Saturday my son was going away on a trip with the University Diving Club. Like his old man, he has a bit of an interest in sub aqua activities, and has been learning to Scuba Dive. I myself am a Scuba instructor, and used to dive a lot but initially my knees started limiting my activities to warm water outings, and then latterly, my health issues have binned it all entirely. It was always my hope to be able to train my own son in Scuba, but shit happens. I did manage though to have one dive with him when he was about 12 or 13 in Mauritius on holiday and I am so glad we did that now. Live for the moment eh?
So up bright and early, motor loaded with his gear I decided since I was up I might as well take the rod and go up to Pendreich for my first cast of the season up there. Literally as I was just getting into the car, I heard a bleeping, I thought it was a distant car alarm then realised it was my dreaded pager going off. This is my on call week. Oh bollocks!
So now I had to get the wife up to run number one son to Uni, while I dealt with whatever crisis work had in store.
Fortunately it wasn’t too big a crisis, and I was done in about an hour. By now my car had returned and it was a lovely looking still and becoming sunny, morning. Now I had a bit more room in the boot I decided to put the electric outboard in and the battery and head up for a cast at Loch Coulter, again first time there this year, and first time as a member.
Its amazing how much the weather can change in a few miles and in a rise of a few hundred feet ( if that). When I got there it was grey and there was a somewhat blustery wind coming in from the west. Nothing like back in the village. I then noticed the two moored boats, were a bit full of water, the front one had all but sunk, and the back one was maybe quarter full. Would I be able to empty it? Was it worth it? I decided to have a go, it took me about 20 minutes of baling and pumping, but I got the rear boat fairly dry. Unlike me who now had a bit of a wet foot. The wind was very cold, and a bit blustery but it looked worse than it really was, though unappealing was a fair description. I have been out in much worse though so seen no harm in trying. I loaded my gear, tackled up with my new New Era rod ( first time out) and an intermediate line and off we went. But then I thought maybe I should bring one of the other moored boats in, after all if anyone else ( was stupid enough ) should turn up, the other boat was no use. So I went and got the nearest boat and towed it back in to the mooring. It was a bit full of water much like the one I had, had been when I arrived. Considerate though it was, this was a mistake.
Grim and grey
Off I went and headed across the far side into the lee of the shore. The wind was much less, and for a wee while the sun made an appearance. It might turn out nice after all. Nope. I fished near the burn and round the sheltered side of the bay. With the intermediate and a couple of wet files, I was pretty impressed with the performance of the new rod in the conditions, and it was putting out silly lengths of line. The only problem was the wind was on ocassions snarling up the leader and I ended up with a bit of a birds nest. Sorting this out and then changing to a sinking line, I fished a shorter range but was getting down better now. I decided not to stay anchored and let the boat free to drift. The drift was surprisingly sedate and I covered a fair bit water out into the middle of the loch. Just as I was moving out the bay one of my casts landed and a fish came like a torpedo at the top dropper. I don’t know what really happened, I never felt it at all but I think it missed the fly. I thought maybe I had been broken off, but everything was intact. So fish were about. I fished on but it was pretty dreich out in the middle, most of all my hands were getting cold. So I motored over to the shallow bay nearer the boat house and tried my luck there. Nothing.
A fly I tied sort of accidentally, I had it on and I have to say I like the way it looks when wet. Might tie some more.
I guess I fished a couple of hours total but nothing more took a fancy to my flies, and I tried a few changes.
I decided to call it a day and head back. Now I had a problem, the wind had turned a wee bit more and was making it very hard for me to get in to move the boat I had brought in out the way as it was being blown hard in to the landing pier. And with the water in it, it had also grounded a bit. I could’nt move it. No option but to bale this one out a bit too to lighten it up. This took an age and my hands were frozen and I had managed to check my finger jamming it between the two boats, mine and the one I was baling. I was knackered! After what seemed like a challenge from the Krypton Factor I did eventually manage to get it refloated, and attached in a way I could tow it back out to the mooring.
At last I got offloaded and ashore, as I was putting things away one of the club comittee turned up- to bale out the boats with a pump! Too late!
We had a blether and it was time to head home- I had had enough. A bit too hard for my aching joints though I felt I had done well to even turn a fish in the conditions. Will need to wait for another day to get my first fish on the new rod though.
good report Kenny, as for fishing the middle of the loch i have never seen anyone that far out. I think the best bet just now is the bay where the burn comes in, its quite shallow and plenty of weed in summer so think there would be plenty feeding in this area. A drift down the shore heading to the dam would be another drift to try if wind direction is ok. regarding struggling with boats in bad weather its recommended do not take any chances and leave your boat at the jetty if it is too difficult to get to the moorings. I still think its a bit cold yet for the coulter as you say there is a big difference in wind and temprature up there than lower down at the house. a gentle breeze in Airth guarantees a near gale on the coulter but you will get used to the variance in conditions through time. give me a shout anytime you fancy for the coulter or the river, i would like to pick up some tips on river fishing!
I never went too far out, but I thought maybe there would be fish in deeper water what with the recent drop in temperature. I was picking up a little weed in the bay once I went onto a sinking line but no fish until I got nearer the mouth of the bay, when I turned the fish in somewhat spectacular fashion. The wind was blowing you down towards the tower direction for the most part ( I just didn’t fancy heading across that way in the wind), it wasn’t dangerous or anything , had the sun been shining and it was warm you wouldnt have thought twice about going out, it was just very nippy!
I have a couple of days off, this Friday and next Monday, so depending on how the weather is then and on the few days before, I would be up for another river outing if you fancy on one of the days, maybe in an afternoon? I thought about it today but its been very wet this week and I figured the river might still be a bit high and coloured ( I really don’t know as I am not that familiar with it to know how it reacts to heavy rain) but I was feeling the after effects of yesterday a bit so decided to tie a few flies in the warm instead!
play it by ear for next monday if thats ok
yep
Kenny, was up yesterday ” tuesday” for couple of hours and had 4 including a double hook up. caught them at the entrance to the bay, plenty fish moving and a hatch of small flies, looked like black gnat type of thing, fished an intermediate with cormorant with a red tag, connemara black and bibio,had fish on each of them, couldnae be bothered changing to a floater and dry fly but think it would have done ok. Photos of fish on my facebook page, they were quite thin but lovely fish all the same, some of the fish i seen moving looked to be really big fish.
Cool. Seemed like a nicer day yesterday right enough. Leave some for me!
I thought I had you on fB but you seem to have vanished. Send me friend request