If fishing was an Olympic sport what would win medals?

Most systems showing a marked improvement on July 2015 numbers although good water heights have encouraged fish to run straight up into the further reaches of the systems making fishing hard in the last week or two.

Let’s hope August runs are up on last year too and we might enjoy some good sport in September with good numbers of fish in the lochs and rivers.

With fishing available most weeks at short notice Barvas, Garynahine and the Creed systems all worth a cast for the local angler and if you want to venture a bit further south , Amhuinnsuidhe , Laxdale ,Fincastle, Finsbay and the Obbe are always worth a visit.

FISHING OLYMPICS

If there was such a thing as the fishing Olympics what do you think might constitute Gold Medal status?

Surely a Gold Medal would have to be awarded Martin Macleod from Upper Bayble who landed a cracking 7lb brown trout and a 3 ½ lb Salmon on loch Langabhat on July 1st this year. Martin caught both fish within 15 minutes of each other from the mouth of a burn west of Morsgail bay toward the Harris end of the loch.

Loch Langabhat has always been known for the fact it holds big brown trout sometimes called “ ferox” though there is some debate regarding the genetics of this fish if it is just a big brown trout or whether it is a different species altogether which qualifies its large size. I know parties over the years have come to the island specifically to fish for these monster brown trout in loch Langabhat. Trolling brown trout mounted on treble hooks at depth to try and lure these fish to take.

The ferox is thought to prey on shoals of Arctic Char in particular and lochs with these orange bellied fish tend to produce these large brown trout. Loch Orisay in Leurbost for instance is another favorite to catch ferox and also loch Langabhat on the Obbe system in South Harris is another possibility. The fish is a perfect example of a wild brown trout and the perspective given pictured with the salmon gives us an idea of the muscular depth and quality of this prize catch.

FLY TYING MASTERCLASS

The art of Fly Tying is something most fly fisherman attempt to pass the long winter months when the fly rod is packed away in the garage. It’s rare these days a new fly pattern takes my fancy however I came across a picture of this fly tied by Mike Dawson from Manor Park and couldn’t help feeling I wanted one of these for my own fly box. He named it the Mrs Maclean after his dearly departed mother in law. Well done Mike a fly tying master class indeed!

I wonder if it would entice one of these Langabhat Monsters…….Hmmnn!!