Well the weather has started to change which has resulted in regular rises in river levels. Sadly this doesn't seem to have resulted in a decent run of Autumn fish yet. As the summer was long and the Grilse came late it seems that the multi sea winter fish are following suit Grilse however seem to keep on coming in large numbers.

I was invited down to Bemersyde on Tweed by Brian McAllister on Thursday 28th. I was really looking forward to fishing this beat as it is one if not the most beautiful piece of water on the Tweed system. Brian had been at Rutherford the previous day and the water conditions had been good with Brian landing 4 to his own rod. It should by mentioned that Brian was sharing his rod with his great friend Malcolm Gillan who caught nothing!.

Unfortunately we timed our visit just as the river had risen and was the colour of milk chocolate. So for the first time since the Spring our sinking lines and Copper tubes were the order of the day.

Ian Farr the Head Ghillie took Patrick Burns and myself to the top of the beat. Ian put Patrick in the boat whilst I was given a fairly interesting pool to wade. A couple of fish showed which served to prolong my enthusiasm in very difficult conditions and I managed to hook and land a Grilse of 5lb. I don't know who was more surprised, me or Ian. The fish took a Copper Ally tube dressed for Gamefish by Les Robson. Its a deadly pattern in the Autumn.

That was the end of the action for the day as the river continued to colour up but a fine day was had by all. The following day with the colour getting better 3 fish were landed, Malcolm redeemed himself with an 11lb fish which was landed after a long fight. On the Saturday 4 fish were landed with Brain catching a 13lb bar of silver. Tweed ended the week with a total of 477 Salmon landed with a good number of fish coming off the upper beats.

Whilst I was on Tweed my colleague at Gamefish, Rowland Robinson was fishing my rod on the Dee with our client Charles Fothringham. Rowland had a nice fish of 14lb and Charles had a grilse from the same pool.

I was up to the Dee with Clive Williamson on the Friday and Saturday to see out the last days of the season. Park is usually heaving with late run Salmon at this time of the year but sadly they hadn't arrived before the close. The river was in perfect order on the Friday and what a difference from the day before on Tweed where we had been using wet cel lines and 1.5'' tubes. I had 6 offers on the Sunray Shadow fished on a floating line with slow sink poly tip but the fish just weren't in the mood to take it properly. That was until I handed my rod to Head Ghillie and good friend Keith Cromar who proceed to hook and land a Grilse from Lower Kirks pool, you can go off people rapidly!

The Saturday started with a cold mist on the water but soon burnt off to become a roasting hot cloudless day, more like July than end September.

Despite the conditions Clive hooked and landed a cracking fresh Grilse of 5lb from the Upper Kirks pool. Now there was a happy boy after we had safely returned the fish to the river.
The day just got brighter and subsequently a long lunch was called for and with Jonathan Sutton sharing my rod many fishing tales were recalled accompanied by much laughter.
After lunch I managed to coax a grilse of 4lb into attacking the Sunray and this time it held on. I had Jonathan trying the Sunray for the first time and although he didn't manage to land a fish the pure excitement of seeing fish chasing the fly means we have another Sunray addict in our midst!.

So the 2006 season on the Dee came to a close, it was a really mixed year with outstanding Spring fishing followed by prolonged periods of low water. Then the Grilse came in good numbers followed by a relatively poor Autumn. That's fishing, there's always next year!

On Sunday whilst recovering from a hectic few days on the river I received a phone call from my good friend Patrick Fothringham, did I fancy a day on Monday at Murthly on the Tay. Guilt got the better of me and I decided to do some work in the shop in the morning then head up to the beat in the afternoon. When I got there the morning had been poor, no fish and the river running high but clear.

As Patrick and I headed up river with the excellent Ghillie Tony[crime watch]Black we could see Charles Fothringham playing a Grilse at the Corner pool. Filled with enthusiasm after witnessing Charles success we headed on to the marvelous Tronic pool. Armed with a sink tip line, a size 6 Cascade fly and Tony's knowledge we started to throw a line. In what seemed like just minutes my fly was pulled strongly and the fish was on. Although hardly a bar of silver this 15lb cock fish put up a strong fight and is my best fish of the season so far. After this quick photo in the rain the fish went back to do what he had traveled many miles to achieve. Later in the afternoon Patrick hooked and lost a fish in a pool which he is famous for losing fish in! Murthly is the equivalent to Bemersyde, surrounded by stunning scenery both beats offer exceptional fly water with first class Ghillies. A real pleasure to fish.
As I sign off from this update I have just received a call from Rowland informing me he has just caught and returned a fish of 13lb from Ashiestiel on Tweed... and Im at work!