Two-trout haul is enough to secure President's Quaich for Simpson
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Dounreay Fly Fishing Association began its 2023 series of competitions counting towards the Boat League championship last Saturday on Loch Watten.
Hopes of warmer conditions than those at the Loch Calder event two weeks earlier were dashed when 16 members – including three on their first DFFA event – arrived to sign on for a 9.30am start.
The light south-southeast breeze would give comfortable conditions for about two hours despite the low temperature. However, the wind backed to southeast and increased considerably by lines up at 4pm so that crews in boats from the Oldhall berths had a rough passage back “home”.
The feeling as the anglers assembled at the Brown Trout Hotel for the weigh-in was that anyone who had caught a trout would finish well up the results sheet. This was soon confirmed as only three of the 16 had something to put on the scales.
The first to come forward was James Simpson, producing two trout for 2 lb 14.25 oz. He had caught them at the more sheltered south end of the loch on a drift from the Targets area towards the island, using a DI 7 line with Gorgeous George and White Cat Muddler flies.
This haul was enough to give James the President's Quaich and 16 Boat League points.
On his first outing with the club, William Plank weighed in a nice 2 lb 3 oz fish to net second place and 14 points plus the bonus point for best of the day. He had bagged the trout to the north of the Red Shed using a sink tip line and a Ginger Muddler fly.
The fourth and final fish on the scales came from Billy Thomson with a 13.25 oz trout from Kiddies' Corner giving him 12 points for third place. He had employed a Fast Glass line with a Sunburst Kate McLaren fly.
The club's next event is a bank competition on Loch Toftingall on Saturday, May 20.
