I have struggled to get out much recently as my thumbs are adding to the joint pain issues at present and I wasn’t able to grip much in my right hand let alone cast a fly rod. Had I been feeling up to it I would have been off down the Annan to the Grayling Open day organised by Nick Chisholm of the River Annan Trust. Despite my pains I was still watching the weather and river levels on SEPA right up to Saturday but it was a wee bit high for my personal comfort with my “issues” and thought better of it. I would only have lasted a couple of hours at best- its a long way for 2 hours.
I took it easy Saturday and on Sunday while not feeling great decided to try a couple of hours up at Swanswater– I was desperate to get out the house. It was quite grey and overcast but not cold and there were anglers returning to the car park as I arrived with fish. I have learned that 2 hour sessions tend to be all or nothing affairs especially at Swanswater. You either get it right from the start and hit a few fish right away or you don’t have enough time to find the method or the fish…… what would it be today? I like to make it hard for myself.
Swanswater Winter Panorama
I started up the roadside in a SLIME line with a long leader with a gold beaded damsel on point and a pink blob on top dropper. My mind was made up on the latter by an angler on the dam wall who had had three to a pink fritz. Another angler was packing up as I arrived at the roadside pegs and he told me he had not touched a fish all day. Oh dear.
20 minutes here and a lot of snagging in weeds and I decided to move. I was surprised by the weediness as its part of the dug out area here. A move to the other side got me no further after another 20 minutes and a fly change so I moved round to the top of the main basin. Again I never had so much as a sniff and another guy passing told me he had had one fish and one touch all day and was heading home. Hard going?
I tried some more “flies” concoctions of marabou, rabbit and mink fur. Was like sale day at Harrods! I thought of changing to something more natural but no one was on buzzers as far as I could see and it looked like lures were the thing to be on from the catching anglers.
I made my last move out to the island and after more colour changes and retreive swaps- and a not a few rests ‘cos I was finding things a bit sore, I decided to swap to a full sinking line, a short leader and a Foam arsed tequila blob. It was getting dark by now and I cast out- I could not see the line hit the water ahead of me. I let it all sink then retreived back fairly slowly. I have learned with tigers in the loch not to stop your retreive until the last second and I brought the fly right into my feet to then spot a Tiger following it all the way in only to turn away at my very feet. I swear I could have netted it! It looked like this might be the method but time, the cold and dark were all against me. I tried 5-6 casts with no further encouragement, and then barely managed a fly change for a last couple of casts. End result nowt! Next fishing? I want to get out on the Annan over Christmas and also want to fish the Swanswater charity competition. But the Arthritis is really making itself known and getting on top of me a bit. However I got a steroid shot from the hospital today and if previous experience is to go by I might feel a bit better by this weekend. So can only see. Hopefully this will see me through until the copious drugs I am on start to work.
Mate , you might’ve blanked but it sounded an exciting. I hope you mange to get some relief from your discomfort and get out to wet a line over the Christmas period. Merry Christmas.