Charlie Strikes Silver Again At Manar!

I was out today with Charlie Robertson for another go at Manar on the River Don. We arrived at the beat about 7.30am and already the sun was out and the temperature was rising fast. Not ideal, but we didn't let that stop us as you never know when a Salmon might grab your fly. This we would find out later! The beat gauge was reading 10" which is near perfect for the beat so we were optimistic about our chances.

There was a couple of pools to fish before then sun got to them about 10.30am, one of the was the Chapel Pool and the other was the Corner Pool. The latter was where we started our day. We both fished the pool with different tactics. I opted for my RioUnispey floating line with a 6ft intermediate tip attached. On the business end was a #10 Silver Stoat's Tail. Charlie was using his Mackenzie DTX G2 Spey line with a 10ft slow sink tip. His fly was a size 8 Munro Killer. We both fished through the pool without a touch so we headed down stream to the Chapel pool. The pool was very shaded and we thought it would be our best chance of picking up a fish. Well, it never happened but we were encouraged by the sight of 3 fish showing in the pool below. We headed back to the hut for a drink of cold juice and a break from the baking sun. It was only 10.30am!

After our wee refreshment break Charlie and I headed up to the Stone Pool and the Horseshoe Haugh. Charlie gave me the choice of where to start and I chose the Stone Pool as I never usually fish it. Charlie went in the Horseshoe Haugh just above a big boulder at the neck of the pool and I made my way upstream. I just arrived at my pool and I heard Charlie shouting. He was into a fish! I ran down to arrive just in time to net a sparkling 6lb beauty which hammered his #8 Munro Killer. Just goes to show there is no rule of thumb when fishing for salmon. The bright and warm conditions didn't put this fish off. Not sea liced, but not in more than a couple of days. The fish was heavily marked along it's flank and was still red raw. Possibly an encounter with a seal from the ever growing population which patrol the river mouth. These beasts in my opinion, are needing to be controlled as their numbers have increased rapidly in the last few years. Anyway that's another matter. After a few pictures the fish swam off stongly back to it's lie. I fished through the Stone Pool without a touch and then through the Horseshoe with the same result.

After lunch we fished the beat from top to bottom but apart from raising a salmon twice to my Sunray Shadow in the Long Pool, that was it for our day. Not bad considering the so called bad angling conditions. My wait for a springer goes on but I'm fishing the Dee at Lower Blackhall on Tuesday so hopefully it will be my time then. That will be my last chance this Spring!

Here are some pictures from our day today.

Another belter for the scrap book and the rogues gallery in the Manar hut.

Damage on the flanks of the fish. Possibly caused by a seal.

Slipping the fish back. The quality of the Don fish this year is fantastic.

Off we go. Another Don fish returned to continue it's journey.