Friday 16 August 2019

Best days fishing


The best days fishing.
On Christmas morning I unwrapped a present of three miniature bottles of port. I saw an opportunity for a port, cheese and crackers style picnic for three anglers in June. Five months to go and a lot of winter evenings looking at the OS maps and finally planning some days in search of trout. Fly boxes were re-loaded with freshly created designs and plenty of old favourites.


In 2018 my brother Graham and I had fished four days on the lochs looked after by the Forsinard Flyfishers. We sensed that this was an area of immense potential and were returning for six or seven days and staying locally in a cottage overlooking the river
Halladale.
Our friend Michel from Belgium who has accompanied us on many holidays was joining us. We booked our six days online with the Forsinard Flyfishers and looked forward to some new waters. We arrived on the first day of June and it looked as though the weather was getting better towards the end of the week and so Friday was nominated as our cheese and port picnic day.


 The forecast proved correct; it was warm, sunny with a gentle southern breeze. The week up until Friday had been a bag of mixed fortunes. Eight trout over a pound with half of these, two pound plus, a lost salmon and some very lively trout that decided to release themselves early! 

The plan was to fish up to four medium size lochs with a round trip of just under five miles. Many of the lochs in this area have boggy areas near the edge of the loch, so much so that I had lost the entire sole of one of my wading boots earlier in the week. Our starter loch was no exception to this trait. Graham headed to the north end, myself in the middle whilst Michel chose the southern end. I cast out a trusty sedgehog and on the second cast on the edge of the ripple it was ‘fish on’. The trout powered its way across the loch and I was convinced that I had hooked a glass case. My ghillies arrived as the fish tired and was coaxed into the net. The hook was in the gill plate which explained the ferocity of the fight.

First fish of the day at 50cm





Peter with his Gillie “Michel”






What a great start. Graham tempted three nice size trout to bushy wets whilst Michel, an expert with a muddler landed another three respectable fish. I had one 10cm smaller than my first and so with eight fish all over a pound we decided to move on and visit loch two. 
It was lunchtime as we arrived on what was the smallest loch of our chosen four. In the Highlands there are plenty of days when a sandwich and a beer suffice, but today pate, soft cheese crackers and tomatoes washed down with my miniature ports was just the ticket. In fact could the day get any better?

After lunch Graham decided to push on and fish the loch furthest south while our friend and I fished the ‘picnic loch’. During lunch we had seen no activity but as we started fishing Michel had spotted a feeding fish. It rose to his muddler but missed it, he attached a medium sized stimulator and cast it and this seemed to be the filet steak the trout was looking for. At once I realised that this was a good fish and assumed the position of ghillie. Having once seen the fish jump clear we both knew it needed to be played and netted expertly. After one or two tense moments it was in the net, measured, a couple of quick photos and returned. 57cm and my estimate was 4lbs 8oz or thereabouts. I saw one other rise very close to the bank and I wondered whether I had hooked a feeding fish near the bank?




Michel with his 4 ½ lb trout at 57cm “fantastic and worthy of the Big Fish title”










“I left the guys at Lochside and trudged across the burnt landscape, we had thought that the fire had been some months before but was told in the bar that evening that the whole area was burning for days and only three weeks ago. The blackened heather stalks scratched the hell out of my boots and gaiters but also left a small loch look very daunting with all its banks black as coal. I fished it as there was an amazing amount of fly life on the water but no sign of any fish.


The 3rd loch had a different look to it with reedy banks and no fire damage around the fringes. Fish were rising all over the place and I changed my bushy flies for something a lot smaller to imitate the nymphs they seem to be chasing.


 It was difficult fishing as they were fussier than your average riser but tempted a very fat 38cm fish at a corner hot spot. I hooked many more of a similar size over the next hour and netted a further three fish all 38cm and around the 2lb mark. They were all well fed, plump and gave one hell of a fight. The ¾ bottle of port and cheese that I had brought up for lunch was finished so I headed back to Loch 4 and join the boys for a beer. Graham”

The two of us headed towards our final loch where we were due to meet my brother and hear of his exploits on the loch furthest south. On arrival at the loch the wind had increased so I changed from my single dry to a couple of bushy numbers. We both had takes and fish including my capture of the smallest fish of the day a trout of three quarters of a pound. As we were approaching the end of the loch in the direction of our transport, Graham appeared, walked to the loch side had a few casts and hooked a nice 42cm trout and lost another good fish off the opposite bank from where Michel and I were tackling down ready for departure. 




The last loch of the day and Peter ready for the 50 minute walk back to the van






It was getting late in the day and Graham joined us keen to tell us of the loch he had visited with rising fish that were keen to take his fly if he could only match the hatch.




I was exhausted after such a long eventful day and struggled over the last mile. But it was all worthwhile in discovering such wonderful new lochs.






The walk back was a real trudge, so we were pleased that there were three cold beers in my campervan fridge which were dispensed with on arrival. It was during our walk back that it started to dawn us just how good a day it had been. Seventeen trout with just one under a pound and a trophy fish to top it off. Great fishing on lochs we had not visited before, a special lunch with great company, probably the best days fishing ..... so far .



Loch1


Loch2
Loch3



Loch4
Fisherman









Graham
37cm
47cm
43cm

38cm
38cm
38cm
38cm
42cm
Michel
45cm
35cm
38cm
57cm




34cm
Peter
50cm
40cm






20 & 35cm