Had two very short sessions up at Pendreich this weekend, its a call out week so somewhat restricted in getting out, and the weather has been pretty pants for the time of year. The showeriness is fair enough, April showers and all that but its been freezing too, there is snow back on the hills round here- it had all vanished in February!
Saturday
As I prepared to leave the house it was quite nice, then it suddenly dumped down, but it takes more than a bit rain to stop me so I completed loading up and headed out, confident it would blow over ( albeit that there was barely a breath of wind at the house), or indeed at the foot of the track to the loch. It was blowing a hoolie up there though and a couple leaving as I arrived were admitting defeat having only been there 15-20 minutes and having suffered 4 seasons in quarter an hour!
Brown on the Olive Snatcher
I usually fish light up there but the wind and cold convinced me there would be little top of the water action and as I only have a 7wt Intermediate line I decided to fish the 6/7 weight HM3 and an intermediate, with a three fly cast of Cormorant on the point and two Snatchers, one Olive and one Black with a blue collar on droppers. I also decided to head out in the rowing boat as it would open up the deeper water to me.
Bigger Brown on a Snatcher
I had not been fishing too long maybe 20 minutes when I had my first take on the Olive Snatcher and netted a fish of about three-quarters of a pound, he went back fine. A few more casts, fishing just off the edge of the submerged weedbed on the North East corner and a second fish took, again a couple of feet down this time on the Black Snatcher. A cracking fish about a pound and a quarter, again released. I had one other knock here and on seeing a couple of up wings coming off later on , putting a March Brown on point, and getting a splash at the fly, but otherwise that was my sport in the couple of hours I had. I left a bit cold but satisfied.
Sunday
Another similar day but arguably a lot less windy, though what wind there was seemed to be easterly. As I arrived at the gate one of the other members was leaving and was telling me there was not a lot doing, fish were rising but not taking he had not had anything from nine through to now, around two in the afternoon.
There were anglers in the boat and a few on the bank so I opted for the waders and to head up the weedy east end with the 4wt XF2 rod. There were fish rising all over the place though not heavily. I started with a CDC midge but had no reaction to it at all and was a bit unhappy with my presentation and turn over. Especially when the wind decided to turn against me. I swapped to an olive F fly after watching an upwing emerge about 10 metres away and sit on the surface drying its wings out, after about a minute of this a big gold head popped up and engulfed it. I was fairly confident a size 16 would be fine and cast it out, leaving it to drift in the wind a good few minutes. Indeed it had the desired result a dimple under the fly told me there was a fish and I struck remarkably quickly if I do say so myself and after a short fight trying to keep it up out the weeds, I brought a stunner of a Brown of about one and a quarter pounds to hand and safely released him.
Raining in Torrents plus Hail
After this the rain utterly dumped down, throwing hail along with it. I sheltered under a Gorse bush for a good 20 mins until it eased, then resumed fishing in the shallow weedy area round the corner. There were fish there but I could not tempt them with the F Fly and when the rain threatened to erupt again, looking at my watch I decided I would need to make a move, got to get the dinner on and get ready for a night shift tonight, so game over, not a long session but at least I caught.
