The Clyde By Carstairs, UCAPA Waters.

The meetings, Medwin water meets the clyde

Well, the Clyde never fails to impress. This was the first time I've had a chance to fish this part of the river and I will be back! For sure! Its a wide river at this point, very deep and slow moving with huge eddies and back waters, this made trying to cast a fly with no drag a challenge to say the least. We managed to get down relatively early, around 3.00 pm which was good because the first mission was to track down permits. You wouldn't think this would take about a 20 mile trip round Carnwath, no permits there, Bigger also, no permits and then to Lanark where we eventually tracked them down at the tourist information office.

You stay oot ma feild, right!

We defo picked the right day for it, at first, very bright with a slight breeze but, still, there was fish moving all over the place. By this time i was getting rather worked up imagining all the huge fish i was about to catch, i should have known then it would never be that easy, especially on the Clyde.


The Clyde

Starting with a couple nymphs this is when i first realised how much of a problem these eddies and crazy currents would be. In so many places, it was almost impossible to get a nice drag free cast, trying to predict where the fly was going to lie was defo the second wee mission of the evening. Also, these places were almost always where you would see most fish move, some big fish at that. A few hours past, couple of takes on the spider, no results though. Changed to the dry just before the sun went down. The river changed at this point, it started to almost boil over with fish. I casted and casted, changed my fly countless times and still no results. As the last of the sun went over the hill and i couldn't see my fly on the water, i was actually contemplating a blank!!!

The last ditch, changed to quite flashy couple of wets and the fun started there. Caught 2, largest about 1lb and lost another 3 or 4, all of this was in near total darkness.

A great evening had, never wanted to come home actually!

One last word though, darkness and electric fences don't mix!

An Evening Down The North Esk Above Lasswade....

Another spectacular evening spent down the North Esk, spotted the local king fisher and got harrased by a gang of horses, all good. Too many bloody minks though, I've seen a sharp rise in mink population on both the esk and the water of leith this year.

Anyway, all in i got 8, managed to get pictures of 5 but my cammeras no good in low light conditions.







First of the Evening, size 14 black spider. Everthing after this was caught on wee brown hackled drys.



































Bloody struggle getting near this run, well worth it though.

Largest of the night, about 3 quater lb. Pictures bad dew to low light conditions.

Nice exit.

Whats That Your Using?

Here is a wee selection of some of the flies I use. I tend not to tie strictly by the book, prefering to tie what I think will catch. I find for most of the fishing carried out, matching the hatch is not as essential as say fishing the chalkstreams of the south of England. The basic spider style patern serves me well round these parts all season.

No names for these flies, better that way, it makes for a rather unique collection.

The Best Of The Past Few Years.

2010 season, so far.




Water of Leith Stocky on the spider just bellow Stockbridge.

The Whiteadder at five in the morning.













Whiteadder Trout.

North Esk, Just bellow Carlops, Peggys Pool.














One from Peggys Pool.














Early season wild brown trout from the Tweed bellow Peebles.











Water Of Leith Stocky, Cannonmills on a very wet day.












The Water of Leith in April, Hardly dry fly fishing conditions, unlike years gone by.

The Best Of The Past few Years.

Season 2009.




First of the season April 1st 2009, on the dry.













North Esk Reservior above Carlops

One of seven from the North Esk Reservior

One of four wild brown trout out the Tweed bellow Peebles.

Water of Leith, Roseburn

Late season Grayling, on the Esk at the Rivers Meet.

The best of the past few years.

Thought the best way to start this blog would be some pictures of some of what i've caught over the past few years.

2008 season,





Wild brown trout from the Esk just above Musselburgh.
















2 and a half lb overwintered brown from the North Esk above Lasswade.











Overwintered brown from the Water of Leith.