Lake of Menteith, day session, 13th October.

The rustic tones of autumn met with weather befitting a summer's day, as a warm, light westerly breeze accompanied sunny spells and otherwise good overhead conditions.  We needed the good conditions too as The Lake, as often is the case, turns a bit tricky about this time.  The stockies are thinned out and dispersed.  The residents are feeding on very small stuff or weed shoots or, as of now, strange fairy shrimp things!!  Our fish came from all over: International bay, the road shore, Lochend, Tod hole, Gateside bay, The Rookery and Hotel Bay.  They were right up high, as they have been all season, and all our bags came to floaters, intermediates and slime lines.

There were plenty black gnats about, but dry fly was a risky business, with risers few and far between.  Dougie S had a bag of 5 on claret Shipman, though, casting at risers right in among the reed beds.  John R took 5 more on wets and Ian Mac had 6 on the micro-booby and 2 nymphs rig -- the nymphs being a Diawl Bach and jungle cock Diawl Bach.   Best bag by far was Jimmy M, who took 8 for 16 lb 6 oz, plus 1 returned.  Jimmy fished a Kelly green intermediate, figure-of-eighting 2 trads above an imitative damsel.  The trads were, at various times, a soldier variant, a green-tailed Kate and a pearly orange palmer.  (Sorry about the colours -- trying to get the hot orange tails to look hot orange -- not easy indoors!)

Jimmy with Marr Bowl-winning fish

He didn't appreciate it at the time (or he might have smiled for the camera), but Jimmy's last fish, taken with 5 minutes on the clock, swung the club's championship in his direction.

The club's total for 18 rods was 43 fish for 92 lb, plus 2 returned.  One other fish rates a mention: Tommy S caught a 20 lb pike on a yellow booby!