I had originally planned to head out Monday with one of the friends I have made through this site, Tommy, for a few hours in the afternoon. I sort of gave up on the idea Sunday as the weather forecast looked crap, which pushed me to head out then instead. However come Monday I had a wee bit personal business to attend to and once done, it looked reasonable if not fantastic. I have to admit to being a bit sore after Sunday’s outing so I texted Tommy to see if he was free, though it was admittedly getting on a bit into the afternoon. Unfortunately he was busy, but while I wasn’t too bothered about heading to the river it seemed a waste not to get a cast in somewhere on a day off, even if only for a couple of hours, I think 2 hours was going to be my physical limit anyway. Coulter and Pendreich were out, there was still a cold biting wind, though when it dropped you could get the vaguest sensation that were it not for the wind it might at least be mild. I decided to stay local and just pop along to Swanswater for a couple of hours on the wee ponds. I wasn’t really out  for tramping round the main pond and it was a bit breezier up there anyway. My mind was made up as I spoke to a departing angler who had just come off the main loch after a morning and said it was hard and he hadn’t got a fish. Alan in the lodge said the est wind was definitely putting the fish off and few were being caught. Not to be deterred ( or am I just stupid) I tackled up and headed up to the deserted Meadow Pond.

I was surprised by what I seen, there were fish rising literally everywhere. They  were,  it seemed taking tiny wee black midges, or I presume that’s what it was, as when the wind relented, I was surrounded by them and I could see them down on the surface of the water. The fish were just kissing the surface or head and tailing. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go full on dry-fly just yet, as experience tells me that sometimes the visible fish aren’t the ones who will take so I tied on a couple of buzzer patterns I have been “mucking around” with on the tying bench and cast out with a floating line. Nothing, but fish were continuing to rise all over. Nothing for it , on with the dries. I put on a yellow owl style shuttlecock buzzer on point and tied a wee glass buzzer off the dropper so it would hang just sub surface. 10 minutes with this got zero interest. Next I went onto a Pheasant tail parachute fly on point and a Shipmans buzzer. I never had any offers but was starting to think maybe my leader was too short or too visible and disturbing the fish. I decided to scale down. This is always a problem at commercial fisheries I find. I like to fish light, but with feisty Rainbows its a recipe for getting snapped off and also, when fishing catch and release you want to “horse” the fish in so they don’t get too stressed, so I tend to fish 8lb fluorocarbon. On with the 6lbs. This also meant I could tie on smaller flies, that the 2X 8lb won’t thread onto. I also treat the leader with Troutwatch tungsten laced degreasant called Density Mud which I find is fabulous stuff both for removing shine and getting the leader to sink sub surface. Been very impressed since I started using it late last year.

I cast out the same flies and right away a fish came for but refused at the last second to the Parachute fly.  A few more casts and no more offers, so a change again. On with a size 18 black F fly, this time a fish rose and I thought had taken but I lifted and never felt any contact, so not sure if it merely looked at it or what, it certainly seemed like a take.

a solitary rise form

Fewer fish were showing as it got cooler still towards half past 5

Offers dried up and every time the wind blew the fish just stopped rising for a few minutes until it became becalmed again. Time was pressing on but another change. I was trying to put on a miniscule Griffiths Gnat, a size 20 but just couldn’t get the leader through the eye of the hook, and I wasn’t prepared to fish any lighter today. The only one I had that would fit was about a 16 in size, probably too big but try anyway.

Casting out, a fish rose, it took, I lifted, it was on……. then it was off. Oh pants! I persevered with this for another 15 minutes but the rise died down and for the last 15 minutes I went back to buzzers and even a cormorant but nothing was doing. Maybe a wee Palomino Midge might have done the job, one thing I wished I had tried but got a bit fixated on the dries by that stage.

I have to say while it was frustrating I do love fly fishing when there are fish rising right in front of you, it can really do your head in trying to unlock the puzzle, I do feel I managed it to some extent but the weather wasn’t helping, however it really is addictive fun.