Down Lochter way there was an uncertain and hesitant stirring in the air, which could be, dare we say it, an anticipation that Spring might be on its way!
With more benign sunny weather for the week ahead our Lochter wildlife are already showing signs that to them, Spring is certainly on the cusp.
Our male blackbirds are engaged in aerial combat with each other for supremacy, the ducks needed no dating website and are now smugly paired up, our little grebes have returned to bob and bounce about the water and our oyster catchers feed and fly in tight formation across the ponds.
If you are very lucky you may see the electric blue flash as our Kingfisher flies to its next favourite fishing perch. With nature there is usually balance and we have that with the latent menace of the sparrow hawk that swoops past daily to catch the weak, unwary or the wondering.
However last week we had plenty of anglers swooping past Lochter intent on catching a more fishy quarry with no lack of success.
Jim Brown from Aberdeen on two outings had 23 and 20 fish in the 2-7lb categories using an assortment of lures. Paul Keir on an all day session solely fished the black bunny-leech deep on the Muckle Troot and he was rewarded with 20 fish to the net. Not to be outdone Paul Sharp used either buzzers or damsels and he was more than content with 20 fish for his day.
Bryan Ross from Blackburn fished consistently with a team of buzzers in good ripply water and he got 18 fish, as did Cliff Smith but this time on black lures or buzzers.
Looking through the Returns Book other notable catchers were Pete Young with 16 fish on buzzers or blobs, Graham Duthie also on 16 fish purely on buzzers, P Cowie with 14 on bloodworm, Donald Forbes with 11 on lures, Steve Prince with 10 on either buzzers, diawl bachs or blobs and Kathleen Shepherd with 7 on apps bloodworm or diawl bachs.
With the first taste of Spring it may gently rouse and entice the DLTC fishers in our midst to arise from their armchairs, dust down their tackle and head to their favourite Fishery to sample fishing at the best time of the year for it.
Tight lines,
S.P 3/3/20.
