Latest from Ian Neale, Altyre Estate
The early Spring run on the Altyre beats, of the River Findhorn continued to build throughout W/C April 15th, with even more big MSW salmon running every day. The weather was often a little inclement with, strong cold North Easterly winds, mixed in a bag full of rain, sleet, hail and a few rumbles of thunder! The very best of April!
It was quite hard going over the first couple of days with water levels yo yoing from day to day. On Tuesday Graham Crombie hooked and lost a big fish from the Garden pool on Altyre lower beat. By Wednesday, levels had started to fall away and fishing conditions were spot on. Martyn Fryer hooked and lost a fish in Roan pool, quickly followed by another sea liced fish of around 8lbs. This was Martyn’s first ever Spring salmon and he was delighted! Just before lunch, Graham Crombie hooked and landed an absolute cracking fish of around 16 lbs from the Garden pool and hid biggest fish to date. Further upstream on the upper beat, Ian Hill-Trevor hooked and lost a big fish from Palamore, which after a long tussle ran hard into the tail of the pool and threw the hooks! In the afternoon Graham Crombie hooked and landed another fresh fish of around 6 lbs from Roehillock pool on the upper beat. Meanwhile, on the lower beat, Ian Hill-Trevor hooked and lost another two fish from Roan pool. It wasn’t his day!
By Thursday river levels were still at a respectable 1’4”on the Forres gauge. Graham Crombie accounted for an early fish of around 8lbs from Palamore pool on the upper beat. Finally, Ian Hill-Trevor was rewarded with a cracking fresh fish of around 14 lbs from the Garden pool on the lower beat. Guy, was also rewarded with his first fresh fish of the week of around 10 lbs, from the Soldier’s Hole pool on the upper beat.
By Saturday morning, river levels were still holding nicely at 1’5” on the Forres gauge. On his third cast of the morning Graham Crombie was back in action, with a really cracking solid fish of around 19 lbs from Palamore pool on the upper beat. What a way to start the day! A little later in the morning and Graham managed to hook and land another fresh fish of around 8 lbs from Roehillock pool on the upper beat. Ian Hill-Trevor was also back in action with another fish of around 12 lbs from the Garden pool on the lower beat.
Finally on late Saturday afternoon and Guy hooked into his second fish of the week, which after a good long battle was finally netted and an absolute belter of around 22 lbs. What a wonderful way to finish the week and well done to “Team Crombie”!
Ian Neale, Altyre Estate, River Findhorn.
www.speycaster.net
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Beat catches reported
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