Magnificent Menteith !

After a phenomenal week in May, with an average of 27 fish to the boat, surely it couldn't better that. could it ?

A practice day on the Saturday with friend, Fraser Mcconnell, saw us parked in the middle of the basin, in  pretty much flat calm conditions for the first hour, and bright sunshine, with a temperature 24 degrees!

A tip off from Lake regular John Buchannon, told us the fish were on buzzers - happy days, right up my street.

I fished a team of buzzers at first, then switched later to buzzers and diawl bachs. All flies produced, with today's stand out fly being the silver vicar buzzer. (Available at Flash Attack Flies)

The best lines for the day were a floating line, and a 12' slow tip. The fish certainly dropped in the water as the sun began to warm.

Monday saw me share a boat with Steph Mclean. Steph has had guided days with me on Rutland, but never the Lake, so a bit of pressure to prove my worth on unknown territory.

We headed straight out to the main basin, in open water, knowing from Saturday's reccie, there was plenty of fish out there.

It's now 12.45 and Steph and I are both on a fish apiece, having lost a couple in between. So what was so different? The wind direction had switched to a NW, dragging down arctic winds. Usually I find, in these scenarios, the warmest part of the day is likely to be our best bet. With this in mind, my first call was to get out of the wind, therefore headed to Cage Bay (Gateside Bay)

We had more shelter here, and it did feel that little bit warmer. It doesn't take much for a hatch to come off, just a degree or so warmer! 

We noticed some small buzzers both in the air, and on the water, so you don't need to be Einstein to guess what we both fished. Steph and I had an amazing day on Rutland some years ago on buzzers. 16 fish for 56lb (approx). Could history repeat itself?

By 5 o'clock, we had landed 20 fish from the bay. I know this bay has a reputation, shall we say, however Steph & I were drifting in open water, almost in line with the Hairy Hole Point !! We watched with a smile, as boats along the rope, reversed back in when they'd got 20 yards or so away, leaving the open water pretty much to us. The Silver Vicar, flash back diawl bach, and cormorant booby took most of the fish for me, whilst Steph had a Cat booby working as a point fly. I think our 22 fish for the day surpassed our Rutland total, as most of the fish were near 4lb !!

It was an exceptional day's fishing, with the floating line, and 12' slow tip catching consistently. The fish quality & size was exceptional. Granted, they had stocked 600 4 to 7lb fish I was told, but these things were just nuts !! Flash Attack's new flurocarbon, was certainly put to the test with these bad boys ! The same cast all day, verified by Steph.

Tuesday's planned day was blown off, so on to Wednesday and Thursday. I was sat alongside Mark Johnston, another angler, whom I have fished with at Rutland.

By now the cooler weather and really kicked in, and boy could you tell. The fishing had really slowed off, so much so, we switched, shall we say, to the dark side, come the afternoon.

Being a huge fan of floating line fishing, I started with diawl bachs, a buzzer and a Tequila fab, as did Mark. Today we headed, again for the basin area, in open water. It was certainly sluggish to start, picking up the odd fish here and there, but enough to keep you interested.

We again ventured to cage bay, where Steph and I had done so well just 48 hours earlier. Straightaway Mark hit into a fish, then another and another. Mark was using a fast glass and a beaded damsel. It was certainly a day for fly movement, as the nymphs really did not work so well, however I persevered with the nymphs and floating line, bagging 4 or 5 fish, until the dark side was calling, as Mark continuously caught with the beaded damsel..

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We headed back into the basin, and open water and at this point I switched to a fast glass and Olive snake - not the expected pink one !! I then took 6 or 7 fish, doing a fast figure of 8 retrieve. We ended the day with 19 fish. The cooler weather had all but ended any buzzer hatches- and it told, as the buzzer barely produced today.

Day two with Mark, and we headed to some different areas, starting near the Malling Shore. The wind was lighter today, and it screamed nymphs to me! I started once more, on a floating line, this time with a team of Diawl Bachs and a tequila fab. We both hit fish from the off, drifting along the shore line towards Cage Bay.

We also found fish near the Plantation, as well as cage bay once more, and close in along the road shore.

Another exceptional day, this time landing 21 fish between us. It was a cooler day once more, and it took the fish time to get going, but we knew they were there, it was just a case of patience, they would come on the feed ! Mark's beaded damsel was a consistent fish catcher for him over the two days.

 Friday saw me pair up with Andy Watson. With clear skies, the sun shone, but lighter winds made me think this could be yet another good day. Well, it was not so good, however, we steadily caught throughout the day, to bag 11 fish between us, and losing a few too. For the first time in the week, I felt the Lake was feeling the pressure of all the boats out everyday since the Saturday before. It seemed all boats visited the same spots throughout the day, naturally pressuring any fish in these areas.

 We headed to cage bay for the start, as there is always a head of fish there, so, as good a place to start as any, to get one on the score board.

In true style, it didn't take long. Andy hit into one on a silver vicar buzzer (from Flash Attack Flies), soon followed by myself. I was again, fishing a floating line, with two diawl bachs and a tequila fab, switching at times to a cormorant booby.

It started to get congested in here, so we headed to the Malling shore, but to no avail. With the wind now blowing into the road shore, my gut feeling told me, with the wind now blowing in, this may be worth a visit - and it was !

I hit 4 fish pretty quick, doing short, 40 yd drifts into the shore, fishing a floating line. Andy also got into the action here too. At 4.00pm we headed between the islands, out of the wind, and fished tight against the trees in a flat calm. I picked up 3 fish and dropped 2 here. The fish were rising in amongst the leaves blown onto the water, and you just needed to chuck your flies in amongst the leaves, and keep it still.

It was certainly a tougher day, with the cooler temperatures, but 11 fish was still a healthy days catch it seemed ! Notice you haven't heard the word dries? I did try them intermittently, but to no avail. I did hear of fish caught on dries, but no cricket scores. I didn't feel dries was the way that particular week.

My final day saw me fish alongside Scottish Ladies International, Kirsty Thompson Murray. With the NW wind now switching to a warmer Southerly direction, there was only one line on my mind - a floater.

We, again started in the main basin. I hit into two fish pretty quickly along the reeds edge, but lost them both, then took one further out. My set up was once more, a tequila fab and two diawl bachs. 

The fish really didn't seem to be playing here, so we headed towards the cage bay. The day before I had seen fish moving in open water, behind the island, so dropped in here on route. I took one pretty quickly, then nothing !

We then proceeded to cage bay. Well, it was shall we say, a little congested near the edges.

Kirsty and I fished in the open water, and the fishing was pretty slow for us, though if you were pulling big-ish lures, you were catching.

I managed to pick up a couple on nymphs, but knowing there was stacks of fish there, I had an obscure thought ! Everyone was fishing with high in the water lines. Floaters, intermediates etc, but I couldn't see anyone fishing a dark line. Having had some good fishing at a similar time of year with the England Youths, with a di-7, curiosity got the better of me. On it went.

I fished 3 diawl bach, and a blob on the point, launched it 40 yards, then figure of eight retrieve back. BANG ! first cast. By the end of the drift, I had 3 and lost 1. By now 4 boats sat behind us, so that was the end of that. One fish went 6lb's too. I felt the fish were taking at 12-15', half way back on the cast.

As we motored out towards the open water, I noticed the morning armador had gone from the Malling shore, so we made a beeline for there.

Conditions looked perfect, and now it was warmer, there was also some fly life about. Our first drift along the bank (keeping very tucked in) saw me take 4 fish very quickly, all near the 4lb mark. The fish were certainly feeding. All 4 took a flash back diawl bach!

 As we went to go back round, we had 3 boats sat behind us -where did they come from !!

We had 12 to the boat, on what wasn't an easy day, but that window of opportunity, when the fly hatch came, the fish certainly responded, albeit briefly.

Overall, a fantastic weeks fishing. The quality of fish was exceptional. A 16 fish per day average, says it all !

Early in the weeks standout flies were a cormorant booby and silver vicar buzzer, however as the week progressed, a fab and diawl bachs was definitely the way to go. The floating line was in my opinion, was the best line. It consistently produced, when I couldn't get other lines to work.

Across the week, we caught more fish within 30 yds of many shorelines, than anywhere else, though the main basins open water certainly has its fair share of fish. We found these to be pretty finicky as the week progressed.

I can certainly recommend Flash Attack's new fluro carbon. Playing these big fish, with 3 double ups also, it certainly raised a few eyebrows. It's currently not available online, so please pm me if you are interested. We have stock, though it has had a bit of a hit this last few days ! (7,8,10, & 12lb) Will be available online soon too.

I will be returning to the Lake once more in May 2025, and again in September, so If you would like a guided day out with myself, then please PM me or email craig@flashattackflies.com ( 3 of Mays days have already been booked)

Tackle used - Greys Cruise 10' 7# rod, with matching Cruise large arbour reel. Handled all these fish, and double-ups superbly. Nylon used- Flash Attack Flurocarbon 8lb. Flies, all supplied by Flash Attack Flies

I hope you enjoyed the read, and If you would like to know more about what I fished, and how, do get in touch -o;)

www.flashattackflies.com #qualityassured #greysflyfishing