Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Steven Kidd

Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« on: 05/07/2011 at 20:52 »
Hi All,

Just back from my annual trip to Loch Watten and Toftingall.

A great trip this year, with a new element to highland loch fishing, sunburn! :shock, makes a change from the usual wind, rain or midges!

The fishing was a struggle with the cloudless sky's and sun direct above your head from midday onwards, so the weekend routine was morning fishing........afternoon beer.......evening fishing.  This worked perfect, with 4 fish up to 2lb caught on Saturday on Watten.  As usual I fished traditionals with the good old Black Pennell on the point taking the best two fish.  In the evening I had better success with a Golden Olive Bumble on the bob. 

Loch Toftingall on Sunday was totally different, and the morning saw the most amazing mayfly hatch i have ever seen!......it really was amazing to see those big beasties crawling out their shuck and flying off the surface of the water.  I struggled to catch during this hatch as i had no decent mayfly imitations with me :z8.........the best i could do was cut the legs off a daddy long legs and hope for the best......i had countless swirls at the fly but nothing took.   i was trying every trick in the book and still couldn't hookup.  The mayfly ceased and the sun came out and that was the end of that.

Monday was back to Watten, with a change in the weather with great cloud cover, but a mega wind which made things difficult.  on went some bigger size 10 flies today, with the best fly being a Pearly Invicta taking just the on trout which was around a pound.

The weather during the day meant that there was plenty of time to take a drive around Caithness and take in some of the hotspots.  JohnO'Groats and Dunnet Head were taken in as well as a wee look at Loch Heilen and StJohns Loch which both looked great.  However i was most impressed with the Dunnet Head Lochs which are very small lochans dotted about by the road up to the lighthouse.  These are managed by the Dunnet Head angling club and are in unbelievable locations perched right atop the craggy cliffs which look over Orkney from the mainland..........i will be back there very soon i think, especially since i seen countless fish rising!

I fancy fishing Beanie Loch soon, anyone know the way or fancy planning a trip with me?
 
Cheers,


Steven

Hamish Young

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #1 on: 05/07/2011 at 21:06 »
Nice going Steven - take any pics :?

:z3

Steven Kidd

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #2 on: 05/07/2011 at 21:16 »
Hamish,

Unfortunately i don't have any pictures this year.........i have built up a sort of superstition about cameras, whenever i take one with me i catch heeehaw!

Whenever I leave it out the boat i always catch a decent fish, i was really pleased with the 2lber on Watten, that is my best wild loch troot so far.

I'll take the camera out again soon though, to tempt fate one more time.......

Cheers,

Steven

Noel Kelly

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #3 on: 05/07/2011 at 22:07 »
Aw Steven to hell with superstition, bring that camera man. Sounds like ye had a great time. Would love some of that action right now. Been 2 long since I see a mayfly.
Beanie now there's an idea. Haven't been up there in a few years. When were you thinking of?

Iain Goolager

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #4 on: 06/07/2011 at 18:28 »
Absolute crime not taking pictures Steverino.  ::)

Sounds like you had some nice fish and fishing through the mayfly hatch would have been exciting in itself.

Iain

Steven Kidd

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #5 on: 06/07/2011 at 20:40 »
Aw Steven to hell with superstition, bring that camera man. Sounds like ye had a great time. Would love some of that action right now. Been 2 long since I see a mayfly.
Beanie now there's an idea. Haven't been up there in a few years. When were you thinking of?

Ok, camera next time, I'll try it........

Loch Bheanie I was thinking of Saturday.......but haven't a clue how to get there or where to get permits etc?

I am almost tempted to go back up to Toftingall with a few decent Mayflies.......but that might need to wait a few weeks.


Send me a PM if your serious about Bheanie,

Cheers,

Steven

Steven Kidd

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #6 on: 23/06/2021 at 22:02 »
Hello,

Well I managed to find my post from 10 years ago......you guessed it, I am off to Loch Watten and Toftingall this weekend for three days with my Dad, 10 years after our last trip.

I cannot wait, full report will follow, (including pictures).....hopefully I catch something!!!....I just hope the mayfly hatch again on Toftingall as I have some tidy imitations for this trip.

Well needed advice will be saught from Hugo Ross when I collect the boat engine, :-)

Steven

Mike Barrio

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #7 on: 24/06/2021 at 00:38 »
Well I managed to find my post from 10 years ago......

Awesome, I hope you enjoy a great trip  :z16

Hamish Young

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #8 on: 24/06/2021 at 19:56 »
Watten is fishing well, I have had to pass up on three possible trips there this year due to work commitments  :roll
Hope the conditions hold for you  :z16

Eddie Sinclair

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #9 on: 24/06/2021 at 21:02 »
Tight lines on Watten Steven. It’s been a while since I was there but it is a fantastic loch.

Eddie

Mike Barrio

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #10 on: 25/06/2021 at 10:18 »
Hope the conditions are better for you than they are here Steven ............

Steven Kidd

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #11 on: 29/06/2021 at 11:19 »
Hello,

Just back from a great trip up in Caithness.

Me and my dad fished Loch Watten on Saturday, a good few boats out which was great to see.  Conditions were tough going for us, flat calm, sunshine, with the odd blast of wind which created a ripple albeit the direction changed frequently during the day.   I managed just the one fish, but the great thing about it was it was on a Kate McLaren, drifting boat on a wild loch, :-).......all is well with the world!!.



Back in the Bar of the Brown Trout Hotel, there was talk of another boat landing 5 fish and another boat 3 fish for their day.   I decided after dinner id head back out for an evening session.....another new experience for me.  Caenis hatch!.....never seen anything like it, I was covered in them like snow, stuck in my beard the lot,  *smiley-lol*.......flat calm conditions and lots of trout seen rising, but not a touch on my line, I tried everything,  :z8, fishermans curse indeed.  Back to the bar for a nightcap.



The next day, (Sunday) we tried Watten again, much the same result....so we jacked that in and went to explore Loch Toftingall for a a recon mission in prep for Monday.  We had great memories as you can see from the post 10 years ago of a Mayfly hatch, and indeed on arrival, there were mayflies in the air and on the water and cruising trout,  :z14.  The Ospreys were also there again just as they were 10 years ago, it was great to see them dive for fish.  Amazes me they come all that way from Africa every year, the same pair and reside at that wee loch for few months.  Anyway......I couldnt resist a wee cast to test out our MayFly imitations.........(we came prepared this year).  Sure enough, wadin along the margins,  I landed two of the prettiest wee trout you'll see, super sport on a wee glass rod.  We left shortly after, full of high hopes for the next day.

We were not disapointed.



Our flies for the day.......J.Son of Sweden.......spotted them browsing a shop a couple weeks ago and thought they looked about right, realistic mayflies, very cool.......



We were delighted we had cracked the MayFly hatch after talking about our failure for 10years!.........we both landed plenty of fish all stunning wild as they come, :-).......then I had a savage take which sounded like a bigger splash than normal.....now these wee fish fight very hard.......at one point i had in my mind it must be about 5lb...... *smiley-lol*..........Just look at how pretty this fish is, a trophy for that wee Loch I am sure.  Delighted,  *smiley-yippee*





Now, does anyone know what to do in a Caenis hatch......apart from go to the pub?

Steven

Mike Barrio

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #12 on: 29/06/2021 at 11:25 »
Awesome Steven, chuffed that you enjoyed a great trip  :z16

Caenis .......  :z8

Cheers
Mike

Steven Kidd

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #13 on: 29/06/2021 at 11:28 »
Cheers Mike,

I love the difference in the way the trout look from one loch to another less than 5 miles apart.......amazing fish they really are the Brownie, :-)

Steven

Eddie Sinclair

Re: Loch Watten and Loch Toftingall
« Reply #14 on: 29/06/2021 at 12:05 »
Great report Steven looks like a fantastic trip. As for Caenis it is either go to the pub or rip a huge orange muddler. That will usually get the odd suicidal fish to give it a chase.

Eddie

 




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