Loch Morie

I managed to go home for a couple of days and while the river alness was down to its bones I tried my luck fishing loch morie.
Loch morie runs into the river Alness and contains brown trout + the ferox also very healthy number of Arctic char and of course salmon and seatrout.

I have caught 1 salmon in this loch it was by accident while fishing a silver butcher along the edges.

Occasionally some big fish come to your fly I believe some have been salmon just never properly connecting.
It reaches a depth of almost 300ft and stretches roughly 2.5 miles joining Novar Estate with Wyvis Estate and kildermorie.
Since it's October the Arctic Char are normally around the edges getting ready for spawning making them more vulnerable to the angler. Unfortunately for me the weather was not on my side and all I caught were trout ideally you want it flat calm for char with a slight chill, small black buzzers and black pennels are very effective.

This was a char I caught in 2010 since then I haven't had much of a chance to fish for them

Being abroad a lot and studying at uni !!!

Again missed out this year.

Here are also a couple of pictures of loch morie.

It is a special place to me because it's where I learnt to fly fish with my dad it is the only place were I will take out the spinner probably because it brings back child hood memories.

These are your typical loch morie brown trout very dark with a slight ferox trout look.

These roughly weigh about 10-12 oz and are great fun on the 5#

One of the things I love about these trout is that they are very aggressive so when the take it can at times feel like a big fish which can make it very exciting .

There are trout in this loch that we recon are over 20lbs these are the ferox trout which are brown trout turned canabelistic their main diet is char once they they get big enough to feed on them.

My goal in life is to catch one over 10lbs on the fly out of this loch and I believe on the right day and with some patience it will happen.

Back on the Tweed

I'm back in the borders and the upper tweed is starting to see more salmon and seatrout moving about.
There's been a few fish caught in ashiestiel since my absence but not many.
The river is currently quite low at the moment and after a few runs Down gladdies I decided to try my luck with the trout.

Lovely Ashiestiel trout fell for the emerger. Just over 1lb.

Little grayling taken on the dry fly, small brown emerger.

We need some rain when this happens I'm sure there will be plenty of fish to be caught

So far September has been extremely dry and the river is at its lowest so far this year.

It's the 14th of September last year the rain came on the 19th let's hope something similar happens.

15th September 2014

Today I had a days guiding with a client from America called Taylor Killion.

He'd come over early for some fishing before work, we met on the 14th for a half day catching a few small grayling and 1 little trout.

Because of the cold temperatures the fishing was tough and we went back for a few pints and a good meal.

The next morning we met up at 9.00 and headed down to the river tweed on lower pavilion beat to try our luck on the trout and grayling again.

On his 7th cast he was into a big fish and 25 minutes later I netted his 1st Atlantic salmon taken on a nymph.

5lb grilse caught by Taylor Killion.

The rest of the day was tough due to cold conditions but thankfully at the end Killion landed a few trout and this lovely grayling.

Well done boy you should be really proud and you really made my day THANXS.

20.09.2014

Quick update for September.

We have survived the referendum and Scotland is staying within the UK thank goodness

Now could we please have some rain so that the salmon can be caught.

24.09.2014

Had some time to tie some salmon flies before the rains come.

These are just some ideas that I had these have no names. 

I like to make my own variations so giving names can be a bit tricky.

I have also been preparing patterns for the back end of the season and the 12th January 2015 which is when I will be fishing the Helmsdale.

Kirsty's 1st fish on the fly caught on the river tweed, ashiestiel beat, gladdies 

A lovely 8oz grayling taken on a caddis nymph.

Fishing The River Alness

Just arrived home and getting ready for my usual fishing schedule on the Alness.
It's currently raining so should be a good week.
Fingers Crossed.

Tuesday was tough due to high river level I managed to hook a salmon but lost it after 15 seconds my friend sam also lost one.

Nothing fresh showing because of river height hopefully we will see more fish when the river drops later this week.

Yesterday river levels had started to drop and a few fish had been caught on the lower beats.

Being on beat 2 yesterday made it a bit tough but I managed to land a 2lb seatrout 

Returned.

Today we are on beat 5 so hopefully we will be hooking into the salmon.

Although river levels were perfect fishing was tough.

Not many fish were being caught and one fish was landed in our party

Beat 3 tomorrow so we really should catch a fish !!!

No fish caught or seen river is perfect very strange.

Final day of the week we fished beat 6 with high expectations for a salmon but once again luck was not on our side having only seen one fish that I'd seen come to my fly and then turn away at the last second we finished the week with only one salmon and one seatrout.

Sometimes salmon fishing is just like that.

Fortunately some people were more fortunate than us on the river with 26 salmon caught this week.

Lets hope next week will prove to be better !!!

Monday morning proved tough due to rising water levels all day thankfully the river dropped overnight and I was able to get a good taste of the hoch pool on beat 4 in perfect conditions.

1st run through I hooked a fish which after 3 minutes managed to come off.

Shortly after I had another fish on which found its way to my net after 3 minutes on the line.

Both fish fell for the averon shrimp which I tied up myself.

The hoch pool in high spate

The hoch pools hot spot in high water.

This pool holds the record number of salmon caught in 1 morning on the Alness. 

It was done by the bailiff Peter Mcalester who managed to land 16 salmon and 2 seatrout before lunch.

I believe that was in 2007.

Even after his fly had been shredded they were still taking just a brass tube. 

Just shows that if the fish is in the mood it's going to take it.

4lb grilse taken on the averon shrimp.

1st salmon landed with my new loop cross s 1 very happy.

Beat 2 tomorrow a few more fish starting to show let's hope it starts getting much better.

Just finished my day on beat 2 with some success.

Landed a 2lb 8oz sea trout my p.b. on the alness and safely returned.

Also lost a seatrout and had a take from a salmon near the end of the day.

Never a dull moment.

The averon shrimp seems to be doing well.

Beat 5 tomorrow should be able to have a quick cast in the afternoon.

Managed to get down to the river at 10.00 this morning and almost immediately hooked into a salmon around the 15lb margin unfortunately it came off after just 15 seconds.

For the rest of the morning nothing much happened except saw one fish that rose at the bottom of upper five it was a fresh bar of chrome.

Beat 3 tomorrow and with work just around the corner I need to make the most of these good water heights.

I pray that I catch a fish in the ace pool !!!!!

Once again beat 3 was slow I fished every pool twice and hard but saw nothing and moved nothing.

I'm a bit upset because beat 3 is my favourite beat on the river and it just hasn't produced the goods this year.

The ace pool start of lower beat three.

This pool was named after a group of friends who were fishing on a hot day they then drew cards and one of the men who's name I don't know drew an ace chose this pool and successfully caught a fish in it hence it's named the ace pool.

Generally this is a fantastic pool and holds fish very well I've taken my fare share of salmon out of here.

Dalreigh falls I caught my third ever salmon from this pool and have always been attached to it.

Below is shingle bend a pretty pool yet never really been popular when I fish through it

Dalreigh falls with the march pool above the first pool on beat 3 which then goes on to ardross estate.

Beat 2 is a little while away.

Tomorrow is beat 6 I'm praying that the grilse runs deliver this time it normally comes to my rescue but not last week.

Let's keep our fingers crossed !!!

Final day of the week and I'm looking after my sister trying to help her catch a salmon.

Few fish were showing on beat 6 and after putting her at the top of the grilse runs I had a quick cast myself.

7 casts later I was into a big fish, 10 minutes later it was in the net estimated at 14lbs

Great end to another tough week I feel I really deserved that fish.

My sister had a fish take near the end but nothing else was caught. The fish are beginning to slow down and big fish are starting to show.

I will have one more go on Monday before heading back to the borders.

We've got beat 6 again so let's hope we can catch at least one more fish.

Grilse runs on upper beat 6

Start of the otter runs below the grilse runs

Millers pool on lower beat 6. On paper this is the best spring run pool on the river I myself had my 1st spring salmon out of this pool 11th May 2009. Very early for this river and one I will never forget.

Pool na Poach bottom end of beat 6 good holding pool in high water.

The head of this pool is surprisingly good when the water levels are low in high water the rail end can produce some fantastic fishing.

I will be returning to the alness at the end of October hopefully fish beat 1 and 2 in their prime and talk through some of the top pools. Back to work on the tweed tomorrow should get some fishing between days and maybe get that 20lb salmon I've been after for a while.

Ashiestiel On the Upper Tweed

So at the moment I am currently working for a guiding company called tweed guide.
We take guests mainly beginners to various beats on the tweed that we have access to as well as a few tributaries such as the whiteadder, till and the ettrick.
There is one beat on the tweed that I'm am very fond of and of which I am given access to fish provided there's a spare rod available.
This beat is called ashiestiel and has roughly 2 miles of fishing on the right hand bank fishing downstream.
There is a pool called gladdies which is a well known holding pool on the upper tweed which in the back end never seems to disappoint and in the evening can come to life if the seatrout are in a good mood.
I have just had a few days fishing there and managed to land a 4lb seatrout and there 1st salmon of the season out of GLADDIES these were also on 2 flies that I tied so extra added bonus there.
Hopefully this will be the start of something special I shall find out in 2 weeks when I return from the alness which will be my next blog.

4lb seatrout caught on ashiestiels lowest pool the house pool returned.

A few casts in rampys this pool generally does better later on in the season

Most early fish pass straight through into gladdies which is the next pool up

Last year I was fortunate to land a 6lb seatrout in this pool.

Never disappoints even if you don't catch anything.

Lovely trout caught in rampy.

Ashiestiels hut rebuilt last year and currently going under a new look.

always a good place to find some coffee on the bru.

6lb grilse I caught this year in gladdies 9th August.

1st salmon of the season on ashiestiel. Remember we are right on the upper tweed so fish generally don't get caught until around this time.

Gladdies this pool really comes into its own back end of the salmon season.

High number of the catches are out of this pool.

My good friend Ali hutchens was fortunate enought to catch his 1st seatrout out of here last year

It weighed 12LBS !!! Some people are just lucky.

Hopefully there are many more fish to be caught in here this year and I will be bringing info on it throught the season.

Slovenia 2014

I was on a 6 day fishing trip in Slovenia starting 12th July through to 19th July with 5 different anglers most of who I only just met.
We immediately all got along talking about our previous fishing trips and what we did weather we were guides or just keen fisherman.
I had brought 2 rods with me both loop cross s1 5# and 7# absolutely ideal although I would also recommend a spay rod as some areas can't be reached with a single hander where the big marbles sit also spay casting on the soca would be awesome.

We arrived in Kobarid and met our guide Matt who who took us through what we would be doing.

We fished 5 different rivers during our time the main being the soca a beautiful wide and long river full of rainbows, monster marble and big grayling.

The others rivers where the Nadiza, Baca, Idrijca, and the trebuscica all great rivers with there own unique character.

My personal favourite was the Trebuscica a tough yet beautiful stream for an angler with good skills and there to test you to your limit.

Idrijca was one of the rivers where we never got to taste its wonders to the full due to heavy rain and thunder before our arrival I'd hear that big hatches make the fishing awesome with big marbles giving there position away when on a feeding frenzy.

The other streams were also great with fantastic scenery and beautiful waters just blows your mind away you almost forget about the fishing.

For me it was the best fishing I have experienced so far in my life and I've been to New Zealand !!!

Here are some photos of the fish that we're caught.

2lb 4oz grayling from the river soca

A beautiful marble trout caught on the river Trebuscica 

A stunning rainbow from the Trebuscica caught by my friend Edward.

A pure Adriatic grayling caught on the soca notice no spots on the fish

They don't catch many of these so I was very happy to catch this.

Marble on the soca

My marble trout on the Nadiza

Chub just shy of 4lbs caught on a size 18 black gnat.

As well as the fishing the locals were all very friendly and the food was awesome good pizza, calamari, crepes and coffee shops the beer was a refreshing delight as well.

If you want to fish in Slovenia I would recommend contacting soca fly they guide on the best rivers in Slovenia and they know what they are talking about.

It is unpredictable depending on weather but that is what fishing is all about.

Hello all
I have decided to setup a blog specifically for fly fishing only.
This, will consist of fishing on my door step and around the world when I get the chance.
I have recently just got back from Slovenia so I will start with a few pictures and comments on my time there.