Top rod 26/3/17
Last week was a tale of two halves weather wise. The week started off on a cold, windy note with frequent sleet and snow showers affecting many parts of the country. There was some significant snowfall over the Scottish mountains, with accumulations at even lower levels during the middle of the week. The winds were also very strong across some parts of the country, which made fishing conditions far from ideal. Towards the end of the week high pressure built over much of Scotland leading to a lot of dry and bright weather with light winds. By the weekend, it felt spring like again across many areas as temperatures rose.
It felt spring like at the weekend
Looking ahead to next week, the fine settled weather is set to continue at the begining of next week as high pressure remains in charge. Monday and Tuesday will be mainly dry with varying amounts of cloud. Wednesday and Thursday will see a band of showery rain affecting central and southern parts of Scotland and this will move slowly north. The showery theme will continue into next weekend.
It was another promising week in terms of catches across Scotland. There were decent numbers of fish caught from rivers in the Highlands down to central Scotland and there does seem to be a sense of growing optimism amongst anglers and ghillies for the season ahead.
A Thurso river cracker!
Anglers on the Thurso enjoyed another productive week. At the beginning of the week, fishers had to contend with gale force winds and frequent sleet and snow showers, which made conditions far from ideal. As the week progressed, the weather got better and some nice fish were landed including one fish, which weighed well into the late twenties. As we move through March and into April catches on this prolific spring river should continue to build on what has been a promising start to the season. April and May are prime spring months on the river and hopefully, this year will be no exception. There are rods available on the Thurso river next week and with a settled weather forecast there should be more fresh fish caught.
The majestic River Spey
Water levels were settled on the River Spey for much of last week. The water had risen last weekend and through the course of last week dropped gradually. This led to almost perfect conditions for many beats by midweek. Catches responded accordingly, which was great to see. Beats like Tulchan, Delagyle, Aberlour Angling Association Water and Rothes amongst others all produced some lovely fresh springers. Next week there are rods available on the Craigellachie and Rothes beats. Rothes is one of the most productive beats on the river. Two ghillies look after the five rods and the fishing spans over almost two miles of prime lower Spey fishing. The beat has enjoyed an excellent start to the 2017 season. Either of these Spey beats could be well worth a cast in the upcoming days.
A lovely Spey springer caught last week
Catches on the River Dee were down slightly on previous weeks, which was surprising. Just like the River Spey, water levels were perfect for much of the week. There were some nice fish caught from the river and again these were mainly between the Aboyne and Banchory area. Late March and into April can be a prime time on the River Dee, especially when fish start entering the system in ever increasing numbers. There is good availability on the Dee next week. Waterside & Ferrar, Cairnton and Invery all have fishing available. The Waterside Beat is situated just upstream from Aboyne. It offers almost four miles of double fishing for four rods, so to say there is ample space for anglers is a bit of an understatement. Due to the great variety of pools, the beat fishes well in most heights of water. With famous pools on the beat like the Kirks and Waterside, anglers always have a chance of making contact with that fresh springer. Any of these Dee beats could go on to produce some good sport next week.
Casting a line on the beautiful Waterside & Ferrar Beat
There were a few nice fish caught from both the North & South Esk last week. It was good to see the Finavon Castle Beat on the South Esk get off the mark. Another successful beat on the river was the Upper Kinnaird beat. Upper Kinnaird can be productive in March and April. At the top of the beat, lies Kinnaird Dyke, which forms a temperature barrier. Often the fish lie in the beats below until the water temperature rises sufficiently for them to run upstream. Next week there are rods available on the Edzell beat of the North Esk and Upper Kinnaird on the South Esk. Both beats could be well worth a cast.
The South Esk at Finavon Castle
River levels on the Tay were unsettled for much of last week. This was mainly due to a combination of rain and melting snow as well as hydro electric generation. In spite of the unsettled water, catches on the river were decent for mid-March. Again, there was a fish over thirty pounds caught from the system and numerous fish over twenty pounds landed. What the river needs now is to gradually drop and settle. Most fish were caught from the middle and lower river but the tributaries also produced fish. There were some cracking fish caught from the Tummel and Isla. Looking ahead to next week, prospects look good. Dalmarnock, Kercock and Cargill have rods available in the upcoming days. All these beats produced fish last week and could go on to produce some good sport in the upcoming days.
A stunning 26lbs springer caught from the Kercock Beat last week
Many of Scotland’s rivers are fishing well and with a good weather forecast for much of next week, there is no excuse for not getting out on the river. With the weather improving, there is no better place to be than in the marvellous Scottish countryside, so why not wet a line?
We will be updating the “Top rid” feature again next week. Until then, have a great time wherever you decide to book a rod next week. Hopefully, you could end up being top rod!
Tight lines,
Sandy & Sam