My son and I had our long-awaited afternoon out on Lake of Menteith today but it was a bit of a grueller.
We arrived up there about 11:30 and by the time we sorted out access to the boat and getting loaded up it was about 12:30. The day was bright but not sunny and initially, almost flat calm. As we launched from the boat house there was an angler landing a fish just over the buoys in Gateside Bay. So it looked hopeful for the day.
A grey but calm start over Mentieth
After a wee bit casting practice with my son (he hasn’t held a rod in about 7 months) without a fly on we headed out.
I deployed the drogue and we had our first drift right down past Rookery to Portend Bay.
I fished a Black buzzer on point with a PTN on top on a fairly long leader with the sink tip line.
We took turns about to fish as my son is not the best caster in the world and I figured when he was fishing I wanted to give him all my attention and not be watching out for him , or indeed me catching him either.
He was on a floating line with a Yellow Dancer on. He was fishing it quite well too but we saw nothing so decided to go right over to Tod Hole on the far side.
Once there- it got a lot greyer and a breeze got up. We seen one fish move over here but again using the previous methods never had any offers. We finished the drift and then moved a short distance to drift down Lochend Bay.
There were a stack of boats nearer the shore so we were sort of out in the middle of the bay. After a lack of any takes I swapped my flies to my home made pattern “Killer” Damsel and a Diawl Bach on point. My lad’s line was swapped to a Sinking line and we tried a Viva Booby.
About half way along the drift I spotted a couple of swirls out on the surface about 25 yards ahead of us.
My first cast to cover I had a pluck then a tug and I was in! or thought I was, the fish seemed to pull pretty hard then the line went slack and the flies came pinging back at me. After sorting out the tangle which did not seem too bad, I cast at the spot again.
The fish jumped again as if to say “Loser!”
I really did not expect any other tugs as I was sure I had stung the fish already. But I was wrong! Sometimes being wrong is great, I struck hard and the fish was definitely on this time! It kited really hard from right to left right across in front of us. There was a jump and the line went slack. The fish jumped again as if to say “Loser!”
The leader had snapped. Very oddly it had taken both my flies but I was left with the knot of the top dropper. Not sure if I had a wee wind knot or what. But it was my fault and I was gutted.
We never touched or seen another fish and never saw anyone else do so either. We drifted the bay about 3 times, then also from the promontory at the Gravel Pit along the shore- where I spotted one fish move, under a tree. Casting right on the spot I got a tug but nothing more. I have to say my casting, on the whole, was pretty good today and when I saw a fish move I covered it and got a response. Just I wasn’t seeing fish move!
We moved up to the channel between Inchmahome Island and the South shore next but never touched or seen anything. It was flat calm again and the wind dropped which was nice.
I kept seeing a fish rise near the point of the island so I decided to row over.
By now were fishing as a team, and I decided to up-gun to three flies. Still a damsel on point, a red Diawl Bach on middle and a Green holo backed blck spider on top. I cast and my son retrieved, he was tiring a bit at the casting. I covered the fish which was top and tailing. As my son retrieved I spotted the line tighten.
“Have you got a bite?”
Son: “I don’t think so – or maybe its the bottom”
“Lift your rod- I think you are in…..”
and he was!
But a quick struggle and it was in the net- A Pike!
Only a wee Jack, a first for us both. It totally buggered the damsel hook and shredded the fly. I managed to use the forceps to unhook it as it was very deep hooked and we let it go.
And fundamentally that was it!
We had a cast around Gateside Bay again before returning the boat. A frustrating and disappointing day but still nice to be out and a change of scene.
