Sunday, 29th April

Carron Valley Reservoir, Day Session

After last year's ideal conditions, it was hardly surprising that the forecast weather for Carron this year should be a return to the dreaded bright sun and cold east wind.  We sort of got half away with it -- it was overcast for the whole morning.  However, the cold east wind bit got us with both barrels.

This was our first outing to Carron since the controversial introduction of rainbow trout.  We were not sure what to expect.  Some folk were unsure whether to tackle up for brownies or for rainbows.  What was clear was that most of the boats went out on the hunt for rainbows -- 90% of them started fishing within 100 yards of the jetty.  I can only assume that was where the stock went in???

Stuff that for a game of soldiers.  We were at Carron.  One of the best places for wild brown trout.  Always was.  Why would it not be now?

Heading out

John Gibson and I chose not to join the boats at the dam, and we headed up the far end, for Carron Bay -- my favourite area.  When we got there, we almost had the top half of the water to ourselves.  It looked like pulling was the order of the day, and John went with an intermediate and I with a DI-3.  It occurred to me that my standard approach when pulling on Carron -- black and white lures with a muddler on the bob -- would be seen by many as a rainbow rig.

OK, well maybe, but it catches me more brownies than trads do.  John's intermediate and trads hooked 3 rainbows, while my lures and DI-3 hooked just one rainbow.  Of course, maybe the rainbows were higher in the water than the browns, but maybe folk should rethink their approach when rainbows are the quarry and pulling is the order of the day.  Anyroad, the brownies liked the lures just fine.  We caught the usual range -- from 8-9 inches up to about 1 lb 2 oz, plus probably the smallest fish I have ever landed on Carron - it must have been no more than 4 inches long -- and it had the black tadpole half way down its throat.

A good contender for the Club's first Carron rainbow

Dougie Skedd and Bob Whyte eventually arrived up the top end, and they had sport with both browns and rainbows, to pulling with DI-4 and clan chief and claret snatcher.  They went back to the home end for the last spell and had some unexpected dry fly action when a frantic rise came on to black scrotty stuff in the lee of the dam.

Ian Macdonald and Trevor Gibson drifted the entire length of the water in the course of the day, and took 7 rainbows and 5 sizeable browns.  Ian fished the kelly green intermediate and snatchers, while Trevor stripped a yellow dancer on a DI-3.  John Miller and John Levy had just one rainbow to their boat, but had 10 sizeable browns.  They also fished all over the place, going with intermediate and Wet-Cel 3, pulling with: soldier palmer, cormorant, silver invicta, teal, black & silver and kingfisher butcher.

Dougie Skedd and Bob Whyte drift the bays at the south west shore

Tommy Steven and Richard Goddard fished along the home shore, taking fish to medium sinkers, with palmers and olive goldheads.  Richard had catch of the day: a powan.  This protected species is thriving in Carron and more are being caught every year -- though it is an offence to fish for them intentionally, and they should always be returned safely if caught.

The club's 10 rods landed a total of 50 sizeable fish.

Photos: Canon 10D with 28-135mm IS lens