I left home in bright but breezy conditions and as I drove up Glen Lean the light and blue sky were inspiring. Keeping a close eye on the twisting , single track road I noticed a buzzard hunting directly overhead. At the same moment the radio played a small tribute to the wonderful soprano Jessye Norman , who had died sadly. The soaring voice was a perfect match to the bird of prey hunting over the Glen. It was a beautiful and poignant moment and I hoped an omen for a noteworthy last trip of the season!
When I arrived at the water I immediately noticed that the strength and direction of the wind was fluctuating quite a bit , a characteristic that lasted the whole day despite the forecast. I set off carefully and steadily from the car to the far end. The ground was rough, wet and muddy and progress was slow. Due to the variation of the wind I set up and began fishing some distance before the area I had planned to cover. I started with a WF 8 Sinker on a recently acquired vintage 8.5 foot Diawa rod with a team of two small muddlers, one was based on a Loch Ordie , the other had a silver body , a touch of blue and a tail. The first hour was very quiet. The line was a faster sinker than I remembered and the point muddler was picking up a wee bit of weed now and then. I stopped for tea and to take in my glorious surroundings before heading for the far end where a burn came in and the water is deeper. It had got unseasonably warm as I started fishing again and I took off some layers. The wind was coming and going and I decided to set up the other rod with a floater, anticipating the possibility of some surface feeding.
it is truly surprising how often a days fishing turns out different from expected due to the conditions. I fished in bright , warm sunlight in a near flat calm for a long period. Having resorted back to the Sinking set up I decided on a few more casts before lunch.
I was working the muddlers parallel with the bank in the deeper part of the water, hoping to entice fish lying under the bank in the shade. I felt the slightest of tugs , then nothing, before a ferocious thump on the bottom muddler. The rod bucked wildly as the fish made a very powerful dive under the bank about 10 yards further down from where I stood. The reel – a vintage Roddy (American) Hardy Clone – screamed as the line shot from it. I realised that this was not the usual smallish Brown Trout of the water but something a good bit bigger. The ensuing fight consisted of strong direct runs back to deeper water every time a little ground was made. I eventually got a first look at a Rainbow trout of somewhere around the 3lbs mark. The fish was part of the stocking from June I reckon and this particular one seemed well acclimatised to the Dam and was in great condition.
Typically of stocked Rainbows the fish tired quicker than a wild fish and appeared devoid of ideas beyond it’s energy sapping runs. After no more than 10 minutes I had been able to draw it to the net and land it carefully in the grass. I quickly removed the hook from the scissors and after a quick snap returned it to the water without lifting it from the net. The old Diawa had performed well and it was a good feeling to put it and the old reel back into active service.
The rest of the day proved fruitless and I did quite a bit of sitting on the bank drinking tea. It had been a memorable last day of the season. The autumn/ winter closed season is going to be difficult I think but as I look forward to next year I can reflect on many fulfilling days. Roll on the spring!
Argyll Trout Fisher 