Saturday, 26th July

Butterstone Loch, Day Session

Cap'n F plumbing in domestic appliances (!) ...  JSB reports...

Butterstone has been a pretty reliable venue for us over the past few seasons and the long journey North has been well worthwhile.  Unfortunately, that was not to be the case in 2008.  We arrived to find very good conditions overhead with a lovely mild temperature and, even though the surface was pretty much flat calm, things looked promising.  Adrian, the manager, was honest enough to say that it was not fishing well for some reason, but as we could see a fair number of risers from the harbour, everyone headed out with a fair degree of confidence. 

 It was clear from the early stages however, that this was not going to be an easy day.  The fish were certainly rising, more or less all over the loch, but in small numbers.  They were also very skittish and whenever you moved the boat near them, even with the electric, they were quick to go down.  Likewise, whenever a slight breeze blew up the rise went off. 

 I was fishing with John Wastle, and we were heartened to see a boat into a fish.  John had been fishing dries, but, reckoning that the successful angler had been pulling, he put on nymphs and tadpoles on a slow glass intermediate.  This produced an offer and shortly afterwards the first rainbow to a small black tadpole.   Based on the rising fish, we had opted for the centre of the loch while others had gone for the fringes.  Looking around however there were few rods bending anywhere.  John netted another fish before lunch to the same tactic, however that was to be his lot for the day.  I ended up in an even worse position as I didn’t manage an offer all day, while trying everything bar the proverbial kitchen sink.

 I was not alone and sadly there were as many blanks as there were successes.  Indeed, the club managed only 16 fish from 12 anglers, with half of the total fish caught by just two of our number.  Tom Steven got his fish in the morning, taking three to sink tip and snatchers, with nothing else to show for the rest of the day.  He found close in to the bank to be the best area.  Credit must go, not for the first time, to Dougie Skedd who doggedly persevered with dries, picking up one here and one there, throughout the day, ending up with a very respectable basket of five fish.  Successful patterns were varied and included Claret Hopper, Claret Shipman, Red Klinkhammer and Madam X.  The West Bay proved the best spot for him.

 All in all we came away feeling that we should have done better, but I’m afraid it was one of these days when the fish were simply not in the mood.