunately the quest for a spring salmon went on. We did a lot of fishing throughout the month of March. We had three days on the River Tweed on the Lower Birgham and Upper North Wark beats. In addition to this we fished the fantastic Cairnton beat on the River Dee and also continued to fish the Tay regularly at Kercock and Fishponds. It did not seem to matter which river we fished, the result was always the same. We finished March in round figures, zero. Surely April would bring us some success.
Cairnton on the River Dee
We fished five days in April. We fished on the Taymount beat on the River Tay, where we saw plenty of fresh fish. There was a number of fish caught that day. Unfortunately we did not even get an offer. We also had a few days on the Tay at Newtyle and Kercock. The prolonged high water did not suit the middle Tay beats in the spring. Well, that was our excuse anyway! So April was also a blank month for us. I had forgotten what a salmon looked like and my wife was thinking about taking up golf!
In early May we went back down to fish the River Tweed at Lower Birgham for two days. The water was high and most of the fish being caught that week were around the Kelso area. We saw very few fish. It was as if the fish were getting picked by taxi in Coldstream and then being dropped off in Kelso. However on the second day just before lunch, I hooked a springer on a Vision110 lure. The take was savage and nearly ripped the rod right out of my hand. The fish put up a really good fight with some deep surging runs downstream. Eventually the seven pounds sea liced fish was expertly netted by ghillie Ryan Morrison. As soon as the fish was in the net the hook fell out, so it was landed just in time. We were finally of the mark, but it had taken almost four months!
The first of the season.... finally!
The following week we fished at Upper Arndilly on the River Spey. This beat has some fantastic fly water. It was truly a joy to fish. We saw fish in every pool and many of these fish were clean. It was at the end of the day when the line finally tightened and I landed a nice fresh eight pound spring salmon on the fly. We had waited four months to catch a salmon and then had two in three days.
Water levels on many rivers began to recede through May. The weather became drier and the snow on the tops of the mountains was melting fast. May continued to be productive for us. In mid-May I had a nice seven pounder from the Cotter Pool on the Newtyle beat of the River Tay. A few days later my wife had a cracking ten pound fresh fish on a pink and pearly Kynoch, whilst trolling on Loch Faskally. It was my wife’s first fish of the season and she was mightily relieved. Now she would not have to take up golf! She quickly followed her fish from Loch Faskally with another form the Dalmarnock beat on the River Tay five days later. My wife was now on roll!
Summer 2014
June started off much drier and warmer. River levels continued to drop. In early June we went up to the Highlands to fish the Wick and Thurso rivers. I fished both these rivers regularly as a boy, so it was great having a trip down memory lane. We also fished for a week on the beautiful River Lyon in Perthshire. The water was low but there were a few fish showing in the pools. We finished the week empty handed, but this did not matter as the scenery in Glen Lyon was breath-taking.
The stunning River Lyon
In July we continued fishing on the Tay. We fished on the Newtyle and Kercock beats. There were very few grilse around and the summer salmon were even rarer. Water temperatures soared which made for very poor fishing conditions. Most rivers around Scotland had shrunken in size due to the intense heat. Like June, July was also a blank month for us.
In August water levels remained close to summer level; however the temperature did begin to drop slightly. During the early part of the month we fished on the River Tay at Newtyle and Waulkmill. I had a good day at Waulkmill landing three salmon of which two were sea liced. It had been my best day of the season to date. There were a few fish beginning to show on the Lower Tay in late August.
Later in month we travelled up to fish the River Spey on the Ballindalloch beat. The Ballindalloch beat is a fantastic beat with great fly water. My wife hooked into her first salmon on the fly within five minutes of starting, on the first day. She thought that fly fishing for salmon was easy, until after a twenty minute fight, the fish decided to run towards the tail of the pool and say goodbye. My wife lost a further fish in the afternoon. Unfortunately there was heavy overnight rain and we had to contend with a rising river the following day. By lunchtime the river was running high and coloured and we decided to have an early finish. We had a great couple of days and are looking forward to fishing at Ballindalloch again next year.
My wife playing her salmon on Ballindalloch
Autumn 2014
The low water continued through September. However this did not stop my wife from having a few good days. On the River Tay we fished on the Lower Kinnaird beat. This is a beat that we have fished for a number of years. By midday, my wife had landed two salmon, one of which was sixteen pounds. I only managed a small grilse of about four pounds. All the fish were caught from the magnificent Ash Trees pool, a real favourite of mine. It was a truly magical autumn morning.
Returning the sixteen pounder at Lower Kinnaird
We also fished the River South Esk in September at Finavon Castle. The Finavon Castle beats have some lovely pools and we saw plenty of fish. Unfortunately the water was low and conditions bright which made it a bit of an uphill task. Nonetheless we enjoyed our day.
At the beginning of October we had some rain. By now it was clear that it had been a difficult season for most rivers in Scotland. In spite of the prolonged low water conditions, there were very few reports of estuaries full of fresh salmon waiting to run the rivers. This proved to be the case as when the rain came, the fish did not follow. After a poor grilse run, the autumn run was not much better. However we did manage to have some success in October.
Through the early part of the month we fished on the River Tay at Kercock and also at Benchil and Pitlochrie. We had three fish at Kercock, including a cracking eighteen pounder caught by my wife in the Dungeon Pool on a Vision110. The fish gave a great fight which lasted nearly twenty minutes. A few days later we had two days fishing at Benchil and Pitlochrie. We managed four salmon for our two days, which was reasonable, considering we had a rising coloured water to contend with on the first day. I managed to catch an eighteen pounder on a Vision110, as well as two fish on the fly and my wife also managed to catch fish on a Vision110.
My wife's eighteen pounder from the Kercock beat
From mid-October the heavens opened. The rain was relentless with a number of low pressure systems coming in off the Atlantic, producing heavy rain and strong winds. River levels were regularly high and the water often coloured. It was so ironic as all summer we were desperate for rain and finally when it came, it never stopped. In the middle of October we fished on both the Tay and Tweed. We fished on the Dalmarnock beat, on a day where the river was rising and colouring fast. We also had a day on the Newtyle beat where my wife landed a nice seven pound cock fish, whilst harling from the boat.
On the River Tweed I had a great day on the Tweedswood beat. There had been a lull in the bad weather for a few days and the Tweed was dropping to a nice height. I ended up with two fresh salmon and a six pound sea trout for the day. The take from the sea trout was one of the best takes I have ever had from any fish. I caught all the fish on fly tied by my good friend who is a ghillie on the Thurso river.
A nice autumn fish from the Tweedswood beat
At the end of October my wife and I went up to fish the River Alness for two days. I have fished the Alness for a number of years with friends, but it was my wife’s first time. We stayed in a delightful cottage on the Novar Estate. We saw fish in all the pools and had a great time. I managed to land a small fish on the first day after my wife had lost one. On the second day my wife caught her first salmon on the fly and she was mightily relieved as it had been a long time since the Spey! She then went on to lose two other fish. I have to hold my hands up, as I was responsible for one of those lost fish. I had changed my wife’s fly and after playing a powerful fish for around ten minutes, she lost it. On inspection of the terminal tackle the fly was gone, with just a curly end of nylon, where the knot had slipped left. Not good on my part!
My wife's first salmon on the fly...small fish, but big smile!
November started in a similar vain to October weather wise, mild and wet. In the middle of the month I had one days fishing on the Haystouns beat on the Upper Tweed with my good friend and Head Ghillie on the Kercock beat Gary Harkin. I had fished this beat as boy and really enjoyed it. We saw fish in most of the pools. Unfortunately the Tweed was running high and coloured. Conditions improved through the course of the afternoon and were perfect as the last of the light was fading. It was one of those times where you could have just done with an extra couple of hours day light.
Our last outing of the year was again on the River Tweed in the last week of November. We had booked to fish the Lower Dryburgh beat. It was a great day out, fishing a new beat. We saw a few fish in the pools. I ended up losing a small fish at the net in the afternoon, but that did not matter. It was the perfect end to a difficult season.
All in all, 2014 was a difficult season. We started and finished the year with high water and in between we got a drought. On most rivers catches were down, with a poor grilse and autumn run. My wife was over the moon with her first salmon on the fly and she has not stopped smiling since the last week of October!
Looking ahead, hopefully things will get better next year. Somewhere in the North Atlantic next season’s spring fish are heading fast towards our rivers right now. Let’s hope they arrive in abundance so we can all enjoy a more productive 2015.