Cracking conditions for an autumn fishing day. Early low cloud lifted to give us a corduroy ripple under a high ceiling. it did turn a bit bright in the afternoon… and a late reach for the sun-screen was on the cards. But in all respects, it was a great day to be out.
John Gibson and I both started on dries, and it wasn’t long before John had the first fish to the boat, on a CDC shuttlecock. However, after that, it was slow-going. We both experimented with washing-line set-ups, and John added a second fish on an orange booby. I felt like I was fishing without flies on. If so, I’ll take doing that with dries – it’s easier on the ageing shoulder… and elbow… and wrist… And so, I went back to dries and had a play around.
First success was with a size 10 black hopper, which took a nice resident rainbow, totally ‘out-the-blue’. After a lot of nothing more, I tried a team of 3 sedgehogs, which allowed me to figure-of-eight them to give movement and hopefully entice fish up to them. This resulted in a good number of swirls and follows, while drifting down the south shore below the high bank, but no actual takes. In among them, I got what was one of 2 decent chances at a cover all day… and it took me (static) hurrah! Successful fly was a ‘Clan Chief sedgehog’ (black-red-black-red bands of deer hair). After a few more swirly non-takes to the F-of-8-ed hogs, I gave up on them and went with ‘scary’ static dries – including a grunter and a foam daddy. Again, on the south shore high bank, close in, this worked with 2 of the best wild brownies I have had off Glencorse over the years.
Reports form other boats…
Bob Whyte (lone ranger)…
I started on the road shore behind Keith and Gary, after seeing Keith land a couple of fish. Hadn’t seen much moving, so started with the fast glass and a washing-line set-up. After 15 minutes, near the bend where the burn runs in, got a nice Rainbow of about 3 lb to the tequila booby. Then drifted further-in and hard against the shore had a take from a fish that took off at great speed. Unfortunately, after the loose line in my hand disappeared, a small loop caught round my handle and that was that. Broken!
Fished round into the next bay but did not hook anything, so decided to drift down the wooded road shore where just before the start of the main bay at the burn end I got a fish of about 4 lb on a red holo Diawl Bach. I then saw a few fish moving, so changed to dries and managed, after a while, to get another fish of about 4 lb to a daddy. Then a few small black flies started hatching and some fish started moving. Got a few swirls and follows but nothing stuck. Back up to my original position on the road shore, where I had a fish of about 6 lb to a cruncher. Thought that I had hooked the bottom at first but it eventually moved! That, I’m afraid, was the last of my fish. RW
Stewart Barnes and Peter Fionda…
Firstly, thank you for arranging with Peter to pick me up, with me being late. Thanks to Peter for the lift, but it seemed to put him off his stride fishing-wise – sorry Peter! I started with a sink tip and washing-line and right away had a lovely fish on a small white/silver booby. That was it for 2 or 3 hours, but then right up in the top corner I managed another two – one with the booby and one with a Keith Logan K.McLaren. Eventually resorted to dries when my shoulder had given-out and a black beetle did the trick for another one – well done Peter for spotting the take. I seem to do better with other people’s flies than my own, which is a bit of a problem! JSB
Dougie Skedd and John Miller…
I set up with Hi-D and minkie booby. John set up a washing-line with a small orange booby and two Diawl Bachs. We started about halfway along the road shore and drifted along to the knuckle where the burns come in. Just before the first burn, John had a fish on a Diawl Bach, close in under the trees. We kept going. I got one near the seat and on my next cast a fish attacked the big booby at the surface but didn’t stick. I was seeing an odd fish by now and the water was really too shallow and weedy for the deep stuff. I put up the dries and had a take almost immediately but it fell off at the net. We kept drifting. John got another on the booby this time and further down the water two more fish took the foam beetle I had on the point. A great deal of nothing after that, so we decided to have a last forty minutes or so by the boats. Should have done it sooner. Two fish for me and one for John right away. Eight for the boat wasn’t a bad result on the day. DS
Keith Logan and Gary Heseltine…
Gary and I both set up with 6ft tip and washing line and headed down the road shore. On our journey we saw a good few fish moving and was tempted to change to dries before I had cast a fly. Gary was armed with a smallish red headed damsel, courtesy of the fishery manager, and shortly into our first drift it caught the attention of a good lump of a fish – they all seemed to be in great nick. I covered a fish and got off the mark to a pearly cormorant. It was then just a case of working away and picking up odd fish in different areas. We ended with 10 to the boat, Gary’s 4 fished weighed in at over 21lbs. KL
