After losing a good fish at Doune recently…..my own fault entirely….. and having had a fairly quiet season so far, I decided it was time to make the trip up the Ben and pay annual homage which was well overdue….not that I’m superstitious or anything! Last Tuesday was probably one of the warmest, brightest days that we have had this summer, ‘not a day for fishing’ I thought and certainly not one for physical exertion, though the views made it well worthwhile…..
On the way back down my peace was shattered…..by Kenny McDonald who had just netted a 5lb grilse north of Ptarmigan. He reported seeing another four boats in the Rowchoish area, all with fish. Those warm, bright conditions….you just never know, but the grilse are in! A zebra toby accounted for this sea liced silver sparkler.
Since then fish have been caught, fish seen and fish lost…..including one which evaded me at Culness on Friday at the side of the boat. I got the feeling that it had only grabbed hold of the lure to see what was on the other end of the line…..before letting go and firing it back at me! Grilse have been seen in numbers heading and tailing, moving through the Loch and have already travelled as far north as Ardlui as Andy Buchanan can verify. He took this well proportioned 6lb bar of silver off the jetty at Ardleish and five minutes later, after turning at Ardlui, lost a heavier fish at the same spot. Well done Andy!
I know where I’ll be this weekend…..see you out there!
Regards J.R.