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Monthly Report
September 2011
Heavy rain at the beginning of September saw loch levels rising dramatically, with some boats completely swamped on Hundland and islands submerged elsewhere. Harray continued to fish reasonably well most days, with the fish moving back into shallow water and deep water drifts becoming increasingly unproductive. What may have lacked in quantity of fish caught was well compensated by quality, and a good number of sea trout were present. Some of the better baskets recorded included 9 for 8 lb 7 oz for Kenny Macleod; 9 for 8 lb 6 oz for John Munson and 7 for 7 lb 7 oz for John Luke. Quality sea trout taken included crackers at 3 lb 9 oz for Keith Young and 3 lb 10 oz for David Harcus. It was mainly high up lines that did the business, with Hedgehogs in various hues. A few “new” patterns emerged as the season progressed and there seemed to be a bit of a common theme, with Gorgeous George followed by the Flashing Willie. And I must give mention to my boat partner, Stewart Wood’s Smithfield Slapper which accounted for a lot of fish for the Scottish team during the spring International on Harray.
Boardhouse was very much hit or miss. Daddies can make a huge difference on this loch but although heavy rains softened the surrounding fields there was not much of a hatch in the earlier half of the month. James Harcus and Alan Craigie put in a dour first half of a day on the loch before it suddenly came on and the duo brought around 15 fish up to 1 lb 8 to the boat.
September is the month to fish Orkney’s most productive minor loch, Kirbister, in Orphir. Kirbister’s brownies respond well to top of the water tactics at the best of times but more so in the back end and it is then that the better fish are much more apparent. Malcolm Russell took 12 measuring fish up to 12 oz and a fine 1 lb 14 oz sea trout in just a few hours wading the east shore. Stewart Wood took 13 good brownies up to 2 lb again in a few hours. James Harcus took into the double figures of fish over 11 inches and as many in the 10 inch range, with very little in the way of undersized recorded. Hedgehogs in orange, coral and red, preferably floating high and dry, did the business for most anglers.
Sea trout sport in salt water was pretty slow throughout the month. Many anglers thought the fish had run early into the lochs and burns. James Harcus spent a day fishing most of the favoured west mainland beaches and but only made contact with one fish but it was a cracker of 3 lb 8 oz. Sandy Kerr landed at least two up to 2 lb 8 oz.
MAR