Upper Kinnaird, South Esk (5 March 2016)

My dad and I had a day on the upper beat at Kinnaird, on the South Esk, in early March. This was right at the beginning of the beat's Spring prime time and 3 springers had been caught so far, all from the Root Pool, in the the middle of the beat.

Pictured: Kinnaird Dyke - A famous feature of South Esk Spring fishing.

We started by fishing black and yellow flies on floating lines with various tips in the Root and Bridge Pools, the latter of which fished very nicely and I felt that there was a good chance in here, especially down the crease on the right bank.

Pictured: The Bridge Pool.

We then fished down the Flats together, where we both had tugs which didn't stick. This is a nice cast from the left bank. It was a cold day and so fairly frequent coffees by the fire in the fishing lodge were required, including one after the long wade down Flats.

Pictured: The Flats.

Pictured: Welcome, on a day with air temperatures of a round 0c and a fierce North wind.

I then tried fishing the Flats and Root Pool from the right bank, which proved difficult in the stiff northerly wind. Later, I came back over the bridge to fish the Bolster Pool, beneath the Kinnaird Dyke, from the left bank.

We finished by each fishing Arn Pool from the left bank, but it perhaps needed a little more water to fish nicely.

Pictured: Lower Flats, looking down to the Arn Pool.

The temperature dropped at around 4pm and the other rods packed up for the day. We fished on until around the back of 5pm, but it seemed the best chance of the day was gone and so we headed home via Finavon Hotel (a good pub tea stop!).

Pictured: It's a small beat, but the quality of the water is very good and it is full of features.

I'm still hunting for a first fish of the season, but I've got plenty of fishing coming up.

Cheers

Calum