McNab, Anyone Done It?

[jamross65]

I went for a cast last Thursday morning just for an hour or two on a beat I have access to on the Whiteadder, as we had had the first decent rise in water for weeks. I landed and returned a salmon of about 6lbs. As the water had dropped quickly and I had fished the 2 or 3 pools that were worth a cast I packed up to head home and wonderd what to do for the rest of the day. The thought of going stalking for Sika that evening was appealing and then I thought of the possibility of catching a salmon and shooting a stag in the same day was looking good. I then thought of a McNab and started to go through names in my head of the keepers I knew who would let me have a shot at a brace of grouse to make that possible. Anyway, as its officially a red stag, I wondered if it would be fair to claim a McNab if I did it with a Sika and because of that managed to talk myself out of even trying it!

I had also left the camera in the car so didn't have any photo of the salmon as proof anyway...

Just wonderd if any other members had done it and in what order they completed the McNab, as in my opinion getting the salmon at the started the day is probably the hardest of the 3 generally speaking to secure, but if done the other two are worth a try.

 

[basil]

I don`t think we have to many Salmon or Grouse in my area so can we catch a Mackrel, shoot a Roe and a couple of Pigeons and call it something else??
It would be interesting to hear of anyone on here who`s done it or witnessed a McNab.

 

[jamross65]

From what I hear most McNabs have come about following the catching of a salmon, for example. A fish is caught early in the day so a gillie will suggest having a go for the grouse and a stag but the trio were not really the plan from the offset, but I may be wrong. Obviously the time of year may be relevant, as September/October normally sees a back end run of fish given water on highland rivers, the grouse are in and the stags are just coming into the rut.

As Basil says though, a highland estate is offering a good chance, folk in the south unless on holiday are going to struggle for the original so an alternative may be needed!!!!!

Mind, if you did it that would be a fair old taxidermy bill to preserve the memory!!!

 

[Dalua]

I've read the book, but nothing more.

 

[basil]

From what I hear most McNabs have come about following the catching of a salmon, for example. A fish is caught early in the day so a gillie will suggest having a go for the grouse and a stag but the trio were not really the plan from the offset, but I may be wrong. Obviously the time of year may be relevant, as September/October normally sees a back end run of fish given water on highland rivers, the grouse are in and the stags are just coming into the rut.

As Basil says though, a highland estate is offering a good chance, folk in the south unless on holiday are going to struggle for the original so an alternative may be needed!!!!!

Mind, if you did it that would be a fair old taxidermy bill to preserve the memory!!!

Nah, we would just have a b-b-q.

 

[Tackleberry270]

I like the idea of it as a challenge but I think there is a difference between someone knowing the river, hill, moor well themselves and having a go and a sporting agent offering a McNabb for a price and the ghillie/keeper doing all the leg-work.

Far better to make memories and have stories to tell by spending the time amongst nature and witnessing rare sights in wildlife in my opinion!

 

[robbie rowantree]

when we had more grouse we used to do what is called the McNab quite regularly. There is no mention of grouse in the book, I believe that the correct name for a Salmon, a stag and a brace of grouse between dawn and dusk of the one day is a "Royal Bag". My old boss did the double royal bag back in the 50's when he got two salmon, two stags and several brace of grouse in the day.

 

[Pedro]

To be honest, I think you've either got to be very lucky to have the chance of all three. People will have the fishing or the shooting or the stalking to hand, possibly even two out of three, but unless you own a big Scottish estate, or can throw loads of money at it, the reality of it is beyond most of us.

 

[sako751sg]

Done the salmon and stag but nay the grouse.Always think of trying a salmon,stag/buck and a brace of pheasants as a cheaper version but never get roon to it.Maybe this year.

 

[devon deer stalker]

We have a few grouse in Devon but we can't shoot them so that isn't an option, so i suppose a brace of pheasants would substitute.
I agree catching the Salmon would be the most difficult.
I did a fish equivalent, Salmon, Brown Trout and Sea Trout in that order on the river Teign once.
Cheers
​Richard

 

[jungle_re]

I thought you had to tie a fly with a feather from the brace to catch the salmon?

 

[Tamar]

Has anyone (or a 'friend of yours' ) done it the REAL way i.e. after the style of the book: alerting the landowner and then 'poaching' the stag and salmon. In the book it was from three different estates over several weeks, but in the face of opposition form factors/ghillies etc?

 

[Mungo]

I like the 'Urban MacNab': roe buck, fox, rabbit, all within the city bypass. Done it once.

 

[tackb]

planning on giving it a go next year , salmon (the tough bit) stag then whizz off to a grouse moor for the grouse hopefully!

 

[NickJ]

I was with my brother in-law when he completed one on Balavil near Kingussie a few years back. The estate has had several in recent years; usual drill is up at first light, 3 hours on the river and if no fish by then up to the hill for a stag, brace of grouse on the way back then back to the river for a flog until dark. I've never caught the salmon so have done 2/3 of it more than once!

 

[sika No1]

Not done the official MacNab,
Did managed to shoot 2 small six point Roebucks, catch a 11.5 pound salmon and lucky to shoot 1.5 brace of grouse in a day.
Grouse was on a different estate to where the salmon and roebuck taken
Definitely a day to remember

 

[Amhuinnsuidhe]

I was fortunate to manage to get mine back in 2008 I think it was. Salmon first at 09:45, stag at 11:45 and the grouse at 13:45. Completed on the Amuinnsuidhe Castle Estate on the 15th October, the last day of the salmon season up there and my first ever salmon too!!

 

[Paul at Fechan]

never shot a grouse, seen plenty when stalking though, so the chances are slim for me!

 

[bobt]

a mate did a Mc Nob the other year, started in the morning by hitting a grouse with his truck (it flew in front) then as we rounded a corner he ran over a frog,
by this time we were all taking the P, on the way back from the pub, (him sober) a roebuck jumped out of the hedge under the wheels,to complete the trio.

 

[donsider]

Well would you believe a chum of mine achieved a McNab only yesterday. He purchased the opportunity at the Grampian GWCT Sporting Auction in the Spring. This lot is usually put up by the estate every year and about 12 years ago another chum of mine achieved it also.

Yesterday my chum had the stag first of all early in the morning and bagged the grouse by lunch time leaving only the salmon to get. Given the water level on the Dee just now I didn't rate his chances but he caught his salmon and I too, on a beat a little further downstream, had two salmon.

It is an achievement to get a McNab but, personally, I would like a days stalking, a days fishing and a day at the grouse seperately rather than all in one day.

The NE of Scotland given its choice of rivers between the Dee, Spey, Deveron and the Don together with abundant grouse moors and plenty of deer would be a good location to try your luck