ROBERT IRVINE
Robert is another founder member of the club. He has been very successful becoming club champion in 2003 and 2004. He is a very good all round angler but is really at home on rivers where he excels with dries. As a regular contributor in Trout and Salmon magazine he practices what he preaches, putting a great deal of thought and effort into his sport. He has twice made the Scottish Rivers Team and is heavily involved in this branch of the competition scene.
Preferred Method....Although I am just happy to be out fishing somewhere whether afloat or wading along the banks, I get most of my pleasure from water that flows and to pitch a dry fly to a rising trout is heaven for me.
Tackle... For rivers I use a nine foot six Orvis Trident TL rated for a five weight for dry fly work and a Vision GTFour nine foot six rated for a six weight for wets. During the winter months I use a GTFour ten foot rated for a six weight. For the lochs I use a Wychwood Extreme Line Speed ten foot rated for a seven weight. Reels are the new G-lite series which was given a stern test on it's maiden outing, landing a salmon on the Tweed while I was fishing for trout. (This one was returned)
Favourite Tackle Purchase... Simms Polartec suit (Baby-Grow). I use this with my second favourite purchase, my Simms breathable waders. This combination lets me fish for grayling in the depths of winter without feeling cold. I have never had a pair of neoprene's last me more than three months before the seams start to weep. I am on my second pair of breathable's, having replaced my first pair after six seasons.
Favourite Venue...The beauty of being in the Crown Fly Fishers is the variety of venues visited each year, some of which I have revisited time and time again. I have many favourite rivers like the Tweed and the Clyde but I think for it's ability to produce a good size wild brown trout on a regular basis it has to be the Tummel. The Tummel demands that the angler to be an all rounder, very much like the top anglers in this club, where on any given day success can come via the dry fly, wets, bugs or nymphs fished under a dry. No other river produces the number of fish to the dry fly when nothing is rising. Speculating with the dry on the Tummel can be superb at times. My favourite loch used to be Bradan, but fished from the boat. Sadly, since the forestry Commission handed over the management of most of their fishing's, the Ayr A.C. could not afford the insurance costs required for the boats (4k per annum) I rarely fish Bradan these days. Taking over from Bradan would have to be Loch Awe. Wild brown trout fishing from a drifting boat is un beatable in my opinion. No danger of twenty five boats hoarding round you at the first sign of a bouncing rod here. Loch Awe has the unknown about it. Trout average eight to ten ounce but every year much bigger specimens are taken on the fly. Dangerous but exciting as any place on it's day - Respect.
Pet Hates..."Fishermen" who think they are politicians and polities who think they are "fishermen"! We get enough of this nonsense on the telly. Secondly, fishermen who think by catching more rainbows than anyone else they should be treated like some sort of sporting god. Hugh Skeoch might have over stated it, to his regret, but he is closer to the mark, there pet troot, nothing more. Finally, anglers who think their fly patterns should be kept top secret.
Achievements...Winning the Crown Championship on two occasions. Very difficult trophy to win with such superb competition. Finishing in the top five of the National Rivers Championship and representing the Scottish Fly Fishing Team as traveling reserve on two occasions. Cover Boy of Trout and Salmon magazine.
Future Fishing Ambitions...To win the Crown Fly Fishers Championship again. To win the National Rivers Championship and pick up my first real cap for the Scottish rivers team, hopefully winning the team gold medal! To see the Crown Fly Fishers winning a major trophy, even if it is for pet troot.
"Bagged up" on pet troot at Penwhapple.