A silver thread in a ribbon of green.

I had a few hours to spare on Tuesday afternoon and headed out to fish the Water of Leith for an hour or two. I went with two of my mates, Jake and Naz and we started off in Leith but as the flood prevention works had turned the water into mud we elected to head further upstream and began fishing again at Stockbridge. We worked our way up a really beautiful stretch of the river with many nice pools and fast flowing runs ending up on the section of the river that runs through the idyllic Dean Village.

Dean Village. A little hamlet tucked away in the middle of town.

We fished up the river hopping from pool to pool and it wasn't long before Jake was into a fish. He had been working his lure across current and just as it began to swing around a trout seized it. It gave a good account of itself in the flow but was soon brought to hand. We suspect this brown trout had been stocked as it had a slightly deformed mouth and some wear and tear on its fins but it was an otherwise very healthy looking fish.

Bit of a David Coulthard look about him.

Jake popped it back and it swam off upstream. Naz then led us even further upstream to a large weir which looked very nice indeed. 

Simply stunning and right in the heart of Edinburgh.

Naz has had some good fish from this weir pool in the past and we were keen to try it! We couldn't access much of it due to the high water level so after fifteen minutes of trying we headed upstream. Seeing the water hammering down the weir got us talking about whether sea trout could scale it. We were still discussing this as we were crossing a bridge overlooking the pool above the weir. The pool looked so inviting we had to have a shot. We were high up above the water but we are used to fishing from heights due to our harbour fishing experiences. I rigged up with a red 2" Ecogear Strawtail on an 2g #6 jighead. My lure had barely touched the water when a big brown trout grabbed the lure but just as quickly threw the hook in a flash. I cast again just past where it had struck and began working the lure very slowly up stream. The great thing about being so high above the river was that I could see the lure working. I could also see a flash of silver as a second trout took my lure. Fish on and our earlier question was soon answered as a sea trout was hoisted up from the water below.

My second sea trout in as many weeks!

Jake and myself having both caught something it was Naz who was in next. Although not really the intended species he successfully wrestled a pair of chest waders up the bridge!

Heaviest catch of the day.

They were a bit damaged, possibly from ascending the weir on their way to spawn, but otherwise in quite good condition. That was the last action for the day but a successful little recce further up river and it's somewhere we might visit again soon.

Tight lines, Scott.