Sunday, 14th May

Coldingham Loch, Day Session

Mid May, and still some vegetation waiting for leaves!

Our club's uncanny ability to attract the worst conditions for our outings were typified by this trip to Coldingham.  Perched as it is on top of cliffs overlooking the north sea, really the only thing you need to avoid is a biting cold easterly... and preferably bright sunshine.  Aye, we got both in spades.  In the afternoon, it clouded over.  Not sure that helped any, as it just made it colder!

The loch was in superb condition (crystal clear) as were the fish.  It is a very long time since I encountered fish that fought as long and hard.  Even when finally landed, instead of needing to be held while they recovered their breath, they were off like scalded cats!  They were a good size too, with a standard stamp of 2 lb, and many in the 3 to 4 lb class.

A typical Coldingham fish -- in cracking nick

Most of our anglers got off to a flier, with quite a few landed in the first half hour.  However, after that, it slowed up for many.  Douglas Aitken had suggested that with the water so clear, fine leaders and imitative patterns may well be required.  Patterns that featured on the score cards confirmed that: hare's ears, buzzers, Diawl Bachs and snatchers predominated in the early part of the day.

It's not quite ready for the net, Tommy

Our boat had a few in the morning to swinging nymph tactics.  Douglas had also told us the fish were high in the water.  If you want the advantage of the low visibility of fluoro, but also want to keep it high in the water (it sinks like a stone), you can try a washing line.  Wee booby (eg damsel) on the tail, 2 nymphs on the droppers.  Swing it round.  The fluoro is so dense it pulls the booby under, but it comes through at a nice depth and this tactic worked quite well for a while.

While it was still bright sunshine, we started to see risers along to our right, near the point on the south bank.  We could see nothing on the water, but the rises were very enthusiastic -- like they were sconing something large and adult.  Maybe a beetle?  Beetles often lie like icebergs, with 90% below water.  Whatever, we couldn't resist having a go.  We moved over and put up dries.  Although the rises dried up almost as soon as we started, the fish were still in the mood, and the response was instantaneous.  For about an hour we had fantastic sport.  We never did find out what they were on, as we were fishing catch and release, however, most fish came to a black ethafoam beetle pattern and a half-hog.

Dougie Goddard returns a fish that took going up the hill

Fishing the water with dries from an anchored boat (as opposed to casting to risers) is a bit un-natural.  Presentation can be a bit dead.  Pitching them out at 45 degrees gave them a chance to be swung round -- not unlike a floating version of the nymphs.  While we were getting tuned in to this, others were also latching on to the chance to get onto dries.  David Ewart had fish to a dry beetle pattern, while Ian Macdonald and Boyd Scott went on the drift and had the whole of the west arm to themselves.  They caught with black dries, including bibio hopper.

The club's 16 rods landed 76 fish.

Photos:  Canon 10D with 28-135mm IS lens, with polarising filter (which makes it look a lot warmer than it was!)