Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Hamish Young

Loch Assynt in August.
« on: 23/08/2011 at 10:23 »
Euan was up for a visit over the late weekend and he and I had a day on Loch Assynt on Monday.
Conditions were perfect, overcast, nice warm wind and a great ripple on the loch.
Things looked good.
I took the full armoury with me (fly rod, dapping rod and trolling rods) and we started the day from the Inchnadamph end in the grey pioner boat the hotel lets out on behalf of the club (£37 for a day for the boat, including outboard, fuel, permits etc). If you take that boat out be warned it drifts like a pig. Take a good big drogue with you and know how to use it is my tip.
The first drift was a fair indicator of how the day would go.
Tough.
Even to the dap the fish were reluctant to have a go, in stark contrast to our June visit it was clear it would be a hard day. After a few drifts and a few half-hearted offers we had some lunch and trolled up to try the northern shore - pic of trolling and lunch:
Didn't touch a thing on the troll so having reached a burn mouth we wanted to cover back to the fly we went. Not quite enough of a breeze for the dap at that point so I switched back to wet fly and bingo :! One really hard wee scrapper took my claret bumble like a train.... fought twice as hard as you'd expect for his size:


But a beautiful wee fish:


We covered that drift again and, with a good breeze, I had the dap up. Had a real cracker in the 2lb class take the fly but after bending the rod for a few short seconds it fell off :z10
And so it continued, a few wee fish but hard going. Went back to the troll again and other than one suicidal brownie that took a 30gram Toby (which was only a couple of inches smaller than the fish itself :!) it was pretty damn quiet.
Another trolling pic:


Although it was a really enjoyable day, it was a wee bit frustrating as the fishing was inconsistent at best - but we managed a bakers dozen or so between us. Very odd, ideal conditions and hard going with hardly a fish moving.... kind of reminded me of fishing the Don :z7
Thanks to Euan for the pics  :cool:
Only other thought from the day was the sad condition other 'anglers' leave the boats in. Loads of gash mono lying around, fag butts, rubbish etc etc. Even found a spool of 20lb mono lying on the shore. It's not the impression I think we should be making as anglers and it depresses me that folk just don't give a shit about leaving their rubbish for others to deal with :mad
:z3

Peter McCallum

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #1 on: 23/08/2011 at 19:11 »
 :mad :mad :mad :mad :mad :mad

A sign of the times unfortunately H

Derek Roxborough

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #2 on: 23/08/2011 at 19:24 »
well done with the one, I was out at a local loch only to blank, this seems to be my lot this season, the east breeze didnt help a bit,even with flies along the margins not a rise any where, easgach 1

Derek Roxborough

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #3 on: 25/08/2011 at 21:35 »
Managed to regain some of my confidence at another lochan with 2 of about 6oz, easgach1

Mike Barrio

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #4 on: 25/08/2011 at 22:56 »
Great stuff Hamish :z16

That boat looks big in the photos .... or have you guys shrunk?

Cheers
Mike

Hamish Young

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #5 on: 25/08/2011 at 22:58 »
It's a chunky boat Mr B :wink

:z3

Euan Innes

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #6 on: 26/08/2011 at 08:35 »
"That boat looks big in the photos .... or have you guys shrunk?"

I wish Mike!
As Hamish has said it is a chunky boat which drifts like a pig unless the Gods of drifting have blessed your drogue. It also gives you a numb bum with its plastic seats, even with our ample padding...

That said, when you have this


and this..


to look at when you're fishing then even hard days are cool. :z16

The fish we did catch were their usual pretty selves. Here's a closer shot of Hamish's bonny troot


And that is the reason that I can't kill troot!
So that is Assynt for the year (other things planned for the last month) and to be honest I can't wait until next year to get back onto it.

(I don't want to talk about the filthy pigs and their nylon and stinkiness because we had a good day and that would be the wrong memory. C :mad :mad TS!)

Cheers,

 :z1

Iain Goolager

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #7 on: 26/08/2011 at 21:55 »
Truly great scenery and as bonnie a trout as you'll see  :z16

Iain

Euan Innes

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #8 on: 26/08/2011 at 23:27 »
Iain,

You are indeed wise  :z4

I just love the north west highlands. I've climbed nearly all the Corbetts up in that area but there are less of them than there are lochs so the challenge has become greater.

So what if the trout are not "trophy", hell the next one might be  :z16

Even blank days are pretty :z4 :z4 :z4 :z4 :z4 :z4 :z4 :z4

 :z1

Iain Goolager

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #9 on: 26/08/2011 at 23:51 »
Quote
I've climbed nearly all the Corbetts up in that area

Not the greatest of feats if Ronald is anything to go by
 :z7

(ok, so someone had to do it) :cry

Iain

Euan Innes

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #10 on: 27/08/2011 at 08:31 »
And it had to be you... :z7 :z7 :z7

I kinda fell over Ronnie but took my time with Olga  :wink

 :z1

Jim Eddie

Re: Loch Assynt in August.
« Reply #11 on: 27/08/2011 at 16:14 »
And its goodnight from me and its goodnight from him....... :z4 :z4 :z4 :z4 :z4

 :z18

Jim

 




Barrio Fly Lines - designed in Scotland - Cast with confidence all over the world

Barrio Fly Lines

Designed in Scotland

Manufactured in the UK

Cast with confidence all over the world

www.flylineshop.com