No one needs me to say that the last three months have been a long haul, and there is no certainty it’s coming to an end any time soon. The season starts when Spring is barely here, and often retreats as soon as it arrives. We take to the water in thermals and waterproof’s for at least the first 5 or 6 weeks. But for a short cast on Pendreich just after the season opened, to see the season in if nothing else, that’s been it. There was no certainty that I was going to be on the water much before August and late summer as being in the shielding group my lockdown was extended from 8th June, to 18th June then to 31st July in a matter of weeks. Then almost as suddenly we were told we can venture outside and even partake of socially distant outdoor activities. I did try to venture out one evening but my chosen venue turned out to be off-limits to people like me, there were so many people about, not only that but not observing any of the guidance to keep apart. I was surprised at myself how weird it all felt being out and how keenly I wanted to avoid any proximity to anyone. I would need to find somewhere less intimidating and where I could guarantee solitude…and Jimmy Feeney at Carron Valley kindly kept me a boat for Wednesday evening, a night that the weather looked to be agreeably summer-like. An almost perfect antidote to Coronavirus Lockdown on my doorstep. MY first proper cast this season and tee short weather to boot.
Once again though I cannot tell a lie, rolling up at the Carron Valley car park to get tackled up made me very nervous. This really isn’t like me but it’s strange how 3 months of being told to keep apart and being cocooned in my wee home-bubble has affected my outlook on the world. I am not at all keen to rush out anywhere right now. The garden is mostly just fine for me….just a shame there is no where to sit in it for now…..or a fishing pond!
I steeled myself, got my gear together ( far too much as usual; well, I wasn’t going to let a day like this go unrecorded was I?) and after a chat with one of Jimmy’s mates who was looking after the place while he run an errand, I got my boat and headed out. Thoughts like wondering if I would remember how to tie my leader and would my casting be crap definitely went through my head but as soon as my trusty Daiwa New Era 9ft 6″ 6# was in my hand it all came back- just like riding a bike!
I had a couple of drifts down near the dam wall just to settle in and get myself together then decided to head up to the top end to seek out some of the Wild Brown Trout that Carron is famous for.
It was a total pleasure just bimbling up the loch in the boat, out in the fresh air and warm evening sunshine with just a slight breeze blowing from the west. Nothing major, just enough to get that perfect corduroy ripple going without any slamming of the boat when you hit a wave. Going out in Carron Valley in less clement weather can be like going to sea sometimes. I have experienced drifts where you could literally take a water skier down the loch behind the boat….on the drift with a drogue out! It was such a comfortable run up the water that I was even able to enjoy eating my packed dinner ( I was about to say lunch but it was 6 in the evening.
I was heading for the bay that is the feed in of the very top of the River Carron as it comes down from the Campsies. As I finally neared I couldn’t help but notice another well known Carron Angler taking a leisurely drift along a nearby bank and that there were fish rising right the way down here, so I went right to the end as far behind him as I could and decided to give this a go myself. My flies of choice were an Orange foam bodied deer hair Daddy ( more a detached body hopper/Sedge than a true Daddy to be honest), a small black skinny Cormorant in the middle and a Muddler headed Kate McLaren on the top dropper.
Almost right away I hooked my first fish on the Daddy and right the way down this drift I netted about 7 fish, all about the half to three quarter of a pound size, and had almost as many offers and lost two or three other fish one of which was a good size comfortably over the pound. I saw it under the water and it was nearing the net when just like that, it came off. No worries though, I was just happy to be fishing, catching, and have my season underway at last.
I was in two minds whether to drift this area a second time after all it was still only 7pm but another boat came in behind me and I decided to leave them to it, which was actually a good thing. I headed up to the area I originally set out for seeing at least 7 herons patrolling the banks and I caught the merest glimpse of an Otter retreating into the long grass from the water as my boat patently got too close for it. The water was low so I really had to keep an eye out for the bottom, I didn’t want to be banging the prop off the bed of the loch all the way up here, it would take me all night to row all the way back!
There were fish rising all around though it seemed to me like they would happen in bursts of activity then stop for a few minutes. But for one swirl at my fly I wasn’t getting much interest. So I decided to tie on a small Golden damsel lure on the point and right away I had one big splash at the fly followed by a really sharp tug that I am pretty sure had to be a Rainbow Trout.
It never came again but casting over the receding rings of rising fish ( some of which looked to be wee things at first glance) I hooked into another five Browns all in the three-quarter of a pound to just over the pound mark, all but one taking the Half Hog I had exchanged with the Kate McLaren. While the Goldie wasn’t taking the fish I think it was just pulling the top two flies down enough that the fish were taking them when pulled. The one fish that didn’t take this, took the Cormorant.
By the time I had drifted this area twice, and generally pottered about with the camera and stuff, It was after 8pm and I decided to start making my way back down the loch as its a good half hours run all the way back. I had a wee look at a few spots, did a bit filming and arrived back near the Eastern Dam by the back of nine. There were fish rising all over here, though I would have to say most looked to be small eager Browns. They weren’t so eager to take a fly down here though . I was confident if I had tied on a couple of blobs and maybe an intermediate line I would likely have connected with one of the recently stocked big Rainbows, but honestly I wasn’t in the mood for that style of fishing. I was content to try my luck on the top with a variety of dries, none of which got so much as a glance!
After ten decided I had had enough and while it was quiet, that I should take the opportunity to head in to the pier and get off loaded while I wasn’t near anyone. I did though find Jimmy waiting at the moorings and we had a bit of a blether before I headed for the home-bubble, after a great evening that I thoroughly enjoyed.
