Aw Right Chaps,
My friends and I are complete novices to fly fishing, so novice we have not got any fly fishing gear yet(but there is still plenty time to syphon off from the housekeeping kitty). We are planning a day or 2 at Loch Awe in probably July or August, we have been coarse fishing there but not fly. what would be recommended gear to use, would it be dry fly or nymph, what weight of line, and what rod & reel would be suitable.

Cheers
Captainflash.

Moving this over to the fly-fishing forum, you'll get a better response there I think.

And welcome to the site captainflash

Hi

A ten foot plus rod coupled with a 6 or 7 weight line, either DT or WF should see you OK. The type of reel doesn't matter, it's only for storing the line anyway. Usually on Awe, wet fly is the norm, though nymphs and dries will sometimes have their day (or night), as will lures for the escapee rainbow trout.

I wouldn't class July and August as the best months, but early morning and evening should be productive, and the dry daddy-long-legs would be in my fly box.

And good luck with the midges.......



Cheers

Ian.

Cheers bro.

My lasting memory of loch awe were the midges...............serious bighters, so I'd recommend not only cream protection, but a full on midge hat/mask, and don't forget your hands, a pair of "deisel" gloves from the petrol station keep the midges out and allow you to fish in reasonable comfort in the warm weather.

there are some big ferox trout in there, so best of luck.

surely at that time of the year your going to check out the local midge population and then try to fish
get yourself a load of AVON skin so soft the blue bottle ,
its better than most insect repellents so good that the army use it when on exercise up in this area
. this reply is not a joke i have known people going out for half an hour and coming back arms all covered in blood from the midgies
don't ware dark clothing it makes you a target for them .
good luck mate

If the midges are bad you are better off in a boat. If you fish under the trees out of the wind you might never be seen again.

http://www.midgeforecast.co.uk/2007/default_map.asp




Cheers

Ian

The only problem with skin so soft (i use pink original and it's great) is that it washes off where your hands get wet, and then the little blighters go mental.

I don't fish dusk at that time of year for that very reason, though I remember getting my back eaten alive when we had to leave the hotel in the middle of the night when the fire alarm went off.

One other thing to look out for apart from those maneating midges are the Ticks.
If walking through any long grass or ferns to go fishing then it is well worth while tucking your jeans into your socks and checking at night for the little buggers.
Only look like a pinhead at first but when full look more like a small Sloe.

Hire a boat from Loch Awe boats and try the edges of the loch.

Dave

One other thing to look out for apart from those maneating midges are the Ticks.
If walking through any long grass or ferns to go fishing then it is well worth while tucking your jeans into your socks and checking at night for the little buggers.
Only look like a pinhead at first but when full look more like a small Sloe.

Hire a boat from Loch Awe boats and try the edges of the loch.

Dave

Thankyou so much for re-awakening my hypochondriac belief that I've got Lyme disease

LOL, having just re read this thread, and having just watched a re run of jungle hooks, we really are wimps!!!!

Don't forget the clegs....


Cheers


Ian.

Sorry Colin, but it is something I would rather not have

Dave

I went up to Awe a couple of years ago, in August. took a lodge on the eastern shore for a week, never saw a midge.

I did take my fly rods, but had far more spoert (from the shore) with lightweight spinning gear, wild browns and perch, and Pike to eel sections.

didn't the old brown trout record for the UK come from loch awe?

I agree with emma re the spinning, it was very productive.

It still does, I think.

http://www.loch-awe.com/fish/Default.htm


Cheers

Ian.

thanks Ian, that's a useful link and does highlight the need to pick up permits to fish the loch, £60 a year seems pretty good however.

Yes there are some big Ferox in Awe and also some monster Pike.
Going around in a small boat a couple of years ago and disturbed a couple of big fish sunbathing on the surface.
Don`t know if they were Pike or what, they were in deep water, not the shallows.

Dave

The only other problem with Awe is the Buckfast brigade, with their multiple hook beachcaster rigs; take all we catch (irrespecttive of size), and leave all our crap. Permit? What permit?

There is a Protection Order in place, but enforcing it is a different matter with these idiots.

However, if you stay away from Loch Awe Village and the Pass (Brander), you should be alright. Head towards the bays and islands towards Ford. Or get a boat.


Cheers

Ian.

Edited because my keyboard can't spell.

i must have the same type of quaybord as u

Dont often come over here but saw the thread.Done a lot of Ferrox and piking on the loch but also had a dabble with the fly rod as well. Only time of year I have fished though is in the Spring.Its certainly more midge friendly than the Summer sounds to be!

I used to fly fish traditional locch style with a team of three wets on a floating line,Bibbio's,Black Ke-He's Silver March Browns were an effective combination of flies.I always struggled to catch much more than half a dozen a day though......untill I read (on the net) of a guy who would always catch double this quite easily.The simple difference was that being used to fly fishing down south I hadnt taken in to acount that it would be later in the year that such a water as Awe would have really warmed up enough for floating line tactics.The guy reccomended using the same tactics but with a sinking line.Next spring I tried this and my catchs improved imensely.

As allready mentioned fishing close to the bank is best.

No catfish then?

thanks for the tip on the flies budgie, i'll try that set up once I've developed the anti midgi skin i need.

Little tip for the midgies

Before you go take a course of anti hystamine tablets for about a week before you go and that way you have some form of immunity in your system before you get there and when you will get badly bitten the resultant sores and bites are not as bad as they can be

Everyone has their own favourites but mine is Jungle Formula in the pump action spray which is DEET based and applied liberally to the face neck and back of hands

Hi!
Im going up to Loch Awe in the summer for a week and was wondering what my chances of cathching were?
Will be fly fishing, spinning and bait fishing.

thanks!

Hi, I have a free booklet on my web site with details about fishing methods and also there are two map pages which show the best fishing marks. It's all here on this page
http://fishinginuk.co.uk/pages/book_loch_awe1.htm hope this helps

I wouldnt bother with Loch Awe for wild brownies unless you target the Ferox and catching them usually means trolling large baits and lures. Loch Awe was once one of Scotlands Premier Wild Brown Trout Lochs now almost ruined by the constant escape of Rainbow Trout from fish farming cages on the Loch. It is a pity as the Mayfly hatch on Loch Awe was something special the biggest Mayfly i have ever come across and in huge numbers. The Pike fishing can be unreal on some parts of the Loch best early morning and before dark.

Save Loch Awe