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A splendid maiden fish taken by local angler Ian Hutcheon |
March 2010
March can be a very dodgy month weather-wise, so most of the keenest local anglers forego the chance to wet a line on the lochs, and continue their pursuit of sea trout from the many shores and beaches of the Mainland and South Isles.
Catch rates in recent seasons have definitely improved, and with sea lice infestation less common and catch and release practised widely, hopefully this upward trend will continue.
The flies for this month are first choice patterns for many of the local anglers who fish fly regularly for sea trout, with orange and red being the predominant colour in each pattern. Most popular is probably Nic’s Lure, a fly which has accounted for many fish in the sea. Devised by one of Orkney’s most successful anglers, Sandy Nicolson, who now plunders the fish stocks on the west coast of Canada, no doubt employing similar patterns. Usually fished on the tail of a two fly cast, the top dropper pattern of choice is a Fluorescent Palmer, basically just as much bright red as you can get on a hook, this works well as an attractor pattern, with the following fish often turning away and taking the Nic’s Lure on the tail.
Another pattern to definitely have at your disposal is the Stinger, a tried and tested fly devised by local “salty dog”, Brian Foreman. It started life as the Stenness Stinger, highlighting its success in the brackish water of the Stenness Loch. Over the seasons, it has more than proved its worth amongst the bladder wrack of the Orkney beaches.
KK
click on fly to view larger image
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All trout flies tied and photographed by Jim Adams text by Ken Kennedy