I am looking for advice on the best flies to use on the lochs. I fish Loch Buidhe from the boat and use a floating line. On the bob I use a large wake-inducing fly, usually a deer hair sedge (later in the season I might use a Daddy Long Legs). In all but a flat calm these flies bring plenty fish to the surface. The problem is hooking them. I am lucky if I make contact with 1 in 5 fish. So plenty of excitement but not enough fish in the boat. Using a smaller fly doesn’t seem to improve matters. I have tried striking at the first sign of activity. I have tried leaving the fly in the water after the initial strike hoping for another bite. I have tried moving the fly to induce a second strike. Any thoughts on this?
On the second dropper I usually fish a small, dark fly such as a Kate McLaren or a Poacher. On the tail I use a weighted fly such as a Montana or an Ombudsman. These flies pick up the occasional fish but, as outlined above, most of the action is with the bob fly. What flies (and what methods) work best for you?
Alan Brown
I generally fish Migdale but sometimes have been known to venture to Buidhe and Laggan. I only ever use 2 flies on my leader.
On the dropper I use a black Pennel usually a size 10 or 12 and on the point either a bibio, Kate Mclaren or a connemara black.
Most of my fish are taken on the Black Pennel.
James,
Thanks for that. What type of flyline do you use? Do you have problems hooking the fish or have you cracked that problem?
Hi James,
Perhaps you have hit the nail on the head - maybe I am trying too hard to 'strike' the fish. I have on occasions (particularly when fishing a large sedge) tried not to strike the fish. I was hoping that the first attempt by the fish was to swamp the fly and that it would come back to take the fly. This didn't work though. I suppose that until we learn to speak 'trout' or they learn to speak English we will never know the answer. Even if we could communicate - would they tell us the truth? Like you I tend to fish in the warmer weather and with a floating line. This means delaying fishing until late April or well into May. Nevertheless a spell of warm weather early in the season can tempt me out (as it did last year).
Alan