davec

Cheers Sportsman- I have fished Haddo myself a few times, caught my 3 biggest trout ever (all >10lbs) all in one session one evening! I am thinking about the really weedy bit at the East end of Loch Tay but would prefer to fish with somebody else in case of disaster. Only time I have fly fished in France I was catching Dace, but the water was really warm. I will be taking my river gear when we go to Rougement this summer though!

I have a pontoon boat (like a float tube but with oars) which I occasionally fly fish from for trout, but am looking to catch pike from it. I have caught pike from it on other methods but am looking for like minded people to tag along with so I can get my first pike on the fly (other than those I have accidentally caught when going for trout). I live in west Fife so I am not too far from lots of the major waters. Thanks

YES! I go out on a boat out of Girvan fishing for Pollock and we use fake lug and rag on a lead head. I have had fish up to just under 10 lbs on them. The fire-tail worms seem to work well when the water is a little cloudy. The skipper is adamant that apart from when there are mackerel around when belly strip is king, the top bait are the fake lug. I think the fish go for butterfish an the lug are about the same size and shape. I have never fished them on the bottom though.........

I've been thinking a similar thing myself. I have been doing lots of fly fishing in recent years because the shore fishing near me has been so rubbish. But after a great session last weekend I am very much back into it, and as my rod got smashed against the wall of the breakwater I was fishing on (howling gale blew my rod away when I was putting it in the car) I may need to think about something new. My current rod is a century composites Centex Sport and it has been superb, but is 15 years old. Centex generally have a 'sport' and 'match' range of their rods, with the 'match' ones having a more sensitive tip on them. Greys do a range and I have ben delighted by their fly rods- so they may be worth a look at. I guess it depends on if you fish from a pier, rocks, off the beach- and if on that beach you need to cast for miles.

This is fairly shameless, as I haven't been on for a while- lured away by the easy pickings of fly fishing. Anyway, I was out for 3 hours this morning on Elie Breakwater in Fife. I had 2 coalfish, 2 small codling, then one cod of 6lbs and a personal best (and first double for any species) with a cod of 13 and a half pounds. The weather was terrible and i finally got beaten back by the wind, but as it is my first 'double' I did want to share it with people who would understand.

This place does guiding www.fishing-uk-scotland.com and there are some good links through www.flyfishingscotland.com. There is also a comprehensive guide service at Loch Rannoch you can access through www.dunalastair.co.uk. This area of Perthshire is about as beautiful as Scotland gets. One place that would be worth visiting in June is Loch Ba on the road to Glencoe. It is FULL of small brown trout which come readily to the fly and it is free to fish. I am sure there must be guides who could help with it. None of the guides are cheap and I haven't used them so I cannot say they are reccommended but hopefully this will give them a starter for ten.

Sportsman you are a STAR. I went up last Wednesday evening but only managed to get less than 3 hours fishing. 6 fish to the boat, missed at least the same and lost 2. The chap who runs it is a great bloke too. He even gave me THE fly to use and I caught on the first cast. Glad I went and I will return.

I will be up on Wednesday. I have just had a great session on Raith Lake this morning (8 in 4 hours, plus loads of near misses, all on dries) so my fishing gland has been drained a bit. If you are around though, I could always fit in another session!

That looks brilliant. I am in Aberdeen on business next week. DO you know if they do evening tickets?

I haven't been here for a long time, but I really need some help! I have never caught anything over 10lbs but about 5 years ago decided that I need to. Since then I have been very close (with a pike and a pollock) but never managed it. I fish for anything, but living in Fife the options of big, stupid grown on trout are limited, I travel miles for my sea fishing (and I am not sure if fishing off the boat should count) so it could come down to Pike or carp. The carp fishing locally is limited but Loch Fitty is just up the road and apparently contains fish of the requisit size. But then again, it has big pike too. My state of confusion is not helped by my rubbish mate getting a 18lbs salmon on the Tay in February on his first time salmon fishing. The pressure is on, and I need some advice. Please

We are thinking about going to the Jura/Vosges region of France this July, looks great but I don't know anybody who has been. Is it nice (any tips on the fishing) is it worth the trip, etc?????

I am hoping to holiday in the Jura/Vosges areas of France this summer, and was wondering if anybody had tried the flyfishing there, and had any tips?

SO, do we all put all of ours back? I remember some years ago talking to a guy on Blyth pier who was complaining about overfishing, but kept everything he pulled out of the water. P.S. I've not been on for a while, the site looks great.