Fly Fishing Possibilities At Seaton Cliffs Arbroath

[Wildfisher]

I was supposed to  be working today, well I had at least intended to, but it was far too fine a day to sit in front of a computer, so I had a stroll out by Seaton Cliffs at Arbroath to refresh my memory and to look for deep water close in for potential salt water fly fishing in summer.

First thing that struck  me was the vertigo  I was suffering when I saw some of the places I used to scramble about on when I was a kid. Just looking  these places had my legs shaking and my head spinning!

One big problem is access. Most of the old paths are dangerously eroded and much steeper than I remember them, with a bit of care they will be possible, that said, some areas are completely inaccessible.

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Inaccessible Inlet

Some of the spots, like The Needle's E' are still easy enough, but the rocks are perhaps a bit high off the water for fly fishing.

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The Needle's E'

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Dickmont's Den

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Dickmont's Den And Gull Island

The path down into Dickmont's Den is very badly eroded, but the rocks on the south side of the channel  are possibly fly-fishable

Farther along, you come to The Deil's Heid (where an angler was swept off the rocks and drowned late last year) and The Grannie's Garret. Aren't these names great  !  Certainly around here the channels look deep and the rocks not too high off the water.

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The Deil's Heid

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Grannie's Garret.

I went as far a Carlingheugh Bay, locally known as The Flairs. The rocks you can see breaking the surface and going quite far out from the sphinx-like cliff end, are uncovered at lower tides and you can walk well out on them and fish in quite deep water. I used to when I was a kid. You have to watch though as it is easy to get cut off by the rising tide coming in behind you. It happened to me once or twice.

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Carlingheugh Bay

All of this was within a brisk 15 minute walk of Victoria Park, so no long trek required and it is only one small area  out of the vast stretch of rocks and cliffs  that go all the way to Montrose with only a few interruptions.

These places are certainly worth fishing with more conventional sea gear but might offer opportunities for fly fishing and most certainly spinning. I'd guess there will be pollack, coalfish and seasonal mackerel  there. You would want calm seas and clear-ish water  in summer for safety

Once I get it all sussed out I'll maybe organise a sea fishing stravaig. I have enough room to house a few for a night or two! 

[burnie]

There's a guy who fly fishes from Bervie beach for Mackeral in the summer months. I've tried fly fishing from Lunan beach but didn't trouble any fish, often thought of trying a small nymph sort of shrimp fly for the flatties,just never got round to it yet.

[13Fisher1]

Yes looks promising, though care goes without saying. My swff has always been from soft, shingle/ sand based shorelines never tried it from the rocks - that bay in last photo looks interesting though.
Last place I had was plum 300yds from the Gareloch (Clyde) and couldn't (and didn't) wait to get moved in before disappearing with the fly rod.

It's good to make plans for later in the season, sounds like a good day away from PC.

[corsican dave]

My swff has always been from soft, shingle/ sand based shorelines never tried it from the rocks -

funnily enough, my experience is exactly the opposite! never been able to understand the sandy stuff. give me rocks every time :

inaccessible inlet has got "kayak" written all over it! is it deep? plenty of kelp?

failing that, an abseil in would sort it. may have to jumar back out though :shock:; tuition and gear can be provided  :lol:

[Malcolm]

That looks like a great bit of water Fred. I've not been there before and surprised just how fishy it all looks. It's almost got a Shetland look about one or two places: the inaccesible inlet looks almost identical to the bit of water below the carpark for the Eshaness lochs.

[Wildfisher]

That's only one of the inaccessible inlets, lots more of them all along the cliffs. The old red sandstone / conglomerates make for some pretty spectacular erosion. 

[Wildfisher]

Her's one way of getting to them. Spot the loonies.  :lol:

http://www.arbroathclimbing.com/thedeilsheidandgrannies.htm

[corsican dave]

out of my league these days, i'm afraid Fred! don't reckon my surgeon'd approve... :lol:

[burnie]

Think you are referring to Windy Hills near Auchmithie.

[corsican dave]

just been looking at the imray chart for the area. between the deil's head and red head the water drops off quite steeply to 13m, with around 7m right from the shore. very promising!