It’s time to get a bit flashy

A little bit of flash on your fly can often get the attention of feeding trout.

Too much bling at this time of the season can turn them off, but a subtle amount can get you really confident takes.

The Bibio Black Shuttlecock is a pattern devised by Davie and David McMillan, and it takes fish the length and breadth of the country.

The pattern can be fished singly or as part of a team of two, with the second fly having the full Black Seals Fur body.

The hook is size-12 Kamasan B170, the thread is Black Uni 8/0 and body Black Seals Fur, while the rib is Clear Buzzer Wrap or Monofilament. The thorax is Flybox Bibio Black Mosaic Dubbing, and the wing is four to six plumes of Natural CDC.

▪ Goldenloch Fishing at Newburgh has enjoyed some good fishing lately. The staff have been hard at it, and have removed a substantial amount of weed.

Scott Fraser and Fraser McCleary both fished the evening rise to catch six and four fish respectively, while Grant McGregor had a redletter day, netting 17. Geoff Gadd had five rainbows in amongst lots of beautiful perch.

The top flies have been Shipman’s Buzzers, Silver Invicta, Daddies and Crunchers.

▪ At Swanswater Fishery, near Stirling, the water quality and the fishing have been excellent.

The best flies included Blobs, Damsels, Ace of Spades, Yellow Dancer, Diawl Bach, Olive Spider, Green Nymphs and Yellow Owl.

Notable catches included Ramsay Conroy with three for 10lb from The Mill Pond, including one at 5lb 12oz, while Jim Craig caught three tiger trout for 9lb 7oz.

Barry Hamilton, fishing with his grandson, Kyle, had three for 7lb, while Frank Barr had 24 up to 6lb over three visits and James McInnes released four including two around 9lb and 7lb.