This hot weather is just what we need

Wednesday evening 24th June, warm, strong easterly breeze, nice wave on the water. A few fish were moving sporadically off the Muirend dam wall, some very close in. I tackled up with a team of nymphs on the floating line, 5 weight, and worked my way along the wall. On the way back up near where the Spit used to be i hooked what i think must be one of the "Blue" trout, a rainbow of around 1.75lbs, with a very pronounced blue/grey colour to it, quite a good looking fish.

I was talking to another member and he told me that he had landed a fish of 4lb 10oz on the previous Sat, followed by one even larger, which he returned , due to being maxed out with fish at that point, perfectly understandable. The quality of these fish is beyond criticism, why waste money on trout fisheries when club waters can provide better sport at much less cost.

Barcraigs Sat Eve 20th June

Went up for an evening session, started at the Muirend dam wall, there are always fish here. Very little sign of fish on the surface as usual but i worked along the wall with a team of nymphs and fished them as slow as possible. Got nothing by the time i got into the west corner so decided to fish a short line back up. I was only casting out maybe three rod lengths of line but ive seen many fish move only a few feet out from the bank before. Sure enough i got lucky and hooked the 3.5lb fish in the picture. This fish did fight well, taking several long deep runs, it was quite a struggle to get it into the net. It took a size 12 PT, on a floating line. Im fishing a floating line more often this year , for several years ive been mainly fishing the intermediate.

The fishing in a decent club water such as Rowbank really is good value. Its as good as any fishery costing much more. If only the freeloading poaching crowd could just put their hands in their pockets and give us all a break things could be even better.

Barcraigs Sat June 13th

On the water for 3.30 am, nothing quite like getting into the car probably still pissed from the night before. The midges up there this year are exceptionally bad, repellent required frequently. Anyway nowt rising and very little wind first thing so a bit of a dissapointment. I should have just stayed in bed as i didnt get a fish till 7 am plus another an hour later.

Two fish for3.5lb, i guess i cant complain. There were a few fish moving really close in right amongst the bushes in the water and i managed to get a couple of them, i think they were taking an emerging sedge, i got them on a small lure and a sedge pupa type thing. The smaller fish is the pinkest Rainbow i think ive had.

Barcraigs 6th June

Cold wind from the East tonight. Not much moving on the surface, although plenty of Perch taking the fly. Tried a team of nymphs for a while to no effect then changed over to a couple of wets size 10 as the light was fading. Got a nice fish of 3lb at 11 o, clock from the Muirend Dam wall, on a Soldier Palmer, a dependable producer.

Barcraigs Fri 5th June

Water still very high, apparently its going to be kept that way so all the bushes in the water should eventually drown, making for a pretty snaggy bank experience. Very little surface activity tonight appart from loads of Perch as usual, which should be renamed pest fish as they are a never ending pest. Its a pity they dont grow a bit bigger on average although i believe there are some big ones in there, Ive had them to around 1.5lbs. Anyway back to the point, no discernable rise at all with just the odd trout moving. As usual when trying to get a rainbow it always pays to move around. I started off at the Muirend Dam but nothing doing there at all, so i moved up to the point on the bay where the burn enters, always a good spot and managed to get one at 10 o'clockish of arouond 1.75lb on a Ke Hee, stripped fast on a floater.


I always find that as the light is going and into darkness a couple of traditional wets on the big side will usually produce a fish or two. Weather was cold with some showers, heavy at times with the breeze from N,NE. No poachers on the water tonight, amazing.

First Rainbows from Barcraigs

Wednesday 3rd June, nice evening a bit of cloud cover, quite warm with the breeze mainly from the east. I fished the Muirend dam wall on the west end. As i got there i noticed someone sitting on the dam wall, a male with a female, he covered up what he was doing quite well but it was obviouse that he had been set lining, there were a set of bits of branch set into the dam stones , round which the set line would have been anchored. Anyway as i approached the guy he got off the water which was good but he had a fish in a bag already. There were three other poachers, at least down at the south end, the usual place.
Back to the fishing. No general rise at all with no flies visible on the water although i did catch sight of an unidentified ephemeroptera of some kind. There was the odd fish moving but it was sparse. I started with a team of small nymphs on a floatiing line and after around ten mins i got a fish of 2lb+ on a PT size 14, later as it was getting dark i got another of 2.75lb on a Montana. There just isnt any sustained rise in the evenings so far, i dont get it. The fish that do move seem preoccupied with somthing as they were ignoring my offers, yet there did not appear to be much on the surface, perhaps they were doing well a couple of feet down. I think the intermediate would have been a better bet.

Rowbank/Barcraigs 31st May

A few Rainbows moving at the Muirend area after a hot day but only sporadically. Couldnt see anything on the water until i spotted a crane fly type thing, maybe a hopper type fly would have done the trick, shame i didnt have any. Covered one fish with an Elk Hair Caddis that produced a few fish for me recently but a fish just gave it the once over and turned away. Some of these Rainbows can be picky.
Anyway had to give up on them seeing as they wouldnt have anything that i could offer, so over to Rowbank to see if i could get a Brownie. On the way, quite a few guys fishing from the pitchings and from the area near the stone building. There sure are a lot of guys fishing Rowbank these days that look just like poachers walking on with a fly rod, but hey, im not challenging anyone for a permit even if they are catching fish paid for out of my pocket. Whats the point, i go fishing to relax, not to get involved with arseholes. One got a brownie from Barcraigs as i got there and i took one myself later on. Has Barcraigs been stocked with Brownies?, or are they just passing thro from Rowbank seeing as the water is staying so high.
You know the thing that i really dont understand is that not one fish did i see rise on Rowbank, years ago there were huge evening hatches of buzzers and sedges but not anymore, the water used to boil with fish. If the fish are not rising it can only be because there are not the surface fly there. Why is this?