A bit of a multi-date diary this one. Went out last Wednesday for my first evening session this year. It was a lovely evening even though all told it was just over an hours fishing. In that hour I went through about a dozen or so flies, and three methods, small wets, dries and nymphs. Though fish were rising they were not looking at my flies and it wasn’t until I put a couple of wee nymphs on that I got a firm knock but no hookup, and that summed up the evening before it got dark.
Saturday, was back up at Pendreich for a couple of hours in the afternoon, again a lovely sunny day though maybe not ideal fishing conditions. The loch was pretty calm most of the time and what breeze there was, was intermittent and changeable in term sof direction. I was geared up for wading and fished a section of the North bank. First cast I had a fish swirl at my fly ( a size 16 Snatcher) then nothing else. A while later on Nymphs I had one sharp tug that I arguably missed, but it was so quick I dunno if I would have got it, I certainly was caught unawares. But as I was thinking of packing up, a few final casts with a size 18 Shipmans Olive Buzzer, got me a swirl and a nice wee trout of about 3/4 of a pound. It was barely hooked and swum away none the worse- so not a blank!
Sunday and really fancied something different. I did not have the time for a full day or would maybe have headed somewhere like Carron Valley, as lunchtime came round I headed out with still no fixed idea of where to go. I was thinking of going to Easter Balado but the 50 mile round trip was sort of putting me off- I thought the run back could be a bit of a hassle if I had a 4 hour ticket, and I fancy heading there maybe when the weather is a bit warmer. Then I recalled reading about a new place near Larbert, so a quick browse on my iPhone and I had its name and postcode- we were off to Glenbervie, at Torwood.
A colourful Rainbow Trout from Glenbervie
Look up my review of the place to get a better idea of my opinions, but as far as the days fishing was concerned, it did not look ideal. there was a stiff breeze blowing into one bank and the water was rather cloudy in the lower pond. Nonetheless, I went to the task into the teeth of the wind , which was a bit hairy at times as the wind picked up the line mid cast and simply spat it back at me. I tried Imitative patterns, nymphs buzzers, Buzzers under a bung (!) and then after a move to the bait pond, lures. It was here I finally got a fish right on the bottom close in as I hung the fly at the end of my retrieve- a tungsten beaded Cats Whiskers. The take was very subtle but the fish was well hooked and I soon had it to the net. Not the biggest fish at shy of 2 pounds but I have to say the brightest coloured, nicest Rainbow I have seen for quite some time- a lovely fish, with a full tail. One for the pot, and but for a couple of half hearted tugs and a few more fly changes that was it.
A tight loop!
Again a hard half days fishing, I was told by some other anglers it was not fishing that well just now so was reasonably happy not to leave with a blank.
