Saturday, 4th June

Glencorse Reservoir, Day Session

This was the Club's first outing to Glencorse, after last year's change in management, when Scottish Water divested themselves of all interest in running fisheries at their reservoirs.  It was for many of us, our first visit to the water since we were laddies!  We left wondering why we had neglected it.

It was a day of sunshine and showers, with a moderate, sometimes gusty and changeable westerly wind.  Despite the rather iffy fishing conditions, the fish were well up in the water and prepared to take a dry fly, with many oncey rises in the quieter corners.  The fish were of a superb quality, comprising good quality stock rainbows, perfect-finned, slimmed down resident rainbows and small wild brownies.

The Club President shows the quality of the stock fish

There were 3 main areas that produced fish: the main basin out from the dam, the bays midway along the north shore, and coming down both sides from the top end.  Two boats concentrated at the main basin.  JSB and Bob Allan took 13 between them, with JSB figure-of-eighting an intermediate, with hot head damsel and Diawl Bach, while Bob fished a DI-5 with damsels and lures.  In the other boat, Tommy Steven and Boyd Scott took 15, with Tommy stripping a damsel, Viva and Dunkeld on a DI-3, and Boyd fishing damsels slow on a floater.

Steve Greig and B Whyte took 11 to their boat, fishing the bays on the north shore.  They fished lures, including cats and orange fritz on intermediate and DI-3.  Kenneth Cockburn took 6 in the same area to Goldhead Viva on a slow intermediate, plus a late one to dries at the dam end.  Fraser Gault took 5 to dry fly, fishing down the north shore from the top end, and our boat had 15 to dries, the best pattern by far being this size 12 black hopper variant.  We took our fish coming down the south shore from the top, before crossing over to fish the bays on the north shore.  Spoonings didn't reveal much, but there were buzzers and terrestrials on the water, and plenty chances to throw at a riser.

Two boats make their way back up the drift, towards the narrow top end of the water

The club's 14 rods landed 68 fish (not including the small brownies), many of which were returned.

The new management laid on coffee and bacon rolls on arrival, and put up a bottle of whisky for the best bag: a superb gesture that is being offered to every club outing.  Interested parties can contact George or Heather on 0131 333 2693/4265 or 07050 325803,

or email dook@fairleyh.freeserve.co.uk