Superb conditions for a day on dries – mild, light breeze and good overhead cover. The main problem was the lack of meat on the water and the dearth of rising fish, almost everywhere we tried. Turns out others fishing in different parts had better luck! I was fishing with Allan Everington. Allan started on a washing line set-up and had an early rainbow, followed by a nice roach, before he picked up the other rod with the dries and stayed on it for the rest of the day. I guess that wsa because I started quite well, bringing several fish to my flies, all out the blue. Not that I stuck to many of them. In fact, I don’t think I stuck to any! I had a Grunter on at this point, but I took it off when it started twisting-up my leader. How do folk fish those things without getting a load of the twisties???
By now, Allan was getting action to a pair of hoppers, so I went with same. Allan had 2 black ones of different sizes and ws getting most action to the smaller 14. I went with a black and a fiery brown, both 12, and did best with the fiery brown. We had a couple of fish at the tod Hole area, followed by a couple more at Kate’s Brae, followed by our best spell in Sandy Bay, which was catching the calm and had a few rising fish to throw at. Just at the end of the good spell I hooked a hot fish that had my whole fly line and 60 yards of backing out. I was thinking this one must surely be hooked in the jacket… when it just fell off. Probably the sheer weight of line it was towing just pulled the hook out. Byt the time I got myself sorted after that, everything seemed to die on us. What wouldn’t have helped us was a rescue boat ploughing through the calm of Sandy Bay at full throttle on its way to a boat that had broken down and had gone right into the corner. I wonder who they were? 😜
From mid-afternoon, we were sitting on our thumbs watching our flies. Allan did at least have a few late offers when we returned to Kate’s Brae and tried along the road shore, without sticking to any. I should have come off the dries at 3 o’clock, but I couldn’t be arsed. We finished with 9 to the boat.
Additional input from other boats…
Steve Kilpatrick and Gary Heseltine…
We both arrived early to get ready and promptly did so. One of the boatmen asked if we were ready to go and to proceed ASAP, so we obliged! We set off for the Malling shore and heronry. i started with dries and was immediately given encouragement with 2 offers within the first 4 casts. Gary started with 3 slightly different cormorants. Alas no cigar with either of these initial choices. I eventually got of the mark with two fish: one on orange blob as it touched down on a rising fish; the other on a black and red zulu on the pull after aiming at a rising fish. Gary got off the mark with a cormorant. I followed that with my 3rd and final fish on the zulu. Gary later in the afternoon hooked his second on a yellow owl on a floating line and his third on his favourite yellow owl at Weedy bay. We both struggled to get any fish contacts for the last 1.5 hours, finishing 3 each for the boat.
An enjoyable day was had apart from having to change our boat due to broken engine! SK
Keith Logan and Mel Mitchell…
Mel and I headed down the Road Shore, starting about 100 yards out. There was the odd fish showing, but we thought the water clarity was not great (no surprise given the wind and rain during the week). Mel started on washing-line with slow glass and I followed suit with a 6ft tip. We picked up a few to a variety of patterns with no real stand out, although crunchers and cormorants accounted for a few, early in the session. We then moved up to the Rookery. By now, I had switched to dries, while Mel had opted for a full floater and nymphs. I was fast running out of patience, looking for fish to cover, but eventually hooked a few that came blind. Bibio and black hoppers were the successful flies. Mel had a sedge pattern that worked for a while. Eventually, we headed into the bottom end of Gateside and picked up a couple to Diawl Bach and Cruncher. An interesting day, and we ended with 19 to the boat. Other points of note were a large pike ambushing one of the trout in mid-play and Mel landing a stunning Roach. KL
Alan Duncan and Adrian Coats…
Adrian had fished the lake recently and had sport at Lochend, so we headed there. Only one other boat was present and fish were rising. We both set up the washing line and mine had Diawl Bachs and a pink booby. First cast, and a fish took one of the Diawl Bachs. I then got a couple on the booby, but within the hour it all went quiet. We fished on there for a while and then moved to the Butts, trying dries as well, but all without further success. Adrian picked up a fish on a dry, mid-afternoon, but despite trying different locations and techniques it otherwise remained quiet. Towards the end of the session we moved down to Shear Point, then along to International Bay. Fairly close in there we found fish which took either the booby, Diawl Bach or a pink blob and picked up a further 5 fish in the last hour, giving us 9 for the boat. AD
