Sunday, 11th July

Loch Leven, Evening Session

Cap'n F away pike fishing.  Alan M does the outing sheet, the report and the photography!

For most of us it was the first outing to Tombstone this season and the fact that we only had 3 boats and 7 rods out told its own story.  We were greeted by pretty good conditions on arrival: V light winds from the north west and pretty extensive cloud cover.  But by the time we got out it was pretty normal, i.e. a cool easterly had blown up - typical!  We had heard that the day boats had caught a few fish around the East Buoy and horseshoe areas with brownies figuring predominantly in the catches.

Stu B and I started at the East Buoy, and Stu hooked and landed a rainbow on his first cast!  Perhaps a red letter evening beckoned?  The wind dropped and a huge hatch of grouse wing sedges and Caenis ensued, but the fish never really got going.  A change to slow slime line and snatchers brought me two nice rainbows in quick succession, one of them to a cover.  Stu changed to similar tactics on the Kelly green, and picked up a nice brownie.  Four in the boat by 9 p.m. we felt was not bad going.

Stu B with a good brownie

However, as always seems to happen on Leven, the wind changed again.  This time it was to the west and it got fresher... and colder.  A move to the head of the wind and Factor's Pier saw me pick up another rainbow and a subsequent move to the Green Isle brought another brownie for Stu.  We finished up with three each for the evening.  Our motor back to the harbour was entertaining, as there was a huge firework display from the nearby “T in the Park ” concert.

When we got in, all our other rods were blank!  John Miller, Tommy Steven and Eric Begbie reported having one offer from a very small brownie as the only activity they had seen all night.  They fished around the sluices area and the pink buoy.  Dougie Skedd and Fraser Gault were also clean but reported a bit of late activity around the Factor's Pier.

The Club’s total catch was 2 brownies and 1 rainbow for 5 lb 5 oz plus 3 rainbows returned.  Successful flies included hare's ear (on the left) and soldier palmer snatchers and claret dabbler.