Harelaw....another wild day here

Looking back to the fishing hut

Harelaw, I don't remember having fished here before in what could be termed a calm day and today was certainly not one of those. This fishery is set in the hills above Neilston and provides good bank and boat fishing. Unusually for this type of fishery it also attracts pike anglers, not common to see both mix. There are some really good fish here so always worth a cast.

The calm bay

A couple of the guys opted for a boat but others including me decided to bank fish. Although you can walk the full water the wind conditions today meant that the easterly bank, as you look from the hut, was the only reasonable one for safe casting. There were not many fishermen here for a Saturday, maybe the weather or maybe a sign of the times.
The walking is normally ok but the bank we were heading towards is probably the hardest going especially as it is now extremely boggy in parts as well as the awkward tussocky grass mounds. 

Another angler tries his luck

As I walked round I cast every now and then with my standard wet casts of bibio on point and Kate McLaren on the dropper. It seems years since I started with dries but these cold winds are keeping the fish down. With this wind it was strictly a 2 fly cast only. It took about half an hour to get to where I really wanted to fish but during this time I neither saw nor touched a fish.

Boat at top edge of the bay

To add to the adventure you have to walk over very boggy terrain sinking into the gloopy mud at times well over my boots. You then have to walk on a narrow pontoon type bridge walkway through a reed bed, the height of these reeds go over my head and also close in on you on each side, a very narrow and dark passage indeed. One of the pontoons was not fully joined to the others, which I did not spot, so next step one leg right down up to the knee in dark squelchy stuff, not nice.

Father & son try their luck

After that excitement the next adventure begins when you cross a small hillock on which the black headed gulls are nesting and they were not at all happy with our presence. The result was constant dive bombing attacks by them, which to try to avoid I walked with my rod held high in an effort to deter them. These birds don't just try to hit you their defence mechanism is to crap on you, very smelly stuff, not recommended.
Suitably traumatised and knackered I was glad to get to my chosen fishing spot. My pal started fishing in a small tree lined bay where insects were plentiful and the occasional fish was rising. There was one fish in particular that rose so frequently that he was determined to catch and after an hour he did so, perseverance paid off, just as well as it was his only one of the day.
Further along the bank where I was fishing you can wade quite well with a reasonable sandy footing and only a few rocks to avoid. I could see the odd fish rising but most, if they were here, were presumably fishing a foot or two down. Off with the bibio and on with a gold headed brassie nymph to get down to them and within a few minutes I had a good tug but no take. Optimism restored. A short time later I had a solid hit and there was a good rainbow which took the Kate on the dropper. It gave a good fight so had to be helped for a minute to recover before a quick tail flick sent it speeding out to deeper water.

Harelaw rainbow

I fished the same cast for about half an hour, one gentle tug but nothing else.
The boat guys were back into our bay saying it was just mental weather further out and horrible for fishing, glad I was walking. They stayed in our bay for the rest of the day so it must have been wild.

Pike guys out at the island

Next change was to try buzzers for another half an hour or so but after walking up and down the bank no joy, no tugs, no fish. Time for lunch.
After lunch I decided to go with dries just for some fun. A little black spider has worked well here before partnered with an f fly midge, also a good fly for these waters. Midges were about the only thing I had seen on the water. No joy with these so on went bigger flies with sedgehog up top and a small daddy on the dropper. No real reason other than a change. The sky was darkening to a deep black overhead so not too confident. Regret it yee doubter. A few casts later and good fish rose trying to drown the daddy and down it went, rod bent, fish on. It was a hard struggle and I knew from the fight something wasn't quite right. As it turned out the fish had foul-hooked on the sedge whilst trying to drown the daddy. It was a good fish about 2.5lb and despite having the leader wrapped around it I was able to safely return it.

It looks a lot calmer than it was

As it turned out that was the last bit of action for the day. All of the guys caught at least one but none more than two so that was ok but less than we have caught in previous visits. One did catch a 4lb jack pipe on the fly.
The weather was looking decidedly ominous and heavy rain was forecast so time to walk the gull gauntlet and the reed beds.
On a better day I look forward to a full walk around the place but I was satisfied with today's limited stretch despite the weather.

Harlaw reservoir: wild, wet, windy but productive

It was a normal summers day for 2015, on and off rain and a storm force wind. Sometimes you cannot pick your day, I had bought my permit a couple of days before my planned trip so the question was do I go or cancel?

Looking west

Decision is to go for a while anyway. The reservoir is up at the base of the Pentland hills and for your day ticket there are two places to fish. Harlaw, which is a standard stocked water with rainbow and sometimes blue trout, does have some tree shelter. Threipmuir is a brown trout only water but it stands exposed to the elements and today's wind would be right in my face so it was a no go.
When I kitted up in the carpark there were a few comments from the dog walking brigade mainly joking about my sanity for fishing in this weather. 

The right hand side was the only area in use due to the wind

A short walk through the trees brings me to Harlaw reservoir and the duty bailiff who reluctantly winds down his car window to examine my permit. A short chat mainly as the rain was blowing in his window to say only the westerly bank would be fish-able in this weather. He did let me know that it had been stocked with rainbows yesterday and blues 2 weeks ago. As I walk towards the west bank I see another nutter already fishing. As I neared he kept his head down not wanting to chat but I always say hello anyway, not sure he appreciated being called another madman. He had been fishing for a few hours and caught nothing. In fact he said he hadn't caught anything in 3 weeks, oh boy, maybe staying in bed was the better option.

My new friend in the distance

Still on with a Bibio & Kate Mclaren and a small black buzzer and here we go. The rain got heavier and the wind strengthened, not a lot of fun but I have paid my £20 quid so I'm staying. Off with bibio & buzzer and on with a gold head brassie nymph to try to find their feeding zone. Down to a 2 fly cast as the wind was playing havoc and whilst I had not tangled it was only a matter of time. The heavy rain stopped and I swear I saw some swills on the water, were my eyes deceiving me or were fish feeding just subsurface?

I walked back to ask my new friend but he had not seen anything move and seemed disbelieving that I had. I fished up the short stretch without success and decided to go back to where I thought I had seen the movement. A couple of casts later and bang, a hit and a blue trout shot out of the water. The blues are one of the best fighting fish you get. I could see it had taken the Kate on the dropper. I could see that my new friend was giving me a hard stare but lo and behold, just as I was about to net it, it broke me, just like Loch Bhac. This time it was not the dropper knot but further up so I assume a wind knot weakened the line. My new friend looked happier now.

I tied up a new rig, not fun in this wind, and no more brassies left so a pheasant tailed nymph up top as I think I had their feeding zone but also a new Kate on the dropper again. 10 minutes later bang and another blue shot out and this time no mistake it was landed. My friend looked doubly unimpressed when I let it go to fight another day. The permit allows you to take 4 fish but I rarely do. 

A nice blue trout

That was 2 on the dropper to the Kate. I was happy with my 2 fish so tried something different and I changed my Kate dropper to a similar sized partridge and orange self tied version. I cast up and down the short bank and about 15 minutes later another hit and another blue caught and released, dropper successful again.
The weather was still inclement and time to go home for a lunch break out of the wind and rain. I had a chat with my new friend and told him what I had been using, it was up to him if he changed. On the way back to the carpark out pops the bailiff and a pal with a slightly smug 'had enough then' question. He looked suitably chastened when I told him of my 3 catches.
After a break of around 2 hours for lunch I returned and just as I had kitted out in the car park the heavens opened and the heaviest rain of the day came on. Tailgate up I sat around for 10 minutes until it eased off. Stopped to chat to the bailiff again just as my new friend was leaving blanked again but said he did try the small flies. Bailiff said he had blanked as well so far.
On the water there were 2 other people fishing and I spotted 2 more going round the point. Had a brief chat with the 2 guys who had not caught anything yet. They were impressed/cynical about my morning 3, I had not told them so word had obviously got about. I moved away slightly to start my fishing. This time I had a Kate up top with the partridge and orange on dropper. Wow another good hit below the water but not the same jump as the blue, this time it dived down and fought a good fight underwater. When landed it was a nice rainbow to the Kate again but this time on point. Another 2 unbelieving glances came my way as I released it.

Looking east from a previous visit

I decided to move round the point as the wind had eased and to fish a different area. It turned out there were 4 guys here, getting busy now. The 1st two had blanked and also knew about my morning catches, local word does travel fast so I had to update them about my recent success, faces fall again.
Time to move on again and I walked past the last 2 guys who it turned out were Polish. One asked what I had caught and again was surprised by my 4 as they had both blanked. They asked to see the flies I used and said they would put on small flies as they had been using big lures.
There were more frequent rises here and some very close in. I spotted a rise and threw a cast at it more in hope. No hit but as I raised my line I felt a small snag, no stones here? It turned out to be the smallest brown trout I have ever caught. It had attacked the Kate which was as big as its head. Back in the water again it shot off with the Poles wondering what was going on. I could see some good rises out in the middle so I was casting in that area when a cracking hit on the rod with a good bend, best fight of the day and the best fish of the day, a superb blue at least 2.5lbs. Back it went and the Poles were now pointing in my direction, I don't think the language was complimentary. 

My huge broonie

A few casts later and that was enough for the day so I walked back. When I went past the Poles one of them said I was lucky and I don't think he was kidding. Interesting reaction when I had tried to help them. As I said to them better being lucky than good.
Round the bend the last 2 guys were still fishing, I was told a rainbow had been caught, the only other one known about today.
I was delighted with today's catch: 4 blues and 1 rainbow, shall include the broonie? 5 out of the 6 to the Kate clearly the fly of the month.
Despite the weather it had been a productive day and I did feel quite smug when I handed the bailiff my return record.
I shall return.

Tummel Pitlochry salmon no go today...obvious really

After my good day at Loch Bhac I had plans to fish a couple of beats on the Tummel for the next two days. I knew that heavy rain had been predicted for during the night but I was still very surprised to see the height of the river and it was clear that there would be no fishing today. A walk up to the dam to see the torrent of water cascading out of the openings, very impressive. There must have been huge rainfall up country. Forecast more rain and strong winds so tomorrow will be a no go as well.
Still the good news was that I had not paid out any money for the fishing, there will be another day.

Looking to Port na Craig

The bridge at Fonab

From the footbridge

The dam spews its water

Don't think it was too happy either

Water coming from top and bottom

Downriver from the dam

Loch Bhac...a super day

Finally I got the opportunity to visit this loch and it was no disappointment.
It was a last minute decision to book the night before on the PAC website and then hang around for a bit in the morning as you have to pick up the forestry/boat key from Scotlands Hotel in Pitlochry after 8am.

Carn Liath in background

To get to the loch you have to go alongside Loch Tummel to enter the forest via one of 2 forest roads. Luckily I spotted a previous posting informing anglers that only the 2nd entrance, Grenich, was in use. Having found the entrance the barrier was not actually locked so could have saved the wait at the hotel. But, you know what would have happened had I ignored the key collecting. The track goes onwards and upwards winding through a large forest with no-one else about. The track is heavily rutted so drive slowly. From this entrance it is almost 3 miles to reach the loch. I pass a small ground sign 'Loch Bhac 3rd left'. Sounds clear but it is a long way through trees. I turn a bend and a red deer hind stands in the track, staring at me, doing a stand off with my car. Thankfully in effortlessly and elegantly moves off into the woods.

Finally found it

Finally I see a sign I have arrived. The parking area is 300 metres away from the water, a bit of a slog if you are carrying an engine for the boat.
All tackled up I walked down a muddy track to the loch. The view that opens up is certainly not one to disappoint, it was everything I hoped for. Partially surrounded by trees with a superb open mountain vista, I can clearly see the scar of the path up Carn Liath and the Glen Tilt mountains to the left. This is what you live for. Reeds growing in parts of the loch, good hiding for the fish.
A local was setting up a boat and kindly gave me information about where I could safely wade. As it turns out there is really good wading around most of the loch and I'm sure locals will wade out a lot further than I did but going too far was not necessary today.

Looking from the hut

The weather was to be pleasant in the morning with wind increasing lunchtime on but too soon to be affected by the oncoming storm. As it turned out it was a blustery wind, regularly changing direction throughout the session. The loch is around 300 metres above sea level so wind is always expected.
No sign of fish rising so I started with my normal wet flies for a new loch, bibio up top and Kate McLaren on the dropper. A quick check of the log in the hut and bibio had scored a couple of fish, good choice.

This wee broonie was camera shy

A walk round to the sheltered side to get the best casting and 10 minutes later fish number 1, a 6 inch broonie to Kate. About 15 minutes later another solid tug, this time much stronger and after a good fight a decent rainbow was netted, again to the Kate on the dropper. A lovely golden colour to its back.
Having caught a couple my day was good even if I caught no more, so I walked the loch fishing as I went. Up to the point I never saw or touched a fish. On the far bank a buzzard flew low over the ground up into a fir tree watching me for a good 20 minutes. The wind was very strong into my face and I was thinking the sheltered southern/eastern ends were the best to enjoy the day. The terrain was very muddy but I have walked round a lot worse,

Good rainbow with a golden back

Time for an early sandwich at the hut before wandering back to the other side. Unusually for me I had not changed any fly. Half an hour nothing happening except a few small broonies surfacing.
To get a little deeper off with bibio and a gold headed brassie to get down to where the fish might be feeding.
A few casts later hit number 3 and the best of the day. It headed straight out towards the middle but when landed it was full and rounded. Fin perfect this looked like a well conditioned over wintered fish. Strong as it was it didn't need any help when released, it went off like a torpedo, Kate on dropper again!
Not long after that a massive hit on the rod almost tore it out of my hands, bang, hit, gone? The fish had broken the leader, a long time since that has happened to me. Big splash, a fish leapt 3 times out in the middle, presumably my fish trying to remove the flies and line. That part of fishing saddens me, I can do more for it. Examining what was left of my tackle my first thought was that it was a poorly tied fly knot but no it had broken me at the dropper knot, another hit for the Kate, amazing.

Fishermen's tracks

For a change I tied up a 3 cast dry fly team, a small black spider up top, a midge F fly on the middle (there were lots of midge around) and a small dry Kate. Tried for 30 minutes but could not bring up a rainbow but did bring up a small brownie on you guessed, Kate again.
The wind was now creating a bigger chop on the water so back under. A 2 fish cast only as I wanted to avoid tangles, a sparse orange dunkeld up top and of course a Kate on dropper. A good tug but straight off, heartening. A bit later another good tug on and off. A quick check but no bent hooks so try again. Third time lucky a good hit, fish on and a good rainbow. Surprise, surprise, not Kate this time, the Dunkeld did the trick. Half an hour later another hit and another good rainbow to the Dunkeld. 

Perfect loch scene

The weather took a turn for the worse. The chop was now more a wave that the windsurfers would enjoy and the rain started.
Enough for me but just as I was walking back the osprey appeared. For 10 minutes I enjoyed watching it circle and scope the loch, talons visible, rising and dropping, but as for me no fish were near the surface so off it went hungry and disappointed to look elsewhere for food.
But I was far from disappointed, a great day out in spectacular surroundings, one of those days your glad to be alive to appreciate it.

Loch Bhac

Pitlochry dam beat River Tummel.....ever caught an otter?

The beat from the dam, you can fish down to the 2nd bridge

Another day on the River Tummel in the quest for a fresh bar of silver but well aware that a coloured fish would do just as well, not being greedy you know. Despite yesterdays blank on East Haugh I was still optimistic for a good days fishing albeit the temperature forecast was for a very warm afternoon.

Part of the fish ladder

The Pitlochry Angling club have this beat and their website indicated that on average a couple of fish per day were being caught and one day one of the locals had 8 in one session, wow. 2 fish being caught in a day has to be put into perspective. The beat allows 6 day tickets for the beat, 3 starting on each side of the river. At 5pm local club anglers will join in so you will probably get about 10 or so anglers fishing each day in peak season. So here your expectations are to catch a salmon every 5 fishing outings as an average which if you look at the Fishpal website, catches for many beats around Scotland the average is more like 1 in 10 outings and more, makes you wonder why we do it?
This beat holds fish as they are moving up to the fish ladder at the dam to go into Loch Faskally and beyond.

The top of the Pitlochry bank beat

According to the website blog most catches seem to be in either the early morning or in the evening with few being caught during the day. So today was an early start and I was on the water for 6am and I was not the first. My permit was to fish the Pitlochry bank up until noon when all anglers have to change over banks and you can then fish until 5pm.

The rock jutting out on the left was my otter catch

When I walked onto the bank the river looked at a good level for fly fishing. The first arrival was already fishing away down river so I walked up towards the dam to start at the top of the beat. There was no-one on the other bank. As I started fishing I using the local favourite Ally's shrimp. Out in the fast water a salmon rose, after seeing zilch yesterday I had only been here 5 minutes. As it turned out there were many fish showing throughout the day, if I said a couple of dozen I would still be short. Amazing that just downriver yesterday I saw none.
After a few casts I looked downriver and saw that the 1st guy was into a fish. I was moving after each cast and reached a prominent rock that can hold fish. As the fly came round to its stop I started to bring line in when the fly caught and the line tightened but I was sure it wasn't a salmon but I didn't think it was snagged on a rock either, maybe a trout. Another pull on the line and I felt the hook come loose. Immediately beside where the fly would be a head appeared out of the water and stared at me, an otter. I can only assume that I had snagged the hook on its coat. For a short time it gave me its not impressed stare then disappeared never to be seen again. A first for me, I regularly see otters close up but I have never snagged on one before.

The dam from Portnacraig

Looking downriver the 1st guy was clambering over the large rock down at the pedestrian bridge and then disappeared round the back, into another fish, well done.
Permit holder number 3 arrived on our bank and after a brief chat he informed me that he should just go home as the guy with 2 already was the same one that caught the 8 the other day.
As it turned out the 2 fish were his lot for the day and only 1 more fish would be caught today, needless to say not by me.
The 3 others were now on the Portnacraig bank, one looked a regular fisherman but the other 2 were spinning. One of the guys handed his rod to a woman for a spin. She immediately shouted she had a fish on, no disrespect but it looked like it was the 1st time she had handled a rod and I thought if she has I'm giving this up. As it was she had snagged on one of the many rocks which at this water level was always a possibility unless it was a light lure.

Top of beat Portnacraig bank

I had a good morning lots of fish showing but downriver they were on the wrong side of the water for my fly casting and they would not react to any lures.
As it turned out the afternoon fish were now showing in the middle channel, again out with my fly range and even the ace fisherman couldn't reach them he was also spinning. The heat was now intense, without doubt the hottest day of the year and the sun-cream was being plastered on. When you fish the Portnacraig bank you get all the tourists watching you so don't muck up your casting. I should be sitting with them enjoying a cold lager without all this gear on.

Fisherman wading near Pornacraig steps

By now 3 of the 6 people fishing had gone for the day, too hot. The fish were still showing well but nothing had been caught now for over 6 hours.
For me another hour in the sun was enough for the day. Again no fish but again I really enjoyed the day. Big flies, little flies nothing worked for me. But that otter will live long in the memory. Checked the blog and nothing recorded by the evening guys either.
There is plenty of water that can be released from the dam with water levels potentially rising very quickly so anglers must be wary. I have attached an earlier photo which shows the water exploding out the dam.

East Haugh Beat River Tummel

The river from the back road

Salmon fishing today on the East Haugh beat of the River Tummel in glorious Perthshire. 
I have fished this stretch a few times for the brown trout but it is only my second visit for salmon. The Tummel is a fast running river and I find this river in particular and also this beat very difficult for wading. Maybe I am too much of a scardy cat now but fast water and a very boulder strewn riverbed mean I don't wade out too far and never without a wading stick.

An example of the boulders you wade on in the water

I ate a full hotel breakfast and made the short drive to the river where I parked at the single track drive in just off the A9. I decided that most of the day would be fly fishing only as I had a reasonable walk up and down the beat and I didn't want to be carrying two rods plus the wading stick. Kitted out I carefully crossed the railway line, very fast trains so very definitely stop and look. You can see a fair way down the line in each direction so no need for the listening bit.

Looking towards Poltreigh

This brings you to the beat hut which is normally shut but today it was open with a small 2 man tent set up nearby. This surprised me, poachers I thought but it turned out it was 2 guys staying for a few days and they said they had bought their permits from the named beat owner so there. One was spinning away from where I was going but the other one, beer in hand, showed me a picture on his mobile of a salmon he had caught about 6am this morning, spinning. The only salmon that they had seen in 3 days.
I walked up to the northern end of the beat and fished my way down. There was a guy mid river at the end of the West Haugh beat who said he had caught 2 today.
Optimistic I started at Poltreigh and made my way down the beat casting a yellow and black tube fly to no avail. I even fished the sections not normally productive, just in case.

Home Stream where I caught my broonie

Down at the Home Stream section my hopes rose, I got a solid thud through the rod, the rod bent a little and out came a brown trout about a 1lb in weight. A nice wild fish but not what I was looking for.

Looking upriver at Peg Legs

On I went through the Cut and up to The Ferry Stream. A few fly changes on the way but still no success. Taking care as the boulders at the edge were slippy with algae, just another little obstacle.
I fished back to the hut which was I could see that the door was closed but just as I got there the guys arrived back from a shopping trip to Pitlochry but more a trip to visit the local pubs, we had a good chat and a few laughs but I don't think that they will be doing much more fishing tonight.
A last hour was spent spinning in the deep pool at Peg Legs where the salmon had been caught earlier in the day but no success.

The calm water at Peg Legs the hut on the right

At the pool the slow water had a swirling foaming eddy where the brown trout were feeding away on the trapped insects. One that rose would have been a specimen fish all right. Sods law I had no fly rod with me. I did try spinning to no avail as they were only interested in the early evening hatch.

Looking down the calm towards The Cut

However, I had a very nice day out, had an osprey for company at one point but it could not see any fish either and stayed up in the sky. The weather stayed reasonable, rain threatened a few times but passed over. Apart from the photo I never saw a live salmon nor felt one touch my rod. That's fishing for you and I will return.