Every year I put an auction lot of some sort in support of the Wild Trout Trust.
The last couple of years I've made those days out on 'a loch near Inverness' and this years auction winner travelled up from the Edinburgh area for a day with afloat with me on a loch near me which Euan
and I had fished the previous week.
After a slightly shaky start this years winner went on to catch a bakers dozen of brownies (all returned, I insist on C&R) to about 1.5lbs and it was gratifying to see he took on board what I was saying about fly size..... me thinks his size 14 loch flies (as recommended by a well known authority of the trout lochs of Scotland) will be retired for something more (how shall I put this
)
substantial 
Size 6 claret bumble as a dry fly
Why not
Unfortunately my camera was with my good lady wife who was visiting family in London so I was limited to using my mobile 'phone to take pics. Unfortunately (again
) they didn't all come out (bloody Nokia POS) but I did manage a couple:
Arthur with his very last fish of the day taken, quite literally, on the very last cast of the day
I managed only a few casts during the day - well, it was about making sure the auction winner had a good day - but he was keen to see this technique I've been experimenting with and this was the outcome on the second cast:
At 22.5 inches long it's my best wild loch trout for three seasons, somehow it looks thinner in the photo than I expected but I'd put it about 3.5lbs maybe 4. Genuinely it went like no loch trout I can ever remember (and I have caught quite a few in my time), it was in the air, it was diving, it was in the air, it was.... well..... everywhere
An epic battle it would have (quite seriously) towed a grilse around. I got a kick seeing it swim back off into the loch and I have a feeling I'll be back there soon
H
