Fraser on Fishing: Pink rabbit worked its magic

It was a fairly quiet Markle fishery when I arrived for a midweek session.

Yours truly: Stuart Fraser from Mayfield with a 4lb rainbow taken on a white cat at Allandale Tarn

Conditions were nigh on perfect with a slight ripple and overcast for most of the day. Fish were moving on the high bank but nothing was being caught for whatever reason.

As per usual I went out with a floating line, a long leader and a fab with two buzzers but for the best part of 40 minutes I had nothing except a couple of tweaks. I fared no better after changing to dries and then a damsel. I was beginning to think I was about to blank.

Then I overheard one chap shout ‘pink snake’ and looked in my box to see what I could find. Closest thing to that was a pink rabbit so I thought, why not? Casting well out I counted down two seconds then started a long steady retrieve. What a difference. I was getting pull after pull and dropped two close to the net within half an hour.

A move down on to the dam wall really kicked off the sport where I landed three in quick succession before it went dead. Moving onto the road shore was just fantastic to see as fish after fish would follow the fly in and each in turn would have a tug at it. However, I could not connect with any but it certainly kept my interest in. An hour or so later I called it a day and headed to the lodge for a cup of coffee before heading home.

• Fraser on Fishing is sponsored by Morton Fishings, Morton Road, Mid Calder, Livingston, EH53 0JT. Tel: [phone]; Mobile: [phone]