Saturday, 30th July

Butterstone Loch, Day Session

A day of near perfect conditions, which helped to compensate for this outing falling during the dodgy period in the season (note the last Lindores, Portmore and Leven reports!).  The only things not perfect were the breeze, which came and went from just about every point of the compass, and the temperature, which was fine except when the breeze was from the predominant direction of NE, whereupon it had a right sharp edge to it.  The water seemed like it had cooled down a bit from the recent heatwave, and clarity was OK, if short of gin-like.

There was a carpet of buzzer shucks at the start of the session, which gradually got taken away by some oncey risers, assorted ducks, and the breeze.  After that, there were damsels (below), a few stone flies, sedges and the odd genuine mayfly on the go throughout the day.  The fish were high in the water and the bailiff reported that nymphing tactics were doing most of the damage.  We found plenty fish in the course of the day -- indeed high in the water.  Only problem was that they were decidedly indifferent about committing to solid takes.  This resulted in fish missed, fish lost in play, and fish coming short to the fly.  Sport, though!  Those that were taken came from all round the water, though few folk ventured right out into the middle.  Apart from a couple that fell to slime line and WetCel I, all our fish were caught on floating line.

Adam Marr (below), over on holiday from Hong Kong, hadn't wet a line for 2 years.  However, he soon showed that he had not got too rusty, taking 3 to Diawl Bachs and one on dries (hare's ear F-fly).  Adam's 4 fish weighed in at 9 lb 4 oz.  He would have had 5 for about 35 lb if the huge beast that took his dry late in the day had stuck.  It shifted about a bathful of water on the take!  John Gibson was the only other 4 fish man, taking 2 on buzzer pupes and 2 on dry fly (balloon caddis).  John's partner Tommy had 3 to a green buzzer.

John Robertson had 3 to a goldhead brown stone fly nymph (not a bad likeness of a mayfly nymph).  John Miller and Eric Singer took 5 between them, all on Diawl Bachs.  Dougie Skedd had a brace to dry sedge and claret buzzer.  After getting only one to washing line tactics, your correspondent went on to a team of Leadbetter-style suspender buzzers (tied to float, but failing and being labelled "neutral density").  They got quite a lot of interest, though only 2 hung on, both to a (highly frottered) hare's ear one.

The Club's 9 rods weighed in 24 fish for 45 lb 6 oz (no C&R on offer due to the stressed condition of the fish in the warm water).

Note to anyone going to Butterstone -- leave your nets, drogues and anchors at home.  Nets and anchors are supplied by the fishery.  This is to combat the spread of parasites.  You can take your electric outboards, but must dip them in the barrel of disinfectant before putting them on the boats.

Photos: Canon 10D with 28-135 mm IS lens and polarising filter.