Loch Lomond And The Endrick

8th August 2008

Headed up to the Endrick today and down to the Craigbell pool where I met Michael Brady the LLAIA Chairman http://www.lochlomondangling.com/llaia.htm who was doing some bank clearance with the strimmer. Michael was as always very helpful and with me being fairly new to the association and the river recommended that with the water level being so high and coloured that I try the Meetings beat and move onto the Drumtain section if I had no luck there.

Here's a photo of the Craigbell pool from the Gartness bridge.



I headed down to the meetings but was having no luck so when the Bailiff's came to check my ticket and advised they were moving onto the Drumtain section I asked if I could follow them and they were more than happy for me to do so.

A photo of the Drumtain beat.



While at the Drumtain beat I chatted with a few regulars one of whom was Malcolm from the Wild Fishing Forum and it was good to put a face to a name.



I had no luck here myself but wasn't bothered as it was mainly a scouting session anyway Malcolm however caught and released a Sea Trout around 1.5lbs and another chap who was there caught and released a grilse / Salmon around 5/6 lbs - he had the pictures to prove it.

I also met Kevin and Malcolm McCormac who I chatted with for a bit at the Red Brae pool and he said he had been unlucky missing 5 fish at " The Wheel "

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable evening and I hope to be back again sooner rather than later.

11th August 2008

Just an update,

Was up the Endrick again tonight and no luck muself but netted a slightly coloured Salmon for a guy named Mick who was fishing there also.

He reckonned it was an eight but I would ahve given him an easy ten.

Should've noted the Fish was caught on the fly.

Wednesday night / Thursday morning 13 / 14 th August 2008

Arrived Craigbell pool around 12.30 a.m. Thursday 14 th Aug. Tackled up and got down to the water for my first night stint for trout/seatrout. The old man couldn't make it as he was in Devon.

Conditions were ideal but the water was maybe a bit high. Full moon with cloud cover no rain but still very dark due to trees etc,. Fished till about 3a.m. with no luck 2 or three fish showed in the pool. Slept in the car for a couple of hours and returned about 5.

Good show of fish Salmon, Sea trout and a couple of large Brownies. Had a small trout just over the twelve inch limit and no more on a teal blue & silver variant which I kept for the pot as I had some bother unhooking it. Fished till about 10.30 before heading up to Drumtain.

Fished here in clearing conditions till about 2.30 p.m had a couple of small Brownies, lost one and had a pull from something a bit more serious at the pool above the run that goes into the wheel.

Friday 15th August.

Headed to Drumtain again, arrived around 8 p.m. and met Joe who was just leaving he had a nice brownie around 2.5 lbs and tipped me the wink for the GRHE.

It started chukking it down so I waited in the van and one of the Bailifs arrived - had a wee chat and when the rain went off tried for the Broonies. Had a take from a good fish but couldn't cast due to bank cover and due to thigh waders - damn those Pikey's. Was getting dark by this - time full moon little cloud cover ideal - so headed down the beat and met another regular who was after the sea troots.

2 hrs later 11 p.m. a couple of takes but no luck - Ho Hum. A couple of nice fish showed though.

Here endeth the lesson


Saturday 16th August

Drove up to Drumtain for 7.30 p.m. Joe and Phil were allready there and had been slogging away with no luck. Weather was clear but not bright and I was feeling tonight would be the night for a decent result.

I had decided to go for the troots and headed upstream from the footbridge. Tried quite far up with no luck and moved downstream to pool above bridge. There was definately less trout activity than last night and the level had dropped by about six inches. I reckon a lot of the fish moved upstream during the night.1 hour later and no fish with soaking feet in the thigh waders I decided to call it a day.

I headed down to the beats below the bridge and swapped flees for a Silver Stoat and Bloody Butcher. A large fish showed about 18 feet from me but it was gone before I got a look. Fished till 10 p.m. as it was quite dark due to cloud cover and tramped back to the van.

Joe and Phil were still at it but I left them to it due to my feet being absolutely sploonging.

Home for 11 p.m. - one of these days I'll be rewarded with the fish I'm after!

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