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The aim of this page is
to provide detailed information about fishing places in Scotland, written by
anglers well acquainted with the fishing. If you know of a good place in
Scotland for wild salmon, trout, grayling or sea trout fishing, and would like
to publicise it, please submit an article by
e-mail, of between 600 and 1000 words,
related to some aspect of that fishing, to be considered for inclusion on this
page. The article need not be a literary masterpiece but it should be relevant
and informative, and compatible with the aim of this website, which is to
promote, and provide information about, accessible wild game fishing in Scotland.
Photographs can also be included. No payment will be made for articles submitted
but the author will be credited with any published article if he so wishes. There is
no guarantee of publication and articles are submitted on the understanding that
they may be rejected and/or edited. It should also be accepted that any and all
articles published here may be withdrawn at any time, at the discretion of the
publisher of this website. The author will also have the right, of course, to
request, at any time, that his article be removed from this website. A link to a fishing related website may be
included with the article, along with some information about the author.
To begin with, a short article on night fishing for sea trout on
the River Earn in Perthshire, Scotland.
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Submit an article
If you would like to submit an
article on Scottish fishing, as outlined in the paragraph to the
left, for consideration, please send it to me by
e-mail
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A
Good Night on the Earn
Thundery rain had been forecast in the west, with the temperature to
stay above 11°C.
I arrived about 10.30 pm and wasted no time in tackling up at the usual
parking spot. On taking the path by the river, I noted a heavy cloud
cover, and an upstream easterly wind, not strong enough to be
troublesome but strong enough, I hoped, to keep mist off the water.
Surprisingly, there were no other fishers to be
seen, no bikes parked behind the wall, perhaps because the river level
had dropped six inches since Tuesday and was now running very low, with
a large area of pebbles exposed on the left bank opposite the fence. I
had caught fish earlier last month in this height of water, though, and
so was hopeful.
It
was just about dark enough to start fishing, with care, at 11pm. Fishing
a double taper seven floater and two size 8 flies – a ginger pearl on
the dropper and a pearly dark mackerel on the tail – I made a start in
the streamy water at the head of the pool, wading carefully and casting
into the shade of the bushes on the far bank.
The
first fish took on the far side just opposite the log, a good firm take
as I had been doing a slow figure of eight retrieve to keep in touch
with the flies and keep them moving at a good pace. Now this fish, at
just 1lb 14 ozs, was probably the liveliest fish I have caught, leaping
clear of the water about eight times and causing a great commotion in
the now shallow stream before being drawn towards the net, at which
point its lively acrobatics almost earned its freedom. Just as I was
drawing the fish over the net, I felt the hook come out and, for a
second, the fish was free. Fortunately, before the fish realised this, I
managed to scoop the net under it. An unlucky fish! It was 11.30pm.
Despite the disturbance, not wishing to miss the chance of another fish,
I started in again just above where I had hooked the fish.
 It
was only a matter of minutes before I felt a strong pull but didn’t make
contact. At 12 midnight, on reaching the overhanging trees on the far
bank, as the flies began to swing across the current, I felt a tiny
pluck, very like a bat touching the line. Seconds later, the second sea
trout of the night was on, stronger than the first fish but less
acrobatic. After an early leap, it ran strongly up the far side of the
stream. I kept firm pressure on to keep it out of the thick trailing
weed, which grew near the far bank. The hook held, though, and the
second fish of the night was eventually netted, another hen fish of 2lbs
2ozs. Like the first, it had taken the tail fly.
After a short break for a cup of tea from the flask, I fished on till
12.30am. With no further offers and two fish on the bank, I decided to
call it a night. I may have had the chance of a few more fish, perhaps
even the bag of the season, but I was well satisfied. Two beautiful,
fresh sea trout, 4lbs between them, caught within an hour of each other,
with a third fish missed, on a lovely river at the height of summer with
not another fisherman in sight. A good night! In fact, if you were to
imagine, to daydream, of a perfect night’s fishing, it might be very
like this.
You
might find this pool on the stretch of the River Earn managed by the
Crieff
Angling Club, who offer permits to visitors at reasonable rates.
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