Keith Logan reports:
An interesting day at Frandy. For a start, Trevor’s boat partner accidentally picked up the wrong rod for Trevor and our two clubmates proceeded to head out onto the water unaware of the grievous error. I was left trying to placate a not surprisingly confused and frustrated angler from another club, and argued forcibly that we were a fine, upstanding and reputable outfit. Thankfully, the aforementioned duo were starting their drift not too far from the jetty and in shouting distance. Surprisingly, they had not quite realised the issue. All ended amicably with a few smiles and shakes of the head. I went back up to the car park, waiting to see if anybody else turned-up (3 who were meant to did not), only to find that Tam Forrest had left his ample box of flies on his car bonnet. He was going to have a difficult day fishing.
The conditions were mixed at the start – very bright with occasional cloud cover – but there was a good wind blowing down towards the dam. A drogue was probably going to be helpful and indeed it was. Reports from the fishery suggested that fish were close to the surface and were being co-operative to a variety of different tactics. Dries were mentioned, with sedges, bibios and daddies all getting notable mentions, but the usual rainbow tactics of blobs and boobies were also being profitable. Both ends had been fishing, although the bailiff suggested that long drifts along the north shore were a good starting point. Some of the local rods also indicated that drifts out in the middle would be just as worthwhile.
I was encouraged to see a few drowned heather flies in the bottom of the boat – the red legs were clearly visible and a plan was hatching. Also of interest was the large number of minnows and sticklebacks holding close to the jetty. Boats spread out in all directions, to the far end and dam end and drifting down the middle. John Miller and Davie Tyrie headed to the dam with dry fly set-up and managed to pick up a few fish on daddies and CDC, before action slackened and they headed up to the shallows. John Young had 2 fish to a dry sedgehog. Tam Forrest had 2 rainbows to Blob/Kate Muddler using a fo8 retrieve on midge-tip. Gary Heseltine had 3 fish to blobs on a ghost tip, while Trevor Gibson picked up a couple to similar tactics.
I had a very productive day after a quiet start. I opened proceedings half way down the north shore on dries – bibio f-fly, sedge, daddy – to limited effect. However, a switch to a 15ft ghost-tip as the wind strengthened soon started building a bag, with pearly cormorant being the stand-out pattern. I picked-up fish at regular intervals throughout the day, ending up at the dam end where there was a good head of fish. Surprisingly for Frandy, there was very little sign of insects, or indeed of rising fish.
