It seems very appropriate that just as the frost sets in to herald the onset of winter then the Lochter Winter League got under way. This is a singles event with anglers fishing one day of their choice per month .Barbless hooks are used and the rules allow competitors to select their two fish to weigh in. The league starts in November, runs through to the final in April and there is still time for anglers to join in and have a bit of fun over the winter.
There were a few keen types out at the weekend getting their first leg sorted. Tyler Hay and Richard McHattie found that cats and blobs were working and netted twenty two between them while Paul Wilson had a dozen, all attracted by his well presented cormorants.
Earlier in the week Bill Bain and Dave Taylor got their Winter League campaigns off to good starts. Green and white fritz and black nomads were the flies that scored well.
The variable weather conditions during the past week have resulted in some interesting tactics and some very good days fishing. Stuart Park found that his buzzers worked towards the middle of the day as things warmed up and had ten fish in rapid order. Graham Reid reckoned that blood worms would score in the much colder water and was proved right with a bag of fourteen.
There have been quite a few reports of fish spitting out partly digested sticklebacks and minnows . T LaBrooy used flashback nymphs which closely imitate these small fish and had eight fish for his day.
There were plenty of good days recorded in the catch log mainly using various styles of lure and intermediate lines. This is likely to be the pattern as the water temperatures drop and the surface fly life diminishes.
HH 07/11/11
