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!!!
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| Charlie fishing the Sheep pool where we both connected with fish. |
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| Darkness closing in on our final day of fishing 2011. |
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| Looking upstream at the lovely Autumn colours on the bankside trees. |
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| 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
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