So far been up to Pendriech twice this week as the weather has been so nice. I am dying to go river fishing but its a non-starter while I am on call, so it’s my best option for now.
Monday night the loch was flat calm and as on Saturday fish were jumping all over the loch but they were proving very hard to catch. One angler leaving as I arrived, had caught one on a Bibio wet fly and someone got a couple late on though not sure what on.
I fished along the Dam Wall and there were fish visible tight in near the wall sipping on what I think were Caenis but they were being difficult. I put the smallest fly in my box- a size 18 on and got no reaction. A bigger Deer Hair Caddis got some attention but the fish were refusing at the last minute and the bulges under the fly came to nought. At one point a fish stopped and stared at the fly right above its nose then swam on sipping the microscopic Caenis. So I blanked! pah.
Still never to be defeated I returned on Tuesday and really it was pretty much a replay of Monday though the fish were not near the dam wall this time. I fished down the North bank and again fish would rise to the fly but were not taking and it was quite frustrating between that and the occasional wind blowing into your face.
A couple of guys out on the boat had a few fish, it looked like they were pulling wet flies or nymphs, but I stuck with dries. I went to the wall for the last hour or so and seeing a rise quite far off I managed a cast in front of it with the deer hair Caddis- there were a lot of Caddis about near the bank. It rose behind the fly, then again closer and finally a gentle take and I had a fish on at last. Not a monster, a mere three-quarters of a pound fish but I have to say I was delighted as it was hard going.
I tried fishing small right down to size 20 f-fly’s but the fish were definitely in the deeper water further out in the most part and playing hard to get.
