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.

When it comes to the crunch!

As always fly fishing and flytying is never far from my mind so when I had some spare time at lunchtime today I tied a couple of flies. I don't like to call it a cruncher as some folks get their knickers in a twist when the pattern is not exactly tied with the so called correct materials. This always makes me laugh. I tie for pleasure and sometimes I will just tie which ever materials are at hand. There are many variants of the cruncher out there so this is just one of my variations.

There's been a lot of talk recently on forums and magazines about these patterns. I must say I haven't used this fly for a few years but might find a time to utilise them this season at some point. I have so many fly patterns to try but as usual will end up using the tried and tested ones but when its comes to the crunch its always nice to try something new.

A Rainbow in the Sunshine

Woke up this morning and took the wife to work. I then went home made a packed lunch and went up off to the Lily Loch again.
The weather was a lot better than yesterday though it was notably windier and still cold despite the nice sunshine.
I made my way round to the bailiff hut then went up the far west of the loch. The conditions underfoot were gloriously muddy and very slippy.
I reached the top bay and had a look around for any sign of fish activity, Nothing was showing. Then after about fifteen minutes or so I hooked and landed a nice rainbow trout on one of my lure patterns which I recently tied. It was a yellow dancer of sorts.
After a quick photo call I slipped the trout back into the loch. Pleased that I had captured my first trout of the season I fished on a little longer and tried along the shore of the bay and then had a few casts in the square bay but I never encountered anymore fish.
I then spent a leisurely couple of hours just walking  round the loch stopping here and there for photos and just sat enjoying the spring sunshine.
It was great to spend a few hours up the hill from Hillend at the Lily today in the spring sunshine especially after the bleak day I had there yesterday.

An Eventful Weekend

As the title says these last few days I  experienced an eventful weekend. First of all I visited the GAC open day on Friday and had a chat and watched some tying demos which were very interesting and helpful from a couple of the tyers namely Allan Liddle and Jim Lees. Alan concentrates on loch flies while Jim's preference is river flies.I got a couple of flies from both tyers . I especially liked and found Jim's fly to be very interesting. It was a spent march Brown which looks deadly and apparently is. I'm gonna try tying something similar even though its not normally the style I tie.

After spending a couple of hours at the demos I bought some tying odds and ends then went back to the car which wouldn't start. It was a bloody nightmare but the RAC came along and made a minor repair which was a big relief.

Then today I visited the Lily Loch for a few hours as it opened for the season yesterday. 

My time at the lily today left me piscatorally challenged but I did manage to conjure up some pics despite the lily looking rather bleak today.

As the weather took a turn for the worse with heavy rain I called it a day early so off I went and walked up and over the hill and when I was almost back at the car I suddenly realised I left my fly reel on the bench at the hut. So off I went back up and over the hill to fetch my reel in the pouring rain. Thankfully my reel was still there and off I went again up and over the hill; and back to the car. I suppose the exercise will do me good..

Then I decided to make the short drive to the Hillend Lodge for a nice warm cup of soup but when I got there the lodge was closed.

 Feeling annoyed I just drove home as I knew we were having roast chicken and I couldn't help but thinking that knowing my luck this weekend Val would have burnt it. But there was no need for alarm as the chicken was lovely.