After a couple of weeks of dry and settled weather, April turned out to be the driest on record for much of the country.
Restrictions are back to where we were last summer, and hopefully with vaccinations in full swing we have seen the last of lockdowns.
That said, the last couple of days have been a reminder that this is still the Highlands and winter /spring are interchangeable!
Undeterred I took a brand new member of the club (joined today) fishing this morning.
A chill wind blew across the loch, in every direction making getting a steady drift in the boat near impossible.
Undeterred we opted for the bank instead, a light hatch of midge was on and there were small brown caddis flitting across the water, laying eggs.
But at first no sign of any fish.
I tied on a couple of favourites for the spring, on a sink tip line. The new member very much an inexperienced flyfisher, opted for a sinking line and single fly.
Then I spotted it, a shoal of fish head and tailing in the shallows. And not small all small fish either.
I moved aside to let the newbie have a go (well he is my brother). The fish were rising freely and focused on the emerging midge and seemed oblivious to us on the Bank.
He then called over that he was tying on a daddy long legs. " It's too early to fish a daddy" I called over, "try something small and black"
Thirty seconds later , I heard a shout ,
"I've got one! "
I looked over .....and immediately hurriedly reeled my flies in.
" I'm coming, play the fish! Don't reel it all the way in" I shouted over as, used to spinning he was reeling the fish all the way to the bank.
I grabbed the net and after a couple of very tense minutes the fish was in the net.
A couple of very quick photos later ( which I'm gutted about as the fish looked so much better than the photo suggests) and she was safely released.
Just over 3 1/2 lbs of wild brown trout. On a dry daddy . On a sinking line. In April.
We fished for another couple of hours and had three more fish between us, until persistent hailstones and a flurry of sleet persuaded us to head home.
.