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2013 Reports

30-10-2013

From this weekend it’s Saturday’s and Sunday’s only for the month of November.  The weather has been quiet variable over the last few weeks and anglers have to change their tactics and experiment to find out what’s working.  This changes from day to day so we suggest you ask at the desk when buying your ticket.   Successful tactics have included dries, buzzers, nymphs and lures on different days.  Black continues to work well as a colour and fish have been caught with floating lines through to fast sinkers.   Some of the larger fish are starting to bulk up for the winter so fishing a fry imitation can be a good bet.   The club bookings are coming in now for next season so drop us an email or  call to find out about availability.

 

21-10-2013

The fishery was quiet during the week but Friday turned out to be a good day with all of the anglers catching their limits.  The fish were all taken near the surface with black flies accounting for most of the fish – buzzers, cormorants, diawl bachs and even dries, featuring in the returns.   Saturday was much tougher with the fish proving to be elusive for most of the visitors.  I managed to get one interested in a foam daddy at the burn end but found it difficult to repeat this.  Another angler was managing to get fish on buzzers fished on a washing line and a couple of the boats picked up fish on black lures.

 

5-10-2013

Alex joined us for a fish on Saturday and we decided to head up to the Dam to locate the fish.  After trying different tactics for an hour or so – with no success, we decided to head for the burn end.  By lunch time Mick and I had managed a couple of fish each. I stuck to a floating line and took one on a Cormorant and one on a FAB, Mick used an intermediate and took both fish on a Carron Rabbit  (he also missed a few fish).   Alex persevered with Dries and buzzers but struggled to get any attention.  During lunch we noticed a couple of fish moving in front of the Cabin and Alex took one on his first cast with a CDC hopper.  We returned to the burn end and Mick got a lot of attention with a brown CDC dry fly.

Most of the boats were finding the fishing challenging and anglers had to vary tactics to pick up fish.  On a couple of the milder days last week it looked as if the water was boiling with fish rising.  Unfortunately, the fishery was quiet and folks missed the action.

 

29-09-2013

Some good specimens caught over the weekend – Check out the details on our Facebook page.  The fish are starting to bulk up for the colder weather and some larger trout have been feeding on fry. Lures, nymphs, Fab’s and buzzers all featured in the returns.

 

22-09-2013

Friday’s strong wind didn’t impact on the fishing and those that were brave enough to cast into the wind from the Dam did exceptionally well with Cormorants on intermediate or midge tip lines.   Saturday was a much more settled day and anglers did well with a variety of tactics Alan Burns Jnr & Snr did well in front of the cabin with Sunburst FABs and a Pink Duck.   A group of beginners that visited with Wild Days caught 5 trout on black lures (pics and story on their website http://wild-days.co.uk/ ).

After blanking last Saturday the pressure was really on and Alan Burns’s daughter Eilidh even started to rib me after I’d not caught any in the morning.  I was lucky enough to pick a couple up in the afternoon at the Burn end with a sunburst Fab and you’ve probably guessed – a pink duck..   The more skilful anglers also did well on Dries and nymphs…

 

14-09-2013

Dries, Fabs and buzzers fished on a washing line have been the most successful tactic.  Depending on the weather conditions – Daddy’s have been the most productive way to fish.  The fish have been taken in all areas but the roadside and Dam are fishing well.    I visited on Saturday and discovered that most anglers on Friday had caught lots of fish on Daddy’s and CDCs.  However, Saturday was more challenging and I managed to blank – despite having lots of takes.  Mick Mulgrew had a better day and took fish on Daddy’s and a black snatcher from the Dam.  I eventually resorted to a Pink Duck about 2 feet under an indicator and struggled to connect with fish every time the indicator went.

 

01-09-2013

On Friday and Saturday, most of the fish were congregated at the dam end with the strong westerly wind.   On Friday the best tactic was a single Daddie on a long leader.   On Saturday – this had changed to FABs , muddlers or lures.  Ian McNicoll had a good number of fish from the Dam using his own sunburst blob.  He was good enough to let me try one and I also managed a couple of fish before changing to a Damsel in the afternoon – this also produced fish.

 

25-08-2013

On Wednesday through to Friday the fish were gorging themselves on small black flies and the water looked like it was boiling at times. Anglers found it easy to get attention with small red or black dries. Alex looked after the fishery on Thursday – but managed to squeeze a few minutes fishing in – taking 7 fish from the area just in front of the cabin on dries (on a small red shipmans).

Saturday brought a change in appetite for the fish and anglers had more success with Daddies – either fishing then dry on the surface or letting then sink and encouraging the fish to chase with a fast figure of eight.   Steve (our casting instructor) provided a few more dates for free casting lessons during September and managed a few fish on Daddies at the shallow end.  Check out the dates for free lessons on the casting instruction page.  I’d recommend a session with Steve if you want to achieve extra distance or learn new casting techniques.

 

 

16-08-2013

Anglers had a great time with dry tactics over the course of last week – Daddies, F-Flies and Hoppers all accounting for lots of fish.  However, the weather on Saturday brought strong South Westerly winds and some monsoon type rain showers.   This was enough to make the fish less cooperative and anglers had to vary their tactics to get results.

I’d managed to talk Alex into joining Mick and I for some fishing on Saturday. We started off at the burn end and  I began with a washing line set up which attracted a fish  to a Black Pennell after about 10 minutes.  Unfortunately this was our only action in the first couple of hours, but  Steve Culbert managed 4 fish on a loop bloodworm.  We headed to the Dam after a quick tea in the cabin and I was lucky enough to catch a fish on my first cast with a Cormorant and took a further fish with a pink duck.  Unfortunately, Alex and Mick both blanked and we headed for lunch.

Mick had better luck in the afternoon at the burn end with Skinny Buzzers – Dark Green seemed to work best on a short leader and very slow figure of eight.

Fingers crossed the weather settles down again over the next couple of days.

08-08-2013

The continued fine spell the last couple of weeks has made the fishing challenging at best. However, things have improved greatly over the last few days and anglers are getting plenty of surface attention.  F-Flies, CDC emergers, Daddies and small nymphs fished on a washing line have all worked well.    Fish can be caught across all areas and the boat anglers and bank anglers are doing well.   The weather forecast looks good over the next few days and should result in some excellent sport.

 

15-07-2013

The weather has stayed surprisingly warm over the last week and this has made for challenging fishing at times.  The boats have had better results than the bank anglers with the fish lying deeper in the warm conditions.   On Saturday some of the boat anglers did really well using lures or FABs on sinking lines.  Within the first hour, regulars Jake and David were into a fish straight away on a Hot Head Damsel and another boat had picked up fish on a Yellow Dancer.  Mick and I tried the Dam using the same tactics that had brought success the previous week – FAB and buzzers on a washing line.  Unfortunately this didn’t produce any results and even switching to lures failed to attract any fish.  One angler on the Dam managed 4 fish using black buzzers about 10ft down but even this failed to work when I tried the same tactics.  We tried a boat for a short spell in the afternoon and Mick was quickly into a fish between the Cabin and the Dam using a hot head damsel on an intermediate line.   The fine weather is forecast to continue but not quite so warm – this should improve the fishing over the next few days.  I’m on holiday for the next couple of weeks so please check our Facebook page for updates.

 

08-07-2013

The weather has certainly improved with sun lotion being a prerequisite for the weekend.  The wind was quite strong on Saturday and most of the action was focussed on the Dam end.  Buzzers, Pink Ducks and FABs were all producing results.  I managed to hook and loose about 7 fish using a Pink Fab with snatchers or buzzers on a sink tip line.  Black Sugar Cube flies also worked well when the wind dropped .

01-07-2013

The previous Saturday had been very productive at the burn end so I decided to start off with the same tactics.  A sink tip line with a tequila FAB on the point and 2 buzzers on the droppers.  The fish obviously still liked this setup because one took the FAB on my second cast using  a slow figure of eight retrieve.  Mick used the same setup with a floating line but this was less productive – Mick had lost his sink tip the previous week when the line snapped whilst playing a fish!  I’d managed 7 fish by 11am and decided to try the Dam end.  The Dam was quiet apart from a single boat that was taking lots of fish on intermediate lines with lures stripped quickly.  Mick and I had a couple of takes but didn’t pick up any further fish.  After lunch we headed back to the burn end and tried a bubble caddis on the point with 2 orange buzzers.  The fish duly responded and I was quickly into a fish until I heard an unexpected crack when my rod snapped.   This is the third time it’s happened to my Hardy Demon – a great rod but expensive when you count all the replacement sections.

 

24-06-2013

The fishing on Saturday was excellent with lots of early surface action at the burn end.  The wind got stronger as the day progressed which forced the fish down but they were still keen to connect with buzzers, nymphs and lures.   I started off at the burn end with Mick Mulgrew and we both found fish easy to hook into using floating lines and a slow figure of eight with FABs on the point and buzzers on the droppers.  Another angler was doing well with small CDC (Size 16) emergers.   The fish are in superb condition and provide some great action.

On the Friday Tom Grey had good results with a new variant of a Hot Head Damsel he had tied up, having caught 7 fish in a short session with an intermediate line (these should be available for sale in the Cabin soon).

 

18-06-2013

Ferrier pumps hosted a corporate day at the fishery on Friday and all of the guests had a great day out – As usual, Brian provided lots of prizes and refreshments – Catch more of the action on Ferrier Pumps Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ferrier-Pumps-Limited/184860218224009

The fishing on Saturday was more challenging with strong winds making life difficult for the Boat Anglers.  However, lots of anglers caught fish with a variety of tactics and small nymphs did well towards the afternoon at the burn end.  The boats did better with lures and intermediate or DI3 lines – Damsels are still accounting for lots of fish.   The more settled conditions should see some surface action over the next few days.

 

10-06-2013

The good weather continued over most of last week and the fishing has been excellent.   In general terms the Dam end has fished well for those using lures and dries – the burn end has been better for nymphs.   Saturday was the hottest day and probably most challenging with unbroken sunshine.  However, some anglers did well and others struggled:  There didn’t seem to be any specific formula for success – some of the boats had good results with lures and sinking lines, hoppers doing well on the Dam and buzzers also producing fish.   Damsels and Black lures , Black buzzers with orange cheeks and Black or Scarlet Hoppers were most productive.

The road has also had some further work done to improve the drive up to the fishery.

03-06-2013

Our stocking on Friday included some double figure Rainbows and some specimen Tiger Trout.  The better weather meant the fish were in a more cooperative mood and some of the folks that headed to the Dam did well on Friday evening.  One angler managed 21 fish in less than 4 hours with a Damsel.  The boats also did well using lures with intermediate lines.  I visited on Saturday with Gilmerton Miners Fly Fishing Club and we had a great day with just about everyone catching their limits and many of the members getting into double figures.  The Dam was most productive and it didn’t seem to matter what fly you had on – Lures in all colours, FABS, buzzers and nymphs all picking up fish.  If you like lots of action now is the time to visit – the fish are also in top condition and provide some great sport once hooked..

27-05-2013

Saturday was warm with some bright sunny spells but the water was still cold from low temperatures on Friday.  This meant that there was less surface action than expected but fish were still keen to take lures and buzzers.  Mick Mulgrew and I tried the burn end first with buzzers but were obviously using the wrong tactics as we watched Thomas Kraniec pick up lots of fish with a Hot Head Damsel fished slowly on a floating line.  Mick had more luck with buzzers as we made our way to the Dam end and picked up 4 fish between the cabin and dam on the far side.  After lunch, both Mick and I picked up fish with Damsels and Buzzers.  On Sunday anglers did better with orange blobs and lures in shades of orange.

We’re expecting some nice Tiger Trout this week in time for next weekend.

 

23-05-2013

The weather has improved as predicted and fish have been more active as they start to feed on naturals.  Small nymphs, buzzers and dries have been doing well but some anglers have also had good results on lures – Cats Whiskers and Yellow Dancers have been mentioned.

Steve Culbert our casting instructor has scheduled some additional dates for June and July for anyone interested in free casting lessons.  See the Casting Instruction link from the top menu to get dates – Some quick advice from Steve can be valuable for even the most experienced fishers.

 

20-05-2013

The weather improved last week and by Friday fish were taking dries off the surface and providing great support.  This all changed on Saturday which started off overcast with a slight wind but by 11am the wind strengthened and brought monsoon type conditions.   I tried my luck on the Dam first and managed a couple of fish with a pink duck on a floating line, followed by another 2 down the far bank.  After lunch I tried the Dam end and managed a few more fish on the same tactic – others were taking fish on buzzers but fishing was difficult in the heavy rain and strong winds.   Pink appeared to be a popular colour with lures and buzzers in this colour accounting for fish.   The weather looks to be more settled for the next few days so we should hopefully see return to surface action….

 

08-05-2013

Some better weather over the last few days brought trout to the surface and some are starting to take an interest in dries.   By contrast Saturday was quite cold and extremely windy which made fishing more challenging for the boat anglers.  Yellow Dancers and Hot Head Damsels on intermediate or dry lines worked well in the area in front of the cabin and on the far side closer to the Dam area.   On Sunday more anglers had success with buzzers and smaller nymphs in the lighter wind.

The road up to the fishery is much improved after filling the potholes a few weeks ago but anglers are advised to drive slowly in consideration of the lambs.

30-04-2013

Fishing was mixed on Saturday with some anglers doing well and others struggling.  Fish were taken all over the Reservoir but the area near the slipway at the Dam seemed to be holding a lot of fish and buzzers or small nymphs did well.

One angler did particularly well with a single traffic light buzzer about 7 feet under a bung.  Lures also featured in the returns – Hot Head Damsels, Yellow Dancers and Black&Green  caught fish.

22-04-2013

The wind on Saturday started off quite lightly but strengthened through the morning.  This made life more difficult for the boat anglers.  I started at the burn end and decided to try elsewhere after about 30 minutes of little action.  I tried buzzers, lures and a black snatcher which had worked well the previous day.   One or two anglers managed to tempt fish but it was obvious that the fish had moved elsewhere.  Mick Mulgrew and I set off towards the Dam end but stopped to try a cast opposite the cabin – Mick picked up a fish on a black snatcher and we could see other anglers catching fish just beyond Flesh Cleugh.  One angler was doing well with a black and green buzzer on the dropper and a fab on the point drifted round in the wind.    Another angler was getting lots of action on the Dam, casting into the wind with a sinking line and black & green lure.   Mick and I changed to intermediate lines with Hot Head Damsels on the Dam and were immediately into fish – both of us managing 4 fish each before lunch time.   After lunch we headed back to the Dam and I tried a Pink Duck with great success – casting out and bringing it back slowly on  floating line.  I also tried a single black buzzer on a short leader and managed to pick up more fish.   It looks as if the fish are now well dispersed across the reservoir.  Others took fish on Okay Dokays, Black Dancers and Blood Worms.

 

19-04-2013

The fish obviously believe it’s spring with lots of activity on the top of the water this morning.  Fish were taken on buzzers fished static and lures on a steady figure of eight retrieve.  Black buzzers and Yellow Dancers were successful for lots of anglers fished on floating lines.  The fish have now spread across the reservoir and this should bring more success for anyone in a boat this weekend.   The weather forecast predicts it will stay mild with a light to moderate wind with cloudy conditions in the morning and brighter in the afternoon.

15-04-2013

The fishing has been much better over the last week with the bank anglers doing better than the boats.  The burn end is still the most productive and anglers have been taking fish on floating lines with lures, nymphs and buzzers.   Quite a few big fish have been caught and carefully returned including the fine fish on the left – taken by Mr Potter on a black and green buzzer at the burn end.

A number of anglers on Saturday got well into double figures – Yellow Dancers and cut throat cats featured well in the returns.

06-04-2013

What a difference a week makes – things are starting to warm up…  Saturday was cold to start with but the fish provided plenty of action with quite a few anglers getting into double figures.   Mick Mulgrew started the day with a fine Tiger trout on a cut throat cat lure and went onto get 16 more with a slow retrieve on a floating line.   Most of the action was focussed on the shallow end but fish were taken all over the reservoir.

The pot holes on the road are now filled and the drive up to the fishery is quite straightforward….

 

31-03-2013

The cold weather continues and the lack of any breeze on Friday night meant that the reservoir was frozen for Saturday morning.   We attempted to break the ice with boats and by afternoon quite a bit of the water was fishable but the fish were also sluggish and the few hardy anglers that tried their luck found it difficult.   Lures and intermediate lines are the best tactics with various colours of marabou with hot heads attracting attention.   The weather forecast predicts that things should get slightly warmer.  Roll on spring……..

 

19-03-2013

It’s only just over half way through the month and the weather experts are already saying this is the coldest March on record!  Hence, it has been a slow start to the season with less anglers than usual visiting.    The good news is that the road has been filled and the bad potholes are no more!!!  However, the snow and ice have made it difficult to get up to the fishery and we’ve had to shut on a few days.  Here’s to better weather over the next week…..

For those that have braved the cold fishing has been good with got bags of fish taken at both ends.  Cats Whiskers, Damsels and Yellow Dancers all featuring in the catch reports.   A pink Duck about 7 feet under an indicator has accounted for fish at the Dam end for some anglers.

10-03-2013

The latter part of last week was really quiet with the cold weather putting most people off.  I visited on Saturday to try my luck and was welcomed with heavy snow and strong winds.  I almost decided to go home but decided to try my luck with regulars Kenny and Billy when they turned up.   I headed off to the burn end and started with a hot headed Damsel – Both Kenny and Billy managed to hit fish in their first couple of casts with Damsels – I’d had no luck after about 15 mins so changed to an intermediate line with white dancer on the point and orange blob on the dropper.   My first cast resulted in a double hook up and  I managed to get takes every second cast with most of the fish falling to the orange blob on a steady retrieve.  I ended up with 10 fish in a couple of hours before I headed off to the rugby (Shouldn’t have bothered).

Others caught fish on a variety of lures and the burn end is holding most of the newly stocked fish.  If you’re after an overwintered fish I’d suggest you try the Dam or between the Dam and small bay on the bank opposite the cabin.

 

04-03-2013

The Fishery opened on Friday and about 15 hardy anglers braved the cold weather to join us for the first day of the new season.   Unfortunately the fishing didn’t live up to expectations and most anglers blanked – with the exception of one brown trout about 3lbs which was caught and released again.

Saturday was much better with most anglers catching fish on lures at the shallow end.   Intermediate lines with gold head damsels (gold fritz body) or fire dancers (yellow / red / orange maribou) taking fish with a slow retrieve in the shallow water.   The boats found things tougher but Jake Johnstone managed a couple of fine fish near the bay opposite the cabin.   The Mackie family enjoyed a good day and managed over 20 fish between them and Thomas Kraniec landed 7 on a damsel.

I visited on Sunday and started at the burn end and managed 2 nice fish on a hot head Damsel after discovering that the fish were looking for a faster retrieve.    Lewis and his dad (Ian) were doing well with Damsels and Orange Blobs fished quickly and other anglers were catching fish on Yellow Dancers.

We then walked round and tried the Dam end – Ian and Lewis both catching over wintered  fish on their first casts (orange blob and black and green lure).

Karen has taken over the management of the fishery from Alex and looks forward to welcoming anglers – We’re back to stocking on a weekly basis.    Tight lines……

Some road repairs are scheduled to take place (mon-fri) over the next week but this shouldn’t cause any delays if you get up to the fishery before 9.30 and leave after 4pm.