Mild for the time of year, but not exactly warm today.

A grey, leaden, lumpy sky wasn't exactly calling me to be outside.

And the blustery wind swaying the branches of the trees didn't promise easy casting.

Anyway it was raining, not heavy but wind-driven.

I sensibly decided that despite my wife having gone to visit a friend in London for the day, I'd pass up on the opportunity of a fishing pass.



Ten minutes later I was putting my tackle in the boot of the car.


Shortly thereafter I was trudging through the wind driven rain around the lake as a voice in my head echoed 'Mad, completly and utterly mad'.

After trying a few spots without success, I noticed a trout rising in a shallow margin area.

A few casts with a montana were ignored, but I could still see activity though unsure whether there was more than one trout feeding.

Obviously taking emergers near the surface.

I tried a suspended buzzer and an apps on the dropper, they too were ignored.

Then I noticed a small cloud of flies sheltering from the rain alongside me in the lee of a bankside bush.

On went a very small klinkhammer, with a tiny buzzer on the dropper.

The klinkhammer floated for around two minutes then disappeared into the sipping mouth of a risen rainbow.

The delayed strike set the hook and I soon had a 2lb rainbow in the net.

The rain increased, and I decided I'd had enough fun for one day and headed, head-down through the wind and rain back to the car.

Arrived home wet, cold and muddy but very pleased with myself.

Much better than staying in, comfortable and warm, and wishing I was out fishing.


I was a bit surprised by the hatch in those conditions though.

Had similar up here last few outings. Wet, windy (smetimes a cold wind), dull but fish topping. Catching on buzzers ans small wet flies on the dropper.

You can never tell with fishing it often surprises us.

Sounded like a brilliant day despite the weather but that was a great report you gave of your day out, even just catching one fish in these conditions makes it all worth while.

My neighbour, fishing buddy and transport only goes out fishing during the season when its sunny, so on Sunday im going a different kind of fishing with a work mate, were going to Riverside in Dundee for a bit of sea angling (lazy mans fishing) and we know the temps are going to possibly be about 1C and a chance of snow.

Cant wait to get out fly fishing again, well done on your 2lb catch just goes to show you the fish do rise if you persever.