[Dave Mundie]

When fishing a small wild loch would you use the same fly's as you would at the local fisheries or is it a totally different ball game altogether

Dave

[Jim Eddie]

Depends what you use at the local fishery , a lot of guys prefer to fish traditionals at fishery's , Sandy with his Spiders etc

For a wild loch , If there was a hatch I would fish dries and try to match it. You don't need to be an entomologist , if there is something small and black hatching , fish a small black dry.

If there is no surface activity , traditaional Scottish wets , Grennewells , Black Pennel , Bibio , Kate Mclaren , Soldier Palmer, Invicta, Peter Ross are some of my favourites.

Beannie has a lot of freshwater shrimps so some shrimp aptterns would not go amiss , its a shallow loch so a floater or at most a sink tip will suffice.

 

Jim  
 

[Dave Mundie]

  Jim

Wondered if the wild brownies would be more fussy than stocked bows.

Dave

[Sandy Nelson]

Wondered if the wild brownies would be more fussy than stocked bows.

Probably depends on the day

Like Jim says, a lot depends what you would use on the fishery. I tend to have a large cross section of flies i use everywhere, spiders, nymphs emergers, dries, wets in very traditional patterns.
Then i have a few specials for the river, some for the fishery and some for the lochs. Not that many get used that often though 

Sandy

[Noel Kelly]

Jim
Wondered if the wild brownies would be more fussy than stocked bows.
Dave

Depends, some places are stuffed with small (and not so small) eager brownies which will hammer into almost anything when the conditions are right. 

[Jim Eddie]

Noels spot on , there are some Lochs where you can get loads of small fish , the average Scottish Loch trout is proably about 6 oz. Saying that they can grow to double figures.

I have 3 miles of the Ythan I fish with the CSSC , fished it for trout never got one of more than around the 6oz mark (lots of fun though) Fishing for back end Salmon after the trout season had finished landed a 2-1/2 lber  So it just shows they are there.

What I have found with wildies though is you need to be quick on the strike , they seem to recognise they have swallowed  something unatural and reject it quicker than bows.   

 

Jim

[Iain Goolager]

Jim, it's amazing how much decent size Browns get taken early season & out of season with 3" long Salmon Tubes.

I remember years ago going over to the West Coast for a weekend in the hills, with Ally Martin ( he used to lease Ythan Valley). He was a very traditional fisher, floater no matter the depth and traditional flies, to my astonishment he brought a couple of orange IPN's as a sort of experiment, which took as many wee Broons as his normal stuff.

I think there's something satisfying about catching fish on small patterns.

[GARYBOY]

Hi all
 i have got the chance of a day on the Dee ,just wondering if the rod i use [9ft6 7-8] would be suitable as i have never river fished before

[Jim Eddie]

Gary

What are you fishing for ? Trout or Salmon , your rod would be overgunned for trout , undergunned for Salmon.

For trout I would use a 9ft 5 # , Salmon on the Dee 15ft 10/11#

 

Jim

[GARYBOY]

cheers for the tips 
would i be better just to fish from the bank for my first time 

[Jim Eddie]

Gary

All depends on the beat , but yes if possible stick to the bank.

 

Jim

[Jim Eddie]

Gary

If you are fishing a double hander for the fisrt time , I would strongly reccomend you take a lesson , or even if you are taking up the sport.

I know to my cost , once you learn bad casting habits , its difficult to unlearn them.

 

Jim

[GARYBOY]

thanks again ,seem to be really helpfull and freindly people on here for a newcomer
 have been told the flies\lures that i use at fisheries will not really be suitable for river fishing

[Iain Goolager]

Hi Garyboy,

I'm assuming that your day on the Dee is soon, for Salmon??

I've a wee bit of experience fishing for Salmon with a 9' 6" 6wt rod (and have been lucky enough to have done quite well in the hooking, although not landing, stakes. BUT that was on much smaller waters and not early in the season when heavy tubes and intermediate /sinking lines are often the order of the day.

I was going to add that due to the fact that you have never river fished before this may bring it's own problems, will there be a ghillie? or friend that can loan you a double hander and run through some of the basic casting techniques?

It could mean the difference between hooking your first Salmon and that deflating feeling when you think you are just there to flog the water.

Either way I hope you enjoy yourself - the Dee is a great river which brings with it that constant feeling of a fish being entirely possible.

  on

Iain

[Dave Mundie]

I just use a mixture on the fisheries anything from spiders to big ugly lures really, but been using buzzers a lot lately.

Dave