It’s happened, just in the way the rivers rise high in the winter and then low in the summer my thoughts are turning from Pike back to Trout. I am not saying I will be forgetting Pike for the summer – quite the opposite actually I am actually quite looking forward to taking a Pike on a popper – a Pike on a dry fly if you will.
However when I have been going to sleep or day dreaming about fishing during the day it is trout that have been on my mind – thinking about casting dry flies to eager spring trout willing to snatch a fly from the surface like someone clicking there fingers. I have also been thinking about fishing with streamers this spring, I have tied some horrific woolly buggers and am looking forward to catching some Kelvin and Clyde trout on them.
As well as my exploits on the Clyde I am looking forward to getting back to my roots on the Kelvin. I felt as if I neglected it last year however I think the weather was always going to be a problem – I never got a chance for many evening sessions due to cold conditions, I suppose that plus my additional university work made it difficult to hit the Kelvin although when I did it fished its socks off. Word has already reached me of someone who has already caught some rather nice trout to dry flies on the Kelvin as the Large Dark Olives are on the water. Anyone who has any free time during the week would do well to get down there especially with the nice sunshine we are having.
hi well thats it started lets get fishing for trout lol no pike lol well not fished the kelvin since the session has started but going to soon to bizzy going to fishery well tight lines and happy fishing 🙂
carbethfishery.blogspot.com:) cheak this out i just made it up to night let me now what u think nikki:)
I know of two small waters close to me that would be absolutely ideal for pike on poppers come summertime, its something im really looking forward to.
Also i have thought about using streamers over the next wee while but i couldnt fathom how to fish them, part of me thinks that fishing them on a retrieve would do the business, the other part thinks i should fish it like any other wet/ nymph.
how would you present them?
Hey Nikki – keep up the good work!
Scott – I am certainly no expert when it comes to streamers – in fact I would say I am an utter novice. From what I have read there is not really a wrong way to fish them, you can cast them across current and dead drift them, downstream and across or upstream and strip them back.
Cheers alistair, its something i need to try soon, from what i read it is killer at this time of year when the trout can otherwise be hard to tempt, i guess expermimentation is the answer!
I tried the Kelvin late this afternoon. Caught diddly squat. No sign of life at all. I tried dries, wets, nymphs, to no avail. Perhaps a touch chilly today.
Lets face facts, spring comes late in these parts and any day at this time of year with a mean temperature of less than say 10 degrees will see the trout in a less than co-operative mood. Add to this a blustery wind that could cut you in two and you have conditions that will not only discourage emmergence but also will hamper the presentation of our flees, whether they be dries or sub-surface wets / nymphs. This was illustrated perfectly to us on the river yesterday when even the grayling proved difficult to tempt and it was only in the late afternoon when the wind abated did the river show even a glimmer of its true potential. My advice at this time of year is to be patient and wait for mild , calm conditions around lunchtime to mid afternoon and taregt sheltered aread of the river where there might e a chance of a hatch. Otherwise, head for the nearest grayling stream and take advantage of some late season sport as the fish feed up prior to spawning.