What a mixed bag of weather today. 4 of us headed for an afternoon at Wellsfield today, myself and my mate Willie and Englander with his mate Chick. Weather seemed fine and I had even toyed with not wearing the thermals but thought best be safe as the weather can change quickly. Even toyed with not wearing a jumper but again thought better of it!

Willie opted to leave his jacket in the car, oh how he ended up regretting that!!

There was a light wind for most of the day which made long casting great! I started fishing my favourite pegs but not even a nibble. However Englander had said the fish would be hugging the opposite bank and recommended trying there. He headed into a corner and cast into the wind and soon hit into a fish that snapped his line, he reckons it was a good fish (20lb+ I am sure) He did soon after hook a nice fish and land it successfully. I worked my way round the lochan heading for the windy bank. Englander landed his second fish and I thought the dreaded blank was heading my way!

I did hook a fish to the cheers from Willie and Chick only to lose it as it shook furiously and the barbless hook fell out. Grrrr! I worked my way to the corner where the wind was blowing into and with a Viva on the point a cracking fish nailed it and put up a good fight until I got it into the net. Lovely pink stripe down it's flank and full finned. Stayed at the same peg and was fishing into the corner again less than a rod's length parallel to the bank when I took the second fish. Another lovely fish of 3lbs. That was our lot, almost Chick and Englander spent the last half an hour on the bottom lochan with Chick hoping for his first Rainbow on the fly. Unfortunately it will need to wait till next time as he hooked and lost a fish. He then promptly threw his rod down in frustration! How I have felt like that on occassion!

Fishing into the wind along the bank was where the fish were today if you were willing to put in the effort. Never saw anyone catching with the wind at their back.

Englander took two for 5.5lbs and I took two for 6lbs.

I am on a boat on Linlithgow Loch on sunday and can't wait for my first boat outing. Will be trying out my new sinking line and giving Boobies a shot for the first time.

nice 1 guys !!

any photees ? bet it was freezing up there the day

Nice wee report there mate, better have the thermals and a drouge handy for sunday weather forcast is not looking that good.

you must have picked up your net Ally. thanks for the report.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Yes a good day mate i think we were all expecting an easy time what with the warm weather 10 oC-12oc, i was watching bugs flying all over the place at work. However Wellsfield always seems windy, and it felt alot colder, apart from wee brownies arseing around on the surface, the bows all seems down deep.

My fish put up a first rate fight the first kept diving for the reed beds boy did i have to give it real stick on full side strain got the old heart pumping !!

I did snag a wee wild brownie for a few seconds as i stripped back fast after i saw a few rise

As normal strong fully finned fished sadly no blues today, felt for you when you hooked and lost that first one really felt for Chick when he lost his only fish

My good old Viva nymphs did us proud

Im still not sure where im going on sunday

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Englander

"Barbless since 2008"

Vision GT Four catapult 9' 6#
Vision GT Four SW 9' 9#
Vision 3 Zone 9' 5#
Vision Cult 9' 3#
Shakespeare Trion 9' 5/6#
Cortland Endurance 9' 6#
Shakespeare Expedition float tube
Vosseler DC3 reel
Okuma Helios 8/9 reel
Greys G series 3/4 reel
Snowbee Geo 3/4 reel

stephen i think you better patent that pattern

Good report, fished there once when it had just opened and it was ok, good fish!

Ally-if your fishing at Linlithgow, you gotta have a kate mclaren on your cast, always successful on that water and head from the pontoon to the left and if the wind is behind you cast into the wooded shoreline, where the wee wall finishes, kinda on the corner...Def hotspot at this time of year with small boobies. That whole wooded shoreline is where you should find the fish tho....

Goodluck!!