Saturday, 2nd August

Butterstone Loch, Day Session

Cooler that of late, with a fresh westerly, but nice overhead conditions for most of the day.  The water was in fine fettle, with the surface littered in buzzers shucks, with various odd terrestrials, even the odd heather fly putting in an appearance.  There were signs also of occasional fish chasing Caenis nymphs high in the water.

A total accident -- just as I was taking a shot of Dougie landing a fish, a bunch of Canada geese flew into it

Top spot to be from the start was the east shore, on the edge of the deep water.  Dougie S and Tommy got into just the right spot.  Dougie got tuned in on a washing line rig, on slow glass, with a 12 second count down -- although the fish were only interested in the booby he put on to buoy up the rig.  Dougie tied up the nameless creation on a whim and it worked a treat.  I think Santa's beard will do as a moniker.

Tommy was slower to get into action, but he made up for numbers with size.  His second fish of the day was a season's best for the water, and in all probability a Club record.  On seeing buzzer shucks in the stomach contents of the fish they were catching, he put on a fly he does well with, the tail of which he reckons resembles a shuck.  Called a shuck muddler, he fished it on a Cortland camo line and lured the lunker, which went 13 lb 12 oz.

Tommy with the monster...  and a very big rainbow.               Thirteen...  lucky for some!

Fishing in the same area as Dougie and Tommy, Dougie G and I caught fish on a variety of methods and flies, including a wee goldhead black tadpole on the slow glass and boobies on the UFS, but the most successful was swinging nymphs on the floater (flashback Diawl Bach, melanistic flashback Cove).

Those who fished other areas of the loch found it a bit more of a struggle.  Dry fly proved as successful as anything.  JSB took 2 on dries, and Trevor and Al had 3 between them on buzzers.  Later in the day, Tommy got into a group of fish in the top bay, completing his bag on boobies.

The Club's total for 10 rods was 28 fish for 77 lb 14 oz.