Sadly, fishing chums, I have to report a hard day when the fishing gods were not kind.
As the sun set over a glorious Lake of Menteith, mine was not the name etched on the iconic trophy. Let me take you through the cut and thrust of the day.
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Boyed by a pretty good performance yesterday when I fell just one short of double figures, the plan was to concentrate on three areas of the lake where we had success. 60 Anglers congregated on the beach to hear the rules,
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3 fish to be killed then catch and release. International fly fishing rules which dictate the maximum size of the fly. No standing in the boat, catches to be strictly recorded and signed off by your boat partner. The match started at 9.30 and finished 5.30 by which time you risked disqualification if your boat wasn't beached. With the rules clear and the introductions to my boat partner for the day completed off we went to the first of the three areas.
Starting on a 6inch midge tip with a team of candy booby, cormorant and sunburst fab, we prospected Hotel bay, casting almost to the shore as the fish would be tight to the bank, my partner lost a fish almost first cast and I soon had interest as a trout swirled at the Fab and then took the cormorant. One in the bag in the first 20 minutes. Hotel bay always holds fish but they often put their tin hats on under sustained boat pressure and so it proved with no further action.
Motoring up the length of the lake it was striking that there were very few rising fish which given the conditions was surprising. by now what little wind there was had disappeared which brings with it some challenges - you aren't covering fresh water as your boat is stationary and good presentation is difficult as there is no wind to help your leader turnover which means the flies are not straight in a line and under control.
Anyhow. Things were v slow so we tried the third area, a very shallow area of the lake where fish congregate around the drop offs. my boat partner dropped another fish and I took one on the booby. Then I caught a bloody roach on a fast figure of eight diawl bach! My partner caught a dace for gods sake.
We then made a big mistake and started to visit areas we hadn't fished in practice on the off chance we would find fish. Foolish. Foolish. Now my boat partner had won the draw for the engine so I could blame him but I also could have said no. You really should stick to a plan. It was now lunch time and with only 2 to the boat you kind of know you ain't going to win this and so everything now is focused on making the best fist you can. I took another fish on the booby. It took it off the surface like a dry fly. My partner changed lines to a DI3 to fish deeper and he suddenly started to catch rattling 4 out in no more than 30minutes. By fish 3 I had changed to do the same but to no result.
So that how it finished. Despite fishing hard to the end, 4-3. The winner had 17. :-(
There is always next year.