Martin’s Cut

This short pool is very high energy, and a section of river, which is always subject to change. For the moment, it has taken on a better character than in previous times and although not an easy pool to fish, has shown itself very promising.

The neck of the pool is very fast, more suited to sea trout and grilse than salmon, but it quickly broadens (if only slightly) and deepens into a slick, swift glide with bags of depth and masses of sub surface structure. The tail of the pool opens into a slightly broader area again, with huge depth and a very interesting “lip up” before spilling into Tollmuir downstream.

The pool requires some thought to fish effectively, and may be best approached by thinking outside the box. Anglers who stand at the top of the run waving fly rods about are unlikely to find much success here! Since changing to its current state as a result of Storm Babet, Martin’s Cut has produced a respectable number of sea trout and a few salmon too, which is very encouraging, considering that it is a tricky pool to fish effectively.

It is worth mentioning that although the tree roots which make up the north side of the deep hole at the tail of the pool have been cut in as far as is possible, one or two remain, inaccessibly deep under the water. Worth knowing if playing a fish in this area!