Not what I was after!

The weather todayy was quite a contrast from yesterday it was rather sunny and the westerly breeze was fairly moderate so off I went up to Hillend this afternoon.
I opted for the North Shore on the point opposite the big Island. I spent an hour or so along the point using a couple of lures all to no avail. I then sat on the bench for some lunch and a change of flies. This time I tied on a small nymph at the point and a wee blood worm/buzzer on the dropper. After my late lunch I started fishing again and much to my surprise after about four casts I hooked into a fish. Unfortunately it was not what I had intended to catch as I had fooled a pike on the bloodworm.
I fished on along the north shore a bit for a further few hours but without any success however I did see a huge big gull dive bomb the water and attempt to fly off with a trout but it dropped the fish . Then I saw it do the same thing a short time after and this time it made off with the trout over to the big island where no doubt it scoffed the lot.

Was it worth it?

This morning I tried to persuade my mate Alex not to go fishing up to the Lily Loch with me as I had looked at the weather forecast and it wasn't very favourable to say the least.
However Alex had recently got himself a season ticket for the lily and hadn't been fly fishing for about three or four years and so was quite understandably keen to go no matter the weather. I'm sure we all know that feeling.
As expected when we arrived up over the hill we remarked that the elements were going to be rather challenging as it was blowing a gale and raining.
We headed up to Scunner's Point at the west end of the loch as we would have the wind at our back.
And so we proceeded to fish. We stuck it out for a couple of hours trying both bays as well as the point.
I hooked my one and only trout from the point. The fish was fooled by my black uv lure. But was it worth it? No! not really as we both were soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone. Hoping to get to Hillend loch tomorrow if the weather is more favourable.

The Jingler

A fly pattern which has featured in recent podcasts, videos, blogs, magazines and forums has been the Jingler.

Its all the rage. Apparently its a very old Scottish pattern which has been fished on Scottish lowland rivers for many a year with great success. The sudden rise in its popularity is probably down to social media etc as opposed to the good old fashioned method of by word of mouth.

Regional flies and methods have stayed local for years but with ever increasing technology there will come a time when there will be no such thing as regional fly patterns as they will eventually be known nationwide or even worldwide.

Anyway I digress its an extremely effective pattern especially on rivers however I believe it will be a fantastic pattern to use on the loch too especially when the surface is calm and and trout are on the feed.

I've no idea if these patterns that i've tied are acceptable as Jinglers , as you know how pernickeity some folk can be but they will do for me.

Tying a Straggle Fritz Lure

Stuck in the house with the lurgy Ive been tying up more flies and as a few folk have been asking to see my UV Straggle fritz lure I thought it would be a good idea to make a short vid of tying the pattern which is extremely easy to tie and a pattern that I can highly recommend.

I normally tie these lures in size 8's but on this occasion I tied it on a size 6 as I'm clean out of Kamasan 8's.

A Wild Hillend Trout

Sometimes some folk conveniently use the weather etc as an excuse for not going fishing.
In - advisably I ventured up to the loch today despite the weather and also still feeling the effects of the heavy cold I have.

The loch was shrouded in mist and stayed like that the whole time I was there.

I started fishing in the boathouse bay but had no success so I then tried Lowe's bay and the mound.

The north easterly wind wasn't ideal to say the least.

Having failed to fool a trout I dejectedly plodded my may back through the mud in the woods back to the boathouse bay but as I walked by I stopped at the gorse bush for a few final casts and to my surprise I hooked into a wee beauty of a wild Hillend brown trout which was fooled by the fly pattern I tied last night.

I must admit I do like to catch these wee wild Hillend trout they are lovely and certainly made up for a few very cold hours at Hillend today.

The Dabbler's Sick Note!

As this is was my long weekend off work it has been very disappointing and frustrating not to have been able to wet a line at the loch these last few days. The reason being is that I have been struck down with manflu and have felt terrible since Friday. 

After attending the fishing club AGM I had a drive up to the loch today but was feeling awful all the way up and when I got to the clubhouse I was too sore and cold to venture out the car. After ten minutes I went straight back home.

And so after a few hours in my kip I decided I would tie a couple of flies up. This is one of the two patterns I tied today. I'm hoping to get to the loch tomorrow but I will see how I feel in the morning.

Result at Hillend!

Three things were deterring me from going up to the loch this morning. Firstly the weather as it was blowing a hooly, secondly there was a competition on at the loch and thirdly the loch would be busy.

However as the morning developed into the afternoon and rather than just sit around the house listening to the football results come in. I decided to take a drive up to the loch.

On arriving at the clubhouse it was obvious the wind would be troublesome. So I went into the clubhouse for a bite to eat, a drink and a blether. Rab asked if I was going fishing I said yes but was unsure where to go because of the wind. He then said if I had any sense then I should go back down the road.

I laughed but made up my mind that I would go to the big moss as I would have the wind at my back. So off I went.

I met Iain a work colleague on the moss. I had a chat and then started fishing I hooked a trout but just as quick as I raised my rod the trout was off. After checking that my flies were still intact I fished on. After half an hour or so I eventually hooked into a nice fish. It leaped from the water several times and I thought I was going to lose it but I eventually got the trout under control and managed to get it into the net. The trout was fooled by one my black UV lures with the silver bead head which I had tied recently. The fish weighed in at an impressive 4 1/4lb my biggest of the season so far. I fished on for a short time after but after hooking the bottom I lost my loop, leader and both flies. My hands were in pain with the cold so I couldn't be bothered tying up a new leader so I decided to go home. It was a great way to spend a spare couple of hours listening to the football results coming in.

Blown Away!

My first outings of the new brown trout season almost blew me away not in an an exciting manner you understand.

On Sunday I tagged along with two mates Tam and Scott up the Highlands to Loch Ericht I didn't bother taking my fly rod as Ericht is a big wild loch with little chance of catching anything on a fly its actually renowned for big ferox but to make contact with you need to be trolling. 

I decided to take a long a box of spinners. Copper tobys being my lure of choice.

The wind was horrendous and I could only fish for about ten minutes at a time and then take shelter behind a boat hut.

My body was sore by the end of the day chucking spinners out into the depths for no reward. The best part of the day was the visit to the chippy in Pitlochry on the way home.

I consoled myself in the knowledge that I would be making my first visit of the season to Hillend today, Monday.

When I arrived at Hillend this morning the wind was ferocious just like yesterday at the Ericht. I put on three layers to protect myself from the cold wind and off I went once again with my box of spinners. It would have been madness to attempt to fly fish in this weather.

I worked my way along the south shore and hooked my first Hillend trout of the season at the wee moss but sadly I lost it in the ensuing fight. 

Unperturbed I kept on working my copper toby through the water until eventually I hooked and landed a trout in the Eastercroft bay. It was a relief to get that first Hillend trout of the season as it was extremely hard work fishing into the teeth of that wind today. At least I was rewarded for my efforts today. 

Let the Havering commence

Typical isn't it? We've had lovely warm weather all week then it takes a turn for the worse for the opening day of the trout season.

I don't suppose it will actually put the anglers off though. Its been a long wait through the winter.

As I type this I'm getting txt from Hillend informing me that its wet and windy at the loch but some nice trout have been getting caught. Tosh, a work colleague txt me to say he's caught a nice 2lb 4oz brown trout.

I will wait until Monday before I wet a flee at Hillend as its always extremely busy on opening day at the Loch.
Tomorrow I'm considering heading north up to Loch Ericht with my two friends Tam and Scott. I wont be fly fishing though as its far too early for that up there.Taking a box of spinners sounds like a good alternative. It will be good to catch up with the Tiddler and the Tangler and make plans for future fishing trips.