I had no particular intent to go fishing this weekend. Saturday was predicted to be totally minging, and Sunday, well let’s just say by the time I got out of bed, the best part of the daylight hours was already past! Oops!
I have some plans though for a spot of more adventurous fishing this coming week weather and health permitting, as its my birthday week and I like a day or two away fishing around that particular event. I am hoping to get out Thursday anyway and we will see how I feel after that over the weekend.
Millions of Scots were rushing to Accident and Emergency Departments nationwide, suffering from Radiation flash burns caused by this brief and unforecast appearance of the sun. Fortunately it only lasted a few minutes so the impact was not as severe as it might have been.
But come about half one today I decided, a couple of hours out in the fresh air wouldn’t hurt, so I nipped down the road to Swanswater, nothing majorly exciting, but believe it or not the sun made a very rare appearance just as I arrived! I don’t think I have seen a hint of blue sky in the better part of 2 months. The main loch was pretty busy looking and I just opted for a couple of hours C&R on the wee ponds. I tackled up with an intermediate line and a small beaded possum bug on point with a wet on top dropper. However I soon realised I was probably fishing too deep, as fish were rising all over the place. I could not see what they were taking but clearly something was making them interested and it was nearer the top than the bottom. Some fish were full on head and tailing on the surface others were circling as they do, to take something just below. I changed to the floating line in my bag but kept the same flies on. Something seemed a bit odd about the floating line though but it was to take me a wee while to suss it out.
A sprightly Blue Trout taken on a Diawl Bach
Nothing showed an interest in my flies so I changed to a CDC dry on point and a Diawl Bach variant in Black UV straggle with a green holo rib on dropper. Second cast and the line was snatched very hard from my hand, a very lively Blue had the DB and was leaping and sprinting all over the pond. I soon had it under control though and the fish was quickly unhooked photo’ed and released to fight another day. I never had any more interest to this particular pair of flies and though fish continued to rise, and a couple of other anglers came and went who I could see were on dries I never seen a fish take one. As I fished I then realised what was wrong with the line. I was fishing the 5 weight line I use with my older John Dickson’s rod not my usual 7 weight floater. In all credit to my son’s cheapo rod ( that I am currently using ) it cast it well and I was getting a good distance out no problem at all! It was just coiling up a bit at my feet as it’s not been off the spool in a while.
I decided ( hard as it was) to ignore the rising fish and try keep things subsurface, albeit getting down slowly. I put a fairly heavy blood worm pattern on point to sink the cast, and kept the DB on dropper. First cast with this set up and I felt some interest but kept the retrieve going before a fish took the Bloodworm. A small Rainbow, again quickly released. After this point if I had hooked a fish for every knock I had I would have had probably another 6-8 fish. The bloodworm was definitely the pattern to be on though the long filaments of the floss body were obviously getting nipped and pulled more than the hook was being taken. By the time I finished the fly was utterly wrecked! Had I been going to be there longer I would have changed to a smaller hook but as time was knocking on and light was fading I couldn’t really be bothered struggling to thread a small hook in the fading light. Still good fun for a couple of hours especially when it was unplanned and spur of the moment.
I was just thinking though- its only about 7 or 8 weeks until the new season :-).
Kenny, some of my most enjoyable outings have been those undertaken on an impulse. Where catching fish almost seems inconsequential over and above the need to get out and just wet a line, particularly when the weather has kept us all indoors for so long. Cabin fever coming on soon I think. Glad you enjoyed yourself.
Indeed. Thought I might have seen you about Mark- or are you not much for winter fishing?
Hi Kenny, I am usually but it’s been really busy at work and had three weeks in Thailand for some much needed warm weather. Just back yesterday but got jet lag hence this post at half two on a Friday morning. Will be in touch to arrange something soon. Hope you are well Kenny.
Hi Kenny, long time no see! I’ve had a few outings recently and Swanswater a couple of times. Both times did well and guess what has been catching.. homemade bloodworm pattern with no tail. Just a buzzer style with some fine red tubing for a ribbed body and a small red bead.
Will you be Pendrieching it this season? Not gonna make the AGM but will defo be up there asap.
Hi Will
Yeah – hope to make the AGM on Thursday. Yeah I will be there this year, health permitting. I have also got a membership of LASAC this year, handy with the loch just being behind the village really and having a bit better boat access suits me with how I am just now, and also gets you on the River Carron for those days I feel mobile enough. Bloodworms are deadly on their day at Swanswater I find, even if you arent taking you get tons of knocks and pulls if you find the fish of course! See you about I hope. Hows the fly tying coming on?
That’ll be interesting to hear how Coulter fishes. Fly tying’s going good ta if not verging on obsession! Glad the trout like the scruffier flies cos I’ve been effing and blinding at my cack handed attempts to line up those wings on a trad wet. You maybe heard me at your house?
I find traditional wings quite hard. A lot comes down to the type of feather you use. I find Starling seems quite well behaved. Also I think the tendency is ( for me anyway) to make the wing a tad too broad at time and this in turn makes it mor eprone to folding or splitting. Not heard you though ( much ;-))
Yeh think I know what you mean about getting width of the wings right. I’ve not tried starling, i’ll go dig out the air rifle.. Hope you’re feeling well enough for the start of the season. BtW lost loads of mob numbers when I drowned my phone. Give us a text when you get a chance.