Lake of Menteith, day session, 31 August

Not ideal conditions, with a gusty, swinging wind and bright overhead for the best part of the day.  There were odd lulls and odd dull spells along the way, however, and the club put together an impressive catch in the circumstances, averaging exactly 4 fish per rod.

Asking around the successful anglers, just about every line in the kit got a mention, though there were more Hi-Ds than floaters in the mix.  It was probably a case of slow sinker when dull, fast sinker when bright.  Just about every colour, size and style of fly got mentioned as well.  No magic flies needed!  And fish were taken from all over the water as well.  The early action was at International bay and along the road shore, if you had the stomach for the combat zone fishing that ensued, as something like two thirds of the fleet started off there.

Tommy S instead went up to the plantation and took advantage of the calmer conditions that prevailed early.  He had sport on dry fly, taking 4 of his 6 fish bag on the half hog (the others being on boobies after it went too windy for dries).

Eric S shows off the quality of stockie that is the norm at Menteith these days

Elsewhere, pulling prevailed.  Best total was 8 plus one returned to Jimmy M, taken on a hot head damsel and a hi-tec Texas rose muddler.  Alan M had 6 in the same boat on a variety of flies including the blob and a cormorant variant.  Alan D and Trevor G had a hefty total as well, taking 8 and 6 respectively on assorted tadpoles, including Alan's cat's whisker variant.  Alan's 8 fish weighed in at a mighty 21 lb 12 oz.

Elsewhere, Steve G and Dougie S discovered that the roly-poly retrieve was required to get them takes, and they went on to take 10 between them, Dougie's mini minkie being their top killer.

The Club's total for 16 rods was 64 fish for 174 lb 8 oz.