I have not been terribly successful at getting out this week, especially it being a week off, but promised myself a session at Orchill ( again) in prep for the forthcoming Airflo qualifiers in a couple of weeks time. Its my last chance to get up there prior to the event as I am on call next weekend so no possibility of getting out anywhere I either need to pay a permit or travel.
So I was out bright and early for a 4 hour Catch and Release ticket on what turned out to be a nippy but otherwise stunning morning, and I was first there, well, if you don’t count a guy out in a boat, I can only guess he is the groundsman or the owner.
With the pick of the water, I set up two rods, one with the sink tip and a cast of three buzzer/nymph type patterns on and headed for the top end where I have had fish on every visit. The other rod I set up with the floating 40+ line but it was along in case the fish were further out.
A bright sunny start at Orchill
I had about 3 changes of flies varying depth and speed of retrieve but had not a sausage. There were very few fish making their presence known though I did actually see one swimming in the margins but it never took any interest in my well placed cast with some imitative flies.
I swapped to the floater with buzzers under a bung, and still nothing, then went over to an Intermediate line and a mix of a heavy lure on point and a couple of more imitative/traditional flies higher up.
Nothing, after an hour and a half I decided I had given it enough time up here and needed to move. I went down the bank keeping to the same side near the island, and using the intermediate line began a fan casting tactic to cover the unknown water around me. Close in to the bank on my right I got a tug, then another, I kept the retrieve going, and in total 4 came and I truthfully wasn’t sure a fish was on or not, but I tightened up and yes, a fit Rainbow was hooked, and (with difficulty on the high platform) released. A fish moved further out in front so few cast were tried there and soon a second fish was on, this time a wild Brown of about half a pound, very long but lean, again on the point fly.
Each time I cast to my right I was getting nudges but the wind was very changeable one minute coming from behind, the next in front literally changing by the minute, so I decided to move up one peg to get a bit of a shorter reach to where I thought they were.
It was a good move as I had number three on my trad wet fly, then number 4 on the point again. There were a lot of anglers about by now and to this point in time I never saw any other fish caught. I decided to let the platform go to someone else, there were still fish there, I was getting plenty of knocks, but needed to try out some other spots as a recce. I went over the other side in the lee of the high bank behind the island, it’s a bit tricky for some casts here as the reeds on the bank can foul you but I was positive there were fish here I had seen some move. It never took long to get one, now I have to admit it came off before I unhooked it but only because I was deliberately not netting the fish, had I used a net I would have had it in easily enough, then after a few bumps I got yet another again all on the point fly, this fish was very acrobatic and released easily.
A sporting fish
Time for another move as time was against me, into the last hour of my four.
I tried between the big pine trees on the same bank round from the island but the wind was a pain and I managed to snag in the tree twice trying to keep the fly away from me as I cast. I persevered for 6 -8 casts and had nothing, final 30 mins last move. I passed the anglers on the South bank where they seem to congregate, and it was obvious to me there were fish moving down the lodge end but no one was there, or had been there all morning why not?
Last fish of the day
I took up a position and about two casts in had a fish, a pretty big one by the norms at Orchill, this fish would easily have been 3 and a half pounds. This was a total pain to release as there is a wooden bar at water level in front of you where you want to bring the fish to, the foundation of the old platform since replaced. I half released it, as the fish came off while I wrestled with the line and fly round the wooden bar, a few more casts and each time I could see numerous fish chasing the fly in, both my point fly and the top were getting attention. A fish moved to the left of me on what was to be my last cast and again it liked what it saw and I brought in a final fish, this one was a bigger pain still to release and managed to wrap itself round the bar with my line as I tried to unhook it and snapped off the fly and swam off with it!
So what were the “flies” doing the damage. Will tell you after the comp!
