Fever seems to be on everyone’s mind right now, though maybe not the “cabin” variety. It feels like forever since I last wet a line, in winter I usually try to get out at some point on a weekend but the weather has been abysmal this last month, especially at weekends. Even on my regular “every other” Friday off’s I have been having- using up the last of my annual leave before the end of the financial year its either blown a gale or tipped down.
I did get up to Cocksburn Reservoir one weekend to help with prepping the clubs newly acquired boats for the forthcoming season, and even then I think we saw 4 seasons not just in a day but in an hour! Thunder, lightning, rain, snow, wind and sunshine all at once. I am back up there this weekend and the weather isn’t looking so clever either but hopefully, that won’t stop progress.
I have also been getting prepared for another summer on the river, (hopefully, I have some adventures to relate though the “virus” situation might curtail this- we will need to see). I got myself a Sage reel for my river outfit with a birthday voucher, and have been tying dries and emergers.
So to today
Today then was a spare day and I was free of work commitments and eager to take advantage of a short spell of settled weather. I have been seeing that Glenbervie Trout Fishery has reopened after the tragic circumstance that led to the closure last year and thought I might head along and see what it is like now. However on arriving in the car park it was clear it was very busy, there was just one space to park in, and it being quite a small water anyway I decided that I would seek somewhere less crowded today, and maybe return later on in the season.
I wasn’t sure where to head but on realising how much time was knocking on I decided to head to my local Swanswater, which I have not visited that much of late either to be honest.
I was the second car in the car park and there was plenty space to choose from on the main water. What really struck me ( and I guess, surprised me) was how clear the water was, it’s very clear and as they have been stocking Golden Trout you would imagine you would see when you were near the fish.
Spread out or podded up?
Ian at the lodge told me the fish had generally been well spread out and mostly being caught in the upper part of the main loch, but that during the week on one day they seemed to have podded up near the dam wall. It sounded like it was going to be a day when staying mobile was the key.
There was only one angler already fishing and he was on the second peg up from the dam wall and he said he had managed two on buzzers but that it was very quiet, and no real signs of fish moving otherwise. In my infinite wisdom (!!) I opted to head round to the island, fish a few pegs there and if no joy, work my way back. It seemed like a plan and meant I could cover two areas in one, the main loch and the channel.
I started off with a wee goldie lure on point, a small black skinny Cormorant on the middle dropper and an Orange blob, on a long leader and an Intermediate line. I wasn’t hugely optimistic of catching on them but I did feel it would attract some attention hopefully and give me a clue where the fish were ( with the clarity) and when I had found fish I could then adapt accordingly.
It was looking hard
For the first half-hour not a fish moving was I aware of. The guy who I spoke to at the dam wall joined me on the adjacent peg and I think between us we fished right around the island without a touch nor even a sign there was a fish there. By the time I had fished around the loch was fairly busy and also the chap mentioned, had made his way back to where he started nearer the dam. there was a lad fishing right on the dam and he wasn’t getting much either. The Intermediate line was proving a bit of a hindrance too as the water was a bit on the low side. Not sure why this is, maybe to let the high rainfall pass through over the last few weeks and also noting that this weekends forecast is pretty rubbish too.
The chap from earlier, I then noticed was into a fish back near the dam and so seeing that there was space there I opted to make my way back round there. by now I had been fishing a couple of hours, and still had not caught sight of a fish. I was by now fishing a floater with three buzzers on. Arriving at the third peg up from the dam, I decided to scale down my fluorocarbon to 6lb tie on a small black beaded Diawl Bach on point, a small (size 16) Spanflex buzzer on the middle dropper and an Orange Foam deer haired daddy on the top, partly as an indicator and partly out of optimism that well, you never know a fish might take the dry!
I had not been fishing here long at all, when, as I slowly figure of eighted in I spotted the daddy dip just a little, I thought it had to be a fish but I was feeling nothing. I could have lifted but opted just to keep fishing. The fly was maybe two-rod lengths out when it went down again and this time I did lift and was into a fighting-fit Rainbow about 3lb. It gave a great account of itself and after some struggle was netted and released, having taken the point fly…it was a bit shredded on the fish’s teeth having hooked across the top teeth at the front of its mouth, but I reckoned, that though battered it was still fishable, and in any case was the only one I had!
I did not have to wait long for a second fish to come calling, this one however managed to escape the hook as I struggled to get properly hooked up at quite long-range- I did see it as it got free, and it looked to be a Rainbow about 2-3lbs. The point fly had taken more damage but I kept it on.
As I was carrying on I was joined by Will Gregory from SCAC and he stopped for a blether on his way back to the car. As we chatted I kept fishing and again I noticed a take and this time I was into a really good sized Golden Trout. It comfortably exceeded 4lb and might well have been over 5lb. it was very heavy in the net and had a massive girth on it. It too had taken the now utterly destroyed Diawl bach!
By now the sun was shining a little, and there were midges coming off the water, even a few fish showing further out. Almost as soon as this fish was back and having cast out once more, I was into a third…. and technically a fourth. As I played this one back there were two or three other fish following the hooked fish in. ( it had also happened earlier- I wonder if this is some behavioural thing having spent their pre-stocking life competing for food in a stock pond. They see one fish behave as if its got food and go looking for the same offerings? I was kind of playing the fish and talking to Will at the same time. I then became aware of the line becoming much heavier for a few seconds and I am pretty sure I had a second fish on. The first fish was on the small Spanflex buzzer on the middle dropper and everything below this was snapped off…I suspect it went with the other fish.
Another good-sized Rainbow. I was attracting quite a bit attention by now, though don’t think I was doing anything “special” just in the right place. I didn’t have another Diawl Back with a bead on for the point so I replaced it with a small black gold-beaded nymph. The wind then got up blowing right into me and it turned colder.
It took me a few more minutes and I was into a fourth another Golden trout, and this time on the nymph. Another fish in the three-pound class.
With it safely returned, by now my hands were hurting with the cold and I decided I had had some fun but should let someone else have a go here so gathered my gear and retreated for a cup of coffee in the lodge, before having a final 20 minutes on the smaller fly pond, where I never saw a fish.
So initially a hard session but it soon turned fruitful. Hopefully, the rest of the season coming proves equally as abundant. All the fish were in top condition and were a credit to the fishery. Tightlines when it comes.
