well with the temperature being below freezing for over 2 weeks now ,surly the Grayling fishing has got under way for those lucky and brave enough to frequent waters that grace such wonderful creations on nature ,as the Grayling for me must be the most stunning fish when in full show ,with males having that sail like dorsal fin which gives it its great fighting strength as it uses it to great effect as many have told me.
these wonderful Lady's of the stream have eluded me for some time and i know i could travel further and ,,,well fish rivers that truly hold shoals of good sized Grayling as fishing my local river cart is just not bringing in the numbers or fish one would want from a good days Grayling fishing ,and if I'm honest its just not producing at all this year ,although while going to Morrison's a few days before Christmas ,i did see what I'm almost positive was a shoal of Grayling which i would say were in the 3 quarter to the pound mark which for me would have been a great day out if i had happened too take my fly rod along, which I'm sure u will have gathered i did not.
The cold winter months are a real struggle for me as I'm not a great one for the cold mornings and prefer the heat of the indoors leaving more fishing room to the braver men that are out on the rivers looking for that lady of a lifetime , and in Scotland their are a few rivers with big Grayling in them as well as good trout fishing ,the Tievot being one of these named river in which i seen and read of fish in the 3lb range ,and that's just a dream to me and i suppose to any other Grayling fisherman ,.
The end of December is now at close range and I'm contemplating some pike fishing on loch Lomond were I've been hearing of good sized fish coming to articulated fish lures and fly's fished slow and deep which is pretty straight forward tactics i though ,but no I've been hearing of big girlie pike chasing lured and tail walking in these very cold days , so am i a Jessy ,well I'm beginning to think so,,,do i take a few brave pills and brave the cold and give this most uncomfortable time of year for me the real chance it deserves ,as their is always that niggle in the back of my mind saying if you were out you would be catching,,,and then the one for sure real statement if your not out your never going to catch ,and what would i catch ,,,a fish of a life time ,well who knows ,,,I'm hoping that for the effort ill get rewarded with even the odd fish ,as I'm a fisherman ,i don't need to be catching fish ,,,,but by god don't it help when you are catching ,as the confidence goes up and the body warm too , so I've now decided I'm going to give this cold weather the little bit of courage I've found and try my hand at the pike in the canal and the loch which for me i think i will leave until mid February as I'm just not that brave.
good luck to all you guys out their in the cold looking for that fish of a lifetime ,, i wish you all the best of luck ,,you certainly deserve it..
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Monday, 19 October 2009
trout season at an end
well guy's n girls , the trout season is now at an end and for many it will mean a very long wait for the new 2010 season to start, as for me i do miss the river fishing although I'm sure their are some nice grayling to be had in a few rivers around me and that's one of my plans for the winter season .
I also enjoy the time the close season gives me to better my tying ability and this winter i will be trying to build up my still water collection ,of which I'm very interested in the tying of traditional patterns ,as I've seen these work very well on the place i intend to fish next season , which I'm sure people would agree with as its got to be the best in the west (HARELAW) run by a great guy Alex Carney who i can say is the most helpful owner of a fishery I've ever met ,so if any u guys are thinking of trying out still water fishing , then don't go to one of these puddles dug into the ground , as you will be much more rewarded by going to a place such as harelaw ,and this choice will also give you a good guide into what you should be looking for at a quality fishery.
i will be doing my best to get any patterns i tie up on the blog for you all to see and with that i would be grateful of any comments , be they constructive or not .
so until my next post which im going to be doing allot more of , take care and good fishing to you all.
I also enjoy the time the close season gives me to better my tying ability and this winter i will be trying to build up my still water collection ,of which I'm very interested in the tying of traditional patterns ,as I've seen these work very well on the place i intend to fish next season , which I'm sure people would agree with as its got to be the best in the west (HARELAW) run by a great guy Alex Carney who i can say is the most helpful owner of a fishery I've ever met ,so if any u guys are thinking of trying out still water fishing , then don't go to one of these puddles dug into the ground , as you will be much more rewarded by going to a place such as harelaw ,and this choice will also give you a good guide into what you should be looking for at a quality fishery.
i will be doing my best to get any patterns i tie up on the blog for you all to see and with that i would be grateful of any comments , be they constructive or not .
so until my next post which im going to be doing allot more of , take care and good fishing to you all.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Perfect morning
well on to the train and for only 3.60 return i was happy ,more than happy to be heading for Neilston where i will need to get a taxi to Harelaw which without doubt is the best in the west ,with rainbow trout that fight like the locals on a Friday night in the high street and let me assure you the fight hard.
this fish was a real pleasure and a relief to catch as it meant i had not blanked that day , i took myself off round the corner heading right from the bothy and i had one hit and one follow as i continued my way round ,were i came to a boggy area which i forgot had been drenched in the heavy rain a day or so before and when around half way into it i felt the ground become decidedly spongy and thought i would be OK to continue , but as i did i soon realised when i put my foot forward and ended up to my waist in bog thick stinky mud which frightened me very much as i was sinking fast and had it not been long reedy grass I'm not sure i would have got out ,but i did eventually and way out of breath i sat and wondered about how close i had been to a tragic accident which i hear of quite allot on the fishing scene, and so it was a wake up call to get myself better informed and also not to take silly decisions like i had just done after all i could have lost my life for the sake of an extra 15 minutes walk around the bog ,,just how silly can i be.
Harelaw if you don't know is owned by a fine man of the name Alec Carney who also holds Snypes dam and both hold some fine fishing for all stages of expertise as most fish are never far from the bank .
Harelaw holds its fine wild brown trout which have been their since the place was built and also has regular stocking of rainbows ,blues and i think their are even a few tiger trout in their to as is in Snypes although this is a place I've never fished.
i arrived at Harelaw to the snigger's of Alec watching me climb out a local private hire taxi with all my gear and let me tell you the local taxis ain't cheap folk , so if you intend to follow my route and go to Harelaw remember the taxi fare which will be around 10 pound for both ways.
Harelaw has everything ,scenery and fantastic fishing from boat and bank and for me its the bank as my boating skills are non existent at the moment ,but this is something i want to tackle as i would like to find a boat partner at some point and try the competitions scene to see what its like and to see if i can make any sort of mark in the fishing scene which would be a big delight for me,so as said arrival was greeted by a sneering giggle and the words why did you not phone me .
Alec has always said he would pick me up from the station if i were going to Harelaw ,and this is just the type of guy he is ,a real gent and always willing to give advice and help with fishing technique around his waters.
i fished for around an hour with a black Bobbie on the top dropper and a Kate in the middle and another on the point as i was hoping the Bobbie would attract the fish in to grab the Kate which was lime green tailed ,after a while i realised nothing was forthcoming of this crap choice of flies ( I've still loads to learn about still waters) ,so i changes set up and put a Bibio on the top and a Kate in the middle with a hares ear on the point and no sooner had i done this than i had a good fighting rainbow on which i netted and came to around the 3lb mark with a tail all still water fisheries should judge their fish condition on ,as it was perfect.
this fish was a real pleasure and a relief to catch as it meant i had not blanked that day , i took myself off round the corner heading right from the bothy and i had one hit and one follow as i continued my way round ,were i came to a boggy area which i forgot had been drenched in the heavy rain a day or so before and when around half way into it i felt the ground become decidedly spongy and thought i would be OK to continue , but as i did i soon realised when i put my foot forward and ended up to my waist in bog thick stinky mud which frightened me very much as i was sinking fast and had it not been long reedy grass I'm not sure i would have got out ,but i did eventually and way out of breath i sat and wondered about how close i had been to a tragic accident which i hear of quite allot on the fishing scene, and so it was a wake up call to get myself better informed and also not to take silly decisions like i had just done after all i could have lost my life for the sake of an extra 15 minutes walk around the bog ,,just how silly can i be.
anyway the day went on and i had a few more touches and follows but nothing netted ,and with the sun high in the sky i though it best to rest a while and see what happened ,but by time the evening rise was about an hour away i felt really tiered and decided to call it a day and head home which Alec helped by giving me a run to the station at Neilston which saved me around five quid so thanks again Alec.
I'm looking forward to my next time at Harelaw as I've been doing some reading and feel I'm better equipped for the next journey and my methods will be ready for any changes that come in the weather ,so bring it on Harelaw ill be back.
Alec with the first fish of the day that i seen a what a fish it was ,stunning
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
stillwater fishing
well I'm off to Harelaw tomorrow i think ,well that's if i can get a run from Neilston train station to the Harelaw as its just to long for walking and I'm just not in the mood for a long walk at the moment ,although i will probably walk around the whole loch through out the day searching for those hard fighting rainbows ,and the camera is a must do need to remember to set up the re0charger for batteries for tomorrow so as i can start getting some pics back up on the blog as they are as important as the written stuff at times to show people were you have been and the sights you have seen through out your trip.
i am by far a river fisherman and would much rather be on the river bank as to a still water every time as their is just nothing quite like the sound of running water and the scent of wild flowers and the sound of the birds as you wade along the river,i miss it very much at the moment ,as the rivers in and around the Glasgow area are well down on their bones and fish must be getting towards that danger period i watch creeping ever closer each year.
trout need plenty of well oxygenated water and also they don't cope well in waters of a high temp which I'm sure I've read can also kill them, not to mention any sea run fish like salmon or sea trout which for sure are in a dangerous situation and no matter how many rain dances I've tried they are just not working,we need rain ever so badly to flush the river and give it its much needed oxygen that the trout and salmon need.
my fly tying is coming along quite well although i feel i still rush some patterns and could do better with just a few tips on certain materials like marabou and synthetics on how to tie them down best and what threads work best.
i love my tying it is the one thing i can do when I've no fishing to go to like at this time when my local is near dry and other rivers in the area are much he same.
i have been tying buzzers and Diawa Bach, as well as crunchers and mini lure as well as boobies in different eye sizes to give different buoyancy's ,and by god i love to fish these, after only using them once with Alec on Harelaw, and as i reported it was one of the best nights of my fishing life.
so Harelaw tomorrow lets hope we can get in among the fish before Alec has to come to the rescue.
i am by far a river fisherman and would much rather be on the river bank as to a still water every time as their is just nothing quite like the sound of running water and the scent of wild flowers and the sound of the birds as you wade along the river,i miss it very much at the moment ,as the rivers in and around the Glasgow area are well down on their bones and fish must be getting towards that danger period i watch creeping ever closer each year.
trout need plenty of well oxygenated water and also they don't cope well in waters of a high temp which I'm sure I've read can also kill them, not to mention any sea run fish like salmon or sea trout which for sure are in a dangerous situation and no matter how many rain dances I've tried they are just not working,we need rain ever so badly to flush the river and give it its much needed oxygen that the trout and salmon need.
my fly tying is coming along quite well although i feel i still rush some patterns and could do better with just a few tips on certain materials like marabou and synthetics on how to tie them down best and what threads work best.
i love my tying it is the one thing i can do when I've no fishing to go to like at this time when my local is near dry and other rivers in the area are much he same.
i have been tying buzzers and Diawa Bach, as well as crunchers and mini lure as well as boobies in different eye sizes to give different buoyancy's ,and by god i love to fish these, after only using them once with Alec on Harelaw, and as i reported it was one of the best nights of my fishing life.
so Harelaw tomorrow lets hope we can get in among the fish before Alec has to come to the rescue.
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
were to fish
were to fish ,well i find myself searching through my old and new haunts to try to come up with somewhere that i can fish in this intense heat that's is surly to be the Scottish summer ,ain't that true lads.
well I'm not going to go on the river as i feel it is just to hot and to much glare ,as I'm sure you all know trout have no eye lids and this effects them immensely in bright sunshine and this is why we often see a drop in activity, so what do i do.
pike fishing ,well their is always a chance of a pike in the warm weather and more so in the early mornings and also as the sun goes down at night as the rise in water temp gets them active and i feel the best way to pursue these prehistoric predatory machines is with a well fished lure as their is nothing quite like a pike braking the surface thrashing at your lure ,and they seem to fight like mad in the summer time too,so their is that option.
i have also considered going to barrhead and giving it a go for the roach which should be feeding up in the water and a size 14-16 pheasant tail nymph fished in a slow figure of 8 retrieve should bring in a few fish and this will keep the thirst quenched ,hmmmmm.
my god this is really hot weather ,i cant stand it much more ,why cant we get good cloud cover ,that would bring it on good style ,but I'm sure their are still great places to be had on an evening rise ,were the water seems to boil with fish activity ,i wish i was at such a water .
oh look i need to get out of here and see whats happening on the river ,will report my findings when i get back.
well I'm not going to go on the river as i feel it is just to hot and to much glare ,as I'm sure you all know trout have no eye lids and this effects them immensely in bright sunshine and this is why we often see a drop in activity, so what do i do.
pike fishing ,well their is always a chance of a pike in the warm weather and more so in the early mornings and also as the sun goes down at night as the rise in water temp gets them active and i feel the best way to pursue these prehistoric predatory machines is with a well fished lure as their is nothing quite like a pike braking the surface thrashing at your lure ,and they seem to fight like mad in the summer time too,so their is that option.
i have also considered going to barrhead and giving it a go for the roach which should be feeding up in the water and a size 14-16 pheasant tail nymph fished in a slow figure of 8 retrieve should bring in a few fish and this will keep the thirst quenched ,hmmmmm.
my god this is really hot weather ,i cant stand it much more ,why cant we get good cloud cover ,that would bring it on good style ,but I'm sure their are still great places to be had on an evening rise ,were the water seems to boil with fish activity ,i wish i was at such a water .
oh look i need to get out of here and see whats happening on the river ,will report my findings when i get back.
Friday, 29 May 2009
lack of content
Well guys sorry about the lack of content theirs been lately ,I'm sure i will be doing more venturing out over the next couple of weeks and months trying new places ,well old places I've not tried for a long time like areas of the white cart river and also the Barrhead dams which I'm really looking forward to as their are still big fish to be had in these great but neglected places and why their neglected i don't know as they hold true beauty beyond anything else in and around the Glasgow area, also as i think I've mentioned before it beggars belief why no one has the fishing rights for the Barrhead dams as it would make a fantastic fishery with many different sized lakes which could be filled with all sorts of different fish ,although trout would always be my main quarry .
i just love the thought of being able to take a boat out on the big dam and going over drift after drift searching out trout in the place that i was first introduced to fishing and a place were i have the best of memories, this place is special to me and to see it being neglected is a total injustice.
the white cart ,what a great river ,it hold some of the very best trout fishing in the urban city and also it most definitely has some of the best looking and also the biggest trout in Glasgow ,as i often here of fish well over 2lb being caught and fish up to 4lb are caught every year on the river .
the cart has also allot of great memories that i often go back on when the fishing isn't quite up to what i was hoping for ,and memories of fishing Pollock estate are some of the best ,like days when i first picked up a fly rod at around the age of 15-16 and remember my first trout it was on a dry fly which I'm sure I've mentioned somewhere before ,but that was around at the run after Braidcraft roundabout in the run that runs along side Nethercraig,s running track and rugby fields.
i have had many good fish from the white cart river and stunning looking fish to ,so to go back to these places is always a little scary even when you hear good things ,i still think i worry that the magic that was once their will be gone ,and often it is as I've grown a good bit older since then and that certain excitement is just no longer as defined as it once was ,but god do i still enjoy it very much ,its like no other feeling to me I'm most definitely a fly fisherman before any other kind of method of fishing and their are many i do enjoy over a season,but a nicely balanced rod a good quality line the cast is made and all those things you have learned come together in an almost perfect cast ,i am happy and their not even a fish in sight.
now that for me is fly fishing as if you enjoy your casting then those days when you draw a blank will still be great days as you will have been able to cast well.
enjoy your fishing no matter what the fish may say.
i just love the thought of being able to take a boat out on the big dam and going over drift after drift searching out trout in the place that i was first introduced to fishing and a place were i have the best of memories, this place is special to me and to see it being neglected is a total injustice.
the white cart ,what a great river ,it hold some of the very best trout fishing in the urban city and also it most definitely has some of the best looking and also the biggest trout in Glasgow ,as i often here of fish well over 2lb being caught and fish up to 4lb are caught every year on the river .
the cart has also allot of great memories that i often go back on when the fishing isn't quite up to what i was hoping for ,and memories of fishing Pollock estate are some of the best ,like days when i first picked up a fly rod at around the age of 15-16 and remember my first trout it was on a dry fly which I'm sure I've mentioned somewhere before ,but that was around at the run after Braidcraft roundabout in the run that runs along side Nethercraig,s running track and rugby fields.
i have had many good fish from the white cart river and stunning looking fish to ,so to go back to these places is always a little scary even when you hear good things ,i still think i worry that the magic that was once their will be gone ,and often it is as I've grown a good bit older since then and that certain excitement is just no longer as defined as it once was ,but god do i still enjoy it very much ,its like no other feeling to me I'm most definitely a fly fisherman before any other kind of method of fishing and their are many i do enjoy over a season,but a nicely balanced rod a good quality line the cast is made and all those things you have learned come together in an almost perfect cast ,i am happy and their not even a fish in sight.
now that for me is fly fishing as if you enjoy your casting then those days when you draw a blank will still be great days as you will have been able to cast well.
enjoy your fishing no matter what the fish may say.
Monday, 11 May 2009
new forum and virtual shop
as people will probably know I've got a forum attached to my blog which is mainly on the river kelvin and its fishing methods, well now on my forum due to the great work my brother has put in i have a new and until now as far as i can see untried ,virtual shop ,were members collect points for posts, topics etc!! and also a chance of winning a weekly lottery which all adds fun to the forum.
anyway in the shop ,one can buy himself, herself a new sage, hardy , etc!! rod or reel for a certain amount of points which one has gathered ,and also their is a virtual pond also in the making which would involve having virtual fisheries and virtual fish which can be caught for a said amount of points .
i hope these ideas help to bring in a few new members and push the numbers up a little so as their is a more in depth conversation on the aspects of fishing the fly and other methods on the kelvin and other rivers in and around the Glasgow area.
well i will just have to wait and see what comes of all this over the next few weeks.
anyway in the shop ,one can buy himself, herself a new sage, hardy , etc!! rod or reel for a certain amount of points which one has gathered ,and also their is a virtual pond also in the making which would involve having virtual fisheries and virtual fish which can be caught for a said amount of points .
i hope these ideas help to bring in a few new members and push the numbers up a little so as their is a more in depth conversation on the aspects of fishing the fly and other methods on the kelvin and other rivers in and around the Glasgow area.
well i will just have to wait and see what comes of all this over the next few weeks.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Harelaw Magic
Well after being set on a weekend at Loch Awe ,and only then to be left with a bout of sickness to show for it ,i was not amused!!, and so spent most of Saturday morning recovering from my hell!!!.
i then decided along with my older brother that we should go try out Harelaw fishery ,which had been getting a good write up of late ,and it was also somewhere that we had visited on passing one day to see a few lovely fish being caught just yards from the bank.
Harelaw is to some a rather large fishery ,but with an average depth of around 6-7 ft then their are fish to be found in all areas of the dam ,and bank fishing is said to be excellent to say the least ,so on arrival it was around 4pm ,and the sun was still high in the sky, and no cloud cover was to be seen through out the day period,which did mean allot of fruitless fishing from the dam wall ,which was the only place we happened to see anything being caught at all,,but their were fish being taken from boats that were enjoying fish on blobs and buzzers.
I had to wait till later on at around 8.30 !,when the owner "Alex Carney" was very polite to offer me an outing on the water on one of his very good boats,and what a time we had ,as after the first drift to the Pollock shore, Alex was into a fish and i watched in amazement at the fight that ensued, as the fish made run after run ,and then i also changed my point fly to a Bobbie on an intermediate line,, and the follows were nothing more that bone shaking!! , as fish produced big bow waves on approach to the fly ,and with a sudden crash they were on ,what came next was the best fish fight i have ever had pound for pound ,,and so i will say it here as I've said in many other places,get yourself along to Harelaw fishery Neilston !!! ,its the best fishery their seems to be around , with big hard fighting bows ,browns ,blues, and tigers , and i cant wait to get back among the action.
I again would like to thank Alex for one of the best if not thee best nights fishing I've had in a long ,long time ,and also i wish him all the best in his venture as he really deserves it with all the effort he is putting in ,and lets hope you catch the buggers that keep breaking into the place as they deserve their fingers removed very, very , slowly mate .
keep up the great work .
thank you...
Monday, 27 April 2009
a nice addition
over the past few week s all that i seemed to catch from the kelvin was ,smolt and loads of them. 
the river is still very low and the action is slow at times ,so that's why i have not been adding to the blog that much ,but i hope the rain is on its way and this should bring big changes to the river system ,in the way of some fresh run salmon and sea trout and guess what i just cant wait.
today was a nice change as last night their was a little rain and although it didn't make a great difference to water height it did give the river some fresh water washing through it which i think was the reason for the trout being mare active , which resulted in me managing a couple of nice little browns from one or two of my favourite spots ,and this was a nice change as i was beginning to think the river was being taken over with salmon Smolt.
the fish i managed to catch today were both caught on dry fly and yet again the colour was olive and the pattern a Klinkhammer ,
here is a pic of one of the fish.
i also spent some time taking pictures ,which i have been doing any time I've been at the river and the fish have gone off for a while.
here are some of them also.
Glasgow's coat of arm's
Friday, 17 April 2009
low water on both rivers
The river is very low at the moment folks and if practicing catch and release then you have to be extremely careful as I've been reading over the last year or so that catch and release survival rates go down during periods of high temperatures or low water levels when their is lowered oxygen levels in the river,so i am going to take this into consideration this year and for the years to come as i am trying to adopt the proper respect that the fish deserve from anglers.
i was up at the white cart at Pollock house and again the water was also very low with very little sign of movement at all,although it was an extremely nice day and their were plenty of people about due to the holiday period.
i also noticed just how much the river cart had cleaned up due to the lowered water which allowed you to see the bottom along most of the river and it was spotless and looking very health with plenty of life going on among the river plant life and gravel.
i did see a couple of guys fishing the maggot and they said they had a couple of fish early morning but nothing as soon as full light came upon the river ,yet again the low water playing a part in it.
I am going to give the cart another go when the river level has risen as I've been hearing of a few nice fish being caught from the river of late and that's all along its length ,also i was told of Glasgow university putting trout into the river ,and this i was told by a Senior citizen who had seen this himself around the Pollock park area, but he did add it was mainly smaller fish, probably rared over the winter in tanks and returned to the river as said.
i just cant wait to get back on the Kelvin as I've been missing my daily outing badly and I'm regularly hoping for the rain to come as it will bring the fish some much needed freshness and also bring a good chance of a few salmon into the system ,which would be nice folks ,so lets hope we get some rain over the next few days .
i was up at the white cart at Pollock house and again the water was also very low with very little sign of movement at all,although it was an extremely nice day and their were plenty of people about due to the holiday period.
i also noticed just how much the river cart had cleaned up due to the lowered water which allowed you to see the bottom along most of the river and it was spotless and looking very health with plenty of life going on among the river plant life and gravel.
i did see a couple of guys fishing the maggot and they said they had a couple of fish early morning but nothing as soon as full light came upon the river ,yet again the low water playing a part in it.
I am going to give the cart another go when the river level has risen as I've been hearing of a few nice fish being caught from the river of late and that's all along its length ,also i was told of Glasgow university putting trout into the river ,and this i was told by a Senior citizen who had seen this himself around the Pollock park area, but he did add it was mainly smaller fish, probably rared over the winter in tanks and returned to the river as said.
i just cant wait to get back on the Kelvin as I've been missing my daily outing badly and I'm regularly hoping for the rain to come as it will bring the fish some much needed freshness and also bring a good chance of a few salmon into the system ,which would be nice folks ,so lets hope we get some rain over the next few days .
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
A great day and not a fish to show for it
well today i had one of the best session's I've had at the back of the transport museum for a long time with some top of the water action, which was coming on and off with the sporadic hatches which at times were really quite good and brought allot of hungry trout to the top of the water to feed.
i set up first of all before any hatch began with a 2 fly set up ,which was a gold head phesant tail on the point and a hares ear on the dropper ,and with this set up i fished for around an half hour before noticing the hatch coming on and fish starting to come up in the water.
i quickly changed over to a klinkhammer pattern which i tied up a few days ago which is as goes.
Hook - size 16
body - light olive rabbit dubbing
rib - fine gold wire
wingpost - white antron
thorax - dark olive rabbit dubbing
this was bringing everything to it ,i was the one missing the fish and at times i was convinced something had to be wrong with the hook or something ,but i was wrong ,nothing wrong ,the only thing that was lacking was my ability to catch the little fly busting trout which a few i did connect with but duly lost as quick as i had felt them ,but dam what a great day it was just exciting and captivating ,and if i could have a day like that every few days on the river i would be ecstatic even if it meant no fish to show for it .
the moral of the story ,just remember when you are out on the river that its not just about catching fish ,i love to watch the trout behaviour and their habits when feeding which has often helped me to catch trout in the past ,just a great day all round .
also i seen a few others on the river who were new to me but say 'ed they had fished other parts of the river and it just goes to show not enough of us fish enough of the river and if we did we would soon realise just how many great spots and pools their is on this brilliant river.
go on get out their and fish and remember you only catch when your line is in the water .
i set up first of all before any hatch began with a 2 fly set up ,which was a gold head phesant tail on the point and a hares ear on the dropper ,and with this set up i fished for around an half hour before noticing the hatch coming on and fish starting to come up in the water.
i quickly changed over to a klinkhammer pattern which i tied up a few days ago which is as goes.
Hook - size 16
body - light olive rabbit dubbing
rib - fine gold wire
wingpost - white antron
thorax - dark olive rabbit dubbing
this was bringing everything to it ,i was the one missing the fish and at times i was convinced something had to be wrong with the hook or something ,but i was wrong ,nothing wrong ,the only thing that was lacking was my ability to catch the little fly busting trout which a few i did connect with but duly lost as quick as i had felt them ,but dam what a great day it was just exciting and captivating ,and if i could have a day like that every few days on the river i would be ecstatic even if it meant no fish to show for it .
the moral of the story ,just remember when you are out on the river that its not just about catching fish ,i love to watch the trout behaviour and their habits when feeding which has often helped me to catch trout in the past ,just a great day all round .
also i seen a few others on the river who were new to me but say 'ed they had fished other parts of the river and it just goes to show not enough of us fish enough of the river and if we did we would soon realise just how many great spots and pools their is on this brilliant river.
go on get out their and fish and remember you only catch when your line is in the water .
Getting about
Well yesterday was a great day,, as i was out with my brother and his wife and mine ,although the day started off with me out myself to go fishing on the Kelvin ,,it would end at Harelaw Trout fishery! ,which is one of the most impressive looking fisheries i have seen in a long time ,it just had that feeling about it, and the welcome was great to from a very nice gentleman named Alex Carney.
Anyway back to the start of the day which was to start at the sea pool were i ended not fishing at all due to over crowding and mostly water levels as they were very low, and still people were trying out their spinning gear!!! ,hmmmm just gonna lose it i was thinking.
and just before reaching the water i heard the horn of a car ,it was my bro and his wife who were on their way to have a barbecue at the river ,which i did say was not really a good thing to do ,but i wasn't going to try to spoil their day as they never really get out much together ,so we decide to go to the bank area at the back of the art gallery's were i tackled up with my 8 half ft with just a single nymph pattern ,,as i thought fish would be spooky with the low clear water and i was right ,i had a few pulls but nothing aggressive or definite and fished on for another hour or so until my brothers wife convinced my wife to get the kids watched and to come along ,which she did .
We then decided to try the Barrhead dams for a while as its a very nice place to go with someone, and also a chance of a few fish if your really lucky, as it was emptied a while back and will take a while for it to recover well ,but still look like a great place to fish ,so i tried out the pike fly rod and fished using an intermediate line for an hour and didn't have any touches ,just as well really was being a bit irresponsible!!, as i didn't have any traces ,which i discovered when 9i got their and so used 50lb line i had at the bottom of my bag.
then it was on to Harelaw for a look ,,,and i must tell you we passed many places to fish on our way ,and this did get the juices flowing ,but i didn't have the cash to go fishing anywhere but was glad i payed a visit to Harelaw ,as i got to meet a guy from the forum at fish and fly who is Alex Carney who is a very nice guy by the way he welcomed us and helped us understand the water in which he runs and also a few wee secrets to add to my little invisible book which i keep in my head ,so their!!!!,.
anyway Harelaw looks a great place to fish if a little bit big looking for me ,but Ive been reassured that its not that big when you find the fish as their are many shallow bays which seem to hold lots of the fish and me and my brother will be up their at the first opportunity to give it a try,which i cant wait for as I've been hearing so much about improvements and fish quality especially the wild brown which go like trains as do his rainbows too so as soon as the pocket is jingling i will be their thrashing away.
Anyway back to the start of the day which was to start at the sea pool were i ended not fishing at all due to over crowding and mostly water levels as they were very low, and still people were trying out their spinning gear!!! ,hmmmm just gonna lose it i was thinking.
and just before reaching the water i heard the horn of a car ,it was my bro and his wife who were on their way to have a barbecue at the river ,which i did say was not really a good thing to do ,but i wasn't going to try to spoil their day as they never really get out much together ,so we decide to go to the bank area at the back of the art gallery's were i tackled up with my 8 half ft with just a single nymph pattern ,,as i thought fish would be spooky with the low clear water and i was right ,i had a few pulls but nothing aggressive or definite and fished on for another hour or so until my brothers wife convinced my wife to get the kids watched and to come along ,which she did .
We then decided to try the Barrhead dams for a while as its a very nice place to go with someone, and also a chance of a few fish if your really lucky, as it was emptied a while back and will take a while for it to recover well ,but still look like a great place to fish ,so i tried out the pike fly rod and fished using an intermediate line for an hour and didn't have any touches ,just as well really was being a bit irresponsible!!, as i didn't have any traces ,which i discovered when 9i got their and so used 50lb line i had at the bottom of my bag.
then it was on to Harelaw for a look ,,,and i must tell you we passed many places to fish on our way ,and this did get the juices flowing ,but i didn't have the cash to go fishing anywhere but was glad i payed a visit to Harelaw ,as i got to meet a guy from the forum at fish and fly who is Alex Carney who is a very nice guy by the way he welcomed us and helped us understand the water in which he runs and also a few wee secrets to add to my little invisible book which i keep in my head ,so their!!!!,.
anyway Harelaw looks a great place to fish if a little bit big looking for me ,but Ive been reassured that its not that big when you find the fish as their are many shallow bays which seem to hold lots of the fish and me and my brother will be up their at the first opportunity to give it a try,which i cant wait for as I've been hearing so much about improvements and fish quality especially the wild brown which go like trains as do his rainbows too so as soon as the pocket is jingling i will be their thrashing away.
Comments needed
hi again their folks,, i know this blog is set up for people to read as they see fit and to comment on if they wish,but i am asking if people who view the blog if they could take a wee second to post a few comments on material and any suggestions to make the blog any better ,as i really want it to be valued and be interesting for all who may come over it while surfing the net.
I feel more comments will attract more people ,,and thus more attention!! ,which in turn will also get more people involved on the river kelvin as a topic of discussion and debate, and this will attract more to log on to the forum at http://riverkelvinfishing.co.uk/forum/ which is taking its time to get new members!, but is still a very important part of my blog and development on the river as it encourages discussion and thus more members to come to the river paying their well earned monies to the rivers growing fund, which will allow for further development in areas that are just starting to be looked at now on the river due to board room changes,.
These changes have been a great move for the whole rivers future,, with signs put up within the first few weeks ,and a hoard of new bailiffs on the system daily, which is needed especially for when their are good runs of salmon, as this seems to be a trouble time on the river as far as poaching is concerned .
i will state again that i would be very grateful if people took the time to add their bit in the comments section and if appropriate joined the forum for discussion on matters involving the river and its wildlife as trout are not the only commodity on the kelvin .
I look forward to hearing from you guy and girls too of course.
I feel more comments will attract more people ,,and thus more attention!! ,which in turn will also get more people involved on the river kelvin as a topic of discussion and debate, and this will attract more to log on to the forum at http://riverkelvinfishing.co.uk/forum/ which is taking its time to get new members!, but is still a very important part of my blog and development on the river as it encourages discussion and thus more members to come to the river paying their well earned monies to the rivers growing fund, which will allow for further development in areas that are just starting to be looked at now on the river due to board room changes,.
These changes have been a great move for the whole rivers future,, with signs put up within the first few weeks ,and a hoard of new bailiffs on the system daily, which is needed especially for when their are good runs of salmon, as this seems to be a trouble time on the river as far as poaching is concerned .
i will state again that i would be very grateful if people took the time to add their bit in the comments section and if appropriate joined the forum for discussion on matters involving the river and its wildlife as trout are not the only commodity on the kelvin .
I look forward to hearing from you guy and girls too of course.
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Salmon showing in the river
well folk their in the river that's for sure.
i was on the river this afternoon and as usual started at the Sea pool ,with my two boys which i soon wished was another day ,i know its terrible ,but when the fish are their i like to fish ,and i was getting the I'm cold treatment constantly and thus ended up taking down my rod and going home with a great big rotten pitbull bee stung face.
well anyway back to the fish i seen ,which were of a good size by the look of the tail patterns they were throwing off when turning on the top of the water and they also looked very fresh ,as if they were just in which could have been totally possible as the tide was just getting to its height and covering the lower fall of the sea pool and that's when you normally get the fish showing in the pool ,and if your really lucky you can get to see them from up on the bank entering in a pod of salmon which is quite a scene and something I've only ever seen 4 times on the Kelvin.
i am looking forward to the next few weeks on the river now as i know that fish are entering and that makes all the difference as you will know ,its give you that will power to stay another couple of hours or so and that's what makes the difference as you must put the time in for these fish as remember they don't feed in fresh water and your best chance of getting them is when they are just fresh in as they are still very switched on and takes can be thunderous to say the least ,so hang on if you are planing a visit to the river over the next few days .
i wish everyone the best of luck for the new season ahead!, and all you folk who have never had a salmon ,i hope you get your reward this time ,as the new guys deserve a fish more than others at times, as they are the ones on the river from morning to night .
i am going to do my best to keep people up to date on whats happening along the river this year ,as I'm going to be fishing much more water as a rule ,so as i can find some new places that hold fish ,,as their must be many along the river ,,after all its over 3o miles long .
i was on the river this afternoon and as usual started at the Sea pool ,with my two boys which i soon wished was another day ,i know its terrible ,but when the fish are their i like to fish ,and i was getting the I'm cold treatment constantly and thus ended up taking down my rod and going home with a great big rotten pitbull bee stung face.
well anyway back to the fish i seen ,which were of a good size by the look of the tail patterns they were throwing off when turning on the top of the water and they also looked very fresh ,as if they were just in which could have been totally possible as the tide was just getting to its height and covering the lower fall of the sea pool and that's when you normally get the fish showing in the pool ,and if your really lucky you can get to see them from up on the bank entering in a pod of salmon which is quite a scene and something I've only ever seen 4 times on the Kelvin.
i am looking forward to the next few weeks on the river now as i know that fish are entering and that makes all the difference as you will know ,its give you that will power to stay another couple of hours or so and that's what makes the difference as you must put the time in for these fish as remember they don't feed in fresh water and your best chance of getting them is when they are just fresh in as they are still very switched on and takes can be thunderous to say the least ,so hang on if you are planing a visit to the river over the next few days .
i wish everyone the best of luck for the new season ahead!, and all you folk who have never had a salmon ,i hope you get your reward this time ,as the new guys deserve a fish more than others at times, as they are the ones on the river from morning to night .
i am going to do my best to keep people up to date on whats happening along the river this year ,as I'm going to be fishing much more water as a rule ,so as i can find some new places that hold fish ,,as their must be many along the river ,,after all its over 3o miles long .
Friday, 10 April 2009
What does the year ahead hold
i have been thinking of what this year may hold for me and other determined anglers who fish the river most of the year ,just what will be in the river this year in the way of migratory fish(Sea trout / Salmon) i wonder will their be a twenty pound fish caught this year ,as each year the fish seem to get that little bit bigger and if the trend be set then it should be a fish over twenty if were lucky,well if I'm lucky ,,Ha Ha,,.
Also i have been hearing that their are to be trout of a bigger size stocked this year of a lb - 2 lb which will be very nice and will definitely keep me going until i can get my teeth into a salmon or sea trout.
A PICTURE OF A FRIEND FISHING FOR SALMON LAST YEAR
i used to consider myself a trout angler and still do ,but from the moment the first real sign of some good steady run of sea trout or salmon are in the river ,i must say i am switched onto them overnight and pursue them will every last breath in my body.
the salmon that enter the river are usually around the 6lb mark (Grilse) well this is i would say the average ,although their are plenty of fish in the double figure range and upwards as I've sen my fare share of fish in the twenty pound range making the falls at Yorkhill ,also know as the Sea pool ,
THE SEA POOL AT YORKHILL 2009
The Sea pool has caused some real concern among the anglers over the past couple of years with stories of loads and loads of fish being killed by inexperienced and experienced anglers alike, which i must say i do agree that their is scope for improvement (Big) improvement on this part and many other parts of the river as far as catch and release is concerned ,but i must say i have not seen the horrendous numbers of fish being killed every year ,and i fish their regularly ,and i know i may be biast ,,,but i do love fishing the run below the falls for salmon and sea trout ,,and would gladly ,if made a rule by the club, allow for this area to become a sanctuary for the salmon ,but until it is made a rule i will continue to fish it a t high tide,,.
As far as the trout fishing goes ,i am looking forward to the hatches of olives on the river ,which can be really good at times,, i just hope we get the right weather for good constant dry fly action this year ,,as their is just nothing to beat it ,is their guys, and girls of course ,i just love that turn of a trout at your fly and then the slurp and its gone ,then i count or sometimes not , one--two strike and its on ,,and your in your element ,their is also something else i just love on the river Kelvin ,,and that's when you get a few people stopping and staring you as if you are mad fishing that sewer pipe ,and then just as they go to turn away ,,a fish rises and your on ,and a couple of flips here and twirls their you bring the most stunning looking fish these people have ever seen to hand ,and they just stand their stunned ,and then say my god did you catch that in their ,to which you say in amazement "you did watch me catch it from here ",to which you often get the "so their is fish in their!!", i didn't know that",,, and its just fantastic as you return the fish and walk on looking into the water for another beautiful trout.
So if you stay near the river Kelvin ,i would get along to the local tackle shop ,and pay your £20.00 or £10.00 pound if unemployed ,,as its the best fishing for the price in the Clyde system and is showing good signs of improvement each year ,so what you got to lose ,actually quite allot ,like a great days fishing for next to nothing ,trout that are just beautiful ,,and the good chance of some sea trout action, as well as salmon too .
if anyone is interested in finding out some things about the river,, and i can help then give me a line and i will meet up with you and do my best to show you a few good starting points on the river ,,and i can also help a little with fly casting ,and rod set up too ,so their no excuse guys ,get on the river you will be glad you did.
look here for the official site run by my friend Alistair.
http://fishkelvin.com/
Also i have been hearing that their are to be trout of a bigger size stocked this year of a lb - 2 lb which will be very nice and will definitely keep me going until i can get my teeth into a salmon or sea trout.
A PICTURE OF A FRIEND FISHING FOR SALMON LAST YEAR
i used to consider myself a trout angler and still do ,but from the moment the first real sign of some good steady run of sea trout or salmon are in the river ,i must say i am switched onto them overnight and pursue them will every last breath in my body.
the salmon that enter the river are usually around the 6lb mark (Grilse) well this is i would say the average ,although their are plenty of fish in the double figure range and upwards as I've sen my fare share of fish in the twenty pound range making the falls at Yorkhill ,also know as the Sea pool ,
THE SEA POOL AT YORKHILL 2009
The Sea pool has caused some real concern among the anglers over the past couple of years with stories of loads and loads of fish being killed by inexperienced and experienced anglers alike, which i must say i do agree that their is scope for improvement (Big) improvement on this part and many other parts of the river as far as catch and release is concerned ,but i must say i have not seen the horrendous numbers of fish being killed every year ,and i fish their regularly ,and i know i may be biast ,,,but i do love fishing the run below the falls for salmon and sea trout ,,and would gladly ,if made a rule by the club, allow for this area to become a sanctuary for the salmon ,but until it is made a rule i will continue to fish it a t high tide,,.
As far as the trout fishing goes ,i am looking forward to the hatches of olives on the river ,which can be really good at times,, i just hope we get the right weather for good constant dry fly action this year ,,as their is just nothing to beat it ,is their guys, and girls of course ,i just love that turn of a trout at your fly and then the slurp and its gone ,then i count or sometimes not , one--two strike and its on ,,and your in your element ,their is also something else i just love on the river Kelvin ,,and that's when you get a few people stopping and staring you as if you are mad fishing that sewer pipe ,and then just as they go to turn away ,,a fish rises and your on ,and a couple of flips here and twirls their you bring the most stunning looking fish these people have ever seen to hand ,and they just stand their stunned ,and then say my god did you catch that in their ,to which you say in amazement "you did watch me catch it from here ",to which you often get the "so their is fish in their!!", i didn't know that",,, and its just fantastic as you return the fish and walk on looking into the water for another beautiful trout.
So if you stay near the river Kelvin ,i would get along to the local tackle shop ,and pay your £20.00 or £10.00 pound if unemployed ,,as its the best fishing for the price in the Clyde system and is showing good signs of improvement each year ,so what you got to lose ,actually quite allot ,like a great days fishing for next to nothing ,trout that are just beautiful ,,and the good chance of some sea trout action, as well as salmon too .
if anyone is interested in finding out some things about the river,, and i can help then give me a line and i will meet up with you and do my best to show you a few good starting points on the river ,,and i can also help a little with fly casting ,and rod set up too ,so their no excuse guys ,get on the river you will be glad you did.
look here for the official site run by my friend Alistair.
http://fishkelvin.com/
Monday, 6 April 2009
Lost property PHEEEWWWW
Today i was on my way home with my two sons who i get to see each weekend and cherish the little time i get with them to the full .
the day started of with the usual getting everyone breakfast ,,and then arranging with their mum when they will be coming home ,,which is always a slightly sad moment!! ,although i must say the prospect of fishing was playing on my mind, and i was looking forward to it ,so the gear was gathered and the boys dressed ,and so it was to the bus stop!, and on my way home with the boys.
i usually get a certain bus ,as it takes them very nearly to their front door ,but waiting at the bus stop the boys had got somewhat restless and i decided that another bus which would involve two buses in the end would be a good idea, and so all the way home the boys were fighting ,,and slagging each other off ,which really gets me worked up ,as i try to tell them the importance of brothers sticking together ,but the whole time i am thinking of me and my older brother fighting at that age.
i usually keep my bag on my back, as I've forgot it before when getting off the bus and was very lucky to get it back, and so the fighting continued ,,and as we approached our stop i was that eager to get off ,i just got up and marched the two boys to the front of the bus saying "I'm not impressed with you both" and now we are all of the bus and standing waiting for the second part of the journey to start when my eldest son says "dad do you have my jacket " and i reply" yes its in my fishinggggggg baaaggggg,"" awwww fur fruck sake ,I've left it on the bus" and then it goes through your head ,whats in the bag? and so i start to go through the list ,of which i don't really want to list here ,,as i would be told that i was a silly boy for carrying all that gear when i didn't need it really, but after some time i considered the value and it would be an easy £700 and counting ,so needless to say i was gutted, and began the process of trying to recover it which was the most sickening 45 minutes I've ever spent over my gear.
i will cut this story a little shorter and let you guys know ,i did eventually get my gear back by waiting on the bus returning to the stop on the other side of the road and the driver had it in beside him ,,and yet again i had been extremely lucky!! to have it back in my hands.
I did have an hour or so on the river after that ,,and no i didn't catch anything ,but i was just happy i had the opportunity to go fishing at all ,and today is another day i have felt the real appreciation for the gear i have ,so be careful out their always make sure you know were your gear is,, and try to remember to lift it to take home at the end of the day no matter how heavy it may be.
oh and a big sorry to my boys for shouting at then and blaming them for what was only a very short time as i shouldn't have done that at all.
good to have my gear and I'm happy i can go fishing tomorrow .
the day started of with the usual getting everyone breakfast ,,and then arranging with their mum when they will be coming home ,,which is always a slightly sad moment!! ,although i must say the prospect of fishing was playing on my mind, and i was looking forward to it ,so the gear was gathered and the boys dressed ,and so it was to the bus stop!, and on my way home with the boys.
i usually get a certain bus ,as it takes them very nearly to their front door ,but waiting at the bus stop the boys had got somewhat restless and i decided that another bus which would involve two buses in the end would be a good idea, and so all the way home the boys were fighting ,,and slagging each other off ,which really gets me worked up ,as i try to tell them the importance of brothers sticking together ,but the whole time i am thinking of me and my older brother fighting at that age.
i usually keep my bag on my back, as I've forgot it before when getting off the bus and was very lucky to get it back, and so the fighting continued ,,and as we approached our stop i was that eager to get off ,i just got up and marched the two boys to the front of the bus saying "I'm not impressed with you both" and now we are all of the bus and standing waiting for the second part of the journey to start when my eldest son says "dad do you have my jacket " and i reply" yes its in my fishinggggggg baaaggggg,"" awwww fur fruck sake ,I've left it on the bus" and then it goes through your head ,whats in the bag? and so i start to go through the list ,of which i don't really want to list here ,,as i would be told that i was a silly boy for carrying all that gear when i didn't need it really, but after some time i considered the value and it would be an easy £700 and counting ,so needless to say i was gutted, and began the process of trying to recover it which was the most sickening 45 minutes I've ever spent over my gear.
i will cut this story a little shorter and let you guys know ,i did eventually get my gear back by waiting on the bus returning to the stop on the other side of the road and the driver had it in beside him ,,and yet again i had been extremely lucky!! to have it back in my hands.
I did have an hour or so on the river after that ,,and no i didn't catch anything ,but i was just happy i had the opportunity to go fishing at all ,and today is another day i have felt the real appreciation for the gear i have ,so be careful out their always make sure you know were your gear is,, and try to remember to lift it to take home at the end of the day no matter how heavy it may be.
oh and a big sorry to my boys for shouting at then and blaming them for what was only a very short time as i shouldn't have done that at all.
good to have my gear and I'm happy i can go fishing tomorrow .
Friday, 3 April 2009
Freindly faces
The same old faces are their year in year out ,,and new friends i have made each year.
I feel sometimes i go to the river just for the familiar faces ,and the banter ,,which is often some of the funniest stuff I've ever heard ,but us fisherman are like this ,we spend allot of time on our own at the river ,and when we meet up with friend we have accumulated over the years fishing the river we have a common ground, and are good are ribbing each other with stories of the past ,and woo betide the person that has lost a fish in front of anyone as they can become the focus point of the banter.
i must say that the people i have met on the river are some of the nicest people i have ever come across ,generous ,caring , and always welcoming to a new face on the river, so if you are thinking of fishing the river Kelvin then remember this statement and don't be scared to approach anyone on the river bank as you will often find you make a new friend and also pick up some priceless tips to help you on your way to fishing the river successfully.
I arrived at the river to a familiar face ! "Ozzy"
if any of you know him you will say the same as me i think, a nice guy who is always approachable and a source of information on the happenings of the river were he has fished for many years now i think.
anyway after a quick chat discussing the lay of the land,, and the fact that their are new changes on the table for the river ,which in some instances are causing real problems.
I really do feel it for the people who fish the bridge at the sea pool ,as they have fished it for years ,,and the fact that it is a derelict bridge that they are fishing from ,,and not one that has a public footpath on it , i thought may have been in their favour ,but no it seems rules are rules and no one has to fish the bridge.
the reason i feel for these people are mainly because two of my best friends on the river fish that bridge , ,and they keep themselves to themselves,, and fish their every day morning to night ,no matter the weather , i just hope you guys find a new place ,of which their are many on the river in which to fish to your hearts content ,,and i wish you all the best for the new season ahead ,but one thing i will ask is don't go getting yourselves into bother be it a night in a cell or god forbid something worse over this matter ,as its just not worth it my friends, is it.!!!
I will now get on to the fishing ,i fished a floating line with a 2lb tippet on my Diawa whisker fly 4/5 weight 8 half ft ,,which is a great wee rod coupled with my bfr reel 4/5 which works great for dry fly work as well as light nymph work and spiders .
I started of with a black Klinkhammer which i was casting to a couple of sporadic rising fish ,,of which i had a couple of refusals,, and so changed over to a size 16 pheasant tail nymph, which managed to bring me 3 fish ,all of around the quarter pound mark , with one of them being a salmon Parr.
so another good little day with the good signs that you want to see from your river ! in the form of juvenile fish ,thus showing that spawning of wild fish is occurring and by the numbers occurring in a big way as i seen plenty of these small fish.
I feel sometimes i go to the river just for the familiar faces ,and the banter ,,which is often some of the funniest stuff I've ever heard ,but us fisherman are like this ,we spend allot of time on our own at the river ,and when we meet up with friend we have accumulated over the years fishing the river we have a common ground, and are good are ribbing each other with stories of the past ,and woo betide the person that has lost a fish in front of anyone as they can become the focus point of the banter.
i must say that the people i have met on the river are some of the nicest people i have ever come across ,generous ,caring , and always welcoming to a new face on the river, so if you are thinking of fishing the river Kelvin then remember this statement and don't be scared to approach anyone on the river bank as you will often find you make a new friend and also pick up some priceless tips to help you on your way to fishing the river successfully.
I arrived at the river to a familiar face ! "Ozzy"
if any of you know him you will say the same as me i think, a nice guy who is always approachable and a source of information on the happenings of the river were he has fished for many years now i think.
anyway after a quick chat discussing the lay of the land,, and the fact that their are new changes on the table for the river ,which in some instances are causing real problems.
I really do feel it for the people who fish the bridge at the sea pool ,as they have fished it for years ,,and the fact that it is a derelict bridge that they are fishing from ,,and not one that has a public footpath on it , i thought may have been in their favour ,but no it seems rules are rules and no one has to fish the bridge.
the reason i feel for these people are mainly because two of my best friends on the river fish that bridge , ,and they keep themselves to themselves,, and fish their every day morning to night ,no matter the weather , i just hope you guys find a new place ,of which their are many on the river in which to fish to your hearts content ,,and i wish you all the best for the new season ahead ,but one thing i will ask is don't go getting yourselves into bother be it a night in a cell or god forbid something worse over this matter ,as its just not worth it my friends, is it.!!!
I will now get on to the fishing ,i fished a floating line with a 2lb tippet on my Diawa whisker fly 4/5 weight 8 half ft ,,which is a great wee rod coupled with my bfr reel 4/5 which works great for dry fly work as well as light nymph work and spiders .
I started of with a black Klinkhammer which i was casting to a couple of sporadic rising fish ,,of which i had a couple of refusals,, and so changed over to a size 16 pheasant tail nymph, which managed to bring me 3 fish ,all of around the quarter pound mark , with one of them being a salmon Parr.
so another good little day with the good signs that you want to see from your river ! in the form of juvenile fish ,thus showing that spawning of wild fish is occurring and by the numbers occurring in a big way as i seen plenty of these small fish.
contemplating a change
After speaking to my friend and fellow angler Alistair ,who runs the official River Kelvin site (http://fishkelvin.com/) And his own outstanding personal blog ( http://urbanflyfisher.com/ ) which is so full of top quality material , and deserves the large following it has.
A Picture of the Vet school run yesterday..
I spoke to Alistair regarding my own blog ,,and also my new forum for 2009 ,which covers all types of fishing on the river ,and all types of methods in which to fish,but after some discussion and which sounded good advice from Alistair, about where my blog and forum were going,, and what would help to improve them , Alistair came up with the following idea's .
Macro Photography
First of all Alistair already has over a hundred ,it may in fact be allot more than that for his forum ,which is concerning the river and fishing it, but what he pointed out was really very plain that i should have thought about it myself before now ,as Alistair says he is a devoted trout fisherman, and has no lust or passion to go fishing for what he called belligerent salmon!! who don't even feed while in the river ,and that i have caught and know so much more about their habits and positions in the river while they ascend it to spawn , thus bringing to the discussion the idea that as Alistair is already established on the net as the number one river Kelvin site ..,which as he says in mainly dedicated to trout fishing .
A Lovely April Daffodil taken using Macro Photography
this is where we discussed the possibility of changing my new forum over to a forum dedicated to migratory fish in the river Kelvin which all made sense as he could send people looking for tips or advice on salmon and sea trout on the river over to my forum and anyone asking about trout fishing on the river i will pass on to him .,thus giving me a better chance of succeeding with my forum and also a dedicated place for members of the river to use as a source of information
I love this pic it screams April to me ,, with the robin who i never seem to see after the beginning of April and the opening tree buds to celebrate the coming of summer
I would be very grateful to here peoples views on this matter ,to weather they think this would be a good or bad decision for me my blog and the forum no matter how much it is struggling to attain members at the moment ,as i do believe it will pick up in the months ahead as people like diversity in their discussion and having 2 forums will give that even more than one.
Thursday, 2 April 2009
A brighter day for the Kelvin
Today was the first real day that change seemed to be coming to the river.
i and others attended which was to be a P.R day for the river and also a show of strength in that permits were needed on all parts of the river .
i feel this has been long over due and to see the signs going up is a real inspiration to myself and others who are passionate about the river and its future.
i spoke to a new friend of mine ,,well i now consider him a friend ,you may feel otherwise Alistair ,,lol,, about a few matters on the kelvin which will be at the fore front of the task list over the next few months as well as would you guess ,,my blog ,which i feel he gave me some really good advice about which way i could take it in the near future ,and this i am considering very much,again thanks Alistair.
Alistair giving the police a wide berth.
their were a few bailiffs including the head bailiff Davie Scobbie ,,and a few others who's names i am still unsure of, but will make a point of finding out for the sake of the blog.
Davie seems a very motivated man ,and knows exactly what he wants to see done on the river ,,from tackling the poaching problem, to caring for the river environment and all the animals that inhabit it , which their are surprisingly a diverse amount from trout to kingfishers and even the word of an otter which is just fantastic i think to name a few.
Davie Scobbie Head Bailiff
i also spoke to the Secretary and he is another guy on a mission as far as development of the river goes ,so all in all things are certainly looking up ,,and I'm sure if things keep going the way they are our river will continue to improve each year ,,which will mean better fishing for us all ,from trout all the way to salmon ,,and all for £20.00 quid for the employed ,and £10.00 for unemployed ,so we have it good and its up to us all to keep it this way and to help it improve.
i would personally like to give my appreciation to all the board members for taking on a very difficult job and doing their best to make the river a better place for me and the other members to fish ,so keep up the good work lads you are doing us all proud ..
Thank you .
Derek.
i and others attended which was to be a P.R day for the river and also a show of strength in that permits were needed on all parts of the river .
i feel this has been long over due and to see the signs going up is a real inspiration to myself and others who are passionate about the river and its future.
i spoke to a new friend of mine ,,well i now consider him a friend ,you may feel otherwise Alistair ,,lol,, about a few matters on the kelvin which will be at the fore front of the task list over the next few months as well as would you guess ,,my blog ,which i feel he gave me some really good advice about which way i could take it in the near future ,and this i am considering very much,again thanks Alistair.
Alistair giving the police a wide berth.
their were a few bailiffs including the head bailiff Davie Scobbie ,,and a few others who's names i am still unsure of, but will make a point of finding out for the sake of the blog.
Davie seems a very motivated man ,and knows exactly what he wants to see done on the river ,,from tackling the poaching problem, to caring for the river environment and all the animals that inhabit it , which their are surprisingly a diverse amount from trout to kingfishers and even the word of an otter which is just fantastic i think to name a few.
Davie Scobbie Head Bailiff
i also spoke to the Secretary and he is another guy on a mission as far as development of the river goes ,so all in all things are certainly looking up ,,and I'm sure if things keep going the way they are our river will continue to improve each year ,,which will mean better fishing for us all ,from trout all the way to salmon ,,and all for £20.00 quid for the employed ,and £10.00 for unemployed ,so we have it good and its up to us all to keep it this way and to help it improve.
i would personally like to give my appreciation to all the board members for taking on a very difficult job and doing their best to make the river a better place for me and the other members to fish ,so keep up the good work lads you are doing us all proud ..
Thank you .
Derek.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
weather a real killer
Well ive been ob the river a few times since my last post and to tell the truth it has been rained of for me,as i am not one for the cold chilled rain that comes along with the stiff wind in march in Scotland.
i however have been watching the river and have been noticing that their are more cormorants than their were this time last year, so what can be done about them as they must be causing havoc with the young Parr etc!! .
the river has its usual pea green tinge and at the moment their is very few days that the trout seem to be right on the feed so its really a game of ,watching the weather looking at the local forecast and taking the chance ,as you just never know at this time of year ,as it could be another cold drab day ,or a day when everything seems alive and the trout are boiling at the surface ready to be presented with a well proportioned fly and if your lucky an obliging fish.
well really that's all i can add at the moment ,no sign of any fresh run spring fish of yet on the river and not even any Kelt's have been caught which is quite unusual as i usually hear of one or two so i wonder whats going on..
i however have been watching the river and have been noticing that their are more cormorants than their were this time last year, so what can be done about them as they must be causing havoc with the young Parr etc!! .
the river has its usual pea green tinge and at the moment their is very few days that the trout seem to be right on the feed so its really a game of ,watching the weather looking at the local forecast and taking the chance ,as you just never know at this time of year ,as it could be another cold drab day ,or a day when everything seems alive and the trout are boiling at the surface ready to be presented with a well proportioned fly and if your lucky an obliging fish.
well really that's all i can add at the moment ,no sign of any fresh run spring fish of yet on the river and not even any Kelt's have been caught which is quite unusual as i usually hear of one or two so i wonder whats going on..
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Rotten day at the vet school
Well made my way up to the vet school today and met willie the bailiff who was telling me he has caught allot of people on the river without a permit ,but hat off to him for pursuing these people and removing them from the river as it a disgrace when you think of the very low price of a permit for the river.
i also asked about the others that were taking the bailiff places and he said their were others but he didn't seem to happy about doing the bottom end at the sea pool etc! as i think he had a little bother their the other day which i can imagine was a little heated ,but good luck to yourself wullie and the rest of the bailiffs on the water and keep up the good work we are all behind you just remember that.
anyway back to the trip today ,i did take my double hander with me and a 7 and a half foot shakie rod which belongs to my son ,but didn't get around to using as no later had i left the house and it started to spit ,which i thought would not come to anything, silly me!!!!! it teamed down and after only 20 minutes in the water throwing a very stiff 9 weight line i decided to give up and make my way home as the water was just about freezing temp and their was just no sign of life anywhere.
I took this pic while i was leaving the vet school.
I am looking forward to a little bit of more settled weather and i will be on the river as much as i can and will pass on any thing i find is working for me or others on the river .
i also asked about the others that were taking the bailiff places and he said their were others but he didn't seem to happy about doing the bottom end at the sea pool etc! as i think he had a little bother their the other day which i can imagine was a little heated ,but good luck to yourself wullie and the rest of the bailiffs on the water and keep up the good work we are all behind you just remember that.
anyway back to the trip today ,i did take my double hander with me and a 7 and a half foot shakie rod which belongs to my son ,but didn't get around to using as no later had i left the house and it started to spit ,which i thought would not come to anything, silly me!!!!! it teamed down and after only 20 minutes in the water throwing a very stiff 9 weight line i decided to give up and make my way home as the water was just about freezing temp and their was just no sign of life anywhere.
I took this pic while i was leaving the vet school.
I am looking forward to a little bit of more settled weather and i will be on the river as much as i can and will pass on any thing i find is working for me or others on the river .
Monday, 23 March 2009
4 fish on the klinkhammer
I had a great day on the river today ,and had 4 fish all of around the half pound mark and all on the dry fly ,which makes it all the more special for me as i love taking fish on the dry fly ,theirs nothing that quite stands up to it if you ask me.
i arrived around 12 o'clock and no i didn't make it to the science park as i went for a hair cut and decided to try the lower river which I'm glad i did, as i got to the river i armed myself up with the usual for me at this time of year ,the good old gold head nymph and spider duo.
i then started to notice that their were fly's coming of the water and they were dark in colour so thought i would get the box back out and change tactics,which i did by tying on a size 14 dark dun klinkhammer which within 3 casts i was into my first fish and within another hour i had another 3 as well so a great day indeed it was, the first from the sea pool at Yorkhill and the others just above the bride at the art gallery's .
i had a great day and intend getting myself back on the water tomorrow ,but i will be going to the science park as i feel i may have missed something special up their today and i may have just lost out on one or 2 good fish too, which is bothering me so i hope the weather is much the same and i can get a good day up the science park also ,it would be great to see any of you guys up their so sorry i did not make it today but if you are their tomorrow ill see you OK.
pic added later of one of the fish..
i arrived around 12 o'clock and no i didn't make it to the science park as i went for a hair cut and decided to try the lower river which I'm glad i did, as i got to the river i armed myself up with the usual for me at this time of year ,the good old gold head nymph and spider duo.
i then started to notice that their were fly's coming of the water and they were dark in colour so thought i would get the box back out and change tactics,which i did by tying on a size 14 dark dun klinkhammer which within 3 casts i was into my first fish and within another hour i had another 3 as well so a great day indeed it was, the first from the sea pool at Yorkhill and the others just above the bride at the art gallery's .
i had a great day and intend getting myself back on the water tomorrow ,but i will be going to the science park as i feel i may have missed something special up their today and i may have just lost out on one or 2 good fish too, which is bothering me so i hope the weather is much the same and i can get a good day up the science park also ,it would be great to see any of you guys up their so sorry i did not make it today but if you are their tomorrow ill see you OK.
pic added later of one of the fish..
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Looking forward to tomorow
Well i was up at the science park on Saturday with my 2 boys in the hope that i would be able to have the space the help encourage my boys to practice their fly casting which i soon realised was not going to happen due to the rather large numbers of fly fisherman in the immediate area, its great to see although it did resemble an English chalk stream packed to the gunnel's with an angler every 30 yards or so and not a fish in site,which was a little of putting .
i did manage to get a few casts myself and touched nothing during the 15 minutes i spent on the stretch before i decided to head for the open grass lawn and to the task of showing the boys the mechanical steps needed to throw out a line which my oldest understands quite well and my youngest seems to still be using all he knows on casting a dead weight from a fixed spool and cant seem to let go of it ,but he will pick it up too I'm sure .
i love watching the boys getting that line out and straight the look on their face is everything as their proud of themselves and they also know that you are thrilled too,i feel my oldest is more into pleasing me with his progress than what he really wants ,this is an issue i will need to talk over as i would not want him out their if he isn't enjoying the process and the task at hand , but that will be on another day when I'm on my own with him i think.
i will be up at the science park from around 12 o'clock tomorrow and i think i will take my 8 half ft 4-5 weight and also my double handed salmon rod ,12.9ft scierra sweep, which i have been trying my best to get to grips with, and I'm doing OK, but feel i could do with a few pointers ,,so the stretch up at the science park is quite wide ,and will give me the opportunity to try new things ,,so anyone going up i will see you their OK.
Also a wee poem for the guys who lost their lives on loch Awe.
The days were long and the nights some of the best
with your rods in hand you did make your rest
and now that the your line is forever on the water
and your day always to bring the perfect wave
and with eyes cast apon the shore
im sure you will be with your families once more
so throw that line the way you always wished
and may those fish forever be on the take
and with lines tight and fins braking the wave
i wish you all a peacefull sleep
and from your fellow anglers in thought so deep
we say goodnight.
Rest our fellow men.
i did manage to get a few casts myself and touched nothing during the 15 minutes i spent on the stretch before i decided to head for the open grass lawn and to the task of showing the boys the mechanical steps needed to throw out a line which my oldest understands quite well and my youngest seems to still be using all he knows on casting a dead weight from a fixed spool and cant seem to let go of it ,but he will pick it up too I'm sure .
i love watching the boys getting that line out and straight the look on their face is everything as their proud of themselves and they also know that you are thrilled too,i feel my oldest is more into pleasing me with his progress than what he really wants ,this is an issue i will need to talk over as i would not want him out their if he isn't enjoying the process and the task at hand , but that will be on another day when I'm on my own with him i think.
i will be up at the science park from around 12 o'clock tomorrow and i think i will take my 8 half ft 4-5 weight and also my double handed salmon rod ,12.9ft scierra sweep, which i have been trying my best to get to grips with, and I'm doing OK, but feel i could do with a few pointers ,,so the stretch up at the science park is quite wide ,and will give me the opportunity to try new things ,,so anyone going up i will see you their OK.
Also a wee poem for the guys who lost their lives on loch Awe.
The days were long and the nights some of the best
with your rods in hand you did make your rest
and now that the your line is forever on the water
and your day always to bring the perfect wave
and with eyes cast apon the shore
im sure you will be with your families once more
so throw that line the way you always wished
and may those fish forever be on the take
and with lines tight and fins braking the wave
i wish you all a peacefull sleep
and from your fellow anglers in thought so deep
we say goodnight.
Rest our fellow men.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
new season
with the new season now under way and the forum up and running at http://riverkelvinfishing.co.uk/index.html
which i can only hope picks up and becomes what i hoped .
i started my trout fishing season on the 17th, and tried out a duo method of a hares ear nymph ,and a snipe and purple on the dropper, which brought me 3 fish with the biggest being around the pound mark, and the other 2 being close to the half pound mark, which shows the river is fishable at the moment with the fly ,as fish are their for the taking with the right set although i did notice the odd fly hatching from the surface and the odd trout rising which was just great as it gives you the feeling of summer nights and makes the wait a whole lot easier.
which i can only hope picks up and becomes what i hoped .
i started my trout fishing season on the 17th, and tried out a duo method of a hares ear nymph ,and a snipe and purple on the dropper, which brought me 3 fish with the biggest being around the pound mark, and the other 2 being close to the half pound mark, which shows the river is fishable at the moment with the fly ,as fish are their for the taking with the right set although i did notice the odd fly hatching from the surface and the odd trout rising which was just great as it gives you the feeling of summer nights and makes the wait a whole lot easier.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
New forum for 2009
I have went to the trouble of setting up a new forum for people who fish the river kelvin .
I feel the new forum will be much better as far as quality goes ,and i also hope their are more registered users on this forum to keep it afloat , as i feel their is a real chance of this becoming a great place for advice on fishing on the river by different methods, and also so as the river gets more publicity ,thus getting it more protection from poachers etc!.
I intend to make a real go of this and do my best to keep people interested in the forum and what it has to offer,.
i also intend to make a real effort in making the tying section a good place to source fly patterns and how to tie them through step by step photos and written guides which is a great passion of mine and a few others who i know fish the river.
i hope these other people will also help in getting as many patterns up on the forum for people to view and hopefully also encourage some new people into fly tying.
i hope anyone interested in the river kelvin will join and help us to make this gem of a river in the middle of Glasgow to flourish ,,and also to help it get the protection it needs from the constant onslaught of fish being killed in the river, and i am not innocent here either, so i want to make changes to my thinking too,, and the forum will help me to do that if i can see people are making a real go to change.
I feel the new forum will be much better as far as quality goes ,and i also hope their are more registered users on this forum to keep it afloat , as i feel their is a real chance of this becoming a great place for advice on fishing on the river by different methods, and also so as the river gets more publicity ,thus getting it more protection from poachers etc!.
I intend to make a real go of this and do my best to keep people interested in the forum and what it has to offer,.
i also intend to make a real effort in making the tying section a good place to source fly patterns and how to tie them through step by step photos and written guides which is a great passion of mine and a few others who i know fish the river.
i hope these other people will also help in getting as many patterns up on the forum for people to view and hopefully also encourage some new people into fly tying.
i hope anyone interested in the river kelvin will join and help us to make this gem of a river in the middle of Glasgow to flourish ,,and also to help it get the protection it needs from the constant onslaught of fish being killed in the river, and i am not innocent here either, so i want to make changes to my thinking too,, and the forum will help me to do that if i can see people are making a real go to change.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
no tickets for the start of the season
well now with the season near! and the rod hand itching,, I'm sorry to hear their are no tickets ready for the start of the season yet again!!! on the kelvin. i wonder when the club committee will ever get things ready in time or is their changes needing made ,although that's not to say the guys that are their just now haven't done a good job over the years . i just feel the kelvin needs new blood in the higher ranks to give renewed hope to the people who think it is all a scam and that we anglers are being hustled out our money ,,but for 15 quid i cant see were that is happening .i do feel better protection systems are needed for the river and most definitely their is need for a true crown bailiff on the water who has real powers to deal with the influx of non members on the river ,,which at times is unbelievable to say the least,, although I'm all for young ones getting into the fishing as i take my 2 boys along from time to time to see if they too will find that love that never fades when you become a true fisherman,,as we all know its brilliant.
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