Sunday, 13th April

Lindores Loch, Day Session

Another of those days where you know that when the sun comes out it isn't helping the fishing, but you are really glad to see it every time it appears.  Lucky with the weather in general -- still cool, but a light north west breeze with sunny intervals throughout the day.  Andy told us it had been fishing well during the week, but had gone off the day before we arrived.  Just our luck.

'Trout Fisherman' magazine cover boy, John Levy

For 13 of our 14 rods it was a hard, hard slog.  We tried quite a few tactics, and several boats explored the water, and although we only had one blank, catches were poor.  We had the odd fish swinging buzzers, the odd fish figure-of-eighting nymphs such as Diawl Bach and bloodworm, the odd fish on lures such as black tadpole and yellow dancer.  Most were taken on either floating line fished slow at anchor, or on midge tip or intermediate lines.  There was one to a good old cat's whisker on a DI-5.  In all, 13 of us landed 18 fish.  Then there was Trevor. 

Bob Allan unhooks a hard-earned fish

Trevor actually started the day struggling along with the rest of us.  Then, mid morning he got himself tucked into Milanda Bay, in front of the reed bed, and started to catch.  Trevor was using his favourite technique of hanging 3 size 12 buzzers: 1, 2, (3 was the same as 2) under a bung.  I know some people consider this is simply not cricket, and indeed the use of floats to buoy-up the line is banned at some fisheries.  However, that is not for me to say.  There is certainly a lot of skill involved, as Trevor has put in countless hours perfecting his technique, and I know that others can't expect just to have a go and catch the way he does.  What I find intriguing is that, while at times it is no better than normal fly fishing, and at other times it is not worth a sook at all, there are other times when it completely blows away every other method of fishing.

Trevor 'taches another...

As the fly is not moving at all, the fish has the chance to examine it at close quarters before taking it.  I remember watching wee sea fish in the Med that we were catching on small hooks baited with tiny pieces of rag worm -- just dangling them directly below us from the rocks.  They would take the bits of rag no bother, and I thought I would try them with a gold-ribbed hare's ear.  It looked much the same to me.  They gave it a close inspection and decided it was not for them.  Who knows, maybe it needed to smell?  Anyway, not one would take it.  So, why do rainbow trout take a skinny buzzer hanging in front of their nose?  I have heard some folk say it works on stockies but not on wild fish.  However, perch are wild fish, and Trevor was pulling out nearly as many perch as trout, and no one else was catching perch in any number.  Send me your views on this bung thing...  colin@capnfishy.co.uk

...perch!

Back to Trevor...  So, there he was sitting with his boat partner to his right, and another boat a few yards to his left, and while the other 3 rods landed 4 fish between them, Trevor landed 14 rainbows, lost 6 others and, as mentioned, caught a dose of perch as well.  It's certainly one to think about!

Photos: Canon 40D with (Image 2) 17-40mm L and (Images 1, 3, 4 and 5) 70-200mm f4 L IS