Finavon Castle Bulletin

These bulletin blogs represent news about Finavon and the South Esk, and my views as a riparian owner. They are not the views of any other organisation, nor are they designed to promote the interests of any individual or organisation other than Finavon Castle Water and factors affecting the fishery.  Tony Andrews

The last three weeks have marked the transition from early summer to high summer. With water levels now dropping away after nearly two months of relentless rain and fluctuating conditions, the fishing has become quite hard going. However our visiting anglers have done reasonably well by chalking up two or three salmon/grilse and a few sea trout each week.

The sea trout runs are more-or-less over for 2011, and the grilse have yet to arrive in any numbers. It is surprising in these circumstances that there are still a few MSW salmon entering the river, and the odd grilse among them. I am hoping that the main grilse run is yet to come, but it is worth noting that traditionally a very high proportion of grilse caught in the South Esk district are killed by the coastal nets (over 85% in recent years). Because the Usan nets are a mixed stocks fishery we have no idea how many of the grilse killed by the nets belong to other rivers on the east coast, and how many to the South Esk itself. Suffice to say that I work on the basis that about 60% of the total catch of Usan nets originate in the South Esk catchment.

August is the season’s transition month. By the end of August, given good water levels, we can expect to see some autumn MSW salmon entering the river, hopefully in the company of increasing numbers and quality of grilse. It is only three seasons back that FCW had a catch of 93 salmon and grilse in August. Water is the key, but there also has to be fish in abundance for a catch like 2008 to occur again.

As the water has drained away we are seeing brilliantly clear water, every pebble on the bed of the river and, if there were any sea trout left behind, we would also be seeing the occasional small shoal. But, bar the odd old stager spring fish, the occasional grilse head and tailing in the streams and, at dusk, some bigger fresh salmon showing in the pool dubs (Red Brae, Indies, Melgund, Tyndals and Tollmuir Pool), the pools are clear of bigger fish. But every pool and stream shows an abundance of parr, and in the middle of every day there is a frenzied rise of these little fish – the future generations of South Esk sea trout and salmon. There is little doubt in my mind that the river is in good heart and that its main stem and tributaries are providing habitat for large numbers of juveniles of both species. Living on the banks of the River, as I do, the sight of so many young fish gives grounds for optimism, and not a little happiness!

So, what are the prospects? I said earlier that it all depends on the amount of rain we get in the next three months. Ideally we need a steady series of mini spates with time between them to allow running fish to settle into the pools. But we also need one or two big spates in the period, especially in August while the Usan nets are still operating ( the netting season ends on 31 August) because the chemical call (scent) from a flood entering the sea through Montrose Basin has the effect of bringing the fish into the relative safety of the river, avoiding the nets as they do so. A wet August, followed by good water levels and a minimum of droughts in September and October should work well for our autumn visitors.”
The missing ingredient is of course the fish themselves. Judging from the quality and abundance of MSW salmon returning in the last two seasons we have grounds for optimism (yet again!).

These bulletin blogs represent news about Finavon and the South Esk, and my views as a riparian owner. They are not the views of any other organisation, nor are they designed to promote the interests of any individual or organisation other than Finavon Castle Water and factors affecting the fishery.  Tony Andrews

I spent last week fishing the Gruinard River in Wester Ross. This was a rare moment of infidelity in my long relationship with Finavon. I am no philanderer when it comes to my love affair with the South Esk, but, if you are going to have a fling, there’s nowhere quite like the Gruinard and Strath na Shealagh. My upstream neighbour and riparian co-proprietor, Colin Gibb (see picture), has long held this view of East and West!

Low water on the River Gruinard below the road bridge

Colin Gibb, proprietor of Inshewan fishings on the South Esk, fishing on Loch Na Shealagh:

Loch Na Shealagh, head of the Gruinard River, Wester Ross.

While the South Esk had a week of heavy rain, high water and a tumultous flood on Thursday night, the Gruinard dropped away to a bare stickle by the end of the week. In fact it was only the East wind that kept water slopping out of Loch Na Shealagh, and when the wind died and then veered to the West the river level dropped by two inches. In such circumstances most fishers would have packed their bags, googled ‘golf courses Wester Ross’ or do what I did, which was to visit the incomparable Inverewe Gardens and some of my old haunts around the shores of Loch Ewe. Despite the low water in the Gruinard River we managed to catch 2 salmon, 19 sea trout and 34 brownies, all in the Loch, which in the circumstances wasn’t too bad.

The West in sharp contrast to the East….

The Flats (Milton Beat) and suspension bridge beyond

Back at home our tenants, Simon our web designer, and our mustard-keen syndicate members, all struggled to catch fish. When they did land one (many were lost) it was usually a cracker, exemplified by a beautiful 10lbs salmon caught by Ian Ingledew and a 4lbs 6oz sea trout caught by the Brattesani party. Then the floods came, the water coloured up and everything went quiet catchwise, although the river must have been sending a powerful chemical signal to its progeny of grilse, salmon and sea trout lying off the coast. I find the thought of these summer fish, a high proportion of which usually fall victim to the Usan nets, entering the river in response to the flood signal, most reassuring. It is inspiring to reflect on them forging their way upstream unobstructed, and more than likely being in a position to fulfil the object of their migration – spawning. We need a long term view of the River with the thought of another year when stocks will be naturally replenished without much in the way of impediments to that vital process. After all, it is that natural cycle that makes the world go round, a point repeatedly made by Ted Hughes in his salmon poems.

Upper South Esk Catchment: Glen Clova (once described to me by a well known fishery biologist as “perfect juvenile habitat for salmon and trout”)

The catch for the wet week at Finavon that ended on the 9th of July was 5 salmon (4 of which were grilse) and 4 sea trout. Not too bad in the circumstances. The grilse are now starting to appear, mostly under 4lbs, but over the next 6 weeks or so we should see the average weight rise, perhaps with the occasional fish into double figures by the time October comes. Prospects for the coming weeks look reasonable, provided the grilse keep coming in. My suspicion is that the sea trout run has peaked and that we will be lucky to maintain our average catch numbers of these fish. The River is in great condition, ready for the late summer and autumn runs of MSW fish. We have a few unlet days so please get in touch with Moray Macfarlane (07835 717 150)  if you want to fish for autumn salmon.

TA