Saturday, 16th October

Lake of Menteith, Day Session

When I got out my scratcher and looked out the window, across the Forth estuary, I thought here we go again... another outing blighted by bad weather.  It was coming in from the north east -- a strong wind and horizontal rain.  However, when we got the Lake, it didn't look too bad -- it does pick up shelter from the hills on the north side, after all.  Better still, the rain had eased to a drizzle.  As the morning progressed, the wind continued to drop (now there's a novelty!).  In our wildest dreams we would not have thought that by lunch time we would be wishing for a wee bit more breeze, just to move the boat over fresh water!  Unfortunately, when it did pick up, it was straight north, and a tad baltic, and it did seem to put the fish off a bit.

Up till then, they had been pretty much on the fin the whole day.  Our boat caught fish in 7 different locations: hotel bay, the pink buoy (that isn't there), out in the middle, the butts, Kate's brae, Lochend and Sam's point.  We had the majority to slime line and a basic set-up of one white one, one orange one.  We varied the depth a wee bit by changing the tail between a booby, an unweighted and a goldhead, and the retrieve between tugging and figure-of-8.  Some came on the hang, some came high in the water, first pull.

We were a bit desperate to get a some late season dry fly action, and we were on the look-out for possibilities.  There were a few -- though not easy, as, despite there being a selection of foods available to the trout, they seemed to be preferring the tiny aphids that were about.  We managed 3 to dries, including a nice resident for John W that, judging by the dark colouration, slim profile and jaggy tail, had been in for the best part of the season.  John had a nice blue as well.  My most satisfying success was the last of the day, which came to a long range cover and a size 18 black scrot.

John W with a resident, taken to a HE Klinkhammer

The club's catches were excellent, with a rod average of 4.6.  Tommy S had a bag to orange and yellow boobies on Hi-D, mostly around the pink buoy (that isn't there) area.  Four 7s were recorded, including Trevor and Alan, who caught on slime line, Dunkelds, mini-lures and buzzers, mostly around Kate's brae and Lochend.  Ian Mac had a 7 to washing line (slime), Diawl Bach and olive booby in international Bay.  Stu B and Alan M got into a group of fish off Stable point, taking a dozen between them to slime line and yellow and cat boobies, and tin-head damsels.  Four was another popular score, with Dougie S taking on buzzers in the rookery, Steve G taking on Connemarra black and slime line at Stable point, David E on orange and damsel (med sink) at Sam's point and Bob N on orange lures (med sink) at Lochend.

The Club's total for 17 rods was 79 fish.

Afterwards, we retired to the Bridgend hotel in Callander for a good meal and the presentation of trophies.  Stu Barclay was presented with the Marr Bowl as Club Champion, Tommy Steven pipped Alan Morrison by a single point for Tam's Trophy as runner-up.  Alan Holbrook took the Seniors' trophy in his first year of eligibility, and John Miller lifted the Cronies' Quaich for the season's heaviest fish, a rainbow of 12 lb 6 oz from Butterstone.

Trevor attempted to recruit a new club member in the Bridgend.  He was not successful.