I have not been out fishing for a few weeks, the needs of being on call, some home DIY, and weather seeing to that. I must be honest and say yesterday morning while I felt I should try to get out and wet a line somewhere, it was still a bit cold and dreich and I was kind of content to let the 15th March just roll round to meet with my enthusiasm.
Having dealt with a few minor tasks and looking out to see the sun almost starting to sine through the grey clouds, I thought, “sod it, a few hours somewhere”. I had left it a bit late, later than I realised and while I was inclined to go somewhere I hadn’t been a while, Woodburn was high up that list, I opted for the lazy, near at hand option and went to Swanswater. Maybe just as well as it by now being the back of one in the afternoon, and me thinking places would be open until around 6pm, I learned they were still closing at 5! That rather forced me to get my skates on. I was also informed that things were proving to be a bit tough though an angler in the lodge was saying he had three in quickfire succession all on Yellow Dancers.
Flies graveyard, where many have tried to get to the fish under the big tree but sacrificed a cast!
I set up with a three fly cast, a small Irish Cat on point, a UV cormorant on the middle dropper and a Diawl Bach on top dropper. I was hoping to establish early on whether white based or black based patterns were in favour. I have heard so many contrary theories to use light or dark patterns in coloured waters. That is all they are in my opinion, theories. The water was quite coloured up though putting my rod tip in and seeing how many rod rings were visible until the tip vanished in the murk established that near the surface at any rate, there was about 2 feet visibility. On my way to the Island where I thought I would start I bumped into Jim Craig who was fishing a blood-worm pattern under a bushy CDC dry fly, on an 8 foot 3 weight outfit ( he likes to mix things up does Jim) . He had had a couple of pulls but hadn’t managed to connect with a fish, but was saying had had 8 fish on Tuesday fishing the same method. At the back of the island I cast out into the channel and fished round slowly letting the point fly sink and retrieving an erratic figure of 8.
First fish a nice Brown, long and lean but close to 3lb I reckon
I think it was my fourth cast when I had a sharp jab and was in to my first fish, which turned out to be a long lean Brown Trout that had to be getting on for 3lbs, with huge big black spots. This was one of the Browns from last seasons batch that went in and apparently went AWOL almost right away. Alastair was later telling me that a few had been turning up recently. Getting interested just in time for the 15th it seems. The fish was well hooked through the top of the mouth on the UV Cormorant and wasn’t coming off the hook as it had taken it pretty solidly.
The hook fell out easy enough being debarbed and the fish swam off just fine.
I fished on a wee while here but nothing was showing as moving and so I decided to move to the road side where I had seen fish move near the platforms in the sunshine. I fished the same flies initially but got no interest then swapped to a pair of buzzers under a dry parachute fly and just left it out with a slow twitch back now and again. It was nice to enjoy the sun which had a wee bit heat in it. Still no interest though.
I then decided to take a walk round to the big tree near the dam wall. I had seen the odd fish rise there earlier and though it was worth a go. i also hear some angler who had been there all day say that that was a good area first thing but seemed to have slacked off as had the whole loch.
Rainbow hooked itself on my Black Buzzer
I have to say right here, I didn’t deserve my next fish. I decided that if things didn’t liven up before 4pm I would call it a day and head down the wee ponds for a guddle over my last hour. I had cast out and was setting a reminder on my phone alarm to tell me when it was 4 when I heard the line snap away. I looked up and clearly had a fish, I quickly lifted and the Rainbow that was attached to my middle black buzzer gave a few impressive leaps for freedom, but failed, and I was able to get it to the net. Fluked it, you would have to say.
Maybe 10 minutes later Jim came down past the tree and stopped to blether. I was talking to him though watching what I was doing with my flies and was relating to him what had happened with my second ( undeserved) fish. I felt a thump and another Rainbow was on. As this happened Jim said ” Aye, right enough sometimes they just hook themselves”.
It was like the hex had been cast on my fish. The line went slack and the fish had got off! Probably I deserved that after fluking the second, but I was blaming Jim!
Despite my two caught and one remote release, things were very quiet and I decided to spend my last hour on the ponds. I tried a few dries to the odd rising fish ( at one stage they seemed to go a bit daft and were taking something just below the surface, but the only thing I could get an offer on was a fairly quickly stripped, small lure, but even then they were being shy to properly take the hook. But it made for keeping a bit interest in the last hour of pleasant sunshine.
