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Reflections on 2011…
These are dark days if you are a wild trout angler, both in reality if you live in Scotland and metaphorically. With the start of next season many months away there is little to do but reflect on the season past and make what preparations you can for the forthcoming one – and in many ways rather than helping raise your spirits such preparations only serve to highlight the deprivation of one’s passion.
In reflecting on days past with rod in hand, my fishing diary comes into its own. In saving me from my rapidly failing memory, its roughly jotted notes easily transport me back to the lochside to relive days good and bad (but thankfully overwhelmingly good). I am sure that I am not alone in enjoying memories of good fishing days by the fireside with a dram during these winter nights…
My diary notes that my 2011 season started on the 15th of April with a visit to one of my favourite local waters, Frandy in Upper Glendevon. Whilst this is a predominantly rainbow trout water, it sits on high moorland and has a head of modest brown trout to make it an attractive enough venue to a wild water enthusiast such as myself. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to experience all manner of natural spectacles whilst fishing Frandy – with the sight of 10 kestrels all hovering over a small area of hillside being a highlight. However, this first trip of the season was a short 3 hour affair snuck into a busy weekend but I recorded a successful foray with 5 Rainbow and one Brown all to small black buzzers albeit my diary also noted that my old waders were in their death-throws and were leaking nicely…not really ideal for April in Scotland.
A high spot of my angling year was my annual visit to the Wissey, a small intimate chalkstream which runs through the Army training area in Norfolk to engage in commando-style stalking of its resident brown trout with my angling pal Sean Elliott. I just love sight fishing for trout in such lush overgrown surroundings and having to improvise all manner of casts in order to cover fish holding station in crystal clear water. The fishing was tougher this year than last, but I managed to extract my best brown of the year, a 3lb cracker, from this delightful stream. This involved long minutes stalking the fish and then covering it with a wide range of leaded nymphs before managing to fool him with a large caddis creation which thankfully he could not resist. The ensuing fight will stay with me for many years as I struggled to control such a large fish with my 5-weight Hardy Smuggler and only just managed to prevent him making good his escape into the lush aquatic foliage on more than one occasion. I always seem to have fond memories of catches made where I have been very much not in control – I suppose this has made me so much more relieved (and therefore ecstatic) when at last I have my quarry on the bank.
Returning my 3lb trout, River Wissey
Sean stalking a trout, River Wissey
Other highlights have been documented already on this blog – my two long-weekends and my full week, all in Assynt. Splendid wild fishing at its best.
I also had splendid days on Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire – again in the company of Sean Elliott – where I am sad to say he fished me off the planet! Despite apparently both fishing the same cast of buzzers, both on floating lines and both – apparently with the same (lack of) retrieve – I could not hold a candle to him and had to watch in jealous admiration as he took fish after fish, whilst I only picked up a token fish or two. And how Grafham Rainbow trout fight!! At an average size of two pounds and fighting fit, these fish certainly pull your string.
A Grafham Fish pulls hard
A particular highlight was an evening in June when at last the boys from the School Angling Club had the right conditions whereby they enjoyed great sport on Golden Loch in Fife. Having previously endured all manner of poor angling conditions on rain and windswept lochs in the local area, the boys were finally rewarded with ‘an easy night’ when the trout decided to be generous. Difficult fishing it may not have been, nor for ‘wild’ fish – but as I watched the boys taking the number of fish their talents rightly deserved, I cast my mind back to what I would have been like at that age and in similar circumstances – and yes, I would most certainly have been smiling as much as they were! Being committed to getting as many youngsters into fishing as possible, this was in so many ways my best memory of the year. Well done boys!
And so, in summary and for the record, what was my 2011 season like? My final catch figures record that I enjoyed 29 days fishing for a tally of 325 brown trout (most comfortably under half a pound in weight), 36 rainbow trout and sadly no salmon or
pike – but as my fishing is absolutely not about numbers of fish caught, I am happy to record that my memories of Assynt lochs and the intimate River Wissey certainly allow me to enjoy my fireside dram. A good year indeed. Do dheagh shlàinte!
A happy angler, Assynt 2011
Anthony Glasgow
Saturday December 24th… Well, it’s that time so Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2012 to everyone who follows the blog and, most importantly, thank you for taking an interest.
Wednesdy December 21st… Mild air arrives, bringing rain but banishing the frost. Another day of ups and downs at Musselburgh yesterday, Isla Patriot unseated Lucy at the first which was frustrating, she then had a good winner on Red Tamber, finally in the dark the moment arrived as Buffalo Ballet made his debut. It’s an odd sensation, a process that began with planning a horse’s conception, the foaling then five and a half years of preparation is distilled into 5 minutes of agony, in the gloaming round a track that won’t suit and opposition that look decent enough. Normally no pressure, but this is a horse for whom I have always had the highest regard, doubts galore of course and they heighten as he turns for home, looking one-paced and weak, then the penny drops and in the last two furlongs he sprouts wings and flies, passes about 5 horses to finish 3rd at 40-1, beaten 5l by the winner, another furlong and he would have won going away, he tanks off round to the back straight, masses of energy left. Ate up, sound this morning, he eyes the lorry while he is being jogged up, ramp is down, he wants to go again. Trainer delighted, there should be so much more to come, we train our horses to come to themselves over time, he’d never really had a proper gallop before. Problem is that he is a valuable horse, I will need to put him on the market, being realistic we are unlikely to find someone that will keep him here, will try my best and discount accordingly if anyone shows interest…
Monday December 19th… Unpleasant morning today, drizzle on top of frozen ground, fresh Monday morning horses all combining to create a trainer’s nightmare, all just about in unscathed but laid-back temperament put to the test! Happy about the forecast, turning mild and not too wet for the next week or so, no white Christmas this year.
Sunday December 18th… There are few things more agonising than having to pull out a warm favourite but I have done that today at Carlisle. My view is that the very worst sort of ground is heavy with a hard frost coming out late, whilst Papamoa is a soft ground horse the holding glue-like conditions with frozen bits that arise just swing the risk-reward ratio the wrong way, let’s hope he has his chance soon at Kelso or Ayr at New Year. Rather a flat effort from Sydney at Newcastle yesterday, 8th of 13, perhaps it came a little soon after Musselburgh, perhaps he didn’t handle the gluey ground, he will hopefully be back at Ayr at New Year as well. A fine winner for Lucy in a £15,000 chase at Haydock on Storm Surge, her first big “Saturday” winner, good press including nice article in 
Nick Alexander
Friday December 16th… I think the expression is “OMG” – well, didn’t everyone scrub up well for the Xmas night out, great fun but not sure about all the girls wearing such high heels, made me feel a bit stumpy! Slower start this morning but no frost and all the horses worked on the all-weather, I sped off to the Carol Service where of course she read impeccably, can’t really believe it was the same person that was downing the toffee vodka and black sambuca shots not many hours before – my sort of wife! Early alarm tomorrow, Sydney Cove in the first at Newcastle, 8 am inspection, ground soft, Peter Buchanan rides, 15 run, hope to change the tactics with him, could go well in an ordinary sort of race. Lucy at Haydock – another 8am inspection – rides Baccalaureate for Alison Thorpe in the 12.40, Storm Surge for Martin Todhunter in the 1.40 and You Know Yourself for Sue and Harvey Smith in the feature at 2.45 (live on C4). Then to Carlisle on Sunday (haven’t announced when their inspection will be yet – going to be one of those winter weekends I fear!) where we run Papamoa in the 2.40, Lucy rides 8 run, he is improving and will relish the track and conditions but its a trappy little race, Lucy also rides Edinburgh Gin Time and Ballycarberry for Lucy Normile – let’s hope the weather behaves!
Thursday december 15th… Sun shining this afternoon, most unusual, frost beckons no doubt, 8 horses first lot down on the grass but unbelievably wet so back to the all-weather for the rest of them. Busy afternoon, Peter in to school Academy over hurdles, physios looking at a few. Carlisle passed its first inspection so hope remains, Newcastle putting the frost covers down. Stables night out in Perth this evening, should be lively, sadly no Lucy as she is destined for Uttoxeter and will need to head down the road tonight, she rides Stanley Bridge for Barry Murtagh in 11.35, decent chance but meeting must pass 7.30 inspection. Mrs A most disappointed, she is filling in for Lucy at dinner, not that she minds a good night out it’s just that she’s reading the lesson at school carol service tomorrow and she feels she might perform better if she hasn’t had a night on the tiles first, well, we’ll be doing our best to lead her astray, reading to 500 people much easier through the haze of a hangover (perhaps not!). First for Lucy last night with a live radio interview conducted secretly from her room after trainer had retired for the eveing, I think you can just hear him snoring noisily in the background, she gives a horse to follow for 2012, he could be the one, you will have to listen here on
Wednesday December 14th… Cold but quieter today after a storm last night though another inch of rain confines us to the all-weather and hacking in the forestry for those that worked yesterday. Entries made for Musselburgh on Tuesday – Isla Pearl Fisher, Isla Patriot and Buffalo Ballet – the latter two the more likely runners. Warming to the idea of running Sydney Cove at Newcastle on Saturday, looks an open race and think the ground and track will suit well. Like to run Papamoa at Carlisle on Sunday but must be a big doubt re the weather, only question in my mind is weather it will be waterlogged before the frost sets in! Nice race for him at Ayr at New Year so we may have to wait and at least the forecast is for more clement weather next week.
Monday December 12th… They come from hardy stock, those that race their horses at Ratcheugh on the Northumbrian coast in deepest December, there were certainly plenty of enthusiasts present on what turned out to be a remarkably benign day weather wise. Masses of horses from all over the place and big fields for all the races; I was delighted that our 3 runners all performed with credit – Native Coll appeared to be travelling nicely with the leaders when he blundered 3 out and unshipped Kit, Northern Flame was given a gentle introduction to this new discipline and crept into the race late on to finish 2nd of 13 – just the sort of confidence boost he required, finally Amulree tired late on but still managed 3rd of about a dozen.
