CROWN FLY FISHERS
WINTER REPORTS 2007/08
PINBRAID FISHERY - 3/11/07....The mild weather that had lasted all week changed overnight as the wind swung to the north west and developed that cold bite that signaled autumn was finally here and winter was just around the corner. Fish could be seen moving on the surface from the off and lines that held flies in or near the surface proved a popular choice with the nine anglers who turned out to fish the first round of the Winter League. After a slow start it seemed that the rainbows were beginning to wake up as rods could be seen bending all round the fishery, anglers finding the best patterns and method of presentation would be a more likely explanation. Very few fish were coming off the left hand bank but Alex Watson bucked the trend with the capture of a magnificent fifteen pounder on an old favourite rainbow lure, the Ace of Spades. After a tremendous fight that had Alex down to the backing Wullie Osborne managed to net the fish and after it was weighed it was quickly returned to the loch. To date this is the largest fish taken by a member on a club outing. As the lunch break neared fish were being taken on dries, with Hoppers and Daddies doing the damage. After a welcome break and a chance to warm up it was back to the business of catching fish and both Bill Hunter and Craig Osborne found success with totally different methods. Bill on a floater pulling a small white lure as fast as he could was soon into fish and Craig who had been catching regularly on Hoppers changed to a Cortland Blue with Blobs and continued taking fish. Craig in fact came out on top with eleven fish while Hugh Skeoch was second with seven. Bill and Wullie Osborne tied for third with six apiece. Other patterns that worked were Cats Whisker, Sedgehog, Humungus and Red Head Damsel. Other fish of note included two at five pounds caught by Bill and Gordon Turnbull. Forty fish were caught and returned on a day that was far from easy. This fishery is well worth a visit and the hospitality is second to none.
Craig Osborne silhouetted against the setting sun lifts into the last fish of the day at Pinbraid
RIVER CLYDE - LAMINGTON - 10/11/07....Four club members traveled to the Clyde for their first grayling outing of the winter and the river did not disappoint. The starting point was Sandy's Ford upstream of Wolfeclyde Bridge and first impressions were not good as a very strong downstream wind mean 't that casting would be difficult, but at least it was dry. Hugh Skeoch was into fish from the off in the run below the ford and continued to get takes as he made his way downstream. Gordon Turnbull also fished this area with some success and for every fish brought to hand many were hooked and lost. Tam Campbell headed upstream and eventually found fish in a couple of deep runs that were slightly sheltered. The wind was relentless and even heavy bugs were whipped down river before they could reach the depth they were supposed to be fished at. In the afternoon a few fish were brought up to the surface by a sparse hatch of olives, most of these were brown trout, a few were hooked and returned and all were in excellent condition. Hugh finished the day with fifteen grayling, Tam with five and Gordon and Rab Brazier had three apiece. Most of these fish were in the ten to twelve ounce range but Hugh did have one near 1:08. Everyone fished floaters with the Black Glister Bug the top fly. Others of note were Peeping Caddis, Orange Bead Hares Lug, Tan Fox Squirrel Nymph and Olive Nymph. Although twenty six fish were caught and returned many takes were missed and this interest made for an enjoyable day. The Clyde on this form is certainly worth a visit.
Rab Brazier with a typical Clyde grayling
RIVER CLYDE - LAMINGTON - 17/11/07....Hugh Skeoch and Rab Brazier returned to the Lamington A.C. water for the second week running in nearly identical weather conditions to the week before. The downstream wind seemed to be even stronger so any chance of some shelter, a high bank or some trees gave some respite from the constant buffeting. It was going to be a short session anyway due to a certain football match being played at Hampden Park in the afternoon, a must see for any Scotland fan. Once again Hugh began the session in the stream at Sandy's Ford and had four in a short space of time, Rab chose to start further downstream and hooked one straight away. Fish were found in every stream and run but they pulled and nipped at the flies so it was hard work converting this interest into fish in the net. Occasionally, despite the weather fish could be seen rising to the odd olive or smut and Hugh managed to tempt one on a Klinkhammer before reverting back to bugs. His Black Glister pattern seems to interest fish on every outing but for whatever reason must be fished on the top dropper. This fly accounted for ten out of the sixteen fish taken with a Hares Lug taking four.
An otter on the Clyde downstream of Wolfeclyde Bridge
RIVER CLYDE - LAMINGTON - 24/11/07....Tam Campbell joined Hugh and Rab for their third outing of the season to this stretch of the Clyde. Unbelievably for the third week running strong winds threatened to ruin a much anticipated session. Coupled with heavy showers and a rising river this would mean that once again fishing would be difficult. The session started at Wolfeclyde Bridge and both Rab and Hugh were quickly into fish one a grayling, the others brownies. Tam had headed downstream to the golf course and spent the first half hour trying to photograph a family of otters as they dived under willows on the far bank looking for fish. Takes were few and far between with Hugh hooking his first grayling in this area before searching for some fresh water above the bridge. More and more anglers were arriving on the river and it was proving difficult to access the best pools but even when decent water was found apart from the odd pull not much was happening. Rab Brazier did start to hook a few fish in the afternoon although most of these were brownies with a grayling making an rare appearance now and then. Hugh finally did find a shoal and took his tally to five for the day with a few more hooked and lost. Rab finished with four and Tam managed one. These fish average around the ten ounce mark and as there is plenty of them fishing should be very good next season. Apart from the Black Glister bug Rab found that a small Green Glister Gold Head on the top dropper brought plenty of interest.
Rab Brazier about to net a Nith grayling
RIVER NITH - DRUM FISHERY - 1/12/07....The second Winter League outing to the Nith was in doubt right up until the start of the session due to our old friend, or should that be old enemy the weather. The non stop rain that had soaked the central belt all day Friday had obviously not been so heavy in the south of the country and the river was high but surprisingly clear with only a tinge of colour and fishable. Six members all fished the lower Dalswinton beat and with only one blank recorded the returns were not too bad. This beat is reasonably sheltered and the strong winds that were present for the fourth Saturday in a row did not have the same adverse affects and casting was much easier. Seventeen grayling ten inches (25cm) or larger were caught, (the biggest in the 1:12 class), and returned with many more smaller fish also caught. Fish were taken with bugging and long lining methods but were difficult to keep on and seemed to be pretty shy nipping and pulling at the flies and not taking aggressively at all. Rab Brazier was best with five and Wullie Osborne and Tam Campbell had four apiece. Top patterns included the Orange Head Hare's Lug, Pink Floozie, Fox Squirrel Nymph and Pink Glister Nymph. Gordon Turnbull opted to fish the Drum Fishery and had an excellent days sport with floating line and dries. Gordon had fifteen rainbows on a catch and release ticket, twelve of which came to an Orange Hopper. A Daddy and Bibio Hopper accounted for the other three. Although only the occasional fish could be seen rising they were not deep and came up to the flies all day. The best pegs were at the far end of the loch and this area always seems to fish well. This fishery is well worth a visit, contact Andy Ross on 01387 740573.
Hugh Skeoch at the outfall, Pinbraid. This was the only sheltered part of the fishery
PINBRAID FISHERY - 8/12/07....Six hardy souls or should that be total idiots turned up in the worst conditions I can remember in recent years for the third Winter League outing of the season. Torrential, persistent, heavy rain coupled with cold easterly winds gusting forty to fifty miles an hour all day left everyone feeling as if they had spent the day on a north sea trawler instead of the banks of a fishery in the hills of south west Scotland. Hugh Skeoch started well taking a fish of 9:00 on a Millennium Bug under a sight bob just in front of the cabin and Alex Watson followed him shortly after with a fish farther along the same bank this time on a Diawl Bach. The rainbows didn't seem to fancy the weather either and by the much welcomed lunch break only three anglers had taken a fish and three were blank. After lunch the water was becoming coloured due to wave action, this added to the already difficult conditions but very occasionally a rod could be seen bending and a much sought after fish was on. Tactics were to cast a sinking line, slow to intermediate, when the wind allowed, with a lure and retrieve with long steady pulls. Five anglers managed nine fish with Hugh Skeoch top with three. Minkies, White Rabbit, Copper Snatcher, Orange Blob and a White Cat accounted for our rainbows with a couple more hooked and lost. A long cold wet day with hot tea, coffee and lunchtime soup keeping the hypothermia at bay. My Christmas wish? Some decent weekend weather please.
A nice grayling (approx 1:10) taken on a Peeping Caddis and a winter sunset on the Lamington beat of the River Clyde
RIVER CLYDE - LAMINGTON - 15/12/07....Wish granted; a beautiful winter day, crystal clear river with a good flow and grayling showing plenty of interest in what was put in front of them. Four members took advantage of the fair weather and had an enjoyable day on this lovely stretch of the Clyde. Starting point was Sandy's Ford and although sport was slow to begin with when the grayling switched on it resulted in some hectic spells with a fish coming to the flies every fourth or fifth cast. Heavy nymphs `bugged' down the fast runs proved very effective, but Tam Campbell fishing down and across in the slower flats with a couple of gold heads and retrieving with a slow figure of eight found this method to be more productive. At times during the day fish were rising to olives and smuts but we resisted the temptation to change to dries as they were still coming to nymphs on or around the bottom. Hugh Skeoch had eleven, the best one around the 2:00 mark. All Hugh's fish came to a Pheasant Tail Nymph with a gold and orange tungsten bead at the head and an Orange Bead Hares Lug. Tam had ten, the best around the 1:10 mark, all on Green Peeping Caddis and a Peacock and Orange Glister Bug. Gordon Turnbull had three on a Green Glister Bug and a Pink Shrimp. One rod remained blank, I'll spare his blushes. When everything falls into place this is one of the best grayling venues in the country.
Looking downstream towards Friar's Carse hotel on the Nith
RIVER NITH - DALSWINTON - 27/12/07....Very mild, calm conditions for the time of year meant it was a pleasant day to be out clearing away the Christmas cobwebs. The heavy rain and strong winds that had battered the south west through the night had subsided and although the river was rising and slightly coloured it looked very inviting indeed. Tam Campbell and Hugh Skeoch started at the top of the upper beat with Rab Brazier and friend Stewart Raybould opting for the pool behind Forrest Farm. After a quiet first hour the fish slowly began to show some interest, the problem now for the anglers was finding a suitable spot to cast from as the high water meant that wading was impossible and high tree lined banks limited access to all but a few runs and pools. On the plus side a recent cold snap had fish in tighter shoals and when these grayling were found they could be taken at regular intervals and were not easily spooked. The smaller half pound to ten ounce fish were proving difficult to hook, hitting hard and letting go before a strike could be made but a few small adjustments at the end of the cast resulted in most of these fish sticking too. The three productive areas were the pool behind Forrest Farm the run and pool directly upstream from it and the run at Friars Carse. Tam had thirteen on a Pink Glister Bug and Peacock and Orange Bug, Rab had nine on a Lime Shrimp, Hugh had eight on a Pearly Hares Lug and Stewart had four on a Green Glister Bug. Three fish were in the 1:12 region with a couple more around 1:04 but the majority were eight to twelve ounce.
The best of the day from Friars Carse
DRUM FISHERY - DALSWINTON....Once again after yet another wet and windy week the proposed grayling trip had to be changed to a fishery as river levels were nearly a metre up on normal. If you are forced to fish for rainbows then this venue is hard to beat and has never disappointed, in fact someone always seems to reach double figures and the total number of fish caught and released is always impressive. Although the loch was full to bursting the water was gin clear and the fair weather that had arrived that morning meant it was also flat calm. Tam Campbell started well with four fish in the first half hour and the pegs at the shallow end furthest from the cabin seemed to be fishing best early. Fish were coming in spells but Alex Watson bucked that trend taking fish consistently from behind the small island on an old favourite, the Ace of Spades. As is the case with most smaller stillwaters fish tend to shy away from lures after a while and this is when eventual winner Hugh Skeoch came into his own. Fishing Bloodworm patterns under a sighter he quickly took fish after fish and was soon neck and neck with Alex. If Bill Hunter using the same tactics as Hugh could have landed the fish he hooked he would have won the outing by a distance but he could not keep them on and finished the day with eight tied for third with Rab Brazier. Patterns that worked included, Black Rabbit, Green Pea, Damsel, Yellow Dancer, Pheasant Tails and the various Bloodworms that were so successful in the afternoon. Hugh won with twelve and Alex had a personal best eleven not far behind. Six rods had fifty fish with plenty more hooked and lost and most casts bringing interest at some point during the retrieve.
Tam Campbell gets off to a flier at Drum
BORELAND FISHERY - 2/02/08....This small fishery just south of Cumnock may not be everyone's cup of tea but with fully finned hard fighting rainbow trout present in good numbers it is certainly worth a visit even in the middle of the blizzard conditions that had swept the U.K. for a couple of days. Driving to the fishery on what can only be described as an ice rink covered in snow in the middle of a whiteout, we were beginning to question our sanity but what was the alternative? A lie in, a nice warm bed and a cooked breakfast, no contest fishing wins hands down every time, well nearly every time. After a brief snowball fight between the two big weans it was down to business. Rab Brazier was into a fish after a couple of casts and plenty of trout could be seen splashing and rolling on the surface, things were looking good. However as the first couple of hours passed sport was really slow. not surprising as it was just above freezing. Lures and nymphs fished slowly with floating lines brought little interest and so on went the sight bob and a couple of buzzers. When the proper depth was eventually found the sighter dipped consistently and during one spell Hugh Skeoch had at least six takes in a row but only a couple of fish stayed on. Gordon Turnbull was also finding it difficult keeping fish on losing four in a row before releasing his first. As is the case with most fisheries fish come `on' at certain times before ignoring everything cast in their direction for long periods, this trend is usually repeated throughout the day and at around two thirty in the afternoon after a fishless half hour we decided to call it a day just as the rain started. Hugh had ten, Gordon nine, Tam seven and Rab had one all of which were returned. Bloodworm, Oakay Dokay and a GloBrite yellow/green buzzer with a pink head accounted for most of our fish on what turned out to be a very cold but enjoyable day.
Hugh Skeoch (left) and Gordon Turnbull find success at a wintery Boreland Fishery
RIVER NITH - DALSWINTON - 9/02/08...What a difference a week makes. A mild, spring like day with a dropping, crystal clear river, a total reversal from the week before. Typical Scottish weather at any time of year never mind the beginning of February. This was the first chance to chase grayling since Earlston at the start of January and the seven anglers who attended this outing couldn't wait to get started. Forrest Farm on the top beat was the starting point and anglers quickly spread themselves up and downstream. As the river had been high for weeks and had not been fished we fully expected grayling to be in a taking mood from the word go. As usual with fly fishing nothing seems to go as planned and apart from an early flurry when a few fish were caught anglers struggled to consistently contact the numbers of fish expected. Tam Campbell fishing at Friar's Carse was the only angler to take fish regularly throughout the day finishing with nine and returning another five that were close to size. His method of long lining mixed with dead drift and figure of eight retrieve seemed to be just what was needed to induce a take. Grayling could be seen rising sporadically in this area and although no olives were hatching a small black midge was enough to bring fish up to the surface. Gordon Turnbull had three nice fish the best at 52cms was also the best of the day and took a Floozie Egg. Rab Brazier hooked and lost a very large grayling possibly in the region of four pounds and with everyone losing fish it proves just how difficult large grayling are to bring to the net as the twist in the current usually downstream of the angler. Hugh Skeoch and Wullie Osborne had four apiece and the total number caught for the seven rods was twenty four. Black or Bluebottle Spiders, Black Glister Bug, Peacock and Orange Glister Bug, Peeping Caddis and various Floozie Eggs accounted for most of the fish taken.
Tam Campbell long lining heavy nymphs on the Nith at Friars Carse