Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Allan Liddle

Orkney 2013
« on: 06/08/2013 at 13:21 »
Wee quick report from my recent foray across the Pentland Firth....
(Photies on my other computer so i promise a few later)

Headed over in the mist of last weekend and made straight for the holiday house, wee self contained flat connected to and part of Skaill House so not far to go to one of the island's top tourist spots then!

Fishing was excellent and Harray fished it's ballocks off.  First visit was in the blistering sun and flat calm, troots were cruisin about in wee shoals and it was a job to get the boat in front of them.  Picking off caenis in the daytime, however a well placed Bibio Emerger produced the desired results.  Scanning across the loch searching out the surface feeding shoals could be described as Scottish Bone Fishing (of a kind) and it was certainly interesting.  had this quite a few times before especially on waters where the fish have a tendance to shoal (Harray, Leven, Watten) a trait of daphnia or caenis nymph fedding lochs?  Anyway it dosen't happen every day so made the most of it before the breeze picked up and a couple of sedges were required to work all the likely spots.

Kirbister was next and crackin sport on the tube again to surface dry feeding trout, mostly on the Corriekiller which was perfect as a wee dark sedge imitation.
Swanney into the darkess that evening which was again interesting, again surface sedge feeders and yup Corriekiller worked once more.  Best fish so far 2lb 2oz.

Clumly didn't work this trip (water way too low) and big fish didn't show, did catch a few smaller ones though.

Back to Harray agin and again in the boat in blistering sun and an ever increasing wind.  Water was crystal clear so you could see every skerry and feature and again fish were keen to hit the dries, this time a wee olive Hog and Cow Dung Hopper (see FFFT last month)  Watching the fish come to your flies from over two and a half feet is something else, especially as they all seemed to be better quality ones and in a wee two and half hour session i nailed a good 15 all on the dries and all from pound upwards to again 2lb 2oz.  Fantastic.
Managed a last couple of hours back in the tube that night and again back on Harray.  Same flies and similar results although the low sun and low sitting position meant i couldn't see the fish come, so i simply concentrated on working the features.  Again great fishing although the fish seemed to be smaller at first, before the best one of the trip (3lb 2 1/2oz  :z16) nailed the Cow Dung Hopper.  My second trophy off harray in two years, both on the same fly, the amazing thing is not the fact the pattern's worked again (plenty Cow Dungs around these parts and the trout don't miss them) but the fact i'd nailed two trophies out a water i've been fishing for over twenty years with never a hint of one before.  :shock

Anyway all over far too soon and big sad face as we headed to the ferry home.

Happy days though i'm back across the Firth in a fortnight enroute to the Shetland Adventure.  :z16 :z16 :z16 :z16 :z16

Cheers

Allan L

Eddie Sinclair

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #1 on: 06/08/2013 at 17:34 »
Alan,
great report sounds like you had a great time and some amazing trout. Well done.

Eddie.  :z16 :z16

Noel Kelly

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #2 on: 06/08/2013 at 18:19 »
Sounds awesome Allan looking forward to the photos.

Allan Liddle

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #3 on: 11/08/2013 at 23:07 »
Photos as promised

Ready for the off Kirbister




Swanney Sunset



Harray Trophy



Flat Calm on Harray



Harray Sunset



Holiday 'Digs'



Best of the week 3lb 2oz



'Oi it's gettin windy Dad and i need a walk., Or 'Where's awe the troot?'



'Telt ye!'



Bit worried about the lifeboat patches

Noel Kelly

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #4 on: 11/08/2013 at 23:29 »
Love those Allan! The one with the lumpy waves reminds me of home! In fact a few of them do. :)

Jim Eddie

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #5 on: 12/08/2013 at 07:29 »
Aye some cracking photo's Allan, nice troot as well.

 :z18

Jim

Kevin Muir

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #6 on: 12/08/2013 at 07:46 »
Cracking photos Allan, the colour of that Harry fish is just amazing.

That is a belter of a fish for Harry too, they are cracking fish with the golden fins.

The sunset photo with the boat great.

Looks like you had a great trip.

Kev.

Mike Barrio

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #7 on: 12/08/2013 at 08:44 »
Great report and cracking photos Allan ..... thanks for sharing! :z16

Cheers
Mike

Euan Innes

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #8 on: 12/08/2013 at 08:52 »
Great stuff Allan.
Good to see the usual suspects are still catching fish  :z16
Lovely photos too.

 :z1

Hamish Young

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #9 on: 12/08/2013 at 09:13 »
Bonnie trout in there Mr L  :z16

H :cool:

Allan Liddle

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #10 on: 12/08/2013 at 13:11 »
Thanks guys it was a great trip.
Kevin that's my second Trophy off Harray in two successive years (after about twenty odd years of trying)

Iain usual suspects yes, but not fished much in the way the locals do, my only tip is simply.......do not move them.  :z16

Iain Cameron

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #11 on: 12/08/2013 at 18:16 »
......do not move them


good advice, and great pics Allan. I'll get to Orkney one day.
Nth Uist first though!

Iain Goolager

Re: Orkney 2013
« Reply #12 on: 12/08/2013 at 21:18 »
Cracking trout and photo's Allan L  :z16

Iain

 




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