Tommy Thomson Trophy
ERLEND HUTCHISON TOP ROD ON HARRAY
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Erlend back on form on Harray |
Saturday the 27th of June saw 35 anglers assemble for the 7am start, fishing for the Tommy Thomson on Harray. The calm conditions which were forecast did not materialise, with a stiff Easterly breeze blowing across the loch. There was good cloud cover for most of the morning until the sun finally broke through about midday.
The bulk of the boats headed north for the start, although there were a few who fished the south end of the loch. Drifts out of Biggings onto the Point of Pontooth, Nistaben, Bankhead , Ess holm, and Stoneyhill were where most anglers fished for the duration. The strength of the breeze curtailed any Caenis hatch, although some fish were found high in the water early on, probably in anticipation of this. Although these fish can to taken on intermediate or even floating lines, the line of choice for these conditions is a high density line, with DI7 and HI-D 6 most popular.
Fly fishing can be very fickle, when “luck” or whatever you want to call it, just deserts you for a while, and try as you might, it is difficult to turn it round. Erlend Hutchison is one angler who has been experiencing such a downturn this season, but he managed to cast all doubts aside on Saturday with a tremendous basket of fish weighed in to lift the Tommy Thomson Trophy. I suspect the corner has been turned and you can look out now, as Erlend is liable and capable of blasting up the league and challenging for a team place for 2010. He and boat partner Kevin Muir, certainly found feeding fish out of Kirkness and took their chances. Other exceptional baskets were taken by Sandy McConnachie, who found fish off Stoneyhill, Brian Watt, and Malcolm Russell. The best fish of the day was an absolute belter of a sea trout, fresh run, and weighing in at 2lb 12 ozs, captor Ian Smith commented that he nearly fell of his seat when he seen the size of it as it careered about in the shallow water on the skerries in Nistaben.
As implied earlier, sunk line fishing was the way to go on Saturday. Although the trout may not be feeding too deep, the fast sinking lines give you that all important swoop, where, having cast, the flies travel down through the depth which the fish are holding at. This is a point when fish will take, and then as the retrieved line and flies comes near the boat, it starts to swoop up to the surface, to be held for as long as possible. The “hang”, is the most important phase of the cast, at times, as fish follow the flies up, and take near the surface. The fly pattern choice is most important, especially the top dropper. The successful flies on Saturday included Erlend’s Cat, Merkister Maid, White Cat, Black cat and a particular mention for a new pattern which has been doing particularly well for the Wood/Russell partnership, and very sportingly shared with your correspond, who, in turn will share the dressing with the rest of you anglers in the Cast of the Month for July........2010! Just to give you a clue, it has been christened “the Woodski”.
The league positions are closing up now, with Sandy Mcconnachie making inroads on boat partner Ian Hutcheon at the top. Sandy is in a good run of form at the moment, with qualification for the Scottish National Final ensured at Lintrathen Reservoir last week. The National is closely followed by the Autumn International on Menteith, where Sandy, Erlend Hutchison and Andrew Morgan will all represent their country in this prestigious event. That will bring the number of Internationals fishing in Orkney at the moment to 8, a tough school indeed.
It’s Harray again on Thursday the 2nd of July for the Merkister Cup. Weather conditions should play a large part, as calm conditions will change everything as a Caenis hatch will be guaranteed, better look out your floating line and Shipman’s. KK
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