Graham Nicol looks at where he would fish if he had 12 months of the year to devote to wetting a fly.
Tackling down on our last salmon day in October my buddy commented “well it’s a long haul to wetting a line again” and mulling it over I replied “not really if you are prepared to be flexible and open minded”. Despite being a small island with a variable climate it is possible to flex a fly rod in each month of the year pursuing our beloved pursuit. Thus I thought it would be interesting to write an article outlining some of the possibilities available on a month by month basis. The suggestions and ideas are purely personal but I do believe provide some attractive opportunities and help prevent us to hibernate for half of the year with the potential to develop shack nasties. So here goes:
January
My first recommendation would be to ensure you have good thermals and all the ancillary kit to cope with the cold for Spring salmon fishing can be rather a challenge fighting the elements. The river of choice for so early in the season has to be the Tay which opens on the 15th and most seasons experiences catches from the off. It is a big river and thus a high degree of luck mixed with tenacity is required to strike lucky. The whole system including the Loch can produce the goods and thus beat selection is purely personal. Kelts will be fairly abundant but should one of those transpire to be the real thing all the effort is more than worth it. You can’t beat seeing a gun-metal blue sheen of a springer along its back glistening in the light.
February
We stay with the salmon and now many more rivers are officially open. The Aberdeenshire Dee has to be the next target for in good conditions it has to offer the highest chance of the elusive springer. A lovely river for the fly and one that is not as frightening in size as the Tay. Target the beats below Banchory for fish tend to move upriver slowly at this time of the year. Conditions will still tend to be bitter and do not be surprised to have ice on the rod rings or even having to break ice in the margins but again should you contact a fish it is pure heaven. Ensure lunch is kept to a minimum for the warmest and most likely taking part of the day is then.
March
Spring is trying to muscle out Winter and with it life slowly reawakens. Fly hatches begin as the days lengthen and temperatures rise and the brown trout start to come on the feed. March 1st is the opening day on some for brown trout and others follow on the 15th. For some it is still too early but the Welsh Usk comes into form quickly and is famous for its early hatches of grannom. Wet fly and nymph are the tools used to search for early fish but if the hatch brings fish up to the surface quickly change to a dry. These rises can be quite brief but do try to benefit from when they occur. Catching a brown so early in the season on a dry is up there with fishing highlights.
April
The vast majority of trout rivers are now open and pending how hard a Winter we have endured it still probably pays to focus on the lower reaches and/or lowland rivers for salmo trutta. Thus I would target the rivers and streams of Wiltshire where a lightly fished nymph or dry if fish are on the feed will deliver the goods. Temperatures are still rising and daylight improving all the time resulting in the period when fish are on the feed becoming extended and thus spending a full day can be productive from the moment you commence to when you pack up. The season has truly begun
May
We are now entering that part of the season where we are spoilt for choice. Salmon are still entering our system and resident fish have not been there long enough to lose any material condition whereas trout are starting to fatten up from the rigours of spawning as well as the limited feeding available over the close season. My suggestion is to split the month into two parts. For the early part consider a quick trip to try the Thurso for a springer or two. It can still be cold up in the north of Scotland and thus take clothing to cover all eventualities as well as lines and flies for the water can still be extremely cold making the fish still torpid. The later part of the month switches our attention to opportunities with the mayfly. The chalkstreams of Hampshire and Wiltshire are famous for these hatches but both access and cost can be prohibitive. There are many other rivers and streams that have mayfly which offer just as much fun and all it requires is a little research to find these out. Many of the rivers in Devon and Yorkshire tick this box.
June
The mayfly continue into early June and so do pursue a few days experiencing this for all to soon it is over for another season. Some rivers do see it continue for several months but the intense phase tends to occur late May/early June. We are now approaching the longest day thus we have lots of hours of the day to enjoy our fishing. But we can also add night fishing to our agenda and now is the time to chase the elusive seat trout. A trip to Wales is now in order. The sea trout, or sewin, is synonymous with Wales and you want to target rivers like the Towy, Teifi or Ogmore. These rivers hold both good heads of fish as well as leviathans and thus your kit needs to be up to the task. Do not be under gunned for you will only rue it as a hooked fish decides to head to the sea! For those of a weak heart condition be warned the shocks from the take to the battle thereafter can fray the nerves.
July
Let’s continue with the trout theme but as the weather becomes a challenge concentrate our time at the riverbank towards dusk and dawn. Many evenings have turned out to be a disappointment for me with either haar or mist developing on the river or quite simply the magical rise failing to materialise. However, when it occurs it is fantastic and again is one of the ultimate highs of fishing when it all works. It is then that you see some impressive fish that during the dog days lie dormant; catching them is another matter. There are no rivers that I favour for most are in good condition and fishing well. Choosing a river whereby you can focus on browns in the evening and then fish on into the dark for sea trout is the ultimate and for those some of the Devon streams or Scottish borders come to mind.
August
It is now time to take a trip up to the Scottish Highlands to pursue loch trout. The days are still warm, the evenings still long and the cursed midge only beginning to appear. There are many lodges and estates that are fishing meccas who are spoilt for choice with access to rivers and lochs and if I had to choose one I would opt for Scourie. Anglers have been frequenting it for decades and catches continue to be impressive. The variety of lochs and lochans offers challenges for novice and experienced alike whether it be on numbers of fish or size. Despite what I said do take a midge hat or repellent for should the wind subside they will appear with a vengeance. Also make sure you are fit because walking over the moors is truly energy sapping
September
Conditions are often very settled in this month and Indian Summers can be frequent. It is for most rivers the last month of the trout season and with the fish being in tip top condition we need to have a final bash at them. Once again choose your favourite river for they all should be in the same relative condition and with the general heat of Summer dissipating all day fishing can be very successful. The dry fly will still be extremely successful but the fish will be a lot wiser and thus presentation need to be precise
October
Autumn salmon time now and most rivers have acquired a decent stock by now. If funds were not an issue then some of the prime beats on the lower Tweed would be up there on a favourite destination. However, rivers such as the Aberdeenshire Don, Esk or Deveron are strong candidates for those of limited resources. Many fish are now colouring up but if conditions are favourable with some decent rainfall there ought to still be some fresh fish entering the system. Conditions tend to still favour floating and intermediate like set-ups with smallish flies. What you don’t want in October are strong winds for then leaves are a true headache with them hooking up every few casts.
November
The trout rod has been packed away but it can be brought out to pursue the lady of the stream, ie the grayling. This fish is in prime condition and if conditions are benign-like will take both a nymph or a dry with equal likelihood. Grayling tend to shoal and if you are fortunate to catch one persist as there are likely to be more in the vicinity. When hooked try to bring the fish downstream to avoid frightening the shoal and it is often possible to catch quite a few before they are spooked. A calm October day with Autumn colours and grayling on the feed is another of those magical times at the bankside
December
The last month of the year offers limited opportunities. The days are now shorter and colder and rivers often high and coloured but if windows of opportunities open up you can continue with the grayling or try to get your last salmon of the year by visiting one of the Cornwall rivers that are still open. Both the Fowey and Camel can be productive but if not you are fishing in a lovely part of the world and you will have fished the whole year which has to be a bonus and it avoids being dragged round the shops pre-Christmas shopping!
Tight lines for 2014.