Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

James Laraway

Highland lochs 2019
« on: 06/04/2019 at 15:26 »
Has my first trip into the hills yesterday as the forecast said no wind - which of course was wrong.

Arrived at a loch up in the hills that I tried for the 1st time last sept and 'bagged up' on

Of course the wind was blowing a hooley - straight into the area I wanted to fish which made casting a fly into the teeth of the wind more than a little 'hairy' - so I went for a walk and cast round the shore.

Got  my first fish on a 'new' fly from my vice - the 'Dunkeld sparkler'



After going round the entire loch the wind died down a little so I put a cone head fly on the point, the dunkeld on the 1st dropper and a muddler I tied for my trip to Orkney this summer on the bob.

( sorry about the picture. It has got a peach marabou tail)


Pleased to say I got my 1st fish on a muddler  :z16

As i was in my preferred spot the fish came hard and fast. I got about a dozen wild brownies in about 45 mins ( and missed a lot more) before my hands got too cold so i had to abandon ( gloves were in the car ....)

A great first trip . Can wait to go back to the loch once it warms up !





James Laraway

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #1 on: 21/04/2019 at 19:49 »
2nd trip of the year today, to a very different loch.

This one had far fewer trout in it, so has the potential for them to be a bit bigger.

I was hoping that the wind would stay down as it was due to be nice and warm today so I was hoping for a nice hatch.

However, arrived at the loch and it was blowing an absolute gale. Gutted.

Fished one side of the loch and nothing.

Changed sides. Waded into the water and popped my flies into the water while I pulled line off the reel to get ready to cast.

Started lifting and thought " for goodness sake, my goats toes has stuck to the bottom...."

well, the bottom decided it did not like having a goats toe in its mouth and took off !

Good fish I thought, until I lifted the net with the fish in it - what a weight.

Didn't get a weight but as you can see it was a real stonker



Euan Innes

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #2 on: 21/04/2019 at 19:55 »
Nice work James  :z16
Proper loch Broon right there.

Euan

Derek Roxborough

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #3 on: 22/04/2019 at 00:04 »
well done, being a soft so&so I am waiting 'til it warms up , I was up today but still a nip in the air , Derek Roxborough

James Laraway

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #4 on: 22/04/2019 at 07:46 »
I think I need to trademark my new ‘killer’ technique ‘the static goats toe ‘ 🤔

James Laraway

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #5 on: 11/07/2019 at 12:47 »
went out to a local loch last night, dodging the awful weather....

Typical - its lovely and warm all day, no wind and ass soon as i hit the road it starts teaming it down....gah

Anyhow, it was a loch ive not fished properly for a few years. Last time i took 'the tube' there i was amazed to find lots of boats on the loch so was worried it would be fished out ( id only caught small trout there before)

How wrong i was ! I a couple of hours i got about 20 fish, some 'wee crackers' up to just over 35 cms and boy did they put up a scrap !


The first fish took a silver Invicta came up like a great white nailing a seal ! What a take !

the fly that did the real damage was a soldier palmer - out-fished the other flies 5 to one ! Sometimes the traditionals are the best




Hamish Young

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #6 on: 11/07/2019 at 19:33 »
Top banana  :z16

Allan Liddle

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #7 on: 12/07/2019 at 13:41 »
Great stuff James and top dibbling.
I've heard there's a lot of little fish in a water we both know well this year, wondered if you'd seen anything?

PM if you don't want to say on here  :wink

James Laraway

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #8 on: 17/08/2019 at 11:24 »
got out for 90 mins last night and the weather was perfect.

On the loch in question I have always had takes in one spot but never managed to properly hook a fish. So last night I went to the same spot and got the cutlery out...5 mins later



the went ot another spot and got the fly out ( as usual), saw a rise, covered it and bingo...

the balance restored




Derek Roxborough

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #9 on: 17/08/2019 at 11:58 »
which was the most satisfying to catch , Eh, James?  :z12 Derek Roxborough

James Laraway

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #10 on: 17/08/2019 at 16:51 »
I was delighted to catch on the rapala but fly is more fun.  I'm not really precious about what I fish with as my choise of flies often testifies....I love a streamer  :X2

Derek Roxborough

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #11 on: 17/08/2019 at 17:03 »
I find a lot of spinners and Bubble floats at the hill lochs, and I found my self in a tangle of maybe 15 to 20lb nylon at a hill loch where the average would have been 1/2lb, it looked as though some one had run off a whole spool,if I cant get it in my pocket I don't take it( well I do take my small pack as I do like a cuppa :X2) do you leave the trebles on the Rapala? but James whatever floats your boat.
Derek Roxborough

James Laraway

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #12 on: 20/08/2019 at 09:26 »
Derek, ive used a spinner for trout once this year and apart from that I cannot actually remember the last time that I used the spinner to try and catch a trout .I probably  haven't used the worm since I was a child....

so fly is my first and only choise apart from this years 'one off' - as you will see from my posts.

In terms of do I replace the hooks of my rapalas. The tiny one I was using for the trout last week had the trebles on as they are tiny and to be honest trying to get them off the ( equally tiny) split rings would lead to me impailing myself !

I do have a few rapalas for salmon fishing and as per the rules I have only one hook per lure.

I get your frustration on people fishing with 20lb line for 1/2 lb trout but unfortunately there will always be a 'ned' element in fishing ....

Derek Roxborough

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #13 on: 20/08/2019 at 10:23 »
fishing the fly James , fishing the fly, :X2 Derek Roxborough

James Laraway

Re: Highland lochs 2019
« Reply #14 on: 20/08/2019 at 11:10 »
fishing the fly James , fishing the fly, :X2 Derek Roxborough

could say the same about  your thread on grouse moors Derek   :z4

 




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