August at Lamington

Starting to get a few fish now.Don't know whether my angling skills are improving or the river is fishing extra well,perhaps a bit of both.

Since my return from Canada I have been down to the river quite often, and although I haven't caught any whoppers I am pleased a the number of trout I have landed.  The grayling have also been showing their face,not biggies but all about the 11" mark. See if I can get some big ones when the trout season ends in October.

A nice wee grayling which popped up amoungst the trout.

I have been fishing the duo,which is a bushy type fly on the bob, which acts as a indicator and a weighted nymph on the point. You therefore have two chances-one if the trout takes the indicator and the other when it takes the nymph.
When there are no fish rising I discard the bob fly and use a pimp instead. I then fish up to 3 nymphs under it.
I think I am now starting to get the knack of fly fishing and I am looking forward to future successes.
A bold statement I know! but hopefully Ive cracked it.

Back on the Clyde with my Tenkara

No wind,nice and warm,intermittent clouds and a good flow of water = ideal day for my Tenkara.
My set up was a big bright klinkhammer fly as an indicator with a pheasant tailed nymph on the dropper with another one on the point.
Starting at the bottom of the 100 yard run I fan cast my way up river.
I was soon into my first fish,a 11"grayling,which took the klinkhammer.

Soon after I caught this wee brown trout, this time on the point ptn..it gave me quite a tussle on the pole,there is a knack to landing fish on the Tenkara and I haven't quite mastered it yet.
I had two runs up the stretch which produce a further mix of about 8 fish all round the same size.
Using barbless hooks I was able to release the fish easily and all swam off strongly.
It was a good days fishing and I enjoyed it.
I hope there will be many more sessions like this.

Some more Pics. from Canada

Here I am,all ready to do a spot of birdwatching-hope I don't scare them off with my attire.
I wondered why there wasn't many people around,it was mid day and the temperatures were in the mid 70F-should have looked at the mozzie alert.The little buggers bit me everywhere-so it was back under cover--fast.

My daughter and her new arrival standing by the pond in Ojibway Nature Reserve just before we were nearly eaten my mosquitoes.

My little grandson, with his teacher,at the end of his first year at pre-school.

I had a great 3 weeks with my daughter and family in Canada.They made me really welcome and I will miss them." See you all next year--byeeeee.

Back in Scotland on my favourite river Clyde. A nice little brown trout caught on a wee dry fly-hope I catch many more.

Musky fishing Lake St Clare Ontario

My fishing guide, Andy Copland said "Well-I will take you out but you are going to get wet and the temperature has dropped a few degrees so its going to be cold." "Whats our chances of catching?"I said.
"Its early season so it ain't going to be easy,but put it this way-if we go out there is always a chance--if we don't? !  your the paymaster its your decision"Andy replied.
He opened up the throttle and out we went.
After travelling about 6 miles in 10 minutes we were ready to set up for our first drift.
Four rods in total- 2 on conventional drift method and 2-on boards attached to a mast.
Something like this http://www.fishweb.com/recreation/fishing/fishfacts/sideplane/index.html
After drifting for about half an hour--Bang!! first fish. a very small musky, but a success,I was happy.

Five minutes later in come another one,this time a bit bigger reaching 34"

I thought it was a big one,but the skipper said it was only a baby.
 The best of the 5 fish we caught,reaching 45"----- it was big enough for me.
We had been out for 4 hours now and it had started to rain.The skipper said "This weather is a welcome break for me,I,m usually out here in 90 degrees". Well I get enough of this in Scotland,lets get out of here, I can think of a more comfortable place to be" "Your the boss" he replied.


My 3 weeks holiday is now coming to an end, I have spent most of the time with my daughter and grandchildren (as one should), I have managed to escape twice and have fished Canadian style, both days were a success.Thanks again to my fishing guide Andy.
Ive had a great time in Canada.
I will be back.

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Cooking your catch

Brought some walleye home from my fishing trip to Lake Erie.
My daughter who is not a fish lover-that is- unless its out of the supermarket
(never could work that one out-"all my fish are too fishy" she says---very strange) Anyway she agreed to do something with it and her being a dab hand (excuse the pun) at cooking the results of her efforts were very tasty. http://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/pickerel-and-scallop-curry

Leamington,Essex County,Ontario

Arriving at the marina-this thing looks the business-hope it has seat belts as the skipper said we would be travelling across Lake Erie for 18 miles and it would take about 20 minutes-Wow!! that's fast  

  My skipper for the day-Andy Copland,a tournament fisher,good boatman and a really nice guy.
  www.justfishguideservice.ca

First fish on board was a freshwater Drum(sheep's head) not our target species but they gave a good account of themselves, 3 to 5lbs each and plenty of them throughout the day.Skip gave me an important lesson on clutch control- when these fish take a dive they can easily snap your 10lb leader.So get your reel settings right. We also had a few small perch and silver bass,with the Walleye (pickerel) thin on the ground. However we managed to land 6 of average size (no16lb monsters)

We were using four rods on the drift and to keep the lines apart we used these things called boards.
When I first saw them I thought they were a stupid contraption,but as they day went on I started to understand the principal behind them. You can set the board to keep your lines apart and control the depth of the terminal tackle (some boats use out-riggers for the same purpose) Andy set the drift at different speeds,he even used a drogue to slow us down and kept altering the depth to contact the fish.
The business end consisted of a trace with a pennel hook system,baited with a good size lob worm,spinner spoon,beads and weighted attractor.

Back on dry land after a lovely day on Lake Erie.Temperature in the upper 70s with a nice breeze to keep you cool (had to stick my hat on to look the part for this shot.
A brace of Walleye-- they are going to provide the family with a nice meal tonight and I will probably wash it down with a few pints of Canadian lager.

My little four year old grandson (Jack Sparrow) "I want to catch one this size" he says-"Perhaps next year when you are a bit older"

A new year-a new trout season

It is mid April and the trout season is in full swing.
I am back at Wolfclyde Bridge being greeted by the new arrivals.

Just a wee brown trout,the first of the season-had to make a few trips to catch this one.

Thought I would take this snap as I walked through the arch of the bridge.

An old abbey on the banks of the Clyde at Crawford. Its a lovely spot and I hope to return with my fishing rod.

Its been a hard start to the season but as the spring goes into summer I am hoping that the fishing improves. Not that it matters too much if I catch fish or not I am in a lovely part of Scotland and I feel very lucky that my life has turned out as it has.