I went up to Swanswater today- needed to get out the house and blow away a tough week. Quite fancied a run down the Tweed but without the “run” part! So in the end I thought I would visit my “local” really with just the intention of fishing the ponds for a bit fun. I got there though and to be honest the ponds were packed and I decided to go up the main loch by default really. It was not too busy but it has to be said there was a nasty blustery wind that was somewhat steering anglers to places that allowed them to cast with the wind so options were a little limited initially.
Alastair the owner said that the fish, which had been spread out for a while though with a few notable pockets, had suddenly cleared out from the area behind the island and in fact that the island, a normal hotspot in the channel, was not fishing that well. Fish he said, were being taken around 4 feet and the days most successful angler used a sinking line.
Driven by the wind and available space as much as anything I started off at the left-hand end of the channel from the island using a sink tip line, with a red beaded bloodworm/buzzer pattern on point, an Okey Dokey on the first dropper and a Kate McClaren on top dropper.
I tried varying retrieve rates and was hitting bottom with the point fly but 20 minutes and I never felt so much as a tug.
I never saw a fish caught this whole time or a fish move- so decided to move- a few places looked a little quieter.
Retreating to the last peg before the island in the main pond, I tried again initially with the same tactic- just to give it 10 mins. I, unfortunately, kept getting snagged on the dead reeds around the platform, because of the shearing wind that would pick up the line now and again. I was using a 6# line and was thinking i should maybe have went a size heavier for the wind.
While unsnagging and knot removing for about the third time I saw a fish move quite near on the surface and in fact seen it twice. I decided to use the opportunity to get out my Snowbee rod and X-Flite reel and give a dry fly a go on a floating line. I really did not fancy my chances but was hoping there might be enough interest to provoke a fish to take if nothing else.. This set up fished and cast really nicely in the conditions but I never saw another fish rise so it was back to the drawing board.
I decided to move again this time to the back of the island, now I know I had been told nothing was doing there but I sometimes feel going where no one else is fishing gets you a spot with lower fishing pressure.
I honestly felt at this stage that I was not catching because there were no fish near me to be caught. I spoke to a couple of anglers and they had blanked despite being there for 6 hours by that time. But I did see that some guys near the dam wall were suddenly catching- right off the wall and from boats moored near the wall, it looked like the fish were all near the wall in the deeps.
I tried the buzzer set up again but with a couple of changes to the pattern- a bloodworm was tried and a shrimp – again no takers. I did see a few fish move though- and a few rises a little out of reach gave me cause to try a dry again. After no joy, I decided to try a buzzer under a dry to get a bit of both worlds. Nothing.
Time for the bad boys.
Yellow Dancer
I pulled out a Yellow Dancer and a Bunny Leach. Now a Yellow Dancer is a terribly successful fly at Swanswater but it’s not one I ever fancy much but when in Rome…..
I had tied a couple a few nights earlier. Onto the sink tip they went, the Leach on top dropper and the Dancer on point and left the middle spare.
The first cast I had a very sharp tug from nowhere and was pretty certain it was the Dancer as I could still see the Leach.
I tried a few more casts in the same area, nothing but I was sure I had not touched the first fish. I cast round in an arc and tried under the trees where I spotted a fish a little further out. Disaster! As my line shot out in a lovely cast- hanging in the air a gust of wind picked it up and pushed it about 3 metres over to the right- flies in the tree. I wrestled with it a minute and eventually, the Dancer was sacrificed. Luckily I had a second identical one.
Unfortunately, the leader was a bit shorter but I was considering moving so thought I would persevere with what I had- could not be bothered changing right away. I put the Dancer on and cast again. This time the rod was almost yanked out my hand! One of the most violent takes I have experienced and then a fish boiled on the surface. Initially, it looked dark like a Brownie and kept heading for the bottom. It did not look big but jeez it was very strong- and was putting up a monstrous fight. In fact, it was a very odd fight and I started to wonder had I caught something different from the norm. As I got it near the net I could see what was up. The fish had obviously thrown the fly but had become tangled in the line with the hook in near its tail. I tried to grab the leader and pulled it towards the bank. As I lifted it flicked and got off the hook which I was pleased about. I count it as caught as it was in netting range but for the foul hook which “isn’t sport old boy”.
It was a lovely coloured Rainbow of about 2 and a half pounds.
I never had any more attention here and decided to fish the other side near the road. The wind was dangerous with a fly line in hand though for a right hander so I binned that idea and had a wee half hour on the ponds but never had any more interest.
A tough day.
