Angling: Feeling under the weather

Being overcast and flat calm, anglers could see where a lot of fish were rising on the Lake of Menteith.

However, seeing and catching proved to be a different story.

I started out in Hotel Bay close to the reed beds and went with a couple of Yellow Owls fished static on a floating line. Several fish showed an interest and turned on my flies several times without taking.

My boat partner went with the direct approach on a single Booby on an intermediate line. After several casts he connected into a nice bow of around 3lb. It fought well and came to the net with a struggle. That was the last interest we got in that area so we went in search of fish. But it was beginning to be a chasing game as every time we got within 100 yards or so they would move again.

Eventually up on the plantation we both got a double hook up on Blobs, of all things. Whilst my partner played out his fish I dropped mine at the net.

Yes, it was not to be my day and to add insult to injury the rain came down in torrents, soaking me into the bargain.

Although the fishing did not work out for me the banter with my boat partner made it a little more bearable. So within a few weeks I went from hero to zero, but that’s fishing!