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NORTH ISLES DIMENSION by Ken Kennedy
For most anglers who visit Orkney, efforts are usually focussed on the mainland lochs, namely Harray, Swannay, Boardhouse, Hundland and Stenness where sport is provided in the form of quality trout in the 10 ozs to 11/2lb-size range. What more could you ask for I here you say, but only a short hop on the ferry from Kirkwall lies the island of Sanday and the North and Bea Lochs, neither of which could provide the quantity of fish compared to the mainland, but either could provide the persistent angler with the wild brown trout of a life time, adding a new dimension to their angling experience of Orkney
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8lb. Trophy fish from the Bea Loch |
Firstly,before we look at how to improve our chances of locating and hooking
one of these quality trout, a few words about conservation and restraint.
The OTFA has a voluntary code of conduct regarding the taking of fish from
these “Trophy” fish waters, and this requires the return of
all fish under 2lb and the keeping of only 2 fish per day. Personally, I
return all my fish carefully nowadays, in the hope that they will grow on
and possibly reach the 10lb+ mark, a weight which is very achievable given
the abundant and prolific food sources available, and in addition, to land
one of these Leviathan’s would top most angling experiences. The pursuit
of these large fish is not everybody’s idea of fun as it can be fruitless
and very boring with long periods of angling effort for no return, but there
are a few things that you can do to vastly improve the odds, and although
this approach is not definitive, it should provide the basic information
to make a trip to the Isles memorable.
The lochs of Bea and North on Sanday are quite similar in both size and
shape; both are roughly bowl shaped, maybe 6 or 7 feet at their deepest.
The west side on both lochs is hard with the shore made up of small boulders
and shingle, the east sides on the two lochs are sandy/silt and much softer
and definitely featureless, with North Loch having the appearance of a beach
in Spain at some parts. All this makes them very susceptible to periods
of great discoloration and high turbidity following strong winds, conditions
that seriously limit your chances of locating fish, always keep one eye
on the weather forecast.
The time of day to fish the lochs very much depends on the time of year
and the weather on the day in question. In April and May, you can confidently
fish from dawn to dusk in anything other than a combination of sun and wind,
and be successful at any time of the day, but as the year progresses and
the water temperature rises, angling at first light before the sunrise and
then again from sunset until darkness can be your only hope, and help reduce
the “flogging a dead horse” feeling.
Tackle required is just standard gear with the exception of leader material
and fly pattern. Nothing less than 10lb BS in the Double Strength or Fluorocarbon
types, or 8lb in the conventional mono should be contemplated as these fish
are incredibly fierce on the take and breakage’s are common with anything
less. Floating and occasionally intermediate fly lines are all that’s
required whether wading or afloat, with some regulars using shooting heads
to good effect when extra distance is required.
Fly pattern is usually something of personal choice and what you have confidence
in, hands up all those out there, including myself, who cannot catch anything
on a Peter Ross when all and sundry are coiling fish in on it, well you
know what I mean. I had old favourites that caught odd fish in North and
Bea, White Hackled Invicta, Kingfisher Butcher, Dunkeld to name but a few,
but fish were really quite rare. My success rate was transformed following
a couple of evenings on Bea with top Shetland angler and specimen hunter
Davy Pottinger and further conversations with another of Shetland’s
top anglers, Brian Watt, both of whom had fished the Sanday Lochs for numerous
years, and renowned for their expertise in catching large trout. The most
important piece of advice was given by both anglers; basically it was big
fish, big fly, and they did not mean a bushy size ten! I could hardly believe
my eyes that first night I fished with Davy and to be honest, I thought
he was having a joke. On the top dropper of a two fly cast was what he proudly
called Pottinger’s Palmer, the exact dressing of which I will give
later but it was to all intents and purposes an Orange Palmer tied on a
long shank size 10 nymph hook and heavily hackled. The point fly was a lure
more at home on rainbow trout fisheries, and with a name like the Idiot
Proof Nymph or IPN, I really was convinced that this was a wind up. The
next couple of hours proved to be the biggest lesson in angling that I have
ever had. Mr Pottinger proceeded to hook five fish that evening, all in
the 4-7lb class, lost three and landed two belters, both about the 5lb and
each carefully returned. The IPN on the point was the fly they all latched
on to but the bright bob fly was imperative in creating the initial interest
and, according to Davy, “steers them up”. Who was I to argue,
I had not moved a fish all night and had been through the fly box but they
were “far too peedie” according to the man. I had been kindly
given both of the successful fly patterns early on in the night, but for
some strange reason, probably something to do with pride and stubbornness,
I did not fish them but kept trying my own flies in the hope of redeeming
myself, a lesson I shall not forget. If somebody ever gives you “the
fly”, in whatever context, take my advice and give it a swim immediately.
That evening completely changed my attitude and approach to fishing the
Trophy lochs, it proved that hooking these large trout was possible on a
regular basis, if the correct tactics were employed, and in the following
couple of seasons I had the opportunity to experiment with these large flies.
The results were very satisfying and to date my best fish weighed in at
a guesstimated 8lb+ but more importantly, given reasonable conditions, fish
are hooked with more consistency. The most successful flies will be surprising
to some, but I just based my thoughts on the simple maxim of something bright
and bushy on the top dropper and a weighted long shank lure on the point.
The traditionalists among you are not going to like this but the bob fly
which was an absolute revelation when I finally got round to trying it was
the Fire Red Blob and it is never of my cast these days. The point fly which
is most consistent is again another weighted lure called the Hummungus,
the origins of which are still widely debated but its effectiveness is beyond
doubt. The one fly which breaks the mould as it were from these reservoir
type flies is the Black and Magenta Muddler, courtesy of Brian Watt, a brilliant
fly later on at night when the fish are moving into the shallower water
to feed. The dressings of all these patterns follow.
Fly Dressings
To view larger images click on fly
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POTTINGER’S PALMER |
BLACK AND PEARL IPN |
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WATTIE’S MUDDLER |
BEA BLOB |
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HUMMUNGUS OR “SHUGGIE” |
On Bea and North Lochs, there are definite drop-offs and shelves along their
shores, these are easy to spot, and these are where you should concentrate
your efforts. In daylight hours, casting out into the deeper water and retrieving
up the shelves is most productive, while in lower light conditions, casting
along the slopes and up on the shallow side can provide a result, and a
word of warning here. I once covered a small dimple of a rise in about a
foot of water, on the first pull of the retrieve everything went absolutely
solid, no swirl, and no movement. My immediate reaction was one of annoyance,
mistakenly thinking I had hooked the bottom, I proceeded to hoick the rod
up and down in an attempt to dislodge the hook. About 6lb of North Loch
brown trout took exception to this and erupted skywards in the shallow water,
and we parted company in an instant, what disappointment, so beware.
In the summer months, fishing the deeper water, especially around the numerous
weed beds on the Bea Loch is probably the best tactic. Boat hire is available
on both lochs, and will greatly improve your chances, details to follow.
Finally, another word of note. Please take great care of and respect the
surrounding farmland and animals, gates and fences, and a word with the
landowner before accessing the lochs is only common courtesy.
All information regarding accomodation,hotels,guest houses,boat hire etc
can be found at www.sanday.co.uk
or the Orkney Tourist board.