Fishing The Fly Scotland
Index => Main Discussion Area => Topic started by: Mike Barrio on 04/01/2011 at 20:31
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As usual at this time of year, many of us are probably dreaming about our first outings in the coming spring, dreams of our favourite running waters and lochs and of brownies ................
My own thoughts usually drift to the Don, which can still be a pretty cold place in April and might not produce as many rises as I imagine in my dreams :z4
I find myself going through the motions in my head, hmmm, which flies will I use on this all important first outing of the year?
Which leads to this thread :wink
Unless I see something specific on the river when I arrive in early April, I would probably start off with a couple of spiders, a dark olive and a hare's ear spider, probably size 12 ..... and I will have a nice large march brown dry up my sleeve in case I spot any towards midday :wink
And for your favourite river or loch ........ Which flies would you choose?
It's good to dream :cool:
Cheers
Mike
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I was a regular on the Don, I found the hatch on the first part of April very slow. Often 12am untill 1pm and also short lived at times. In one pool the brown's went mad, then all of a sudden nothing, so I used a gold head, a hare's ear, the snail and the gold. The browines were not all that stuck to the hook nor were the salmon kelts. I also had a brownie just over 6lb on the snail and quite a few 2lb and 3lb's. A few time i have been approached by other anglers about my flies, when I have learned how to use the camera I will have to post some pictures up of my own fly tying. :z16
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I have a weeks holiday booked for the start of the season, if its mild then a walk up the river with either a dry olive or Iron Blue Dun
if its cold it'will be an hour with a Haresear then back in front of the fire
Gordon Zola
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Iam most looking forward to Monday the 28th of april for my first day of the season on the Lake o menteith :z14 i then have a further 3 days booked in the following 12 days! :wink
Let the stockie bashin begin and with the water being iced over nae doubt there will be alot of over wintered monsters to be had!
Fly wise at the start of the season, i doubt there will be many rods on the water without a cat and a blob on there line :wink
Oh the suspense :z4
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I love it when you talk dirty Bazil :z4 :z4 :z4
Now ......... let me get back to dreaming about brownies and you go start a thread about "The Lake" opening and pink baseball caps! :wink
Cheers
Mike
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Actually Baz raises a good point :z14
I don't think I've ever fished one of the big rainbow venues on their first week of opening after being closed for the winter, I would imagine that the sport would be great if they haven't been stocked :cool:
Is it just a case of fishing deep with Cats and Blobs on somewhere like Menteith, or are there other methods that would probably prove productive?
Cheers
Mike
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That reminds me of a day over 30 years ago, I arrived at a small stilwater to find it almost completly frozen over, fish were rising along the edge of the ice, I had success by casting onto the ice and just letting the leader reach the water, that day takes were just as the fly sank beneath the surface, the wind slowly melted back the ice and the more the ice melted the more fish were rising.
Gordon
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Actually Baz raises a good point :z14
I don't think I've ever fished one of the big rainbow venues on their first week of opening after being closed for the winter, I would imagine that the sport would be great if they haven't been stocked :cool:
Is it just a case of fishing deep with Cats and Blobs on somewhere like Menteith, or are there other methods that would probably prove productive?
Cheers
Mike
Menteith seldom requires you to fish deep to be fair, even at the start of the season the majority of the fish are in the top 3 ft of the water in my opinon anyway!
Its not all cats and blobs mike and i dare say nymphs, diawl bachs and buzzers will be high on the menu also.
A midge tip and a slow intermediate should see you fine if therer is not a big wind on the water, and i dare say there will be a good few fish rising that could be tempted by a dry!
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Now you're talking Baz :z16
I fished Menteith a few times back in the 90s, later in the season and dries, spiders and Diawl Bachs in the top 3ft was good fun. I wasn't sure if this would work in April ...... cool, something else to dream about :z4
Cheers
Mike
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I have already turned my thoughts to Pollock and Cod on the fly...both are more than catchable just now. No worries about iced over water etc.
My main passion wont start until March(ish) when the big female Pike are in the shallows and willing to take a large fly stripped through the marginal reeds. Something resembling a frog will have bow waves charging across the surface and ones heart racing!
As for game fish, I probably won't fish for anthing with an adipose fin until the summer when evenings spent with the dry fly will fire my enthusiasm once more :)
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Great stuff Rob :z16
I love the way we can all share each others enthusiasm, be it for brownies, rainbows, cod, pollock, pike or salmon :cool:
Best wishes
Mike
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The new season seems a long way off but it will most probably be mid April on a wee stream south of Stavanger. The most likely set up will be a Stimulator tied on a #12 TMC200R with a beadhead nymph below it. May will mean Loch Ness with blue zulu, mallard and claret and butcher on the line and if I hit it right then a hares ear parachute. The season in the mountains wont start until June where I will be chasing the brook trout, most likely with a shuttlecock style emerger in olive.
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there's still snow and cald days ahead but there's a definate lengthening of the days and that tingling in the bones - the countdown has started :z16
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Rivers and early this season I will mostly be fishing nasty big streamers in pursuit of big hungry browns on a few choice pieces of water nearby. Failing that I'll maybe even fish a dry fly :z7 maybe a nymph :z4
Come the lochs..... well, I'm undecided as each day is different. Got a few lines I want to try out that failed to get an airing last season :z10 Oh.... but I will be doing a spot of trolling after Ferox early-ish in the year. For that I will mostly be using 8oz brown trout :shock :wink
H :z3
PS - kidding, they'll be 8oz char :cool:
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For that I will mostly be using 8oz brown trout :shock :wink
H :z3
PS - kidding, they'll be 8oz char :cool:
Where's the angry vomiting emoticon?
I'll be out on the 11th Feb :grin
Ben
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It was worth it for that reaction alone :z4
H :z3
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The season is far away when it looks like this.
(http://i54.tinypic.com/2z3yped.jpg)
Of course there´s dreams of good hatches and plan is upper Tweed and River Annan around mid-May.
//Harri
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I'm hoping if I'm an ultra good boy I might get a pass for the March to the River Don. And failing that I might have a day on the Dee early Feb. I'm hoping for a day like last year crisp frost and bright sunshine. Standing baw deep in freezing water and just enjoying my first taste of real peace and quiet since the 2009 season. Last time I was fishing was at Mike's on the second last day of the season due to the weather.
:z15 :z15
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Mike,
this is very good topic, makes me feel that I am not alone, being the only fishing person at home and in the office, no many people around me can understand my current day dreaming thinking about the forth coming season... and imagining my self casting the flies to the water..... this is what really keeps me going during winter.
At the moment I am reading a nice book (courtesy of secret Santa at work) Bruce Sandison: Angling Lines - Fishing Scotland. And this also keeps me sane....
Roll on April.... and the nice weather :roll...., so I can take my flies for a swim..... and if I catch a fish that will be a bonus...
Dario
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Having just retired Im looking forward to local fishing on Tweed,Teviot and nearby hill lochs on concession season tickets :z4 :z4
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Having just retired Im looking forward to local fishing on Tweed,Teviot and nearby hill lochs on concession season tickets :z4 :z4
Looking forward to retirement too, meantime a bit of fishing would be nice if it ever defrosts up here
Ben
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Cabin fever has got me. I'm off bugging for grayling tomorrow :z2
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Where u going John?
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Is there anywhere not frozen?
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I'm off to the Clyde. Just heading to get a permit just now then to Crossford.
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I'm off to the Clyde. Just heading to get a permit just now then to Crossford.
Let us know how you get on John
:z18
Jim
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Early season will find me wandering the banks of a bit of running water searching for a rod bender or two moving to March Broons or LDO's and progressing throught May to early June onto the Blue Wings.
Or bobbing about in the tube on a near local Loch searching for some nice (often rod bender quality) troots feeding on a selection (mostly buzzers early on but olives as we progress through May)
Then it's the lure of higher waters through June (as well as a wee foray to Orkney in search of olive, buzzer, cow dung and shrimp feeding broons, or an odd throw with a big flashy flee in the brine for thier salt cousins)
July and thoughts turn to Mayflee waters and we are lucky to be blessed with one or two crackin ones as far spread as Assynt, Sutherland and Caithness.
August and it's time for the Sedge or Daddy feeders when some serious sport can be found in the most unlikely of conditions. Troots in the prime of condition hard on the top, magic
September and it's back to the running water olive feeders for a late big troot bash, or a continuation of the August loch feeders. Short lining in the big waves can produce some memorable sport, and as the month progresses the colours of the fish become fantastic.
Aye roll on another season, i canne wait.
Allan
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Let us know how you get on John
:z18
Jim
It was good to get out. Unfortunately, I never got any grayling but got a wee trout (really wee) and hooked plenty of rocks. Think I need to tie bugs with less weight or find some gravelly bottoms. :z17
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At least you goy out John :z16
:z18
Jim
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15 sleeps to go and hopefully this will be me in Oman !
Cant wait
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIX1zxyx_1Y
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I guess your "15 sleeps" must just about be up Baz :z16
So, what are the plans, what are you gonna catch?
Cheers
Mike