Sunday, 23rd September

Loch Vennachar, Day Session

Ed Green and Hugh Thomson (for it is they), backed by Ben Venue

This outing replaced the one we had booked at Portmore, after that fishery decided to close its doors to the public.  The only water we ever had catches that could be counted on the fingers of one hand (apart from Loch Leven) was Portmore, so maybe it was on the cards that we would replace like with like.  One or two of us had a boat during the season, and we all found it hard going.  Reports seemed to suggest there was an odd fish to be caught, but once again we (with a couple of exceptions) could not find the buggers.

The facilities at Vennachar -- boats, restaurant, tackle shop, etc -- must rate as the best in Scotland

Conditions weren't brilliant, but they weren't bad for brownie fishing.  It was very mild, with about 50% cloud cover and a stiffish westerly that dropped away during the afternoon to give a really pleasant end to the session.

We were advised to fish the Portnellan shore, so headed off that way at the start.  Dougie Skedd dinged one on the first drift, going into Milton Bay.  After that, we zig-zagged our way all the way down towards the dam, covering fishy looking water, but without so much as a touch, a swirl, a follow, or any sort of sign of life.  Reports were saying slime lines or DI-3s and palmers, so Dougie went slime, while I went DI-3.  We covered fly sizes from 14s to 10s, in assorted patterns.

Dougie Skedd, with the first of a rare brace

It had been so fruitless in the eastern half, that we decided not to bother with the sailing club side at all, and instead to go with the bailiff's tip from the previous day, which was the western point of Lendrick Bay.  Dougie was by now fishing flashy stuff: a sparkler and a Dunkeld dabbler.  As we rounded the point of Lendrick Bay, Dougie birled one fish, then landed another.  We swung round for a second pass.  Dougie banged another couple, then landed a second one.  Great, we thought.  I stuck on some sparkly stuff and we went back round for another pass.  Unfortunately, we had been seen with the net out, and several boats went through the spot before we got another chance.  With what seemed like the only fish in the place lying in a 50 yards stretch, that was too much pressure and they shut up shop.  I missed one offer, and that was it for Lendrick Bay.  We went over it another couple of times to make sure, but no joy.

It got quite busy at the point where we found a handful of fish

We gave up and went back to Milton Bay for another try -- well it was the only other place we'd had an offer.  Nothing doing.  We crossed over and tried down the Grass Bank drift and all the way on down to the Sailing Club.  Nothing doing.  So, we came back up and tried Boat House Bay.  Nothing doing.

The Lodge

Our second boat was clean, as was our 3rd... and our 4th.  Our last boat had fish -- two of them!  Again, it was a case of a brace to one rod, that being guest Hugh Easterbrook, who caught 2 fish for 2 lbs.  The first was caught on the Sailing Club/East Dullater drift on a sink tip line - fast retrieve - yellow dancer.  The second was caught on the Invertrossachs drift on a DI-3 line - fast retrieve - glitter damsel.  Hugh had offers just before catching on both occasions, but repeating the drifts was fruitless.

Photos: Canon 10D with (image 2) 17-40 mm and (images 1, 3-5) 70-300 mm IS lenses