Blue Is The Colour

As I had some space to fill in my fly boxes I decided to tie flies containing the colour blue. With low, clear water and summer conditions in mind, blue is a colour that not only works well for salmon but also for sea trout during the summer months.

Some of these patterns are relatively new whilst others are tried and tested on various rivers through-out the Northern Hemisphere catching many fish along the way.

Click on the images for a close up.

The first fly here is a variant of the Silver Wilkinson. I first came across this fly in 2008 when Ross MacDonald tied it up on the Salmon Fishing Forum. I've added the white squirrel wing instead of pink which I think works well.

#9 Silver Wilkinson Variant.

A few more in smaller sizes.

The second fly is an Arndilly Fancy. Arndilly is a famous beat on the river Spey and the original pattern was created by legendary fly tyer Megan Boyd from Brora, Scotland. This is a classic pattern and catches lots of salmon especially in the low, clear water during summer time.

#9 Arndilly Fancy.

A few more in smaller sizes.

Next up is a pattern tied by river Tay ghillie and fly tyer Martin Ritchie. The Usual Shrimp has been catching plenty salmon of late so I thought I'd tie some up. This fly uses the classic orange and yellow tail which is part of so many top fly patterns and this one has all the makings to be another.

#9 The Usual Shrimp.

A few more in smaller sizes.

This next fly is currently featured in this month's edition of Ross MacDonald's "Fly of the Month" in the Trout & Salmon magazine. The Mediator originated on the banks of the Tummel, this fly has a big following and is accountable for many fish each year. The classic "Willie Gunn" colour combo for the tail and the blue guinea fowl work really well together. I look forward to trying it and hopefully I can catch a salmon or two using it.

#9 Mediator

A few more in smaller sizes.

Last but not least, the Editor Flamethrower. I only came across this fly a few days ago whilst on the Salmon Fishing Forum but it immediately jumped out and screamed Salmon. I love the colours of this fly and think the blue and black work extremely well together. The silver body and head add a bit of sparkle to the fly giving it appeal not only to the angler but hopefully the salmon too.

#9 Editor Flamethrower.

All tied on silver #9 Salar hooks.

River Don Salmon And Big Brown Trout

The River Don has had a fantastic Spring this year and the good fishing continued yesterday for my friend Charlie fishing at the Manar beat. He landed and returned this 7lber on his deadly Sunray Shadow variant, named the SS Assassin. (SS standing for Sunray Shadow!) It certainly does the business and has had fish from the Dee, Don and Spey to it's name already since it's creation last summer.

Perseverance was the order of the day as bright sunshine coupled with low water conditions made fishing tricky but fishing whilst the clouds covered the sun was the answer and Charlie was duly rewarded. He also lost two others using the same fly.

Another victim falls to Charlie's deadly SS Assassin.

I ventured out myself in the evening on the Lower Fintray beat of the A.D.A.A water. Nothing doing salmon wise so decided to try for Sea Trout and just as darkness fell my Blue & Silver Sunray was hammered by this big Brown Trout estimated in the 4-5lb range. As it was dark, I initially thought it was a salmon until I landed it. Didn't really do the fish justice playing it on a 14ft salmon rod but still my PB Brown Trout by a long way. The fish was returned to the river and swam away strongly. Not long after returning it, I landed another beauty of a Brownie about 2lb but I didn't photograph that one.

The River Don is renowned for it's Brown Trout fishing and specimens like this are what anglers can expect from most beats up and down the river although not as abundant as before, there are still plenty about to entice anglers from all over the world to come and fish for them.

Not a great picture due to the poor light but a cracking brown trout and these specimens are what the Don is famous for.