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Monthly Report
July 2010
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Arctic Char |
Boardhouse fished pretty well throughout the month. Sporadic hatches of Olives and Caenis, along with a sprinkling of Cow Dungs saw the loch’s trout looking up and willing to have a go at suitably coloured Hedgehogs, Hoppers and that ilk. Stewart Wood and visiting angler Ian Webster enjoyed sport with up to 25 to the boat, mostly on Olive and Yellow Hogs. Visiting angler and Edinburgh Postal Pipe Band member John Cranston had a great day out on Boardhouse with Ken Kennedy, catching and releasing over 30 fish to the boat and all on Hedgehogs and floating lines. Ken Kennedy’s 22 for 14 lb 5 oz, James Harcus’s 21 for 13 lb 12 oz and James Bews’s 13 for 8 lb 3 oz were three of the best baskets recorded.
Sport on Harray was a bit patchy, especially in open water. Fast sinkers still produced, but not as effectively as for the previous month. Anglers were moving plenty of fish but getting them to take was a different matter and those that did often did not stay on the hook for long. Those choosing higher up lines and tactics did not really fare much better but at least they suffered less from aching limbs. Merkister Maid and Erlend’s Viva were well mentioned in despatches and worked equally as well deep and shallow. Baskets included 14 for 10 lb 6 oz for Erlend Hutchison, 13 for 9 lb 1 oz for Brian Watt and 14 for 9 lb 8 oz and 16 for 13 lb 11 oz for Ian Hutcheon.
A run of sea trout entered Harray around the middle of the month. Unlike the often line shy brownies, these fresh from the sea beauties were happy to savage most flies presented in their line of view. Specimens included fish of 2 lb 13 oz and 2 lb for Jimmy Grant, 2 lb 9 oz for Hamish Miller and 2 lb 6 oz for Jim Adams. Jim’s fish devoured a Merkister Maid fished in open water with a fast sinking line.
Kirbister is normally referred to as Orkney’s beginner’s loch, with plenty of free rising, suicidal, three to the pound, trout and not much else. Yes, there are loads of 9 inch fish to be caught but Kirbister also holds some quality specimens and the occasional sea trout and even salmon. It’s often a case of sifting through the dross and, with patience, trout in the 12 oz to 2 lb range will show. Malcolm Russell enjoyed good sport on a windy Saturday mid month, with 12 extremely acrobatic brownies over 10 inches up to 1 lb and sea trout at 2 lb 8 oz and 1 lb 8 oz. All, plus many undersized, were taken on Hedgehogs in orange, sunburst and coral hues.
Hundland was lightly fished throughout the month. The loch was pretty weedy in the open areas but still plenty of clear water remained to accommodate boats. Hundland’s trout like their flies high and dry and Hedgehogs did the business for most anglers. The best basket I heard about was taken by Ian Hutcheon with 19 fish over 11” and up to 1 lb.
By the end of the month, sea trout were making an appearance in many of the shallow bays on the Orkney Mainland coastline. Ian Robertson and Eric Leslie found sport with some small fish in the East Mainland. A superb 4 lb Scapa Bay fish taken by Ray Waters was the heaviest I heard about.
Anglers fishing in the nearest thing to a river in Orkney, Rackwick Burn, on Hoy, were surprised to find other than the usual small burn trout at the end of their lines. Arctic Char, thought to be now extinct from the county and formerly found in Heldale Loch on Hoy, were being caught in good numbers in the lower reaches of the burn. The colourful fish, around 9” long, provided better sport than their small brownie cousins. With some already in spawning colours, it will be interesting if an established population will result – and what effect if any there might be on the local trout population.
MAR