2017 nearly at an end.

As I didn’t catch many grayling towards the end of this year ( 3 the last week of the trout season- biggest 3lbs and a couple of 2lbers towards  December).
We all know what a grayling looks like so I ain’t posting pics.on here.
So how about a wee change?
As I like to pop up town in Edinburgh to listen to some folk music— here’s some pics of the guys in action.

                                   
                                         
 Henry Ibbs and co at the Captains Bar

Keven Gore at the Royal Oak

Bobby Nichols at The Royal Oak

Eddy Hanson on the fiddle

So its on to 2018 trout season
I am looking forward to it

2017 brown trout season on the River Clyde

Euan with a nice early season brown trout caught on a wee dry fly Another nice trout caught by my fishing chum Kev. And even the old chap managed to bag a couple And here's a guy/lady who knows how to catch a fish or two. Welcome back for another year.

2016 trout and grayling season

2016 trout and grayling seasons were a bit quiet ( for me anyway) maybe because I was away on holiday most of the time.
However I did catch a few nice fish but unfortunately I was on my own at the time, so the snaps of my catch were either on the bank or in the net.
Far better to have a picture of the angler-- with a grin on his face-- lol
proudly displaying his capture.
So I am trying to put together some shots of other anglers catches  if they are kind enough to send them to me.
I will post when I receive them.

          A nice 2lb plus wild brown trout, caught on the dry fly by my fishing chum-Hugh.

              Same angler--different fish-- (and this time with a nice smile on his face )
              A lovely grayling.

Another stunning trout taken on a wee dry fly in the summer months of 2016.
Nearly a smile from my mate Kev

There he goes again -a nice grayling later on in the year.
Probably too cold for a smile.

Finally a couple of eager beginners --they loved their first go at fly fishing.
I hope to see them again this coming season.
I bet I will.

So its mid February now and its no fishing for me until the weather warms up.
I'm getting too old for standing waste deep in a cold river, trying to catch an elusive grayling.
So the fishes will have to wait until the Spring.  

Canada 2016

Once again it was time for me to leave Scotland and my beloved Clyde- to travel over the big water to Canada and see what I can catch.
Its also going to be great to see my daughter and family again - to spend some time with them,have some nice meals, maybe do some fishing together, or just chill out.
I,m sure the weather will be nice---the hotter the better for me--get out of the cold and damp of Scotland for a while.

First fish, this one a fresh water brill  (sheep,s head) caught by my grandson Isaac

This fish was caught on a worm or ( Canadian night crawler) from the local marina.

A nice silver bass, caught on the fly, from the Detroit river

Not the biggest of fish--a blue gill- but nice to catch on the fly.

A change over to "vertical jigging saw this small mouth bass" come to the net.

              Another change of tactics saw me on Lake St Clare trawling for musky.

This nice specimen at almost 50" gave a good account of itself.

                            With a head and jaws like that, I held it carefully, a quick snap and  back in the water it went.

A big thanks to my guide Kyle  moxonsguideservice.com    

Well the holiday is all over, I am now back in sunny Scotland.

                       It was great seeing all the family again.

The weather was terrific.

                         Hopefully,I will be back again next year.

              So for now, its back on the Clyde.

                  Just got to recover from jet-lag first.

Some fishy shots from the beginning of 2016

Euan with a nice grayling, caught just above Wolfclyde Bridge

It took me 3 trips to the River Tummell before I bagged this one.

Hugh with a nice Clyde trout caught on the fly.

My best Clyde brown trout to date.
This nearly 3lb fish led me a merry dance on my 10ft   #3 dry fly rod.

End of the trout season 2015

It was the last day of the trout season on the Clyde and many anglers were on the river enjoying the fine weather

Although the river was very low, there were plenty of fish to be caught. 

My good friend Bill with a nice brown trout from the River Clyde.
He had a few fish that day--what a great way to end the trout year.

We haven't had much rain for most of the season but there were still a few fish to be caught.
Here is Kev landing a nice fish just by Wolfclyde Bridge.

This superb grayling was caught by Kev earlier in the year.


So the trout seasons ended for 2015-- its now grayling time.
All we need now is a few days of heavy rain to clean the river out.
The trout will start laying their eggs on the nice clean gravel.
Hopefully the grayling will become active and provide some good sport through out the winter months

Although I didn't have a brilliant year, I managed to catch a few fish, my old bones start to ache. After an hour or so I like to sit back on the river bank and watch others applying their skills-- I often wonder --"why cant I do that"?

Competition Fishing

My experience in competition fishing/match fishing was in my younger days while living down South in London.
The river/lake would be split up into sections and each section would be divided up into pegs, which would have a number on it.
We would all draw out of a bag for where we would fish, for the duration of the match.
There would be a entry fee which would be divided up -- winner over all, second and third, then a smaller prize for winning your section.
The bigger matches would also be attended by a bookie, who would give you odds on the chance of you winning etc. so you could place a bet on how well you done.
The duration of the match was usually 5 hours, after which your catch would be emptied from your keep net,weighed and safely returned.
The hardest part of all this was getting to your peg and back with multiple rods and other fishing gear.
The actual fishing was the easy part--- you just sat on your box/seat and fished.
I won a few bob from time to time but it started to get very expensive.
The cost to enter, all your bait and bits and bobs.
You really needed a sponsor, such as a tackle manufacturer or even just an angling shop to help with the cost.
Of course. you needed to be successful--- winning often,getting your name in the paper/photo advertising what ever product your sponsor was supporting.
I wasn't that good - maybe not enough commitment -I gradually gave it up.
This was all back in the seventies and my interests soon changed to more pleasurable activities.

So now back in Scotland, I meet many fellow fishermen on the banks of my favourite river
The Clyde.
Anyway--my mate Kev managed to get me involved to be a controller/recorder for a competition he had entered.
Well it was nothing like my above experience of competition  fishing all those years ago.
I was allocated to an angler, who I would stay with for the duration of the match.
I was provided with a map,photos, measure, recording sheet and two flags.
Off we went in his car-- found the area he had to fish--trundled down the fields to the river, then he went one way and I went the other to where the flags were then staked for his particular beat.
It seemed like miles to me, I was knackered.
He fished between the two flags- I followed for 3 hours and I recorded his fish.
After that it was up the fields again to his car, where we zoomed off for another 3 hours at another section of the river.
Collected this beats flags at the end and finally back to the car.

My whole body ached I was exhausted by my efforts--just too old and unfit for things like that.
But I done it--I helped a mate out and saw parts of the river not known to me.
Watched another angler fish---how he done it---I think he done well.
Not sure if I would be up to doing it again--we will see.

       My angler for the day (John Watson ) he said he was just a beginner.
       I think he done well catching this lovely 2lb plus grayling

      A new fishing spot for me, The Roberton Burn where it meets the Clyde.
      To the left Lamington Water and right UCAPA
       I must venture back there some day.