On the road to Frandy, the weather was not promising, but when we arrived, it was worse.
A strong NNW wind was blowing down the loch, and the water was just in the process of building into white horses, the sky promised rain and it was cold – very cold for the end of August. Everyone stood sheltering by the hut hoping some sensible chap would say – sorry you cannot go out. However, being fishers no one said it, so we all slowly trudged our way down to the dock, and this we did only after the other fishers (two others in one boat) loaded up and left the dock. When we did get out it was not too bad – the air temperature was 10C, and it did get warmer, climbing to 12C at mid-day, then fell again to 10C- but with the wind chill it felt much colder – the water was 13C and a bit turbid – this to be expected after all the rain we have had.
Ken had told us that even with the cold North wind, fish were being caught on dries – most of our members heeded this advice and tied on dries. Derek Kilgour, who was fishing with Dougie Goddard, used static tactics and size 14 loop-wing CDCs. With these he managed to boat a nice brown and three rainbows. Dougie, who also used static dries landed a good fish of 3½ pounds.
Trevor Gibson and John Levy shared a boat, they also fished dries – Trevor using a fig of 8 retrieve landed two browns, which went back, and two rainbows with a total weight of 6¼ pounds.
Hugh Thomson, using a sink tip line and a Viva, caught and returned a nice rainbow.
Your reporter, who was fishing with John Miller, decided to ignore Ken’s advice and set up with a Kelly green line and a Yellow dancer, size 12 B830, and a wee size 14 fly on the dropper. This fly has no name – think of a Kingsmill but with a white artic fox wing under the pheasant tail topping. With this set up six fish were netted. Things were going well until a strong fish ran under the boat and jumped over the drogue rope – ping, cast gone. Then when fishing the second cast the same thing happened again! However, there was good news; it was almost time to go home.
No one place seemed to be a hot spot – fish were caught at the dam, at the top end and both East and West shores – but mostly within a cast from the shore. Nothing was hatching but the odd heather fly was on the water. I think these died from hypothermia.
I think everyone was glad when stopping time arrived; it was good to escape the cold. Our ten anglers had sixteen fish, thirteen of which were returned.
Not a great catch you would think, but on the day, it was better than anyone expected – and getting more than you expect always makes for a good day.
