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.