I decided to have my first day out on the River Devon, that runs from Glen Devon down to Menstrie.
This was not so much a fishing trip as an exploratory trip as I really don’t know the area at all and am not sure of the best places for access or indeed for fishing, So I worked on the principle that if I started at the most “remote” end and work down I would be doing the right thing. I followed the river up to Castlehill Reservoir and went down to the top bridge on this stretch at Dunning Bridge.
This section at upper Fossoway is overhung with trees for the most part
There were loads of cars parked here, the bridge is currently undergoing repairs so cannot be crossed in a vehicle. I could not see anyone fishing but there was a large campsite set up on the north side of the bridge, so many of the vehicles must have belonged to these people. Another angler, an older gent turned up as I was gearing up and we had a blether about the river- he has fished it for 5 years he said, but ti was too busy up here for him, so he was going elsewhere. This section of the river is very overhung with trees so conventional casting with flies really was going to be challenging so I decided to opt for a short line technique with bugs- more or less Czech Nymphing but really having to resort more to a catapult cast to get under the tree boughs. There are some deep holding areas under the trees and I thought if fish were going to be anywhere, it would be here.
Riverside furniture- charming
On a side note, this riverside area is minging, with tons of dumped rubbish, it resembled a landfill site more than a river bank. The remains of many camping trips litter the place and quite why people leave it in such a state and then would want to camp in amongst rubbish I cannot fathom, it really could do with a couple of skips and a clear up.
I worked the whole section until the bank got too high, then crossed over finding a really nice deep pool beyond which could be fished conventionally. After changing set up a few times I fished this pool fairly well and though there was a lot of life on the water never saw a sign of a fish.
Crossing over again I fished the third section much as the first as again it was heavily overhung. At the foot of this section (which was a bit frustrating as I lost a few flies on trees and snags) I came upon another camp and not seeing anything of note downstream I decided to call it a day on this stretch.
I drove downstream and after a bit of a recce got parked near the fish farm at Fossoway. I went downstream and at one of the glides near the top I spotted a fish tucked right in under the bank. As I tied on a couple of flies another rose about 2-3 metres away upstream- I saw it’s belly flash white as it rolled to intercept something, then drift back behind a rock. It then started to move upstream so I cast above it hoping to intercept, and my point fly- a beaded PTN snagged on the bottom. Damn!
Below Fossoway Fish Farm the river character changes a little and is less overhung and more bouldery
I could not free it so had to move knowing full well it would disturb the fish, but there was nothing for it. I moved upstream and waded in freeing the fly as I got closer. The fish under the bank was still there though.
I tried casting and drifting down over it but nothing- maybe it had moved.
Then another fish appeared and seemed to be intercepting on or just below the surface. I kept low and put on an F Fly. As soon as I lifted my arm to cast the fished spooked and it was gone! I moved downstream and covered numerous glides and runs but never seen or touched a fish but got a flavour of the section.SOme nice looking wee pools here though, but quite low and clear to be easily fished.
I think really it was too low and clear to be a successful fishing spot so I called it a day.
