Saturday, 27th September

Portmore Loch, Day Session

The forecast showed not an isobar within 100 miles of the country, so it was little surprise to anyone that we were greeted by a stiff, southerly breeze.  It was a bit baltic as well!  However, we had superb ceiling all day and the breeze gradually dropped throughout the day, giving a nice corduroy ripple by the end.  The cool, grey conditions were ideal for an olive hatch and there was a cracking one in the afternoon.  The residents got onto the olives, but were a bit tricky-dicky, with many anglers reporting fresh-air shots and refusals, while others had less trouble converting takes.

JSB with a fish of standard stamp, taken on dry fly

Early in the day, a few boats fished down the water, and Alan H had success anchored out from the lonesome pine, taking a brace on slime line and a pair of cats: orange and white.  Stu B and Alan M also had a brace apiece early to pulling, Stu's to a mini-shuggie and a hare's ear snatcher (left of photo), Al's to claret dabbler.  Lenny N was another to take a pair on intermediate, his coming to a Goldie and a shuggie.  Tommy S had some early sport on a booby.

Jimmy M into a fish, taken during the olive hatch

The rest of the day was all about dry fly, though some of those who fished up the top end from the start were on dries the entire day.  Dougie S had the day's heaviest bag, a 4 fish catch for 16 lb, which included two 6-pound residents.  Dougie's fish were taken mostly in the Laird's bay area, on an elk hair emerger.  Jimmy and Fraser were on dries all day and Jimmy's 8 fish (all returned) were taken on a pair of size 14 F-flies: bibio and hare's ear.  Fraser's fish came to a bibio bits.  Tommy S and Alan M both joined in the afternoon olive dun action, Alan taking 4 on this F-fly type imitation.

Some good residents featured in the catches, including this one at 4 lb 9 oz

JSB did a bit switching between dries and washing line, taking 2 on dries and one on the 'line'.  His boat partner chipped in with a brace to black hopper, plus one on yet another olive f-fly variation.

The club's total for 23 rods was 29 for 81 lb 8 oz, with 16 returned.