Seasons come and go

Its been a funny season- I was so looking forward to it at the outset, I had my permit for the club water, and a permit for the Clyde so I could do a lot more river fishing this year. The weather has been about as good as it gets this summer too, no doubt the river’s were a wee bit lower than usual but the trout fishing looks to have been good from what I have read elsewhere. I never managed a single outing on the Clyde much to my disappointment, I only managed one hobble to the wee burn and a strangely active outing for a spot of Tenkara on the Touch Burn. I also hoped to get out on the Canal for some coarse fish on the fly, maybe even a pike but walking any distance has been a problem, so only made it out once.  Up at the club water, its not been a spectacular season as far as I can ascertain but better than last year and there have been some pretty big fish being caught. I had my biggest Brown to date there earlier in the season.

But the dominating factor in my fishing has been this damned arthritis, I thought things were starting to look up in late July when I managed 3 outings in a week. Something I haven’t done in a long time, but it didn’t last and arguably I should maybe have been a bit more cautious about getting my hopes up. The final of the three outings felt a bit of a step too far and I think I paid for it over the week or so afterwards. I have though managed to get out on average about once a fortnight most of the latter half of the season. And I have caught fish, though as ever, shorter sessions handicap you as it can often take a few hours to find out whats going to work, never mind fishing a couple of hours and then packing up to go home.

I have though made a few new fishing friends though this blog, and had a couple of nice outings on Loch Coulter with Tommy and  myself and Mark of Antermony Rise, had a wee session at Swanswater. The plan had been to fish Antermony but circumstances prevailed against us on the day.  I haven’t been able to get to as many club outings this year either, I managed the early season trip to Menteith ( a difficult day) and Linlithgow Loch ( A difficult and miserable day!) but had to withdraw from the outings to Carron Valley and Butterstone. I don’t think either turned out to be spectacular bag up exercises but its nice to be out in company.  I also missed out on a few hours invited along to a club session at Burnhouse, by John of Rainbow Warriors. Life is not a rehearsal as they say and I feel its important to try do as many things as you can, but when its stunted by a totally unforseen illness that shows no sign of abating, its just frankly, pisses me right off.

All being well ( ish) I hope to be able to get along to Orchil next weekend for the final SCAC outing of 2013, I don’t think I will manage the whole day but anything between 2 and 4 hours will be considered good going by me. Hopefully the weather is kind as I couldn’t cope with high winds of the type I have seen a few times up there.

So yesterday I decided to have my last session on the Brown Trout up at Pendreich. Arriving at the gate it seemed a bit blowie, certainly not as calm as I expected when I left the house. It was deceptive though, the wind was blowing off the dam end but was barely stirring the waters. Very few fish were showing but I met a few club members just coming off the boat, and they were saying that there were a few fish to be had on wet flies. I decided to make my way round to the area of the boat mooring and set up with a single dry fly of the type I had caught on last week. The wind while not severe at all, and frankly of little consequence to a fully fit angler of average ability, was tricky and I knew I was going to knacker myself if I tried to tough it out too long. On about my third cast out into the wind my fly was riding the slight ripple well and I momentarily lost sight of it in the glare of the sun, despite my Polaroids, there was then a splash that I thought was about 3 feet or so beyond my fly, then I thought “actually no, was that my fly?”, I lifted and the fish splashed but had had long enough to reject the hook and I missed it by miles! I brought the fly in and it was slimed up and had a fish scale impaled on the hook point. I managed to recover the fly and get it ready to fish again despite it being CDC. I gave it another half a dozen casts but nothing else showed interest. I was thinking whether to move down the bank a little ( still having to contend with the wind) when a fish moved near the weedbed opposite the dam wall. That made up my mind- move to the wall with the wind behind and try to cover this fish. I don’t like fishing the dam wall as its hard to net fish and I feel it puts a lot of strain on my 4 weight rod, but today I had opted for the 7 weight to punch into the wind and also because I have been fishing a little heavier with the bigger fish that have been turning up and the amount of break offs I have suffered as a result.

Cracking conditions for the end of the season

I decided also to put a fresh CDC on point and introduce a dry Loch Ordie to a top dropper, before I cast again. It never took too long before I had the most spectacular take of my season. I had my GoPro with me but it was in my pocket so unfortunately no pic to back this up this time. From no where the fish came out the water like a Polaris missile, I wasn’t sure if it had taken the fly or jumped beside it, it was so fast and it jumped so high but I lifted in response and was rewarded with the pull of the fish on the CDC. It put up a good fight and was a total pig to net be being up on the wall and the water being a little lower than usual, the net fully extended barely reached the water. But I managed to get it in the net and out the water. I managed to unhook it with out touchig the fish, it was caught right in the scissors. a quick photo and then I revived it in the net and let it swim off. A fish of maybe a pound and a half.

With the CDC replaced again, I tried again. It took maybe 20 minutes but I managed to turn a fish to the Loch Ordie, it never took but certainly had a good splash at it. Things went a bit quiet and after I had fished for about 2 and a half hours I decided to call it a day. It was a cracking day to be out and not cold at all, makig for a great end of season experience. What will the close season and next season bring- I have no idea. I am a keen winter angler and I don’t find the cold makes much difference over the heat to my condition but I am aware my shoulders and fingers are getting worse. So I dunno how long I have got left at this game. My next review is in November, hopefully the medics turn something out of the bag that actually works.

My last in season brown trout 2013 on a Cullens CDC in claret

National Arthritis week

This week is National Arthritis week, if you see any events or opportunities to donate even a few bob, please do so, I think a cure is likely but it could still be a while off, and every penny given brings that day a bit closer. Bear in mind, that diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriasis, are relatively common, you maybe have someone in your family affected. If so there is a strong likelyhood you carry the genetic markers that predispose you to one of these conditions, most people seem to get away with it, but occassionally its triggered by something as common as a sore throat and your life changes beyond recognition. To coin the phrase of the National Lottery. It could be you.