End of Season Tackle Clearout

I have for sale on ebay the following items:

New: RIO Skagit 750gr
Used Once: Bill Drury 10/11 Impact Spey S1/S2
Used Once: Orvis Wonderline Floater 10/11
Used Once: Vision ACE 37g Floating Shooting head, comes with Guideline LRL Running line.
Used: Greys GRXi #7/8 reel with a Airflo Floating line and an Intermediate line. 3 Spools and brand new Snowbee 22lb trout backing. All in the original bag.
Used: Fladen Maxximus 10/11 Fly reel.Good condition with the usual cosmetic marks. Had a fish about 20lbs(38") this year on this reel and it coped no problem!

Anyone interested please feel free to bid!

Final Day At Manar

Here are a few more pictures of Saturday past at Manar beat on the River Don. These photos were sent to me by Charlie Robertson so thanks for letting me use them.

Charlie and myself enjoying a beer outside the hut after flogging the water all day.

River Dee legend and expert salmon angler Eddie Allan.

A group photo of the guys tucking into food from the BBQ. There was a good few beers sunk too!

Final Fling! Manar Beat River Don 30/10/11

With a big thanks to my friend Charlie and beat owner Ian, I was invited to a final outing of the season at Manar on the River Don. Conditions were near perfect and the water was sitting at 7" on the beat gauge. Charlie and I arrived about 7.30am to load up the hut with beer and meat for the BBQ which was to be held after our day. There was about 10 of us out for the last Saturday. The sun was coming up as I tackled up and I spotted a fish showing in the Sheep pool. I tied on my size 9 Dinnet Shrimp and headed up to cover the fish. After only my second cast I hooked into a fish! I shouted on Charlie that I was in and he began to make his way up with a net. Just when he was about half way there, the fish was off!!! That's been the story of my season. The tenth fish to have come un-done. Charlie headed up and fished down where I started. Soon after he hooked into a fish and had the same result. His 1/2" Silver Ally copper tube coming free from the fish. Nothing else for either of us the rest of the day but there was one angler who landed a coloured fish about 5lbs. An angler on the opposite bank also had a fish.We retired to the hut about 4.30pm and got stuck into about 20lbs of pork chops, burgers and sausages washed down with Scotland's finest......Tennant's Lager!!!

Charlie fishing the Sheep pool where we both connected with fish.

Darkness closing in on our final day of fishing 2011.

Looking upstream at the lovely Autumn colours on the bankside trees.

Making my way back downstream for the end of season BBQ.

I finished the season with 6 Salmon to 20lbs. It has been my best season to date and also landed my heaviest fish. Although I have lost 10 fish, a couple of which I could have netted if I had it with me, it's been enjoyable. I've added a few new beats to my list, fished the Spey, Deveron and caught my first fish at Park (third time of trying). Can't complain. Hopefully next year I can improve on my tally again and looking to have a day on the Tay for the first time too. Soon be Spring again, cannot wait!

Tight Lines

Craig

Trout and Salmon Forum Fly Swap

I have taken part in my first fly swap on the Trout and Salmon Forum. This is the 10 flies I have tied up for it. They are my own take on a fly called the Dinnet Shrimp. I have landed 1 fish and lost 4 on this fly since early October. Im going to tie up some tube versions for the Spring and give them a swim. Here are a few pics of the fly.

Group picture of all 10 flies.

A close up shot of the fly.

Below is the materials needed to tie this fly.

Tag : Oval Silver Tinsel.
Tail : Mixed Red and Yellow Bucktail with a few strands of Black.
Body : Silver Holographic Tinsel.
Rib : Oval Silver Tinsel.
Beard : Squirrel Tail Dyed Red.
Underwing : Golden Pheasant Tippet over Squirrel Tail Dyed Red.
Hackle : Black
Thread : Black