Was up to PendreichCocksburn Reservoir (Pendreich) on Saturday there but it was not a lot of joy. It seems all the fish ( and there are plenty there) are heading for the depths and sulking as soon as there is a hint of cold air. And believe me there has been more than a hint this Spring. There seems to be a permanent icy wind round these parts right now and it’s not letting up. I can’t recall there ever being such a cold spell at this time of year. I have worked in the Highlands and Islands in some pretty wild places in my time, and seen snow come hammering in , in June but its short and it can be glorious warm sunshine ten minutes either side of it.

In this what is laughingly referred to as Spring it’s totally freezing pretty much all the time, and it takes a lot of the pleasure out of fishing. Been having a few arthritic issues with a finger on my right hand and exposing it to near freezing water is not funny.

Saturdays outing ended up in another blank, though I was unfortunate not to have one fish, albeit had I got it it would’ve been more in luck than skill. I had tried wets and nymphs and buzzers and had nothing when I decided, some may say foolishly to try a big CDC and Deer Hair Dry with a Shipmans on Dropper. There was the very odd fish showing in the shallow margins and I hoped I might be able to induce one to take the dry, no matter how enthusiastically.

After about 10 minutes of casting in what had turned into fairly wild conditions for a bit, I lost sight of my flies and I wasn’t sure if I had lost the point fly, maybe a bad knot in my haste to get it tied on. I pulled in the line and put the rod down, the dry was submerged and the Shipmans was “somewhere”, when I caught a gold flash as something turned on one of the flies. I grabbed at the line and tried to tighten but without the cushion of the rod I was onto a loser and it got off ; no idea what it took.

Had I landed it no doubt I would have claimed consummate skill and going against the run of play to get my fish ( when in fact it was blind luck) as I lost it you might as well know the truth! lol. There is luck, blind luck and fishing stories!

Not been out since though went a walk up by Swanswater last night and it was really a nice night for it, there was little breeze to speak of up there,  well, not enough to make casting too hard, though it was still cold and the water was a bit coloured up. I quite fancied a wander up there tonight but for the prospect of a -2 weather forecast,  it might be freezing.

Various wet flies

Various Cormorants, pearly, Red Holo, traditional and an Ace of Spades.

Have been tying a few flies though in the time I have available through not being out on the water. Have done about a dozen Cormorants in the style of the fly  found at Menteith though using red wire not thread for a bit more strength. Done some Pearly, Red Holo, and Peacock bodied ones. Also got hold of some extra small Jungle Cock for the cheeks. It does set the fly off I must admit. I found a way to make a reasonable substitute too and will post about it later. Did a couple of Ace of Spades too, which came out not bad. See what you think?