Topping up with Kates!

I still haven't wet a line for almost three weeks. Hope to get to the loch over the next few days.
In the mean time I was checking through my fly boxes in preparation for my Extreme North West Highland Stravaig next week and noticed I only had a couple of Kates in my box so it was of the uppermost importance that I tied a few more of these tonight, my favourite fly pattern for wild brown trout.

Hillend Loch from the Train!

I cant believe I've not been fishing for a whole two weeks. its not that I've lost interest or anything like that. I've been busy out on my bike trying to get fit especially for a a wee fishing  holiday up in the Highlands that's coming up in a couple of weeks.

Here's a video of the Loch from the Edinburgh to Helesburgh train which I caught at Armadale after cycling up there earlier in the week.

I might get up to the Loch tomorrow without my bike and spend a few hours with Rod, Line, Feather and fluff! I'll let you know.

A Quadruple from the Lily

So I decided to go up to the Lily loch Fly fishing comp tonight. There were a few A&D AC members fishing it too.

There was a strong east wind blowing right up the loch so I fished from the south shore.

I had thee trout by 7.30pm. First two trout were caught on my black uv lure the third on a wet daddy. Although I was pleased with my early catch I was annoyed by a few rather unsporting anglers who on three occasions as I went back to the shore with my netted fish moved into the area I was fishing about 20 feet along from me which hindered my casting range.

Just as I netted my third fish I went ashore to unhook the trout etc another angler moved right in to where I was fishing. This really pissed me off but rather than confront the idiot I though if hes that desperate he can carry on.

I moved to the top end of the loch but the wind was even worse so I didnt fish for a while. I then moved back down to the south shore just before 10pm and managed another trout this time on a balloon caddis pattern which was getting a lot of interest from the trout before I actually hooked my fourth and final fish.

My heaviest fish was 2lb 2oz which wasn't heavy enough to be in among the prizes. However I did rather enjoy myself tonight apart from the idiots sneaking into my area when I was unhooking my trout

The Longest Day

Last night Davie G akaThe Hillend Veteran and I went out on the loch full of hope that we could perhaps take the lead in the annual Airdrie & District AC boat pairs competition.
The competition is open to all member throughout the month of June.
The reason for our hope was the catch reports for the comp had been disappointing. The target to beat was a meagre 5lb odds.
So off we went out on the loch taking advantage of Saturday being the longest day of the year and making use of the extra daylight.
However we tried various drifts without success or even seeing a fish until about 10pm.
Not long after 10 I caught the first trout of the night which was deceived by one of my wet daddy patterns. The fish weighed just under 2lb. I had a further few offers but no more trout for me in the boat. A short time after I had netted my fish The Hillend Veteran struck into a fish which put up a heroic fight but finally succumbed to the net. Davie's fish was fooled by his black muddler pattern.
We fished on well into the dark without any further fish interested in anything we were trying to fool them with .
We eventually headed back to the club house just before midnight to get our trout weighed in. Our brace was an ounce under 4lb which I believe puts us in second place.
However as there a further four boats to compete before the end of the month I'm sure our catch will be out of contention for a second or even third place.

The Salty Dabbler

On Sunday the 15^th of June, Myself, Scott and Tam aka the Salty Dabbler, Salty Tiddler and the Salty Tangler went to Loch Etive for a day of sea fishing

Tam and Scott are more enthusiastic about the sea fishing than I am and had been to Etive fishing a few times. This was first ever sea fishing trip from a boat.

We were on the boat about 8am and went up the loch to an area that Tam likes.

On my first drop I picked up a small cod then on my second drop I landed a Ling. As the day progressed we moved about a bit and caught further codling and whiting. Then came a lull where no fish were caught for a while. We then moved a couple of mile down the loch and hooked up to a buoy and threw out our baits of squid which attracted three Thornbacks and a doggy. Time was getting on so we moved back up the loch and fished for the last half hour catching numerous codling.

We headed back ashore about 5pm.

I quite enjoyed the fishing which might have been poor by some peoples standards but the three of us rather enjoyed ourselves with about twenty five fish for the boat.

A lovely enjoyable way to spend a day on a warm summer’s day.

A Very Sunny Black Loch

I made a last minute decision today at the loch. When I turned into the car park at Hillend I decided not to bother fishing Hillend. Instead I made the short journey up to a very sunny Black Loch instead as I knew Donald was going there this morning.

I was afloat on the boat at the Black Loch about 10.30am. and met Donald a short time later near the south shore of the loch. Donald and his boat companion were doing very well with numerous fish caught and released.

Donald was getting a lot of fish on the Candy Floss Booby, not a pattern I am familiar with but Donald gave me one and I tried it for a while without any luck. I had a plethora of takes and rises to my flies but nothing would stick. Eventually I managed a trout which was foiled by my Jingler pattern which I had on my dropper and a daddy on the point. It was my one and only trout of the day which looks about the 2lb mark. Shortly after I dispatched my trout I hooked another but it broke me. That's about the third or fourth time Ive been broken recently . I think my leader material must be brittle. Its 5lb maxima. So I will be giving this a body swerve in future.

Anyway I fished on until about 3.30pm and had another couple of rises to the fly but no further trout.

As you can see from the pics above Donald and his boat partner were not the only ones who knew where the fish were.

Chasing The Ripple!

On the penultimate day of May I arranged a holiday from work and took out a boat at Hillend.

As the title of this post suggests I was chasing a ripple all day as for most of the day the loch was flat calm however now and again the wind would pick up but soon disappear.

Therefore I had to do a bit of manoeuvring about to find the trout.

I eventually found them at a couple of areas in and around the Spiers Island. I managed a brown tout of about 2 1/4lb which was duped by one of my wet daddy patterns and was kept for the pot then a short while after I managed another brown trout this time around the 2 ½ lb mark which was foiled by my black uv lure which was safely returned to the loch to fight another day.

Before ending my day at the loch I hooked a pike which I somehow managed to lose at the boat. It’s fair to say I wasn’t too bothered about that as it saved me handling the toothy predator.

All in all another great day afloat at my local loch.

A consolation fish!

Bit of an eventful evening at the loch.

It was the first fly competition night of the season at the loch but I didn't bother entering I just went up for a night of fishing without the pressure of needing to catch a trout. I prefer it that way.

I decided to fish the north shore tonight. A strong east wind was blowing down the loch bringing with it smirry rain which made for a dreich night.

I set up with a big bushy/leggy hopper on the point and a watson's bumble on the dropper. I was rewarded when a good size trout snatched my point fly and almost took me down to my backing . However I soon gained control and as the fish leapt several times from the water trying to throw the hook I noticed that it was a really good size trout. However just when I thought I had it under control it bloody broke me and made off with my fly. I fished on in the ever decreasing light until it was dark.

I then decided to have one last throw of the dice when I changed to a big lure for what I decided would be the last fifteen minutes or so.However on my second cast with the lure I hooked and landed a big pike. Not what I was after but a fish is a fish. I took a pic unhooked it and returned it to the water to dissapoint another trout fisher in the future. I then just packed up and walked back to the car in the dark along the north shore.

Three Hillend Broonies!

Today Monday the 12th of May I was out on the boat at Hillend again. It was a bit breezy with a brisk east wind blowing right down the loch.

Despite not having my elusive drogue I ventured out onto the loch about half past ten and set up with my sink tip line with my uv lure on the point and a Kate on the dropper.  I motored down the loch to the Eastercroft bay and drifted into the moss. I hooked a fish on my first drift but sadly the fish broke me and made off with my Kate McLaren which was on my top dropper.It was then that I realised I had forgotten to take my net out on the boat and wondered how I would manage without it. However I coped. I had another drift in the same area but the wind was troublesome as the boat was drifting too quick.

So I decided to head over to the back bay where I thought it might not be so exposed. This proved to be the correct decision. I started my drift in the mound area and the wind took me over to the big moss hole. However on the way over there I hooked and landed a beaut of a brown trout which was fooled by my black uv lure. I ended that drift with a snag near the fence post which sticks out the water over there. I lost the whole leader. So I set up another and went back down the east end of the loch again and made the same drift This time I landed another brown trout though this time not so big but it was a wee beauty with its silvery flanks and black spots. I next moved to Lowe’s bay where the bay was sheltered and saw several fish taking small black flies from the surface. I changed to my floater and tied on two black peacock spiders however I had no success.

So it was back to the sink tip, lure and Kate as I started another drift from the east end towards the Island. Again I fooled another broonie again with the lure and once again it was on the small side. But as you can see they are in pristine condition.

I made several more drifts in various locations without further success before calling it a day about 3pm.

In summary, I had another wonderful and very enjoyable day on the boat at the loch which I fully intend to do again as soon as I can. Oh! and I better get a new drogue!