a day on the annan
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 10:28 pm
an hour and a halfs drive from the house,the annan is a river well worth the journey for anyone who's serious about their grayling fishing and rab and i are of that ilk.
We left at 6:30am and headed south on the m74 motorway to our destination full of enthusiasm about what the day might have in store.
On arrival we noted the river was carrying a bit of colour from the rain the day before.
The weather was cold,crisp and overcast,just the conditions we had been hoping for and a chance to try out my home made floats.
The walk to the top pool is a good half mile but a welcome one which offered the chance to warm up from the morning chill.
A cata of maggots at the head of the run and it was time to set up the trotting gear.
Rab cast in first and before i had sorted the depth on my float he was already into the first fish of the day,a brownie of a couple of pound.
Walking down the run i found an area that looked perfect for the loose feed to accumulate and as if to confirm it the float dipped and the dogged fight told me i was into the first grayling of the day,a lovely fish of one and three quarter pound.
Making our way down stream we noticed the weather was getting milder with drizzle in the air but not enough to dampen the spirits as this pool had produced lots of nice grayling in the past.
Like the saying goes,dont try to fix something that is'nt broken and like the first pool a good cata of maggots was put out at the head of the run before we started to inch our way down stream.again rab was the first to hook up and it was his first grayling,a half pounder.i,once again tried to assume where grayling might have gathered to give them the best chance of intercepting the maggots,albeit this being an entirely different type of run but this time when the float dipped i instantly knew this was no grayling as the fish kept deep in between strong runs that could only be one thing,a seatrout and after a few minutes a fish of three and a half pounds came to the net.rab managed a couple of small brownies.seatrout like to try to make good use of a whole pool when hooked and the grayling dont appreciate the commotion,no doubt they moved quieter area of the river and it was time for us to do so as well.
The third and final pool would be the grand finale with a grayling to two and a half pounds being my biggest from it two years previous.
By the time we got there the drizzle had turned to rain,never good with the grayling sensing the inevability of rising water.
About seventy five yards long this run has plenty of room to fish,which was lucky as there were already a couple of guys out in the water nymphing half way down the run.
We decided to fish above them as they were moving down anyway.
Even though the rain was getting heavier i couldnt have known that sea trout would be my last fish.nobody told rab though and he managed another couple of small trout and a fingerling grayling.
After another good hour the light started to fade fast and with an owl twooting somewhere on the opposite bank there was no better time to pack up.
Rab on the other hand thought there was no better time to catch his biggest of the day and instead of packing up i was the netsman and after a good fight i managed to slip the net under a grayling if one and a half pounds.his biggest grayling of the day and his biggest grayling ever.
Verdict:a great days fishing,even in the cold november rain.well done rab.
We left at 6:30am and headed south on the m74 motorway to our destination full of enthusiasm about what the day might have in store.
On arrival we noted the river was carrying a bit of colour from the rain the day before.
The weather was cold,crisp and overcast,just the conditions we had been hoping for and a chance to try out my home made floats.
The walk to the top pool is a good half mile but a welcome one which offered the chance to warm up from the morning chill.
A cata of maggots at the head of the run and it was time to set up the trotting gear.
Rab cast in first and before i had sorted the depth on my float he was already into the first fish of the day,a brownie of a couple of pound.
Walking down the run i found an area that looked perfect for the loose feed to accumulate and as if to confirm it the float dipped and the dogged fight told me i was into the first grayling of the day,a lovely fish of one and three quarter pound.
Making our way down stream we noticed the weather was getting milder with drizzle in the air but not enough to dampen the spirits as this pool had produced lots of nice grayling in the past.
Like the saying goes,dont try to fix something that is'nt broken and like the first pool a good cata of maggots was put out at the head of the run before we started to inch our way down stream.again rab was the first to hook up and it was his first grayling,a half pounder.i,once again tried to assume where grayling might have gathered to give them the best chance of intercepting the maggots,albeit this being an entirely different type of run but this time when the float dipped i instantly knew this was no grayling as the fish kept deep in between strong runs that could only be one thing,a seatrout and after a few minutes a fish of three and a half pounds came to the net.rab managed a couple of small brownies.seatrout like to try to make good use of a whole pool when hooked and the grayling dont appreciate the commotion,no doubt they moved quieter area of the river and it was time for us to do so as well.
The third and final pool would be the grand finale with a grayling to two and a half pounds being my biggest from it two years previous.
By the time we got there the drizzle had turned to rain,never good with the grayling sensing the inevability of rising water.
About seventy five yards long this run has plenty of room to fish,which was lucky as there were already a couple of guys out in the water nymphing half way down the run.
We decided to fish above them as they were moving down anyway.
Even though the rain was getting heavier i couldnt have known that sea trout would be my last fish.nobody told rab though and he managed another couple of small trout and a fingerling grayling.
After another good hour the light started to fade fast and with an owl twooting somewhere on the opposite bank there was no better time to pack up.
Rab on the other hand thought there was no better time to catch his biggest of the day and instead of packing up i was the netsman and after a good fight i managed to slip the net under a grayling if one and a half pounds.his biggest grayling of the day and his biggest grayling ever.
Verdict:a great days fishing,even in the cold november rain.well done rab.