Difference between revisions of "Scottish fishing"

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'''Lewis loch on a September day.'''
 
'''Lewis loch on a September day.'''
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The most common method of fly fishing moorland lochs, such as those found on Lewis, is with the wet fly. Fish are only rarely seen to rise and the angler who wishes to cast over rising fish might only cast a few times per year depending upon the lochs he might visit and the conditions. Dry fly fishing is a method that is not much used but there are certain lochs and certain days when it can come into its own, however in generaly the angler could save weight and space by not carrying a selection of dry flies and be at no real disadvantage. Traditionally fishing the wet fly involved fishing 3 flies on a cast, a point fly tied to the end of the leader and two other flies attached to droppers spaced between the connection to the fly line and the point. This method of fishing is still very common but in recent years I have tended to fish only 2, rather than 3, flies and have not noticed any great reduction in my catch as a result. Casting 2 flies is, I suspect, less likely to result in tangles especially when longer casts are being made.
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Wet fly fishing is very much a technique of fishing the water rather than fishing over rising fish and so the angler is well advised to keep on the move in practise I tend to operate in two ways. In one situation where all of the bank looks equally attractive for fishing I would tend to make several casts from one position and then move a few steps along the bank however where the bank has a number of "points" or other features then I would tend to fish each point, covering all the water I could, for a period before moving to the next point.
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I hope that this little summary gives someone the motivation to get out there and chase a few wild fish on the moorland of Scotland, while I use the Isle of Lewis as a specific example there are many other areas in the Highlands where similar opportunities present themselves to the angler who enjoys both walking and fishing.

Revision as of 14:40, 27 January 2007

There is a wide range of fly fishing available in Scotland ranging from salmon and sea trout in large rivers to my particular interest: small wild brown trout in moorland lochs. I am going to start the ball rolling by describing my fishing and hopefully others will edit this page to add their experiences.


Fishing for Wild Trout on the Moorland.

Much as I enjoy my fishing I also enjoy a good walk and chasing after the little wild trout that are to be found in Scottish moorland lochs has the advantage of combining both walking and fishing into a good day out. Much of my Scottish fishing takes place on the Isle of Lewis off the north west coast of Scotland and this island is said to have 1200 lochs almost all of which hold wild brown trout. The fish are often small and in some lochs they can also be hard to catch but part of the fun is in exploring and attempting to find the best lochs and the biggest fish. That I can see there is no pattern visible to man to indicate which loch might be best, though I'm sure the trout know why they prefer one loch over another.

One of the key advantages of fishing in Lewis is that the trout fishing is, in most cases, free of charge. Now clearly this has an advantage in financial terms but the most significant advantage, considering that there are 1200 lochs, is that the angler isn't constantly running from one place to another attempting to purchase an appropriate permit for the loch he wishes to fish. This allows the angler to plan his day not according to the permit he holds, or can easily get access to, but according to his whim and, most importantly, with due reference to the weather forecast. Such freedom also allows the angler to fish several lochs in a day or, even, to nip out for half an hour on a nearby loch without concern for paperwork which blights other areas of the country.

Lewis presents a fairly bleak and barren image to the visitor with miles of windswept empty bog reaching to the horizon in all directions and, indeed, the many hundreds of lochs are often hidden from the eye of the casual observer as they commonly sit in little dips in the peat and may only be seen from a distance of a few hundred yards at most in many cases. This is, however, a unique and interesting landscape which exerts a strong pull on a very many who visit and who spend time crossing the moorland. For the visiting angler the most important considerations are suitable clothing and the need for care when crossing the bog, these points are trivial when set against the enjoyment which may be had from this wonderful landscape but it is best that the angler is prepared and so I may labour them just a little. This fantastic landscape is subject to the most extreme weather and the most notable weather feature is the wind which may be a constant feature for weeks on end and which can be savage in the extreme. Often this wind carries rain, or from November to June sleet, hail or more rarely snow, and the wandering angler should be prepared for this. It must also be considered that a walk of several miles out to a loch may be a trivial matter with the wind on your back but, on the return, may be almost impossible when fighting against the teeth of a gale.

As can be seen suitable clothing is important and stout walking boots are to be preferred over waders or other boots which may be more difficult to walk in, the choice of fishing rod is very much a secondary consideration to the choice of boots for the angler who wanders the moorlands in search of trout. Also of the greatest import is the ability to navigate on a bleak, empty and often featureless moorland. In 15 or more years of walking the Lewis bog I have never met anyone else out there, this moorland is not like the "mountain motorways" of the rest of Scotland where there may be paths and long strings of people engaging in "outdoor pursuits" and the angler who gets lost will find that he is very much on his own. Care must also be taken as to where the walker puts his feet as many areas of bog are dangerously soft and a mistake can result in disappearance without a trace. It is said that there is more solid content in milk than there is in a peat bog and while this is hard to believe it is a useful "fact" to keep in mind to ensure that the walker is aware that they are often stepping on a thin layer of vegetation covering a liquid.

Typical Lewis Moorland.jpg

Typical Lewis moorland.

Once the angler has gathered up suitable clothing, maps, compass and the other requirements necessary to survive on the moorland the next consideration is fishing equipment. As you may have to carry this for many miles my advice is to keep it simple and to carry the bare minimum. The angler will require a rod and something about 11 foot for a 7 weight line would be normal but rods casting a lighter line are not uncommon. While it is not impossible to fish with a shorter rod a long rod really is an advantage to work the bob fly in the wave and also to get a cast where the banks are high and covered with heather. Apart from the rod take a sensible reel, fly line, leader material, flies, some compound to sink the leader and a multipurpose tool with a good knife. Sunglasses and a hat may also be added to the list should the day be fine and it is worth taking a plastic bag should you intend to kill a few fish. This short list is all that is required for a day of fishing the wet fly but, as is always the case with anglers, most will add or subtract to satisfy personal taste and also to cater for the potential to vary methods and tactics.

Lewis loch.jpg

Lewis loch on a September day.

The most common method of fly fishing moorland lochs, such as those found on Lewis, is with the wet fly. Fish are only rarely seen to rise and the angler who wishes to cast over rising fish might only cast a few times per year depending upon the lochs he might visit and the conditions. Dry fly fishing is a method that is not much used but there are certain lochs and certain days when it can come into its own, however in generaly the angler could save weight and space by not carrying a selection of dry flies and be at no real disadvantage. Traditionally fishing the wet fly involved fishing 3 flies on a cast, a point fly tied to the end of the leader and two other flies attached to droppers spaced between the connection to the fly line and the point. This method of fishing is still very common but in recent years I have tended to fish only 2, rather than 3, flies and have not noticed any great reduction in my catch as a result. Casting 2 flies is, I suspect, less likely to result in tangles especially when longer casts are being made.

Wet fly fishing is very much a technique of fishing the water rather than fishing over rising fish and so the angler is well advised to keep on the move in practise I tend to operate in two ways. In one situation where all of the bank looks equally attractive for fishing I would tend to make several casts from one position and then move a few steps along the bank however where the bank has a number of "points" or other features then I would tend to fish each point, covering all the water I could, for a period before moving to the next point.

I hope that this little summary gives someone the motivation to get out there and chase a few wild fish on the moorland of Scotland, while I use the Isle of Lewis as a specific example there are many other areas in the Highlands where similar opportunities present themselves to the angler who enjoys both walking and fishing.