Saturday 27 July 2013

Friday night @ the Black Loch

 



 
Last night I made my long awaited first visit to the Black Loch. I had been meaning to fish this venue for a couple of months now after hearing all about the good reports from it although I had heard these last few weeks have been difficult, probably due to the high temperatures and bright sunshine.
Scott and I booked an evening session on the boat from 5pm to 10pm. We fished for a few hours trying different areas of the loch without success apart from one moment when Scott got a savage take and the fish broke his three fly cast.
It wasn't until around 9pm when the real fish action started. fish were heading and tailing and rising to various flies on the surface. We decided to gink up our flies and pull them across the surface but we soon realised that the trout seemed to like to have a go at them when we left them static on the surface.
We had numerous takes and rises to our flies for the rest of the evening, Scott was first to net a fish it took his dry sedge pattern with an almighty splash and the fight was on. The fish weighed in at an impressive 3lb.
Still the takes and rises continued until eventually I managed to hook and net my first trout from the Black Loch. The trout weighed in at 2lb and was fooled by a G&H Sedge fished static in the surface film. a short time after I hooked and landed my second trout of the evening another fish around the 2lb mark which was fooled by my dropper fly which was a daddy long legs. It was beginning to get dark when we decided to motor the boat back to base and report that the boat caught three fish, two for the Dabbler and One for the Tiddler.

Saturday 20 July 2013

The Curse of the Tattie Bogals!








I knew that Skye is not a great fly fishing destination so was surprised when my friends decided on a few days away there this summer for our annual fishing trip.
Never the less, accommodation and fishing was booked so off we went leaving Lanarkshire early on Tuesday morning The drive to Skye was uneventful but as we approached our accommodation along the road between Carbost and Portnalong it was like a scene from the Wicker Man with Tattie Bogals lying at the side of the road and propped up on garden seats and even in a bus shelter. I was half expecting Lord Summerisle himself to welcome us at our digs and tell us that the apple harvest had failed.
Thankfully there was no sign of him but we did have a Tattie Bogal named Lily the Pink sitting outside our But n Ben for the duration of our stay.
Well something must have failed, apples or otherwise because the fishing was disappointing to say the least. So if you are reading this expecting to read tales of a great fishing experience turn off as there wasn’t much fishing action to write about.
On the day of our arrival we settled into our digs got organised fed and watered then travelled to Portree to pick up the permits and key for the boat to fish the Storr Lochs. On the drive from Portnalong we never saw much in the way of scenery as Skye is not named the misty Isle for nothing
The Storr Lochs are two lochs, Loch Fada and Loch Leathan connected together by a small burn set in a spectacular setting beneath the Old Man of Storr. The view from the loch might be one of the grandest but the fishing in stark contrast was probably the dourest I have experienced.
Tam had decided we would fish Leathan but when we arrived at the boat moorings the wind was whipping right down the loch at a speed that would have made going afloat far too dangerous. So reluctantly we had to abandon all notions of going out on the boat and decided to walk to an area where we could get the wind behind our back and fish from the shore. We fished for a few hours but the wind was playing havoc with our casting. Tam caught one small trout on a loch ordie and turned another two. I caught one trout but it got off as I brought it ashore and I had about another half dozen turns and takes. Scott didn’t even bother fishing he was just happy to sit on the bank and watch us struggle with the fishing. So that was Tuesday evening
 As we headed back to the digs we drove by the Loch Fadda and because of where it’s situated it wasn’t affected by the wind too much and actually looked very fishable so much so there was actually two boats out on the loch.
Next day we went sea fishing as all the boats were booked for the local angling club. So off we went to Neist Point on the recommendation of Tam. We walked into the mist to the lighthouse and down a steep track on the edge of the cliffs to various rocky locations. After a few hours we gave up none of us caught a single thing. I thought we were driving home but Tam and Scott had decided to turn left when I expected right and we arrived at sea loch called Poolteil. We set up with feathers as we were getting desperate for a fish. Tam caught two Coalies on his first cast but nothing else after several hours of fishing. I eventually caught three Mackerel and two Coalies. Scott had given up and was talking to a couple of divers who were camped nearby. Once we had scunnered ourselves with the fishing off we went again driving through the mist back to the digs and as we passed Carbost I suggested why not just fish from the small pier there as we might get some mackerel there. My idea fell on deaf ears. So it was back at the but n ben for a shower, dinner, drinks and bed.
Next morning Tam and Scott went off sea fishing, they said they would be back in the afternoon about three o clock as we intended returning to the Storr Lochs. After pottering about the digs I walked down to the jetty with my rod and some spinners on the off chance of a couple of mackerel. I then moved over among the rocks and much to my surprise I caught my one and only fish, a good sized Pollack. Not bad for about an hour’s fishing. Just as I was about to head back up the road to the digs a local fisherman returned from the sea with a few boxes of langoustines and crabs. It was good to get talking to a local bout the area and about fishing and the wildlife etc. I told him my friends were sea fishing down the coast a bit and he told me he had seen them and pointed out where they were. I thought it ironic when he told me the best place for mackerel around here was from the pier at Carbost, oh how I laughed to myself when I thought of my earlier suggestion to Tam and Scott which was dismissed. By now the weather was changing it was actually getting sunny and the mist was clearing. Happily I walked back to the digs with my capture. I sat outside enjoying the sun with a few glass of Morgan’s spice and the Mike Harding Folk podcast for company.
When the sea fishers came back it was another story of woe with just four Mackies and two or three coalies caught for several hours of fishing.
After dinner we set off for Portree to pick up the permits and key for the boat. I suggested that we fish Fada instead of Leathan but like many of my suggestions on this trip that idea was rejected and so once again we fished Leathan this time from the boat. The three of us got in the boat and motored up to the far end of the loch. The plan was for one of us to take turns at fishing from the bank while the other two fished from the boat. Scott was on the bank first and caught a trout right away which was fooled by a bibio. And so that was that no more fish were caught and we only saw a couple of rises. We fished until just before midnight and had to chase the ripple as the wind ceased near the end of the night.
Three very disappointed anglers returned to Portnalong that night. The trip was over I don’t think I’ll be back fishing on Skye. Next morning after breakfast we went home.
My big fear before going to Skye was the midges as I had a horrendous time there with them whilst on holiday a few years ago. This time I had no such trouble but I hadn’t contemplated the Curse of the Tattie Bogals!

Sunday 14 July 2013

Black & White Ordies


Off for a few days away on a Herbridean Fishing trip this week and as ever my mate Tam always wants me to tie some flies for him and it was no surprise to me that he wanted a Loch Ordie Variant. He must have a box full of Ordie variants because every time we go away that's what he wants . This time as you can see he wanted a black and white version.
And who can blame him for wanting  these patterns as every fishing trip we have went over the last few years these patterns appear to out fish all out other fly patterns. Here's hoping these will do the trick this time too.

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Advantage! The Fish






Conditions weren't ideal in fact it was outrageously silly to be out fishing in the warmest day of the year at Hillend. As I walked across the jetty to prepare the boat I noticed  a big shoal of perch basking in the sunshine. Regardless of the blazing sun I went afloat at Hillend about 5pm and headed right up to the west end of the loch. It wasn't long before I got my first bite.... A bloody cleg bit me on the side of the face and it nipped.
I drifted down to the island but the drift was extremely slow as there wasn't much wind. Nothing doing in that drift I manoeuvred the boat over to the Eastercroft bay where I hooked and lost my only fish of the session. It was a brown trout of about 1lb in weight which was fooled by a wee silver bodied wet daddy but as I was getting my net ready to land him he managed to throw the hook, agggggh! but I'm counting it!
Encouraged I fished on for quite a bit in this area but I wasn't really drifting because of the lack of wind I just had to keep motoring the boat around until I decided to try somewhere else. But before I departed the Eastercroft bay I felt my line go heavy but something wasn't quite right because as I retrieved my line I knew this wasn't a fish. Would you believe that the day after a historic day at Wimbledon I hooked a decaying damn tennis ball! from Hillend Loch.I suppose I deserved that for fishing a lure! Advantage to the fish I got the hell out of there and went over to the Big Moss Hole by this time much to my surprise the wind had picked up a bit so I managed a good drift right down past the Shields burn but no success fish wise. I then tried various drifts at the back of the woods before trying the island in front of the woods. Before I finished I tried the boathouse bay but again without success. It was about 10.30pm when I hooked the boat to the jetty.
A very disappointing session in which I lost and hooked one fish and only saw about half a dozen rises which was surprising as there was quite an abundance of fly life around. Ah! well hopefully my trip to Skye next week will be more productive.

Tuesday 2 July 2013

The Junction 6 Spider

 
 
Today when I was at my work I came across this poor bird by the side of the road. I'm assuming its a buzzard , someone can correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway never one to let the chance of procuring feathers for the purpose of flytying I managed to fill a couple of zip bags. Here's the first fly I've tied from the feathers I found on the A8. I might as well name the pattern The Junction 6 Spider.

The Sharp & Gentles Way.

I've recently been attending the Sharp & Gentles Flytying Club and thoroughly enjoy my visits there. Im already benefitting and le...