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 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 .
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Loch1
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Loch2
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Loch3
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Loch4
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Fisherman
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Graham
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37cm
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47cm
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43cm
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38cm
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38cm
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38cm
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38cm
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42cm
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Michel
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45cm
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35cm
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38cm
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57cm
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34cm
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Peter
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50cm
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40cm
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20 & 35cm
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