Had a couple of hours up at Pendreich Saturday, the weather man reported it was to be a lovely day but it was damp and misty for most of the day with a little sun eeking out later in the afternoon, though it could never be considered warm. Sub-Saharan Africa need not feel threatened by the temperature here yet then, despite the rubbish in the news.
It looked like ideal conditions initially for a dry fly, mirror flat, so I stuck on a size 14 Klink and gave it a go. Second cast a fish swirled at it but it never touched the fly and was gone. I worked up the North bank and had one more refusal, the water bulged under the fly but it wasn’t touched. I tried a number of different things but what little breeze there was, getting up more as the afternoon progressed, was troublesome and cold and to be honest there was nothing much to report. One of the other members, George, was out in a float-tube and he was catching, I seen him get two and I think he had four by the end of his session ( think he was on gold head nymphs and Buzzers) , though I was long gone by then, I gave up after a couple of hours, feeling quite cold, and not feeling like I was missing much. Another blank.
Over wintered Brown Trout in great condition, landed on an Emersons CDC Shit Fly
Sunday started foggy, and I never headed up again until about 10:30 though it was brighter up the hill, and in fact the loch was almost as busy as I have seen it. There were four anglers on the North bank and at least two or three on the South. I had my waders with me but the wind was cold and easterly and the boat was lying unused, so I decided to venture out. I was talking to a couple of anglers and they were saying there was a lot of squabbling going on with the resident Swans and they were disturbing the fish, on the South shore. A couple of tugs were reported but nothing more. By the time I had the boat loaded up and rowed out the sun was almost making an appearance. I was optimistic and dared to try a dry again on my 4# Streamflex XF2 rod. A Klink on point and a size 14 Shipmans buzzer on a dropper. Nothing was taking though there were fish rising. The chap I spoke to last week, Barry was there, and he was catching, I asked him if he was using the Snatchers again, the reply was “Do the bears shit in the woods?”. That will be yes then, they were working well- he had three in about 20 minutes. If you can’t beat them join them, I had had a go at tying some myself though they were a little on the large side, probably 12’s and 14’s. A Bibio Snatcher on dropper and an Olive Snatcher on point. In general I am a believer in small is better at Pendreich. Second cast up near the North corner, I had a show of interest but missed it. I cast again, and the fish came again, I stuck it connected then went slack. I lifted the line, everything was gone from below the micro-ring I use to attach my tippet. Not sure why it broke as it’s the same tippet I used last week and had fish on, the knot was “proven”.
Casting to a rising fish from the bank
Two flies down and annoyed I tied on another pair ( different snatcher colours) but had no interest. I moved over near the island and after a faff with the wind changing direction I tried again, a fish rose, I struck , it connected then I felt that short horrible dragging feeling and realised the knot was slipping through on the fly the fish had on point then it went slack. What do I have to do! Three flies down. I ripped off the entire cast ( having serious doubts now about this G3 flourocarbon in 4lb size now) and put on a Copolymer tapered leader onto Stroft tippet with a pair of dries. This cast much better, and though I moved a few times and tried a few flies first I did eventually rise a cracking fish of about a pound on an Emersons Shit fly, in a size 18.
I dropped to a single fly as the conditions became more still and tried a few other patterns before getting a second fish on an Olive Suspender Buzzer, a fish about three quarters to a pound in weight.
It wasn’t an easy day but it rewarded perseverance and trying different set up’s lines and leaders. So I went home satisfied.
I am a member of Stirling Castle Angling Club & as far as im aware there season does not start untill 1st of April, unless this rule has been changed>
I have only been a member one year but it opened 15th March last year, and there were apaprently 8 or 9 anglers at 8 in the morning for the opening of the season this year. There are people fishing it every day and many have been members a long time as far as I can tell so its definitely 15th March. I think Lex even told me it was 15th March to 6th October.
Thats good news. I have lost a couple of weeks fishing the past few years.
Tight lines! Plenty fish but tricky to catch. had a quick hour last night and one knock. On teenie tiny flies.