Lindores Loch, day session, 24 March

Off to a cracking start in 2002, with the outing being just 2 fish short of a limit bag for everyone.  We were helped with our traditionally good conditions for it (going to get a horror one of these years).  It was a uniform gray all day, with a light breeze that picked up in the afternoon and reminded us that it is still cold in March!

Ian Mac with a resident, taken on the swing

Fish were being caught from early doors, although many of our members took a while to get going, and the middle of the day and afternoon seemed generally more productive.  Fish were taken along the top shore, from Milanda Bay, round the road shore and the right hand bays, down to the big house.  Many were caught very close to shore, although some rods found that after those fish had taken a bit, they regrouped further out.

For pulling, slime lines and slow sinkers were all that was required depth wise, as the fish were in mid-water, feeding mainly on daphnia.  Retrieves that worked best were slow pulls or figure-of-eight.  Myriad flies were successful.  Derek K took 12 mainly to a slim damsel while Alan H had top bag with 13 to goldhead black tad and Kate McLaren.  Elsewhere a sparkly Dunkeld was mentioned by more than one successful angler.  Another took his fish on the good old cat's whiskers.  Another had success with the dreaded orange blob!

Although there were a few fish rising early, they disappeared when the breeze picked up and dries were not an option.  Nymphing was though, and flies with a touch of orange, such as this battle weary hot-spot cove PTN, picked up a fair number of the daphnia feeders.

Callum shows off a Cove PTN-caught rainbow

The Club's catch for 14 rods was 68 fish for 138 lb 10 oz, with 33 more returned.  Although many were clearly early season stockies, some nice residents were caught and some genuinely overwintered fish featured in the catches.  It was, all in all, a great start to the new season.