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The Jim Boyd Fishing Reports

Loch Leven

Week Ending 20th September 2009

Fishing is very patchy on the loch at the moment but there are still some very nice fish being caught on a fairly consistent basis.Shallow water now producing a bit of sport round the west point of St Serfs and along its South Shore, and the Green Isle to Old Manse areas started to work over the weekend. Open water drifts onto the East and Mid Buoys also still producing a fish or two.

Higher density lines – IE, DI3 and DI5 worked a bit better over the weekend but midge tip and intermediates are still working. The water clarity continues to improve – it is just over 2 meters at the moment, the temperature now 12.2ºc courtesy of a few sharp frosts last week. Fly hatches are now easing down, not much evidence of many buzzers, but the heather fly (red legs) is still appearing when conditions are suitable and the fish are pretty keen to respond to a hatch of these "juicy" flies.

As we now approach the last days of our season – we fish until the weekend of 3rd – 4th October – fish should start chasing larger flies especially the fry imitation patterns.The areas around the burn mouths will now be better stocked with some pretty good sized fish which normally respond to fast retrieved lures.

Week Ending 7th September 2009

Loch Leven rose some 7-9inches over the past five days and as a result fishing was very difficult. Huge areas of brown spate water appeared off the three main burn mouths, and strong winds at times also added to the problem. However last Sunday things had settled and the water clarity had improved and a few fish were caught. Heron Fly Fishers had a beautiful fish at 5lb 8ozs caught by Tom Brown off the North Quiech, while Lloyd and Scott Mudie had a good fish weighing 3lb 12oz off St Serfs.

As the season "matures" the burn mouth areas will certainly start to work, but the open water drifts will still be worth a try wind permitting. All the usual flies – Snatchers, Muddlers, Kate McLaren and the Bibio, will work but some fry imitation patterns should be worth a go.

Water clarity is still 1 meter but clearing slowly, the temperature is steady at 14oc. Weed growth has stopped but big weed beds are still to be found and are well worth a try especially in calmer conditions.

Week Ending 23rd August 2009

The fishing on Loch Leven is still good at the moment- best fish this week weighed, photographed then returned was 6lb, Drew Simpson was the captor, and Drew has fished the Loch diligently all season, so it is just reward he caught up with a good brownie.

Small fish are appearing in large numbers in most parts of the Loch and one angler commented that he had not seen such a big rise of fish for several seasons but catching them however is not so easy!

Traditional flies are the best- Kate McLaren Bibio, Snatchers, Dabblers and Muddlers in different shades are working well when conditions suit.

The open water between Reed Bower and West End of St Serfs still number one choice but a lone angler fishing the North Quiech-Green Isle area had seen a lot of fish last Wednesday in the late afternoon but again catching them was another matter.

Week Ending 16th August 2009

A wet and very windy weekend made fishing difficult and it was Sunday evening before things settled and one boat decided to give it a try. Local angler Willie Simpson, against pretty good advice, had a nice evenings sport keeping two for 3lb 2oz and returning 3-4 fish in the same class and numerous small fish were also retuned proving not to always listen to the experts!

Bill Barnes had a beautiful fish on Friday weighing in at a hefty 6lb 12oz - the biggest fish recorded for a week or two. Usual flies still to the fore all the Snatchers. When conditions are quieter and the wind is suitable, Muddlers will still work. Still open water drifts probably the best - South Shore to Reed Bower, East Buoy area and Just yesterday both North and South Quiech mouths started to produce the odd fish courtesy of the heavy rain.

Water clarity is still patchy in the open water 2 meters is about right, long mobile areas of Green Algae still about- not unusual at this time of year.

During this past week some very good rises of fish have been seen which is very encouraging especially as a lot of year groups are represented and another pleasing feature is the fish are to be seen on occasion in most parts of the Loch.

Week Ending 19th July 2009

Some very good rises of fish have been witnessed in the open water just east of Reed Bower.Catching these fish appears to be just a little bit difficult, that said when the wind stays "sensible" fish are being caught. A lot of small fish are seen during the buzzer hatches, but big fish are still showing up in the returns, last week's best was a fish weighing 5lb 2oz.

Water clarity still ok at 2 meters, we do have a presence of green algae but not the large biomass recorded in previous seasons.Water temperature at its summer level 18.8°c and the weed growth is pretty good all over.

Buzzer hatches are now consistent and as mentioned earlier the fish are "responding" to these hatches.Corixa now showing from the extended weed growth and fish do enjoy a feed on these busy little flies. Best areas are still in the open water drifts.East of Reed Bower is holding a lot of fish of all age groups, the willows – east of St Serfs all the way over to the sluices is another area holding a good head of fish.The North Shore from the Old Manse Bay down to the Green Isle is also producing fish when conditions allow.

We are now in high summer conditions and brown trout will "perform" when everything is just right – being in the right place at the right time is very important at this time of year!

Week Ending 21st June 2009

Mixed fortunes appear to be the order of the day at Loch Leven this past week.Fish are very reluctant to come to the top except for the last hour or so of daylight, even then a rain shower or perhaps a change of wind direction or strength can prematurely end a rise of fish.

Smaller fish have also been a feature in the returns this last few days, it is a week or so since a 5lb plus fish has been landed – quite a few of the big fish have been seen on the move, and some have risen but none netted.I am not complaining about the "smaller" fish – it is a great sign for the future and positive proof that there is natural regeneration taking place.

Water temperature at stands at 16.6°c – very comfortable for the fish and the clarity is still very good at 3.4 meters.

Buzzer hatches still disappointing, even on the warmer evenings they come out just on dusk hence the reason for the very late activity at or near the surface. Best areas not changed much this past week, Reed Bower, Williams at St Serfs, Paddy's Point the choice of drifts, but an eye should be kept on just about any recognised drift, depending on wind direction and strength.

Again not much change in fly patterns, Kate McLaren, Bibio, all the Snatcher variants and Buzzers when the conditions are suitable will work.

As mentioned in last week's report we are still waiting for some consistently warm and settled weather to hopefully induce the "high summer" buzzers to appear on a daily basis to get the fish to be just a little more available.

Week Ending 14th June 2009

Competitors in the World Fly Fishing Championship found the fishing at Loch Leven challenging. That said, the fish caught were of a very high average weight and in superb condition. The biggest recorded over the three days at the loch measured some 27" which would have been a fish in the 7lb plus category.The other feature of the competition was the number of fish touched, or moved and turned away from the flies. Our congratulations and thanks go to all the competitors and organisers and especially to the winners and Ian Barr who came out top as the most successful individual angler. A special mention must be afforded to the recorders, who sat in the boats and remained cheerful to the end.

Evening fishing is starting to show signs of improvement; Kinross A C out on Friday evening had 12 fish for 25lb 8oz. Lindsay Barrie had a fish at 5lb 3oz but was pipped by a fish at 5lb 11oz caught by "PJ" McIntosh. Burleigh AC out on Tuesday evening also recorded 2 good fish. Steven Clark thought he had the biggest fish at 4lb 2½oz but his father Dave had a fish at 5lb 1oz.

Best areas are North Shore (Green Isle to Old Manse area) Hale "O" Inch and just recently the area just south of Reed Bower. Water clarity remains good at 3.5 meters, weed growth is now prolific and the temperature is 16.8°c.

Week Ending 31st May 2009

The fishing has been very much "up and down" this past full week at the loch. On Monday last Dr Henry Walen and a friend had a lovely bag of ten fish (all returned) on the buzzer up at Brocks Hale. Two good fish were recorded over the weekend, Jack Souter fishing with Invergowrie AC had a beautiful fish weighing 5lb 4oz on a small Humungus, on Saturday, and Marion Wallace – fishing a practice day with SANA Ladies international team had a very nice fish at 4lb 7½ oz. The weather over the weekend was lovely – hot and sunny, not the easiest of fishing conditions!

Water temperature has risen to 15.7°c and the clarity remains good at 3.5 meters. The hatches of buzzer is still really not happening, that said some small rises of fish have been seen off Reed Bower and the Mid Buoy area. More or less the same flies still to the fore – Kate McLaren, Bibio, all the various sparklers and as mentioned earlier the Humungus.

Brocks Hale and East of St Serfs still the best areas, North Shore drifts, into the Green Isle and Old Manse Bay worth a shot. The warm weather will surely bring on much needed hatches of fly especially in the evenings, fish will then respond and at least we will have something to chase.

Week Ending 18th May 2009

Fishing improved this week, in spite of the sometimes atrocious weather conditions – very windy from the east and very wet – but some fish were caught.

On Tuesday Central Police had an outing prior to their championship at the Lake of Menteith on Thursday, fish were very hard to come by but Robert Moir had a 3lb 10oz Rainbow (escapee).Rae Smith had a brown trout at 6lb, Bill Neilson had a brown trout at 6l 2oz and another brown over 6lbs was caught and returned (photographed) which is a result I personally have never experienced, all of these fish were in first class condition and a joy to see.

Saturday saw some fair catches of fish recorded, Middleton AC from Largs for their six boats had ten fish for 22lbs, best at 4lb 6oz and on Sunday out again when they had 10 fish all returned.

Water clarity has gone up nicely to 3.1 meters, the temperature is also moving up – it is now 11.8°c, so things appear to be moving on.

Best flies are various sparklers, small/medium viva and the usual black/green or black/silver lures.DI 7 or DI 5 lines are still probably the first choice, but buzzers fished behind a midge tip or even a full floater, should work if the weather settles a bit.

As mentioned earlier big fish have been recorded but anglers on Sunday had much more 12" to 15" fish in their baskets, mostly returned – very encouraging for the future.

Week Ending 10th May 2009

Water clarity has much improved this week – now measuring 2.4 meters on the disc, but the temperature has dropped some 2°c to 8.2°c from a high of 10.8°c last Thursday – Friday.

Some buzzers are hatching, but in small numbers and only in the warmer, quieter conditions.Corixa are present in good numbers and are featuring in the trout's diet along with Daphnia which appeared in numbers this past week.Fish are still pretty hard to locate, but Scott Moodie fishing with his father on Sunday had three nice fish weighing 5lb 3oz.

Best flies still black and silver or black and green, Dunkeld, Kate McLaren and various buzzers.Lures fished with DI5 or heavier lines the best method.

Hole "O" the Inch, Brocks Hole, Point of St Serfs were the best areas just recently. With the improvement in water clarity light penetration will get all of the aquatic plants and animals "on the move", hopefully the fish will respond!

End of Season Fishing Report 2008

Encouraging is perhaps the word that best sums up the fishing on Loch Leven this past season.Initially, for about six weeks in April and early May, we experienced a series of strong, cold north east winds. The extension of these cold winds into May in particular prevented the big early season buzzer hatches similar to those we saw in spring 2007.

However, right from the start of the season, the condition of the fish being caught was absolutely superb, with many of those being landed found to be full of buzzer larvae and, to a lesser extent, snails and the usual other vertebrates and invertebrates.

For the future of angling on Loch Leven, it is important that we continue to see different year classes of fish being caught and that certainly seemed to be the case throughout the season as a whole.Small fish below the 10" mark were seen sometimes in pretty large shoals whilst the largest fish recorded was a pretty hefty 6lb 14 oz, big for Loch Leven where the average size of brown trout weighed in since 1880 is still under one pound!Overall, trout covering all the main age groups were seen and caught but it was evidence of the younger age groups which was particularly encouraging as they are the stock for future seasons and proof that all has not stopped just because stocking has ceased.

Water quality or clarity is very important in any loch or reservoir and, having previously shown excellent improvement since Loch Leven's nadir in terms of water quality in 1992, this appeared to have ground to a halt 3 or 4 years ago.Thankfully, 2007 and 2008 have seen a resumption in water quality improvement and this year's total phosphorous was recorded at its lowest levels for any year in recent times (going back 40/50 years).

With the lowering of nutrient levels, water clarity is much improved.In May through to early July, water clarity reached up to 4.2 meters (the highest most of us can remember!) whilst the average for that period was around 2.5 meters.

With the much improved water clarity light penetration is obviously greater and weed growth really gets going.Weed beds are an important part of the aquatic ecosystem on Loch Leven with large amounts of freshwater life is supported by the many different varieties of weeds.Trout therefore can source a ready, and prolific, 'larder' of food at different times of the season.

Weed beds also provide refuge for fry and, as a result, the fry population in Loch Leven has seemingly soared these past couple of seasons – another very important food supply for the bigger fish.

Aquatic flies in the loch have reduced in diversity over the past 30 - 40 years but again, with the improvement of water quality, hatches of flies are now showing.

Week Ending 21st September 2008

The fishing has been pretty challenging most of the time this past week. A lack of flies coupled with a diatom (brown algae) presence has made the fishing difficult. However, as always, fish can be found in shallow water just north of St Serfs which produced two nice fish – both returned, for two local anglers on Sunday and along the north shore – Green Isle to Old Manse Bay – fish were seen and the odd one caught on Thursday and Friday late afternoon and evening. The ever consistent Kate McLaren and Snatchers are the best of the flies, with black and silver sparklers being well worth a try.

Carden Bay, Sluices to St Serfs and North Shore are the best drifts, but open water just east of Castle and Reed Bower Islands will work well, especially in quieter conditions. The water clarity is 1.2 metres and the temperature which is now dropping but still a comfortable 13.8˚ C. Fish are still on the fry around the weed beds, but are very difficult to tempt when feeding on fry. As the season "matures" into its last weeks, the burn mouth areas especially after a good spate, are well worth a try, and as already mentioned, shallow water and shoreline drifts should work.

Week Ending 14th September 2008

Better weather for fishing did help last week at the loch - some evenings were just perfect – light winds and low light – and the fish did respond.Dries actually worked a couple of evening, but traditionals fished behind a floating line probably the best method.

Mr Ward had the heaviest fish of the week at 5lb 1oz, Michael Wilson and John Reid on Saturday had six fish between them, Michael's biggest fish weighed 4lb 2oz and John's biggest weighed 4lb 11oz, and also on Saturday K Dickson from Kelso had a good fish at 4lb 5¼ oz.Mr Linklater, on holiday from his workplace in Russia had five fish on Saturday weighing 7lb 2oz and three returned just to prove smaller fish are represented in the catch returns.

Best areas are mainly open water drifts between Reed Bower and St Serfs, East and Mid Buoys and Carden Point to Gairney Mouth. Water clarity slightly improved on last week at 1.4 meters, still a fair amount of green algae present.Temperature is steady at 14°c and the best flies are the same as in previous weeks – the Kate McLaren, Snatchers, small Sparklers and when condition permit Dries are well worth a chuck.

Week Ending 9th September 2008

The fishing has been pretty challenging most of the time this past week. A lack of flies coupled with a diatom (brown algae) presence has made the fishing difficult. However, as always, fish can be found in shallow water just north of St Serfs which produced two nice fish – both returned, for two local anglers on Sunday and along the north shore – Green Isle to Old Manse Bay – fish were seen and the odd one caught on Thursday and Friday late afternoon and evening. The ever consistent Kate McLaren and Snatchers are the best of the flies, with black and silver sparklers being well worth a try.

Carden Bay, Sluices to St Serfs and North Shore are the best drifts, but open water just east of Castle and Reed Bower Islands will work well, especially in quieter conditions. The water clarity is 1.2 metres and the temperature which is now dropping but still a comfortable 13.8˚ C. Fish are still on the fry around the weed beds, but are very difficult to tempt when feeding on fry. As the season "matures" into its last weeks, the burn mouth areas especially after a good spate, are well worth a try, and as already mentioned, shallow water and shoreline drifts should work.