The hot dry weather continues, making catching somewhat unpredictable. Dries have still been the fly of choice on most occasions and afternoons and evenings are certainly fishing best.

As is always the case, August and September are the months that we usually see the most daddy action and despite the unusual conditions, this year is no exception. Floating lines with a small team of daddies will undoubtedly catch the attention of the trout. Hoppers too, are worth a try.

Swing Gate Bay remains heavy with fish and this extends towards the aerator and to the front of Lochside Cottage. Fish are also being caught as far as the top end of the narrows but directly in front of the reed bed is less prolific.

In spite of the conditions, the fish are fighting very hard for the time of the year and as such need careful handling if being released back to the loch. Please try to get them in to the net as soon possible and ensure that they are fully recovered before releasing.

This last period marks the end of the family holiday season and it’s good to have seen some young ones getting out on the loch with their parents and enjoying the delight of bringing a fish or two to the net – see photos of Layla & Ashok Churm having a grand time fishing with their dad. Thanks to  mum Deepta Churm for her great photos from around the loch see photo gallery below.

Looking at the forecast for the forthcoming week, it seems like we are in for more of the same but with the possibility of some rain and stronger winds towards the end of next week. The good news is that the evenings are certainly cooling down and as a consequence the water temperature is coming down. Last week it sat at around 14 – 15 degrees C which is certainly heading in the right direction for the time of the year.

We are running the aerator in the evenings and throughout the day on most days, occasionally switching it off when the loch is busy. Just a polite reminder not to stay anchored over the aerator for too long as this can cause upset to other anglers.

Other News:

• Lad(y)s and dads charity competition – Sunday 25^th This is now full.
• Coldingham Cup Competition – Sunday 16^th There are still 3 remaining spaces for this competition. Please ring us at the loch if you are interested in entering as this is now extended to non- members.
• Fly of the month (Foam Daddy): Please note that this has now been posted and our thanks go once again to Les Lockey for providing this.

Visiting Clubs:

These are the two club days over the next fortnight:

1. Sunday 11^th Sept – Norham and Ladykirk
2. Tuesday 13^th Sept – Pentland Civil Service and Cockburn AC

As always we extend a warm welcome to them and hope for tight lines.

A reminder to all clubs that have not yet booked their outing here for next year to do so as soon as possible as there are relatively few spaces left. Please ring us for more information if needed.

All the best,

Gareth and Carmel