Wee Jimmy and I had a last chuck of the season at Menteith on Monday. We were hoping we might get a calm day, not too cool, not too bright, not too wet, that would give us a chance with dry fly. All I can say is that I strongly suspect Jim of making a pact with Auld Nick.
We set up 2 rods each: one with dries, one with other stuff that never got wet the whole day. There were fish rising from the off in reedy bay - late season size 16 black buzzers. We managed a couple before we meandered across to Shear Point - drawn by the site of more risers. A couple more were netted there before they turned a bit tricky - it was really glass calm, and bright at that point, and the fish were spread high, wide and handsome. We were thankful for having the leccy motor with us, making it possible to stalk the risers.
We ventured up to the heronry, which had produced well for residents-on-dries on the last couple of club outings. More trickiness. Jimmy got hold of our only success there, a cracking resident.
We ran into the 2 Johns up there - here's Big Jake having a go at a riser.
With the heronry seeming just a wee bitty quiet overall, we went for another look in reedy bay. That was a good move, and we netted several more, before again moving across to Shear Point and the entrance to International Bay. The light was starting to go by 4 p.m. (we were wishing the clocks had waited a week before going back, as 8.30-4.30 would have been a better session).
The glassy calm was making it trickier and trickier and we both went from a 2 fly rig to a single fly. That helped with presentation, and we added another couple each, with Jimmy getting all his action to a 14 black Klinkhammer, while I was (as I have been all season) getting all mine to a size 12 claret half-hog. Neither of us had more than an odd chance out the blue all day, with nearly all our fish coming from covers.
Just before the light went, I took a go at a panorama of the last of the autumn colours along the road shore. It's 3 shots stitched together, and also done as an 'exposure blend' in Photomatix - to hold on to the sky and the colours. Here's the download url:
International Bay
It's 750 pixels high, by too wide. So, after downloading, set your browser to 100% zoom, and pan across it with the hand tool.
After getting even milder weather today, I was wishing I could have squeezed in another shot at it!
Cheers,
Col
Last throw at Menteith
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