Wagglers and Whips

Decided to get the float rods out and head off coarse fishing today. Myself and my young companion had quite a productive day with a few mirror and common carp between us fished off a pellet waggler on a match rod by me and a body up pole float of a whip by the youngster.

This one took a couple of red maggots fished just off the bottom on a pole float.

A small carp that could have been mirror but it was only very sparsely marked with mirror scales.

Looks promising and putting up a good scrap.

Ready for the net.

Pristine specimen of a common carp with lovely big scales.

A nice common in the 8 - 10 lb range that took a red and white maggot fished quite close to the bottom off of a pellet waggler and a Daiwa match rod.

Orchill Trout Fishery

Well, where do you go fishing in Scotland in the middle of winter when it's supposed to rain according to the weather forecast?

The answer's simple or it should be - Orchill Trout Fishery.


Myself and Chris The Para had been debating where to go for a bit of fishing today and after mulling over Piking or Fishery options, we binned the idea of Lomond for Piking as we reckoned it would be too cold and exposed. Instead, at Chris's suggestion we headed for Orchill Trout Fishery just outside Auchterarder. As it turned out his idea was inspired and we had a cracking few hours at this small but very pleasant water.



After chatting with a couple of guys in the car park, Chris was first on the water and by the time I had tackled up and joined him on the adjacent peg, I barely managed a couple of casts before he was into his first fish. I bagged the photo below while he was fighting the fish and it's probably just as well because straight after this shot was taken, his new and hardly used Grey's G - Tech rod snapped at the top ferrule. This resulted in trying to land the fish by hand lining but the fish got too close to the fishing platform legs where it managed to throw the hook as we couldn't get the net to it. I didn't take a shot of Chris as it wouldn't be fair to publish pictures of a grown man crying ( only kidding ) but he was not a happy man to say the least.



Anyway, Chris got sorted with a spare rod and just before lunchtime as a heavy shower came on he was two up and I, after losing a couple, just managed to get one in around the three pound mark while the tatties and stew were getting warmed in me new Swedish Army Trangia. The fish gave a really good account of itself stripping line several times before it met it's maker.



So, we then adjourned to the fishing bothy for some Bramble and nettle tea together with some of tesco's finest steak and kidley stew, dumplings and new potatties - Lovely. The bothy was really tidy and it gave me a chance to put the new Trangia through it's paces and I must say I was very impressed with how it performed. I 've had a standard Trangia for about 20 years but I liked the fact that this one comes with a self contained fuel bottle so cutting down on bulk for short trips.





Well, comestibles scoffed it was back to the fishing and Chris was into a fish again almost straight away. That was his limit and he headed for the C & R section of the fishery with me promising to bag up in half an hour. All of his fish were caught on nymphs which just shows you don't have to use lures to catch Rainbows.

True to my word and thanks to the faithful Black Hothead Dancer, I lost a couple and landed a couple within about 25 minutes and just before the rain came on again quite heavily. I had a chat with a couple of lads in the cabin until the rain went off and that as they say is that.



Regarding Orchill, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for a bit of stockie bashing in a very nice setting if that's what you're after.

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