[James Laraway]

So I got out for 2 hours this afternoon in the scorching highland sunshine and it didn't disappoint. Fast sinking line from the bank, one of Cravens 'thin mints' on the point and ended up with a lovely wild brownie within 10 mins of starting . Photos aren't too good ( i blame the sun !) but a lovely couple of hours even if I didnt touch another fish...

[Hamish Young]

Bonnie trout indeed 

[Allan Liddle]

Beautiful trout James.

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff 

[James Laraway]

3rd trip of the season yestarday.

Got out in the afternoon for 3 hours. Arrived at the loch and it was sunshine, rain, hail....so left the road with the floating line in the car and went for the fast sinker.
'Yeti' on the point and bumble on the dropper.
Showers on and off...i was not hopeful.
Went down the far end of the loch and it was nice and calm. Saw a few 'dimples' on the surface but though 'bubble of released gas'
Had a cast and caught a fish of about 3/4 lb - one the bumble
So, they are fish and not gas....
Cursing i hadnt brought the floater i rummaged in my bag and found my spare spool with an intermedite SLX - better then a fast sinker...
Put on a half-hog hopper - landed the fly between two very small rises and was hit like a tonne of bricks. Really hard fight and a lovely wild trout of about 2 lbs in great condition.

Here's me thinking " I'm gonna 'bag up...... "
Fish kept rising but never touched another 
Next time the floater will be in my rucksack !

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff and a cracking fish James

Cheers
Mike

[James Laraway]

Thanks Mike. I got snapped a couple of times at the beginning of last season due to really hard hits (i was using 6lb leader ) so I upped my leader strength to 8lbs for this spring and no issues so far ...

8lb may sound like overkill but it does add in extra absorption for if a fish really hammers the fly.....

[Terry Coging]

Lovely trout James.
Re using 8lb instead of 6lb leader -  using modern, high quality leader, 8lb is the new 6lb.  I use 8.8lb 0.205mm for wets and 6.6lb 0,185mm for dries. There is still a lot of 6lb staff around at well over 0.2mm dia.

[Duncan McRae]

Really Bonnie trout.
I'm assuming that it's peat that gives them the dark colour?

Duncan

[James Laraway]

I think so yes.
There is one 'bog loch' that I fish that is packed with tiddlers. The water is almost black and so are the fish which  are almost jet black !

Really Bonnie trout.
I'm assuming that it's peat that gives them the dark colour?

Duncan

[James Laraway]

so, back on my 'home' lochs after my trip to Assynt.

Popped up to the loch in the evening after a very warm day.  Nice light breeze so hopes were high for a rise.

After a long walk there was a rise in front of me, popped out a cast, the fish rose but no contact.

10 mins later another rise, and of course the backcast caught in the heather and the fish moved on....urgh. This happened again ....double urgh

The wind picked up a bit so i moved from 'hoppers' to lures - mini-shuggie on the point and a muddler lure on the droppper.

5 mins later just as i was lifting off a boil and a pluck - missed.....

However my luck changes and the shuggie then did the job with this 'chunker'



As you can see the fish was in amazing condition and even spewed up a fish spine from a previous 'victim'

Two mins later I was in again - a longer fish but also in lovely condition

[Mike Barrio]

Nice one James 

[James Laraway]

thanks Mike. The for the' mini shuggie' i used some of the tiny 'bath chain beads' that you get on clothing labels sometimes as they are small and light and it means i can cast them with ease on a #4. The small stream turns the mini-lures over very well  - so not just for nymphing or dry fly 

[Allan Liddle]

Nice James.
Thinking of a visit to this water tomorrow as light winds forecast so might be a good day for dries .

[James Laraway]

So, for the first time I thought i would take a trip last night to Lochindorb ( as its about 40 mins from the house)

As there are pike in it I opted to take the #10 as well as a trout rod - hoping I could get both a trout and a pike.
The weather at 7pm was about 20 degrees up there but there was a nice light wind so i headed out in the tube.
Tried fishing with pike pike flies but to no avail
Switch to 'big trout streamers' such as the 'swim coach' ( as it looks like a small jack pike) and all of a sudden 'in'
For my time i landed 5 and lost / missed a few.
As for the tout - i never saw a single rise, spalsh or jump.
I did have a good few casts to see if i could raise anything - not a touch.
Lochindorb was once famed for being FULL of trout .........
Have the pike eaten them into submission ? From what i saw ( or rather didnt see) i think i have to say yes. Although i hope i am wrong.
As a famous actor once said "I'll be back..."
(but probably for the pike)

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff James, and nice pics 👍

Sounds like another trip or two in different conditions might be on the cards.

[James Laraway]

So popped out for a couple of hours last night on the tube to go for quantity over quality but it was a struggle.

I think all of the warm weather may be taking its toll - plus i'm too slow on the strike 

My first cast had a soldier palmer on point and watten warrior on dropper  - soldier palmer always delivers on this water.

I am not joking when I say i missed the first 8 or 10 fish....

So I changed tactics and has a small CDC hopper dropper and beetle imitation on point.  I was soon 'in'. A nice wee fish. Next cast I'm 'in again'. That's the formula thinks me. No. I missed the next few.

Switch to a bead head nymph on point and soldier palmer then it gets hammered by this wee beauty



Tough going but a lovely evening

[Mike Barrio]

Nice 

[Andy Finlay]

Notice your post on Lochindorb. I used to go in past on my way from Aberdeen to Inverness and spend an hour or two catching double figure numbers or trout. I also spend a week in aviemore every August and used to pop through for a few hours every holiday and catch plenty of fish. Unfortunately the loch has been decimated in recent years and not a loch I fish anymore. I seriously can't see it being just fishing pressure by humans so can make your own decision on pike. It's a fly only water and has always been due to the local rare birds. Unfortunately I do think someone(s) actions has ended up destroying a once fun loch for some trout fishing but others will have different options.

[James Laraway]

As a former 'super keen' pike fisherman I struggle with the thought that pike can all but wipe out the trout in lochindorb given their former numbers and the size of the loch.  However having seen no sign of any trout and the number of small pike maybe this has happened ? I plan to go back again so I'll let you know.

Has anyone else fished lochindorb so is able to comment ?

I know the weather has been super hot but on a nice evening i expected to see people out trout fishing but I had the loch to myself bar paddle boarders....

Notice your post on Lochindorb. I used to go in past on my way from Aberdeen to Inverness and spend an hour or two catching double figure numbers or trout. I also spend a week in aviemore every August and used to pop through for a few hours every holiday and catch plenty of fish. Unfortunately the loch has been decimated in recent years and not a loch I fish anymore. I seriously can't see it being just fishing pressure by humans so can make your own decision on pike. It's a fly only water and has always been due to the local rare birds. Unfortunately I do think someone(s) actions has ended up destroying a once fun loch for some trout fishing but others will have different options.

[James Laraway]

So I got the opportunity to pop out for a few hours tonight but there were a few challenges...

No1 - my Air1 is back with Vosseler to get fixed. Sent it in the post almost 3 weeks ago but thanks to brexit its still stuck in customs. Fishing a #6 feels too heavy now so to get back on my #4 glass i needed a new reel as a temporary fix. Enter Mr Barrio with his 'clicker reel' ( takes a wee bit of backing plus a small stream #4)
No2 - cant find my usual 6lb cast material and don't like the 4 lb version so made up some casts with some Seaguar that Mr Terry Cogging was kind enough to send me to try out

So I'm ready and set sail in the tube with an olive hog on the dropper and my 'mini-shuggie' on the point. Its about 7.30pm, light wind and about 17 degrees

About 10 casts in and I'm about to lift off, there is a pull and a swirl.....After a minute or two I see the fish thanks to my polariods as it swims past me. Holy moley i think....

The fish bores deep and after a dogged fight its safely in the net. It's the biggest wild trout I've landed on the fly.

What an absolute  brute and a real old 'warrior' - took the mini-shuggie !

The pictures don't do it justice as it was actually very thick across the back.



a big thank you to Mike and Terry 

( Terry - I can safely say I'm now a convert to seaguar as was glad for the 8.8lb breaking strain!)

[Eddie Sinclair]

Belter,

Good to see another convert to the seaguar, that is all I have used for many years now in Durness.

Congrats on you PB.

Eddie

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff James, what a way to christen that wee reel 

Cheers
Mike

[Stevie Rennie]

Well done James,

What a cracker 
I guess that well and truly answers the question of whether there are any trout left.

Maybe it’s balanced out a bit like loch of skene here in aberdeenshire, big trout there but very hard to encounter and a healthy pike population. Although I believe that was decimated since I fished there last, many years ago.

[James Laraway]

Thanks chaps.

The angle of the fish in the photo makes it looks pretty skinny but it was in pretty good nick and thick across the shoulders.

What a great evening. After landing it in the first 10 mins I almost gave up as I thought " its just not going to get better than that....."

of course i never saw another fish all !