Well for me the 2014 salmon season is over even though a few lucky anglers will still be out fishing for them down south.
Spent the last 3 days fishing on the River Nith whilst staying at Friars Carse Country House Hotel. We arrived on Thursday just in time for breakfast which set us up for the day and was soon tackled up and off to the river which was running clear albeit a little on the low side, still a few fish had been seen and things looked promising.
We started up on the Shank Pool after seeing a couple of fish move in the tail, first cast and Mat was into a fish which after a quick head shake was off. We fished down the pool until we got to the Riding Stone then walked back up to the top of the Shank and fished it through again getting another good pull in the middle of the pool - but no fish.Moved down onto the Island Pool and fished all the way through Policemans and into Fyffes which had produced fish earlier in the week and always looks as though it will have something to offer. We fished it through really slow but nothing as we left to go back up the beat Ray started to fish it down and later told us he managed a small salmon from the head of the pool.
Friday we went and fished the Lower Castle Beat at Drumlanrig Castle. We'd taken the full rod quota so we just drew lots (after a quick tipple) to see who was up and who was down with a switch round after lunch. Decided that the Doctors Pool looked the best bet for us and we soon had the flies in the water, fishing just below the first two croys and tight to the far bank we were pleased to see a couple of fish move in the clear water. A good clean fish crashed out, then another shortly after and as we moved down the pool another half dozen showed all really tight up against the far bank but sadly none of them wanted the fly.
Quick lunch back at the hut and a few warming drinks and it was off to the upper section for our afternoon stint, we went right to the top of the beat (Carronfoot Pool) and as we were getting rods off the car a couple of salmon crashed one of which looked a good double and was lovely and silver. It wasn't long before Alans rod was bent double as a fish took hold after a few big shakes of its head and a very fast move upstream it was gone only for another big fish to explode out of the water under the bushes on the far bank, one of us had to get a fish to the bank before long. Despite our best efforts we managed none but a great day made better by the news that one of the party who was fishing the bottom of the beat had managed to grass a nice clean 8lb fish right in front of the hut.
Saturday was the last salmon day of the season and we were back at Friars Carse as the guests of the hotel manager. It was a great day and again a good number of fish were seen but none were in the taking mood so it was down to a fine evening meal for the party and a fun game of indoor hook a duck fishing with some nice prizes on offer, altogether a great way to end the season.
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