April 2015 on the Clyde

Well its nearly time for me to get packing for my annual trip to see my daughter in Canada.
I am going early this year to sample the Walleye run from Lake Erie up the Detroit River to Lake St Clare.
The ice has melted and they are already reporting the odd fish being caught up to 12lb.
Hope that they leave some for me.

Anyway I am back on the river Clyde with the trout season back in swing, so I have a couple of weeks to enjoy the trout fishing before I am off.

My Buddy Kev with a nice trout--one of many caught at the beginning of April at Wolfclyde Bridge.

Not to be outdone, the "Old Fellow" managed a couple at the same spot.

We are now getting some hatches of flies mid to late afternoon, so I am going to give the dry fly a go to see if I can entice a big Clyde Broonie.
I hope to update my Blog with the results, before I depart across the sea.

Last cast before I jet off to Canada and I hooked up with this nice Wee Broonie by the Bridge.
Thats it now--away I go on my hols.

Its been a long time

Our local Osprey patrolling the River Clyde earlier on this year.
Its well gone now,probably sunning itself somewhere in Africa.


I've finally found time to post on my Blog.
To be honest--although I've been out fishing, I haven't managed to get any decent shots of my catches.
Most of the time I am on my own and its very hard to hold a grayling and take a photo of it.
I like to get them back in the water as quick as I can-I don,t like stressing them out too much.
You need to hold them face first into the flow for 2-3 minutes for them to fully recover.

Just this nice grayling I caught the beginning of November.
I now have a fishing chum--his name is Kev- a nice chap.
So if we are lucky enough to catch something worth a photo,we should be able to get some decent shots.
I will try and get out as much as I can before the winter hits us.
There should be some nice grayling about.
Maybe a 3lber if I,m very lucky.

No-- not the same fish.
I've just added this one 2lb 12oz---19" long caught from the same spot on the 1st of December 14
Nearly my 3lb er.

I was lucky that someone was passing to take a shot of this lovely grayling earlier on in the year.                                                                                                                        

Canada 2014

So I,m off to Canada again---
Due to health issues (not too serious) I haven't done much fishing over here in Scotland this season,
but as I am on the mend, I am looking forward to my months vacation where I will be fishing and birdwatching in Canada and the USA.
So watch this space --
I am hoping to post some nice photos and stories on how I get on.

I'm back.
Well my holiday went too fast, it feels like I have never been away--but I had a great time
A bit of birdwatching, a bit of fishing, nice food, great chums and of-course it was great to see my daughter and my grand kids ( haven't they all grown!)
Before I start my Blog I am going to thank my fishing chum, skipper and fine photographer Mel Diotte for taking me out on his craft and locating some lovely hard fighting fish for me to catch.

On the first day accompanied by his lovely wife Sue ( a very good angler) we set out from La Salle Marina up the Detroit River towards the Ambassador Bridge.

The border crossing to the USA    Looking down river to La Salle

A huddle of mallard chicks getting out of our way (ain't they cute)

And in the air-a flight of swans

We were soon into the fish--one of many hard fighting Silver Bass

A far travelled ship makes its way up passed us on the Detroit River

It,s come a long way up through Lake Erie and into the Detroit River--- Lake St Clare and beyond.

The second day we shot down river towards Lake Erie where we had some great sport.
A nice Walleye ( Pickerel) comes to the net. ( A good eater--this one wont be going back)

My fishing chums Gerry and Mel with our haul for the day 
( you may notice that I am holding the bigger ones)
A staged shot?   never -  Lol !!)

 Night time on the Detroit River (Mel Diotte)
From the left-- Windsor Ontario, then over the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit City

Time to say goodbye, until next year, I will miss you all.


Well thats my wee blog done.
I,m back in Scotland now getting over my jet lag.
I will soon be back on the Clyde trying to hook up with our monster wild brown trout.
Give it a couple of months and once again I will be looking at booking my holidays back to Canada early next year. 

Getting ready for the off

           
                         I,m looking forward to days like this on my favorite River Clyde


Well its been a long winter.
There has been hardly any snow and its not been too cold, but the rain and wind has made the fishing for grayling near impossible. (for me anyway)
Some of the guys up here have been out and their efforts have been rewarded with some nice grayling coming to the net.
But I have stayed in my "wee warm hoose" for the last couple of months.
I've left it to the younger lads to dice with death on the torrential rivers we have had up here in Scotland.
The weather is now warming up and the rivers are settling down.
All my gear has been sorted and more flies have been tied.
Its nearly trout time and I'm ready for the action.
I will let you all know how I get on-----on the River Clyde.

A day out in January

The 18th of January 2014 and it was our F.F.F Grayling day on the Upper Clyde.

Fourteen of us had met in the local cafe in Crawford before splitting up into two groups.

Our little group starting point was upstream of Crawford at Telford Bridge.just by the M74

The first pool downstream of the bridge and we were soon into fish

Barrie was new to grayling fishing so he was well delighted with his first fish from the Clyde.
A beautiful well conditioned specimen.

After a few hours we decided to go some 4 miles downstream Two Bridges on the A702.
 A short wade downstream saw us fishing the first pool.

All my fishing chums had moved further downstream, so I was only able to get a bank side shot of this nice grayling.
I carried on for another fifteen minutes but the cold water was taking its toll on me.
I dragged myself out of the river and 10 minutes later I was gladly in the warmth of my car.

Winter fishing can be hard on the Clyde but if you persevere it can be well worth the effort.
It was nice to meet and put faces to the avatars of fellow anglers from the Fly Fishing Forum.
I am sure that the day was a success, it certainly produced some nice grayling.
(maybe more pics. to come)
I hope that we can all meet up again sometime later this year.
Meanwhile, I will be giving it a bit of a rest-thaw out the old bones and dream of fishing days to come.
In a week or so time, fully recovered- hopefully,  I will be ready again once more to brave the elements on the banks of the River Clyde.
  

Some fishy shots (2013 upper Clyde)

                                            
                                                      Early trout season on the Clyde
                        That's me giving it a wee cast on the first pool at Wolfclyde Bridge

 
  A visitor from Holland playing a nice trout which he tempted on a small dry fly.
     After a tentative fight he successfully landed a brownie weighing just under 2lb.

Summer fishing at its best-the Upper Clyde has many trout of this size but you need to get it right to be successful.
Match the hatch-find the fish-- then with an accurate cast - drift your fly at the speed of the current over the rise.
Another visitor enjoying the fishing --- a nice trout-- one of many he caught using a wee Clyde style dry fly.

An end of season brownie tempted on a small beaded nymph.

Into the cold months and its grayling time.
A fine sized fish--one of 6 caught by my fishing chum Garry.

Another year has nearly past on the Clyde.
There is just December to go and  hopefully there is going to be some settled weather so I can venture out on the river.

See if I can add to my blog--
Maybe a 3lb grayling?

Popped out for a couple of hours to Wolfclyde Bridge.
I managed to net two nice grayling, this one 43cm long --just under 2lb I would think.
Its nice to have great fishing on your doorstep.

My last days brown trout fishing in 2013

Its Friday the 4th of October and its my last day out fishing for brown trout on the Clyde until next year.
I only had about 3 hours  so I decided to start fishing at Wolfclyde Bridge.
Casting almost under the bridge I started to progress upstream.

My set up for the day (click on image) 10ft #3 rod - straight through mono to a sighter then 3 weighted nymphs fished well over depth.

The river had come up about 0.6m and it was nice to see a healthy flow of water coming down for a change.
Third cast and I was into a small brownie followed shortly after with another about the same size.
I was now about a hundred metres up from the Bridge nearly at the start of the fast water.
"Flow was getting too strong" I thought.
 I decided to skip this bit and go up to a slower section which I knew had the potential of producing both good trout and grayling.
It didn't take long before I was into a 0.5 kg trout then a grayling, another wee trout and then suddenly I hit into a better fish.
 At first I thought it was a big grayling but after the fish took loads of line and me having to chase it some hundred metres downstream.
I was eventually rewarded by netting a lovely trout of just over 1kg.

I would think that this is a hen fish and the one on my last entry is a cock fish.
     All getting ready for their breeding season.

 

A quick snap, then back into the water and seconds later it was away swimming strongly.

I carried on fishing for another hour or so and had another one of just under 1kg.
4 small trout and a couple of  0.7kg grayling

A great day to finish the 2013 trout season-I thoroughly enjoyed my few hours on the Clyde.
I think I will have a couple of weeks break then it will be out on the river again trying to catch a few grayling.