Weekly Report

Monday, 19 August 2024

Jason McCruden was out on Daltra on Monday evening and started at Dalnashaugh at 7pm. In the fast water with the first five casts the fish were coming at the fly, and then at the end of fast water a fish takes and was on for 20 seconds before the hook came loose. White Stream was quiet so back to Dalnashaugh for another run through and no action. He slowed it down the second time through and finally a 10lb hen fish takes hard and is hooked. It was not the freshest but very welcome.

On Tuesday the Dunearn party reported a good day with two salmon both from the tail of Morgan’s Haugh in medium low water. First at 7.30pm Nigel Bardsley landed an 8lb salmon on a size 12 Cascade and this was followed at 8pm by Russ Chapman with a 10lb salmon on a size 8 Cascade. Both fish were released and they also reported plenty of fish showing, with literally dozens on the move. 

The fish were still showing in the Dunearn beat on Wednesday, especially in the morning when 3 fish were hooked and lost in the Garden Pool within 20 minutes. The afternoon was more successful with Russ Chapman landing a 12½lb salmon on a size 8 Cascade in the Garden Pool before Paul Wesson caught his first ever salmon with a 4½lb grilse in Polnachesse on a size 10 Ally Shrimp. Both fish were safely released. Jason McCruden had a successful afternoon on Wednesday starting with a 5lb grilse in the Loop on sink tip and his pink 'Krabby Patty' fly. He changed to full float and sparky fly and in the tail of Whin hooked a strong fish of around 9lb. Lastly in Dalnashaugh he hooked and netted a lovely fish around 7lb. All safely released.

There were still plenty of fish showing on Thursday in Dunearn. In the morning Nigel Bardsley scored with a stunning 15½lb salmon from Green Bank on a size 8 Ally Shrimp, followed a couple of hours later by a 6lb salmon from Garden Pool on the same fly. There was more excitement during the day with 3 fish lost in Polnachesse and another 3 fish lost from the Garden Pool, before finally in the evening Russ Chapman landed a 10½lb salmon in the Garden Pool on a size 8 Cascade. Freddie Benyon and friends were fishing on Altnahara and had a great day. Freddie and Ed Petifer each had a 5lb grilse from the tail of Boat, one cock and one hen, and they also touched another four fish without luck.

On Friday it was an amazing, frustrating and difficult day on the Dunearn beat. There was a sudden rise of 18" in roughly 10 minutes at 4pm. Fish appeared from nowhere and everywhere and Paul Wesson reported that collectively his group saw approximately 100 fish in the late afternoon. The river was dark and peaty but somehow Russ Chapman landed a 6lb salmon in Peter's Pot on a size 8 Cascade. Sadly no others made it to the net despite several hook ups and even one making it all the way to the net before shaking loose. Roger Dowling also had an enjoyable but ultimately frustrating day on Daltra. There were plenty of resident fish around, but they wouldn’t have anything to do with the fly. The afternoon rise meant they seemed to be very unsettled. Once the river peaked in the late afternoon the fish started running and plenty of fish were showing as they came into the tail of the Loop but again no interest in the fly. Jason McCruden was on the Altnahara beat at 7pm when the river was dropping. He fished from the top of Boat pool down and hooked a nice coloured 10lb cock fish on intermediate tip and orange tube that was safely released.

The water levels were ideal for the Dunearn beat on Saturday, but the wind made for tricky conditions. At 11am Russ Chapman landed a 6lb salmon in Peter's Pot on a size 10 Cascade, before having another take but no hook up. At 1.30pm Nigel Bardsley landed a nice 4lb grilse in Morgan's Haugh on a size 10 Cascade. Mid afternoon Russ Chapman went back to Haugh Stream with the 15ft 11-12 rod to help combat the wind and managed to tempt a 3lb grilse on a size 10 Ally Shrimp. Unfortunately the fish had swallowed the fly and was badly bleeding and did not survive. Earlier in the morning Sean Mclean was fishing Mini Daltra and he caught and released a 7lb salmon in Loop. An excellent end to our best week of the season so far.

Total Catch: 19
Dunearn: 11
Daltra/Altnahara: 6
Day Lets: 2