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The season started off last Monday and it was looking fairly promising with the height at 1' on the Cairnton gauge, the water temperature at 33f and the air temperature not getting much above freezing. Guy Finlayson blessed the water with a dram at the Upper Ferroch to open our 2021 season with the other rods on Cairnton looking on, all socially distanced of course. The rods on both Cairnton & Middle Blackhall covered the water pretty well and I was surprised no fresh fish were landed although we did have a few kelts.

Tuesday was pretty much impossible to fish with grue. On Wednesday the grue cleared about midday and a few kelts were landed and again on Thursday a few kelts were landed. Friday saw a bit of a rise and fairly coloured with snow melt but Saturday was looking better as the colour had gone from the previous day and the water height at 1' 9" was more encouraging and it didn't long for well known angler Charlie Robertson to land Cairntons and Charlies first of 2021, a lovely 8lb er in the Old Garden on a 1 1/2 Black & Yellow tube.

The coming week looks to be very cold overnight from Monday night to Thursday with snow flurries adding to the mix coming from an easterly direction so tomorrow and later in the week looks promising.

We have rods available for local anglers throughout February so please get in touch with Sarah and she will get you booked in. For availability for later in the season please check our website or drop Sarah and email.

Cheers Brian

Comments

During the final four days of the 2020 season we landed 8 Salmon, 2 Grilse and a Sea Trout and strangely enough all of these were down the bottom end of the beat bar one which was our best fish of the week at 16lb caught on a Sunray in the Middle Ferroch for Mark Blair. Mark also had another of 15lb in the Malt Steep. Marks son Lewis was on form again on his third trip to Cairnton and landed three fish to 14lb on a Black Francis. Steve Kettlewell also landed three, again to 15lb also on a Black Francis. Graham Reid had a fairly bright Grilse of 5lb on a Shitey Whitey and John Webb had a 7lb fish on a Gold bodied Willie Gunn.

We had quite an amazing season right from the start but we did have to contend with the 2 months Covid-19 lockdown from end of March until end of May which we really thought would put a dampener to the 2020 catch returns however once we got going again we really had good summer fishing with a great class of fish and grilse which was very encouraging and although August onwards was a bit slower we did pick away steadily to end up with the grand total of 234 Salmon and 17 Grilse which I was delighted with.

A big thankyou to all who fished here this year and for making it a memorable one.

Sarah is currently working on the 2021 diary and would like to invite anyone, new or old to Cairnton & Middle Blackhall, who would like to fish with us in 2021 to email as soon as possible with their requirements to ensure that she can fit you in. Please email Sarah at sarah@cairntonestate.co.uk as soon as possible.

We will keep you up to date with all the news and goings on throughout the off season on all of our social media platforms as there is going to be quite a lot going on including a £130,000+ upgrade to Glenbogle lodge which will be our sole self catering fishing lodge for 2021. The upgrade to the lodge will include a new roof, windows, carpets, furniture, showers etc and will be able to sleep up to 8 people (Covid-19 restrictions permitting). If you are interested in staying with us please email Sarah.

In the meantime, have a good winter and I hope to see you at some point in 2021.

Cheers Brian

Comments

After last Sunday's flood things weren't looking too great to be honest on Monday as the height of the river was sitting at over 6' on the Cairnton gauge and although the rods fished hard in all the quiet pockets and saw fish they had to settle for a blank. On Tuesday the water height was looking better and we had a coloured Grilse of 5lb on a Willie Gunn Snaelda. Wednesday the conditions were looking really good with the odd fish showing here and there but we drew a blank. On Thursday again it was looking promising with lovely conditions with a few fish showing and it was down to Jeff Hatton to save the day after many visits to Cairnton, Jeff landed a coloured cock grilse in the Malt Steep on an Ally's shrimp. Friday was a better day with two being landed by Colin Craik, with his biggest being 16lb from the Upper Ferroch on a JJ. Friday also produced a 3lb Sea Trout. Saturday was quite a difficult day with north winds and the odd shower floating about but we did manage a coloured cock Grilse late on, on a Sunray.

Just a few days left of the 2020 season so we will wait to see what the final tally will be by the end of Thursday.

Cheers Brian

Comments

This past week started off at minus 3" on the Cairnton  gauge and our expectations were fairly high from the end of the previous weeks catches, however the fish were a bit dour with one on Tuesday at 9lb for John Thornley on an Usk Grub and a couple on Wednesday which was fairly wet and gave us a few feet of a rise which we were wanting but Thursday was surprisingly quiet with one fish of 8lb in the Middle Ferroch for Gary Lloyd on a Willie Gunn. Friday saw a lovely water height with a few fish showing here and there but we couldn't get an offer, then Saturday we had a couple of older grilse which were caught in far from ideal conditions as it was hosing down all day and this was going to give us another good lift today in the shape of an extra unneeded 9ft of water, so no more needed between now and the end of season.

The week ahead is looking fairly unsettled and cooler but if levels continue dropping the way they are at the moment we should still get one or two this week.

If you would still like to get out while you can before the season closes we have some availability. Please check the website for the latest and contact Sarah to book. www.cairnton.co.uk/fishing-availability.

Cheers Brian

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Last week was a better week for us with 9 Salmon and 3 Grilse being landed with the latter end of the week being the better. Water Temperatures cooled as the week went on which certainly got the fish switched on. The biggest landed was by Brandon Bryant in Glisters on a Ghillie fly and was 15lb. The usual patterns of fly were doing the trick, Cascade's, Pot Bellied Pigs and big Francis flies. 

Again for the coming week we could do with some rain to keep the pools at a reasonable fishing height which is on the forecast for the first half of the week plus it will feel more like Autumn with some frost forecast also.

A few rods left over the last couple of weeks of the season so please get in touch with Sarah to book after looking at our availability on our website. www.cairnton.co.uk/fishing-availability

Cheers Brian

Comments

This past week was fairly hard going for us with the over head late summer sunshine, warm air temperature and the water temperature still sitting at 50f and above but apart from all that we still managed to land 4 Grilse, all about the 4lb mark and a coloured fish of 7lb. The usual small Cascades and Ally's Shrimps did the trick on full floaters and with tips. There are a fair number of fish lying in most of the pools but the same as the last few week, they are not very keen and we are needing a drastic change in conditions, a good flood or a few nights of frost to get them stirred up.

The forecast is for cooler air temperatures coming in from mid week and some rain later in the week.

We have very little rod availability on Cairnton over the last few weeks of the 2020 season but we have a number of rods each week available on Middle Blackhall. Middle Blackhall really has performed well this season and should not be underestimated. Rods for Middle Blackhall are £66 per rod per day in vat so why not give it a try.

View availability and how to book on our website www.cairnton.co.uk/fishing-availability

Cheers Brian

Comments

We picked away at them last week with 3 Salmon, 6 Grilse and one Sea Trout landed. The highlight of the week was a 21lb cock fish for Dee regular Andy Ashcroft from the Upper Ferroch on a Sunray shadow. The rest of the fish landed were on a variety of flies between large Snaeldas of various colours, down to size 14 Stoat Tails with most fish being coloured but still the odd freshish looking one showing here and there but they weren't very keen with the current river conditions being on the low side and the water temperature in the low to mid 50s,f. 

There is a small rise of a few inches coming through today that might freshen things up a little bit for the coming week.

We have rods available this coming week so please check our availability page for details.

www.cairnton.co.uk/fishing-availability

Cheers Brian