[seamus maguire]

Hi folks, i am new to this fly fishing and am after some help please. I am hoping to go to Insch in a couple of weeks as a treat from the good lady. can anyone please advise me what flies ( By Names ) would it be advised to take as i have not got a clue as i have just taken up the fly after years of the good old worm. would you also have ideas where is the hot spots for someone like me as i can't cast that far but still would like some sucess.
thanks
New Boy   

[Hamish Young]

This time of year I'd suggest an intermediate or sinking line with a Cats Whisker, Walters Secret Weapon or some similar gaudy lure fished slowly with short sharp jabs. The staff at Insch will point you in the right direction but time spent watching other anglers and where they fish will probably guide you in the right direction. Distance isn't too much of a problem, a lot of fish will be swimming along 'drop offs' so rather than cast a long way out try and cast along the line of the bank but into deepish water.
Vary depth (by allowing the line to sink) and retrieve until you get a fish  If you only have a floater make sure you count to 20 or so before retrieving.

Good luck 

[Mike Barrio]

Good advice from Hamish as always

Yes, don't be afraid to ask for help from Yvonne and Jim at the fishery, fishery managers/owners are always keen to help you the best that they can and they do want you to catch fish and enjoy yourself

Don't be afraid to speak to other anglers on the bank either, you'll find that most anglers are very keen to help you catch a few fish when you are starting out and it will give them a buzz to see you catch one if they have helped you.

Good luck
Mike Barrio

[Iain Goolager]

Hi New Boy,

Sound advice indeed. Here are a few tips that I would give;
1) If you are purchasing flies get a couple of marabou tailed damsels - they can be used all year round and have a great track record.
2) An intermediate, although not essential is the best type of line to use to cover your options - note they all have different sinking characteristics and using some form of count down system will help you cover different depths - cast count to 5, retrieve - cast count to 10, retrieve, etc. etc.
3) do not be intimidated into trying to cast as far as the others that are fishing - most people will never fish the first 10 - 12 feet of water at the fishery and be under no illusion, this is a very productive section of water.
4) Keep moving - depending on how many people are fishing you can cover a fair bit of water by casting and stepping and the ideal method I'd use would be ......cast straight out - retrieve, cast straight out count to 5 - retreive, cast straight out count to 10 retreive - cast at 45 degrees retreive, cast at 45 degrees count to 5 retreive, cast at 45 degrees count to 10 retreive, cast close to your bank retreive, cast close to the bank count to 5 retreive - move a few paces and continue the same process..sooner or later you will encounter fish.  Note that the 5 and 10 second timescales are rough indications and there may be some deep areas where you can cast straight out and a count of 15 or 20 may be possible without snagging weed or the bottom.
5) wrap up warm! sorry to be a twat but if you are cold you can get dejected quicker and are less likely to change flies, tactics or that leader with the wind knot! 
6) realise that winter fishing can be very hard even for the more experienced angler.
7) watch others - see what's catching & don't be afraid of asking for advice some might people might grunt at you but in general most anglers will be more than willing to help.

I hope this, along with the previous replies, helps - best of luck

Iain

let us know how you get on

[seamus maguire]

How many flies would i use at any one time and what is the best combi.

ps: thanks to all for the info 

[Mike Barrio]

Hi "New Boy"

You'll probably get a few different answers to this one, but personally, I think I'm just as likely to catch with just one fly and this is much easier to cast with if you are learning. As long as you follow "Goolager's" great advice about counting down to vary the depth and you keep moving ......... one fly will serve you very well

Best wishes
Mike

[Jim Eddie]

Basically what they guys have said. I would think if you have lures in black, white olive and orange you won't go far wrong.
Personal choice how many flies you fish, I only fish 1 fly when winter lure fishing for Rainbows.

Mind you i was out on Saturday at Waulkmill and the guys were strugling with Lures , i fished a floating line with a buzzer on the dropper and a blood-worm on the point and did OK.

Tightlines

Jim

 

[Hamish Young]

How many flies would i use at any one time and what is the best combi.

ps: thanks to all for the info 

I'd echo previous comments, stick to a single fly until you've gained more experience 

[Iain Goolager]

I too would advocate the use of one fly when lure fishing (I think that when you fish a single fly you tend to concentrate more on its exact position & how it is fishing which will stand you in good stead for the future).
Some other points (IMHO) are;
1) as you are relatively new to casting a fly then it's much safer.
2) the chances are that you will be using a 'relatively' short leader and when pulling lures at a shortish distance the flies would 'pretty much' travel along at the same depth & close together therefore I'd be confident that fishing two or more flies would offer no real benefit.
3) there is a greater likelihood of tangles - tangles are not our friend.

I'm sure there are more points but I feel that these are enough.

Jedi touched on the point that sometimes lures can be outfished on a winters day by using a floating line and buzzers or more imitative patterns but its all down to personal preference which is borne out of results and confidence -good luck


Note: I am not, nor ever have been a trout therefore I can not be held responsible for any duff information given in any of my posts 

[Sandy Nelson]

Superb advice all round 

I 'd agree with all of it, playing around and watching others is the way foward once you get going. For a start I'd go for black/white/olive WSW's (size 10's), a damsel (size 12)(although the olive wsw will do this job) some cats whiskers (size10,12 ), some bloodworms (aps type and marabou ones size 12,14) and some small black buzzers (superglue size 12,14).

I would fish the lures singly until your casting is sharp enough (shouldn't take too long ) then i would fish the buzzers/bloodworm as a two fly trace with the blood on the point and the buzzer on the dropper.

You'll find, as said before, at this time of year (as with most of the year) depth is the most important aspect, once you find where in the water level the fish are feeding/cruising then you will start to get takes.

if possible get both Floating and intermediate lines, for now fish the inter with the lures and the floater with the buzzers, watch the tip for takes, if it goes the wrong way lift firm but gentle
Learn how to figure of eight retrieve, impossible to explain easy to show so ask someone to show you how, you find you have much more control over the depth of fly.

At loch insch as with many waters at this time of the year the fish will be found within 15ft of the bank, so casting long ranges is unneccessary , you will find this doesn't change much through the year If you cast across the wind and let the wind move the line in towards the bank while you retrieve it'll present buzzers especially well and often the fish will hook themselves

Anyway have fun, thats what its all about

Sandy

[Kev Danby]

Loch Insch is where I started out fly fishing I dont fish there as much now mainly because a loch with boats and tubes has a certain appeal.

You will catch fish from any where around the loch's. There are a few features where fish will hang out, look for the water inlets.

On Loch Insch these are near the lodge and the the water is quite shallow here I quite like to fish this area in the last hour the fish tend to be up in the water and a small fly (buzzer, Dial bach) or damsel with a jerky retrieve will work well. There are some grown on full tailed fish to be had here these are usulally close to the bank.

On Colrayne the reeds by the inlet can hold fish and the platforms can help, I like the bank with the steel platform but thats mainly because as a left hander the wind suits me.

On Kelloch the end with the hut is shallow and is another good area towards dusk, the water inlet at the other end has the deepest water and well worth a cast.

I have not fished the other loch.

You will see a lot of people at insch fishing the indicator with anything from a buzzer to a budgie. Some of them will be fishing a large lure static just a few feet under the bung. Personally I have nothing against fishing a bung and do use them on ocassion with imitative flies to good effect. Give it a go if you wish but if you can resist the temtation and concentrate of your retrieval (fast, slow, figure of 8, jerky) and depth control you will be a better angler for it.

Good Luck and let us know how you get on.


 

[seamus maguire]

I am hoping to fish Insch PM on 18th & all day on the 19th Jan weather permitting, so i will post a report when back at work on 21st.

thanks again to all who have replied and i hope i do you proud

New Boy

[seamus maguire]

  Well folks, i had a great 4 days fishing both Insch & Haddo. i got to Haddo and met Mike but the loch was frozen. Thanks Mike for trying to stop me early but glad i met you. so i headed off the Insch for the afternoon. as i said i was new to this and i never even got a bite in the 4 hrs i was there. but the next day Haddo was open and did i enjoy myself. i met Sandy & Hamish and thankfully i did as i even had my reel on wrong. between the two of them they fixed me up ready to fish and after a discussion with Mike they put on 2 flies i was now all ready to go. i went where they suggested and was into a fish within 15 min's, quickly followed by another. then i was into a good fish and even i could tell it was my best ever, after a few minutes i managed to land it and Mike thankfull ran all the way around to the other side to take a picture of it 7-8 lb.  my total for the day was 6 fish. next day it was back to Insch with my new found knowledge of what to use and how to use it i caught 3 fish in 30 min's so i kept the 1st and put the other 2 back as it was a long day and i wanted a big fish. i caught them at a spot on Insch suggested by Kevlard great spot. then for the rest of the day i never got a bite. i ended up at Keploch by the reeds and watched a gut catching when i asked him what he was using he said a blob and gave me one. i caught 2 in 20 min's what a great day. finally on Sunday it was time to go home but couldn't resist another 4 hours. i caught another 2 fish 1 in Insch by the reeds and 1 in Keplock by the reeds. So a great big thank you to everyone who took time to teach me and give me good info for it all made my trip a big susess so thanks to Mike, Sandy, Hamish, Kevlard, Jedi and Goolager as without your help i would never of had so much fun.

take care and we will meet again.  seamus 

[Sandy Nelson]

It was great to meet you too Seamus

Glad to hear you caught a few at Loch Insch as well,
What colour were the blobs? Not like Chris's ones? from Friday i would think

 

Sandy

[Iain Goolager]

Well done Seamus,
         its very obvious from the enthusiasm in your post that you had a great time and I'm sure that the hands on time spent with the guys was worth much more than the posted advice - however good.

today the blob, tomorrow the buzzer!

Goolager