Outcasts August 2012
Where to start?! So many good memories for such a short trip.
Day one, Hamish, Euan Innes & I gathered in H's kitchen, munching on some very delicious home-smoked pork. Probably that delayed us, cos by the time we reached the River Beauly the incoming tide was flattening out the pool.
Oh well, a quick run down the first beat, before heading to inverness to collect boat keys for next day & grab food.
Great pint of Happy Chappy ale (Cromarty Brewery,
http://www.cromartybrewing.co.uk/beer), then back to the River B, now dropping very very quickly as the tide receded to reveal some lovely, fishy runs.
Hamish punched out a sunray (i think) on a s/h 8 wt; Euan on a 15fter, and me on an 11ft switch - different rods, same outcome - no target fish landed.
Hamish at least did release a brownie, and Euan long-distanced released a sea trout. Bit of a natter on the bank, then home for beers and medals.
John Reid arrived that evening. Some beers, whisky, excellent BBQ from H, and a reasonably early bedtime to be ready for day two.
Saturday, hot hot sun burned of the mist as we headed to meet Allan Liddle. Stunning drive up to the loch, equally stunning loch. Picture postcard stuff. Err, don't have a picture from that angle, but this is on the opposite beach, looking back up to the boat mooring.
It was pretty windy, we had no drogues, so drifting was a bit erratic.
I shared a boat with Hamish, and got to see dapping in action for the first time. H explained that if a fish came to the dap and missed, that I should get my flies on its nose immediately. Sure enough, early in, fish swirls at H's dap, he tells me to cover it and strip, and fish on! Brilliant, and we released a truly beautifully spotted brown of a pound or so.
Over the day H was disappointed that the loch's fish didn't show as much as usual, but I still had a cracking day – been a long time since I was out on a loch, drifting, and pulling wets through the top. Incredible that the fish can hit a fly at speed in a big wave. Some heavy rowing back up the water, then a drift towards the beach for lunch. Approaching the shore, big waves, 1-3 feet, yet still pulled up a few fish.
Lunch was relaxed, working on the tans, and a good bit of banter all round. That's probably what makes this kind of event so great – good chat, not too rushed, and a chance to swap a fishy and other water-related tales….
A brutal row back up, a rest for H, then back at it. I took the oars to drift us along a shore for a good few hundered yards, while H fished wets and dapped. One or two offers, but nothing doing at all, much to H's frustration. A looooong row back to mooring, H raising one fish on the dap. The other boat took a few more fish - possibly because they had one man on oars to keep the drift steady.
So, not many fish, but honestly, apart from the never-ending row back up the loch, enjoyed every second of it – stunning scenery, learned a few things from Hamish, and just got absorbed in the experience.
We came off the water around 8 I think, so it was a very full day. Bade farewell to Allan L. Inverness. Curry. Home. Whisky. Beer. Chat. Lights out.
Sunday. Fair to say we were not in a rush – tired from the previous day, and the strong sun/blue sky combo wasn't giving us much hope.
More coffee? Aye…
Piled the tubes and gear into John's truck, and off up into the hills. Again, cracking scenery (I hope someone else took pics) as we crested the hill and looked down onto a seemingly perfect loch – shallow, open, not too huge. Ideal for tubing… one wee fish rose, some clouds were gathering, the wind was light… looked perfect…
Long story short. Two hours or so later, we beached the tubes/boat and compared notes. Nada. Nowt. Hee-haw.
Not a fish was seen, raised, touched between the four of us. Incredible. We're sitting on the bank, ants/flees everywhere, shrimp in the marginal stones, perfect light ripple on the loch. Not. One. Fish.
Ah well, time to muck about with casting and rods.
Driftwood target practice - gets harder the further away it drifts!
Increasing midge action called the shots, time to pack up, head back to Hamish and Rachaels, say our thank yous, and hit the long road home, tired but anticipating the next one!
