Another stunning evening, so another chance for a quick hour or so at Pendreich. When I arrived not a fish was to be seen, most entertainments looked to be a photographer who looked to be taking some – ahem, glamour shots with a girl on the far side of the loch. At one stage she was up to her chest in the water wearing a somewhat flimsy dress in the lilypads. I was tempted to go round there and tell her a 27lb pike came out of there last year. The photographer might have got more “snatch” than he envisaged- if you get my drift.
I put my regular Brown Klinkhammer on (yes I have tied more) and had a cast. Letting the fly drift in towards the bank, bang- first cast and a great one pound Brown was landed safely. A cracker of a fish and he swam away strongly.
After this, it dried up a wee bit but then the rise really got underway, fish rising right down the North bank to tiny midges and Caenis. At one stage I was covered in the things. It took me a few changes of the pattern but eventually, I ended up on a size 18 or 20 black CDC emerger pattern, one of John Emerson’s tyings, a cross between a shit fly and a Shuttlecock buzzer. This got swirl after swirl, and the odd take. I missed a couple and had one fish all the way to the net before it came off the barbless hook, but it really was great sport. I used the new 4lb G3 Sightfree Fluorocarbon tonight to try get a finer line out with better strength and have to say I was pleased with its performance.
