Sea, Wet and Dries

I was up earlier than intended this morning and there was an amazing sunrise that had the thought I could maybe get a photo, after yesterday’s stormy conditions, but by the time I was set to get out, to be honest, the colour was gone from the sky and I was up and dressed….. might as well go fishing, everyone else on this fly fishing trip with Fly Fish Islay was still in bed.

Wet

I set up my five weight and wandered down the hill to Lossit, and started casting out into the area I had started with some success the other day there. There was a fair wave it has to be said and required a fair bit power to get the flies out and turning over in the wind but it wasn’t unmanageable. I think I hooked something small just as I was retrieving to cat at one point but I couldn’t really feel it before it had got off and I had no other interest. I seen Dougie our guide driving in and I thought as breakfast might be soon decided to head closer to the house behind the shelter of the island where there were loads of wind lanes crossing the water. I swapped the point Diawl Back for a heavier and bigger black Humungous and about two casts later was into a decent Brown Trout that once again took the Heather Fly Snatcher and had me heading back to Lossit Farm House ready for Breakfast with a smile on my face.

Sea Trout

Today the plan was to find some shelter and go try get us a Sea Trout up the East Coast where the wind was less of a problem. Where we stopped after a wee bit off-road motoring, was right by the mouth of a small river and the bottom pool of the river ( you can’t fish here)  was definitely home to some Sea Trouts. But the Sea it had to be- that rhymed…..!

One of the group, Paul ( he who had a Grilse on the river the other day there) was chucking round spinners and before I had even got a leader tied up with my Medicine fly on, was into a Sea Trout of about 2lb. The rest of us stuck to the fly and while the wind was no problem the wave was a wee bit annoying and to be frank I wasn’t really enjoying hurling the 7/8 weight into kelp and stripping back like a dervish so decided to retreat to the beach and spectate the rest of the group. No other fish were forthcoming and after an hour or so we retreated back up to the house. We might have had a go at Finlaggan but the wind wasn’t terribly helpful and we opted to head back to Lossit where we could get some shelter though the wind had dropped considerably by the time myself and Shaun made it back as we stopped off to do a bit site-seeing up the east coast.

 Post -Fishing Dram

This evening’s post fishing nip was The Arran 10 Year Old Single malt, a whisky from (self evidently)  the Isle of Arran.

Tasting Notes from David Wood of Distilled Events and Fly Fish Islay
On the nose cut grass, summer meadows and on the palate fresh fruit and citrusy, and on the finish lengthy with the faintest waft of peat smoke.

Dries

Some of the group were out on the  loch in boats and the top corner, one of the more accessible areas and I strated back behind the island. Nothing, not a touch, a rise, not so much as a swirl or a tug. I was surprised. There were fish ocassionally rising bu tthey werent interested in my flies when covered, and then when I swapped to dries they did not seem inclined to tke my LTD Sedge or small split wing Midge.. As far as what I had seen on top, I had seen quite a few Greenfly- yes really, and  a few wee olives and midges. 

I ave up and decided to take a wander about half way round the entire loch to where Darren and Shaun were fishing and see what was happening there.

By the time I got there the rain was on and the midges were out but I was seeing very few fish moving. Darren was “on fire” by the evenings end he was on about a dozen. He was catching on sedges, Shaun was fishing along behind and getting nothing. I had been on sedges and on the way round had seen a few, but not having had any offer to mine earlier was still on the midge. The three of us fished along the west side and Darren was still picking up the odd fish. 

As the dark fell I decided to try to find some fresh water and ended up back where I had started in the morning. Almost right away with a CDC and Deer Hair fly on I had a very aggressive take, another decent fish about the same size as this morning, then a few casts later another. Then as the gloom really settled I had a third smashing take and I had the second best fish I have ever had here on Islay. The fish had a tail like the Titanic’s rudder and was a right thick, heavy fish that felt close to a pound though it looked lean…. and that tail! Quite a surprise in a loch like Lossit. A great end to the day.