The Devon Angling Association

After a series of minor spate events caused very heavy localised cloud bursts during last week the heavens really opened on Friday. In no time, the Devon at Castlehill reservoir had risen over a metre:

As is its fashion the gauge at Glenochil showed a much slower rise but peaking with extra 1.25m of flow:

This left the river the colour of a late, dangerously high and completely unfishable.

To date no significant migratory fish had been caught but judging by the number of cars parked at Vicars Bridge this evening a concerted effort has been put in, as surely some fish  must have come in to the river? It will be interesting to hear about any catches or even sightings!

The river has been fishing well with reports on facebook of a very large brown trout caught by angler bait fishing. These big fish do succumb often to worms  and I for one think there are quite a few lurking about (you only need to see some of the big brownies trying to get over Dollar Weir when there is a spate at the backend). Fly fishing has produced a lot of good fish in the 1/2lb to 2lb bracket and prodigious quantities of salmon and trout parr.

A number of anglers have pointed to incredible of  stands of weed (I stand to be corrected but I think this is Ranunculus  other wise known as Water-crowfoot) on the Fossoway Beats. This is posing difficulties for anglers with wets and nymphs, but real opportunities for the dry fly angler. The weed has always been there, but in recent years has been suppressed by silting caused by prolonged flows of compensation water. This summers regular series of spates has allowed the weed to flourish. Anglers may curse it but it does provide cover for fish and supports large populations of invertebrates .

Up at Glenquey, between repairs to the A823, fishing has been on the whole very good in June 48 catch returns were made catching 280 fish with a total estimated weight of 155lbs (mean 5.83 fish/visit and at mean weight of 0.55lb). Much fewer visits were made in July with only 34 catch returns made, catching 125 fish with a total estimated weight of 67lb (mean 3.67 fish/visit and at mean weight of 0.54lb). The level of the reservoir remains high and the prodigious growth of the vegetation means the work party will be endeavouring to clear the path on the south bank again (don’t be shy if you want to lend a hand ………… all help will be gratefully received)

The Glenquey permit draw for catch returns submitted in June went to angler from Alloa and in July an angler from Burntisland.

In other news we are busy working with Forth Rivers Trust, other associations/clubs and propitiators on a new initiative to promote fishing throughout the Forth catchment. We continue to badger Clackmannanshire Council and SEPA about fly-tipping that has occurred at Marchglen and Vicars Bridge (included the load of spent tyres dumped by the side of the road between Vicars Bridge and Blairingone at the weekend)

Work parties have suffered through a combination of well earned vacations, injuries and the crazy rate of vegetation growth this year. The boys will no doubt be out on Wednesday clearing debris from this weekends spate!

So summer holidays are almost upon us, and for once the weather is playing ball with a good few mini-spates helping to clear the river and for a couple of weeks Castlehill was regularly over-topping. Between we have had some long warm and sunny days encouraging hatches but making fishing quite difficult. Number of reports of nice fish being caught in the river up to 2lb in weight.

Glenquey has been fishing very well and remains pretty full. During May, 51 anglers submitted returns which recorded 269 fish were caught with a total weight of 134.75lbs (mean weight 0.5lb and mean catch rate 5.27 trout per visit). The monthly winner of an extra days fishing was an angler from Glenrothes.

Thanks to an early intervention by Alan Armstrong,  a major oil leak from the substation at Rackmill was prevented from reaching the river. Alan had immediately informed SEPA, they were on scene very quickly and ensured an immediate intervention.

Members may be aware of a series of flytipping incidents at Glenfoot in the car park. The DAA are doing their best to get these incidents reported to the relevant organisations and the materials cleared. Please if you see suspicious activities here or elsewhere on the river please inform SEPA and Clackmannanshire Council https://www.clacks.gov.uk/environment/flytipping/

DAA committee members have been undertaking some training in invertebrate sampling to begin a series of regular invertebrate surveys so we can better understand the condition of the river.

Almost as a matter of course the Wednesday work parties continue the endless rounds of  strimming, cutting, clearing fallen lumber and general maintenance. It is a tough ask for this group of retirees particularly in the mid-summer. We intend to organise a routine weekend (Sunday) work party, hopefully supported by the younger employed members of the Association. After a bit of lobbying by the committee, Dollarfied has been fenced keeping cattle away from the river. We are working with the landowner at Taits Tomb to find a fencing solution to prevent the current bank poaching by cattle, but robust enough not to be destroyed in spates.

Alan Graham has been co-opted as an anglers representative to the Forth District Salmon Fishery Board. It will be great to have a voice representing the Devon on the board at a very important time as a number of changes in fishery management are in the pipeline.