Hi, I've only just registered on this site so this report is somewhat out of date, however I felt I should comment about my two sessions on Orchill in the week before Easter because I had a fabulous time and was seriously impressed.
Me and my wife were on holiday, staying near Gleneagles. I'd done a spot of Internet research and Orchill had come up as being quite close, so that was where I was going. I planned a single day but after that one I persuaded the other half to let me have a second.
The first day, the Tuesday, was made up of all four seasons featuring snow, sun, gales, rain, hail and anything you can think of. Fabulous welcome by the lady in the lodge and having paid for my C&R ticket I set about it. Fishing close with a pair of black buzzers under the bung I had a fish first cast, excellent start and it was a fin perfect, hard fighting, well conditioned rainbow between 2 and 3lb. The wind got up big time and the snow started so I stuck to the pegs in front of the lodge or I would have blown away. I continued to pick up the odd fish but I felt a change was in order so tried various lures. Had a few plucks but nothing to show for it. I stopped for a coffee and a chat then went back to the bung but decided to try something different so went with a pair of squirmy worms, one at 4' the point at 8'.... Wow, some would say an inspired change, I would say more good luck. Boy did the fish have a liking for them. First fish on them was a blue around 5lb and I caught steadily on them until I packed in at teatime with a final total of 12, all magnificent specimens.
So the negotiated second day, Thursday, saw beautiful weather and I started on the squirmies and straight into fish. All perfect in the 2 -3lb bracket but they wised up to them by lunchtime . A lot of fish started to show in the warm sun so went with diawl bachs on a floating line and picked up a few more including a clonking rainbow between 5 and 6lb. Fish were now on the surface taking dries and emergers but stubbornly refused all of my offerings. Time to go 'left field' so on went my fag-end dry fly (extra long shanked size 12 barbless tied with spun bleached deer's hair, cut to a bullet shape and coloured with pantone pens to 'match the hatch'
). Three perfect specimens were fooled and I finished the day with 16 in total.
The hospitality shown by the owners and the friendliness of regulars topped off with excellent fishing is what made it for me, the complete package. Coming as I do from Swansea it is a long way to go fishing, however we had a fabulous time in the area (the farthest north I've ever been before that trip was Kendel) so we will definitely be back..... and I know exactly where I will be planning to fish.
