Argyll Trout Fisher

It was with mixed feelings that I arrived at Loch Ascog on a late September day to round off another season. It’s a place I miss greatly during the closed months.

The surroundings were as magnificent as usual as I took them in – blue sky framed dramatic clouds and a fresh North westerly gave the sense of change in the season.
The practicalities of a morning fishing session took me out of the moment as I baled out the boat that was close to sinking with accumulated rain water. It took almost an hour to make ready for use but as a club member it’s a duty that has to be fulfilled.

Eventually I cast off rowing into a stiff wind as I made for the calmer west side of the loch. I had set up two of my most treasured outfits- Colonsay Fly fibatube rods of 8 and 8.5 feet both 6 weights – one with a floater, the other an intermediate. I had teamed these rare fly rods with vintage Daiwa fly reels and opted for two fly set ups due to the wind. The floater had a Goat’s Toe on the dropper and a Bibio Cruncher on point, the intermediate a bushy black spider with silver rib fished above a Bibio Muddler.

Starting with the intermediate set up I fished the far NW corner area that was protected a little from the breeze. It was noticeably colder than usual and the margins were dotted with falling and fallen leaves. This first part of my session produced nothing and I was struggling to stay in the fish zone as the wind propelled me out across the loch. After repositioning the boat several times I eventually contacted with a fish on the Bibio Muddler. A strong wild fish around the 3/4 lb mark was netted and carefully returned.

I went ashore for tea and a sandwich and to take in the view, filling my visual memory to sustain me through the winter.

Post lunch I switched to the floating set up but too fast drifts and no surface action followed. After more tea I eventually settled on a good drift line across the northern bay maybe 20 feet from shore. It looked good and I fished carefully with anticipation but it was not until I reached the far side at the end of the drift that I hit another decent fish – another wild fish of similar size to my first on the Bibio Cruncher. The strong wind was blowing me towards a rocky shore as I played this strong fish and I was happy to net it and guide the boat ashore before reaching the protruding crags. The second fish of the session was again carefully returned and swam off strongly.

It had been fitting ending to my season on Ascog and I looked forward to returning with the Swifts next spring.

ATF

I usually become very aware of the countdown to the season’s end around this time. This year’s trout season lost almost 3 months to lockdown and it seems what we did get has flown in. This year of course conditions permitting I will be able to fish until the end of October on Loch Eck, but their will only be a few more brown trout fishing trips.

In contrast to these end of season thoughts my visit to the Upper Powder Dam in late August saw the sunshine and high temperatures of a summer morning along with our old friend the midgies!

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The forecast was for the wind to pick up from the NW but the early morning saw me chasing the swirling breeze. I had two outfits with me – a vintage US 8.5ft rod on a rare Harnel blank paired with a pristine Hardy Viscount 150 and a size 8 Hardy floater for dries and an 8ft vintage Craddock rod with a Shakespeare Beaulite loaded with a No. 6 intermediate line. I have developed a real soft spot for these outfits this season all picked up for a fraction of their worth.

I started on dry fly carefully presenting size 16’s at the edge of the reed bed and provoked a bit of interest but nothing solid. After a change of drift but still just off the reeds the green bodied Klinkhammer was slowly sucked under the surface. I raised the rod and connected with a beautiful half pounder that dived strongly for the reeds several times before coming to the net.

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Content I reached for my tea flask and enjoyed the warm sunshine and tranquility of my surroundings. A second cup and the wind had begun to pickup re the forecast. I started again with the other set up with a bushy Goat’s Toe up top and a Black Zulu as my point fly. An early firm rattle saw my hopes rise but the wind was now dragging the anchor and fishing became difficult. I headed for the far shore where there is a point that is fishable from the shore and it was from there I eventually got another smaller trout.

With travelling time and imminent afternoon care duties for my son I had got to the end of another half day session and rowed back to the mooring against a stiff breeze. As ever I had enjoyed my trip and hope for perhaps one more before the season end.

ATF

It had been too long . Closed season followed by pandemic restrictions had meant that I had not visited beautiful Loch Ascog for 9 months. I love the surroundings and tranquility of this wee loch and it rarely fails to engross me as I fly fish for its small but beautiful wild brown trout.
Another bright and hot day had been forecast with relatively light winds and I decided an early start and a half day morning session would be best. Conditions and tactics aside shorter sessions are becoming my preference as I appear to be tiring physically more these days. Awoken by my Labrador Bailey at 5 am I was away soon after. The morning was still cool and beautiful as I prepared my tackle and the boat but the lighter than expected wind was encouraging the midgies worryingly.

As usual I took two outfits with me. One very light – 7 ft Pflueger Carbon 4 wt with an unused very neat little Daiwa Reel loaded with a 4 wt floater. I put a size 14 dry black gnat on the point and Bibio hopper on the dropper.

The other outfit was an 8ft Shakespeare glass rod that is incredibly easy to use teamed up with a BFR rimfly with an 8 wt midge tip line. On this I fished a Kate McLaren and a Blae and Black.

I was soon among rising trout on a now flat calm loch. The fish were not particularly interested in my offerings and appeared to be wary. I decided to wait and see if the wind would materialise and contented myself with watching the numerous swallows and a buzzard hunting high overhead.
I had a couple of movements to the light setup but they stopped short of any type of connection. A wind of sorts had arrived from a SE direction and rippled the far corner of the loch towards the meadow. I rowed across and gave it a try. It looked promising but still nothing. I was at the point when common sense tells you to retrieve your line and row out again or end up in the reeds. Simultaneously my fishing sense said this area looks good have another cast. Well I did of course and bang a brownie hit the wee black gnat. It felt great on the light tackle and despite being just a half pounder was taking a bit of playing on the wee rod. Moments later I hit the reeds and became aware of the low tree branches and a power line above that. Let’s just say I’m glad I was not being filmed for an episode of Hooked on Fishing. I eventually managed to slip the net under this lively wee fish and reflect on the need to bring an anchor next time.

After a cup of tea the forecast wind arrived in the form of a moderate N.Easterly that made for short, fast drifts and tiring rows back out. Nevertheless I persevered and another couple of small trout came to the Kate McLaren and Blae and Black on the heavier rod. As the sun rose higher the heat, brightness and pollen count all increased and I headed for the boat hut.

A short while back I acquired my first vintage cane fly rod. I’ve enjoyed exploring and revisiting different materials used for fishing rods and have found positive and negative factors of all styles. I have a couple of old solid glass spinning rods that are robust and reliable , Carbon that is super light and hollow glass fly rods that have become my preference.
Cane though had not really featured on my radar. It was problematic and high maintenance, prone to warping, could become brittle and likely to break. When a second hand rod dealer with a good eye for decent vintage rods at an affordable cost offered a vintage Japanese cane rod for not a lot of cash I decided to take a punt. The rod was a cheap mass produced cane rod from the 1960’s with the Olympic brand on it. This company had links with Seiko/ Daiwa as far as I know and Japanese vintage tackle is generally of a good quality in my experience. The seller described the rod as a good one and it came with three top sections – 2 for the fly rod and one that made a short general purpose rod without the middle section.

When the rod arrived it was indeed a nice little rod. It required a varnish and a small tidy up of one or two of it’s whippings, but crucially it was straight and the fly rod did indeed have a very enticing feel to it. After completing the work I acquired a decent rod bag and tube for it and awaited a chance to use it.
Last week I finally got to use the cane rod after partial easing of the Covid 19 lockdown. My first trip out was to a quite remote hill loch that I had wanted to fish for a while. My fitness is not what it was and I have been walking regularly to try to improve this. It was a hike of 4 or 5 miles to get there but for the effort you get truly spectacular surroundings and the tranquility of being in a wild place. I love this aspect of hill loch fishing in Argyll.

With my cane rod slung over my shoulder in its new case I covered the miles slowly but steadily on a beautiful late spring morning. It felt great to be able to get into the hills , follow a map and cope with the climb comfortably.
On arrival at the Lochan I was struck by the magnificence of my setting and by the strength of the
NW wind that was funnelled through the crags producing a good wave on the water and a chill factor I had not anticipated on such a beautiful day.
I set up in eager anticipation expecting to move a wild trout quickly. The rod looked and felt great and the 4 weight floater was effortless to cast.

However the anticipated take never happened right away. At an elevated altitude the season unfurls slower and although late May it felt earlier than that on this Lochan. Changing the point fly from a Zulu to a Doobry I moved down the bank a little.
Two wild geese and a diver were watching me , a rare visitor, with caution and interest. As I was watching them the ferocious take came out of the blue and I connected with a lively half pounder. The wee rod seemed perfect for this type of sport and arched gracefully as the trout dived. After a short but strong fight the fish was carefully landed, quickly snapped and slipped back into it’s remote Lochan. Satisfied I finally sat down and had a break, feeling that all was well in my world again !
I fished a couple of hours , landed one more similar fish and lost a few others. Conscious of the long trek back and the persistent wind I was happy and content to leave this special place but vowing to myself that I would be back.
All the elements of my favourite fishing had been experienced in a great day out.

Whether any further fishing will happen this year is unclear but doubtful, and this is rightly so as we all try to survive the Coronavirus Pandemic. The frustration of not being able to fish after a long closed season is of course nothing compared to the gravity of the life and death situation we find ourselves in. It is essential that we anglers respect the rules and by behaving responsibly and carefully there will be other seasons I hope and pray.

   I was fortunate enough to get a couple of short outings last week before the current restrictions. I have access to some new waters this year having joined my local club and it was to one of them I went eager with anticipation. Normally I would wait till a bit later to start fly fishing but a mixture of anticipation and concern took me out to the wee Lochan to kick off my season earlier than usual. My first visit was a little desperate as the weather was fairly awful. Blustery with continuous rain , the wind was blowing straight down the Lochan away from the shelter and safety of the boat hut. The water was new to me although I had fished it a good number of years before. I only managed a few casts before realising that my eagerness had saw me underestimate the conditions. I returned to the boat house and put it down to the first of many ‘school days’ I tend to need before achieving any level of competence on a water. My second foray onto the water saw me approach it with more caution. Even this early there are weed beds to negotiate and shallows to pinpoint and in today’s weather drifts that were again a bit too fast to fish fully. I was also experimenting with the best outfit to use. I usually take two setups if boat fishing on my own. The 10 footer with an 8 line was in retrospect a little heavy ! I collect vintage tackle and the 8 foot E.R. Craddock I had recently acquired for buttons was lovely to cast and appeared perfectly adequate even in a fresh wind. I was encouraged to see quite a few fish moving and a hatch of olives so early in the season. Foolishly I had not brought a floating line, imagining a couple of sinkers and an intermediate would be appropriate a few days into the Brown Trout season in Scotland . Having had no offers to a Bibio, Kate McLaren, Zulu’s , Black Pennel and a Damsel I tried a wee black spider with a blae wing and had some immediate responses. A couple of wee pulls were followed by a lively if small Brownie  to open my account for the year. Having reached the top of the Lochan I repositioned the boat to have another go at what had been a good drift. Drifting smartly over a clump of weed and shallow water gave me a fleeting few casts at where some trout were clearly feeding, just where the water deepened. Bang ! The same fly in the same place followed by a decent fight from a half pounder in very good condition. 

  I carefully returned the fish to the water and all too soon my session was over. Given other commitments and the ever freshening wind and rain this had been a short but satisfying early season outing.
Whether it will be the one and only outing for this season time will tell.

Argyll Trout Fisher.

As another season draws to a close I managed one last trip on Tuesday. The forecast was for a bright day with a fresh north easterly wind – not the best – but my last opportunity of 2019. Given the nature of the wind I opted to bank fish the lower Powder Dam. My thinking being that despite the wind at least one bank would be able to be fished. Besides I like the surroundings and solitude at this furthest away end of the water.

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!

 

 

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Like many of us I tend to be convinced life was better in the past. Looking back through ‘rose tinted glasses’ is an easy mode to slip into. As a boy I was the keenest of anglers with a real drive to learn and discover as much as I could. I was fit , single minded and slightly obsessed about catching fish. I saved up for the best tackle I could afford ( Winfield gear featuring prominently) and often swapped or attempted to improve or modify my gear.

On returning to angling some 20 to 30 years later I shouldn’t have been surprised at how tackle has changed. The many innovations that have changed fishing and made it easier in some ways are to be commended and embraced, but I have struggled to take to many sleek, modern, mass produced items of tackle. I don’t like change apparently. Well it’s just if something isn’t broken why fix it ?

As a boy I funded my fishing by delivering newspapers and channeling any other money I was given into saving for the best I could realistically obtain. This didn’t stop me pouring through the catalogues of the major tackle companies and dreaming! In the 70’s and 80’s I looked at the older fishermen with Barbour jackets, waders, Hardy rods, Mitchell reels, Abu Ambassadeurs and held on to the belief I would get these things in time. In truth not having these items never stopped me catching fish a plenty and being junior champion on a few occasions also.

Little did I know then that as an adult and parent comes additional responsibilities and costs and these days since returning to angling in earnest, it is still within a budget. When out of curiosity I began looking online for some of the type of tackle I had always coveted I arrived in the world of Ebay! Without much effort I have tracked down many of the items I had always wanted, generally at a very agreeable cost. My only difficulty has been not buying too much!

The fact is that the last generation of anglers who bought quality tackle generally recognised it as such and looked after it. Sadly when their offspring clear out their loved ones possessions ( is there anything sadder than your children not wanting or valuing your precious fishing tackle?) it has lost not just sentimental value.

I have therefore become the custodian of many items of well built and designed items of tackle that I try to cherish as their original owners did.

For less than £10 it is often possible to acquire a no nonsense general purpose spinning rod produced by for example Milbro and team it with a basic and reliable fixed spool Mitchell reel. They may not be fancy and shiny but they will be as good as anything money can buy in terms of function and durability. They have character in abundance also!

On arrival at the water today things didn’t look promising. The rain was chucking it down , there was virtually no wind and the midgies were clearly having their end of season celebrations. Oh and the boat was 2/3’s full of rainwater. I considered my options over a cuppa under the cover of the car’s hatchback door. It was inevitable I knew that I would have a go. It took an hour or so to put on waterproofs, set up the rods , retrieve the boat, bale it and load it up. The midgies had left their mark on me but as I rowed way from the mooring I felt encouraged by the beginnings of a westerly wind.

I started with a floating line with a team of three flies – Blue Loch Ordie, Bibio and a Daddy on the point. My second rod had an intermediate line and a small lure, that I do not know the name of – a long brown hackle over a silver ribbed Black seals fur body. The intermediate was a size 7 Cortland 444 Camo line that I had acquired via eBay in brand new condition. It’s a pleasure to cast and must be one of the best lines I’ve used. I love a bargain and am happy to use decent 2nd hand gear rather than rushing to buy new gear. I hate our throwaway society but that’s a whole other post.

I dropped anchor off a reed bed and began. The wind had not settled and the boat moved round as I cast. Everything looked good but nothing showed any interest in my team of wet flies. I gave it half an hour then switched tactics to the intermediate and single lure. This produced a couple of half hearted pulls and a follow from what I think was an unconvinced rainbow trout. The wind was setting in to the moderate westerly that had been expected and I moved further along the weed bed and dropped anchor once more. I continued with the lure but nothing. Switching to the floating line set up again I missed a lively rattle that I cursed myself for. Then nothing as the wind dropped. I poured more tea and took in my surroundings. I always find this water absorbing. I lay back and watched a buzzard soaring above me – magic!

I decided on a change of lure and tried a small green Damsel with an orange bead.

The Damsel produced another follow and a firm thump but ultimately nothing more. Today was to be a short session due to family commitments so after a quick sandwich I decided to try a team of wets on the intermediate line. A Blue Zulu up top, Kate McLaren in the middle and a Bloody Butcher on the point. After a couple of casts I moved a fish and a few casts later I was finally in. A solid sub surface hit on the edge of the reed bed was followed by a hard diving fight from a wild brownie around the half pound mark. It had taken the Blue Zulu, an old favourite and it was good to get a trout in the net finally.

As the clock ran down I had no further success but as always I had enjoyed my few hours in this special place away from the hustle and bustle. In my first full season on these waters every day is a school day!

Conditions- moderate warm southerly wind, overcast with brighter spells, turning wet.

Tactics – Fly rod 1- floating line, team of 3 wets , Loch Ordie (top) , Bibio Cruncher, (middle) Mayfly Nymph. (Point).

Fly rod 2- Intermediate line, Damsel Nymph.

I arrived at Loch Ascog around 9.30am, having dropped my oldest son at school and after a cup of tea , I set up and was in the boat before 10am.

I started as I usually do by trying the bays to the right of the boat house at the north end of the loch. The wind being quite strong at this point was drifting me inshore a bit too quickly and in a final hurried last cast before repositioning I had my first offer of the day. A powerful take on the Bibio and a sizeable splash momentarily appear to suggest a decent fish. ( maybe an elusive rainbow) Alas the line went slack almost instantly. An encouraging start within 10 minutes nonetheless but the  realised the Bibio was gone! I was annoyed that a fish was off most likely with a fly in it’s mouth. I take full responsibility for this and can only imagine the knot failed or I had missed a flaw in the leader. It was a sharp reminder of the duty of care responsible anglers have towards their quarry and I will strive to make sure this does not happen again.

After very carefully putting on another Bibio , I checked all knots and the leader before resuming. I hit another fish soon after a bit further into the bay. It was a beautiful, hard fighting wild brown trout, north of half a pound and in lovely condition. It had taken the top dropper, a size 12 Loch Ordie.

I had several rises and lost one small fish as the wind picked up. I stopped and went ashore to stretch my legs and have a sandwich and more tea. I then decided to row back across the loch and fish the western shore that had some protection from the wind by the fir trees. I haven’t fished here much but the bay to the immediate left of the boat hut produced a solid connection almost immediately on the mayfly Nymph but this fish got off very soon after. After a quiet half hour I switched to the intermediate line on the other rod and in deep bit of the loch just off the forested shore I hit another fish , this time on the damsel Nymph. It came to the net after a short but strong fight , another brownie of about half a pound, gently returned. The wind had started to drop and I made my way to the southern end of the loch where a few fish were showing. I came ashore for a comfort break and more tea and managed to trip on the bank and get a muddy backside and a boot full of water form my trouble. I decided to have a go on the shore and almost immediately hit  a fish on the Bibio that managed to slip the hook also. Back afloat the rain had started to come down quite steadily and the wind was coming and going. I was struggling to make a plan and stick to it as  wind swirled. As I continued to assess my options I continued to cast but with less focus when bang I hit an aggressive brownie on the Bibio. It was of average size and was safely and carefully returned. I was getting a real soaking now as the rain persisted and the wind continued to fluctuate. I made my way back up the loch having a go with both rods in turn. A couple more of pulls and another small brownie on the mayfly Nymph and I decided to  call it a day.

It had been another interesting day I felt as I trekked soggily back to the car.

As a boy I was quite literally fishing mad. From hand line fishing and spinning on the Clyde I graduated to trout fishing in small dams, rivers and lochs. In time fly fishing for brown trout became easily my favourite type of angling and this developed into hill loch fishing for wild fish.

  Alas as an adult fishing’s grip on me lessened due to university studies, career and family commitments. When I turned 50 last year I realised that I wanted to do more of what I actually wanted to do and as my kids were getting older I slowly turned back to my love of fishing and fly fishing in particular. Well to say I still had the bug somewhat has proved to be something of an understatement. Fishing is back in my life big time and with an intensity I had underestimated. This blog will attempt to share some of the rekindled passion I have for angling. I hope it is of some interest to others.

 As a footnote let me say right at the start, I am not an expert and with fishing every day is a school day, but boy do I love it all.