Alpine Trout Part two

I was lucky to grow up during a period with lots of salmon in Scottish rivers, then worked as a Ghillie though a period where those numbers declined ten-fold. When I was young salmon fishing was about targeting individual fish in the many different lies, fishing over fish and targeting the nice ones. How different this has become; most of the time we fish over empty lies and simply bump into the odd fish on the way past. Anyway, for those who know nothing else, or enjoy this, fine, great, everyone enjoys different things. Even now, with fewer fish, Salmon fishing is still a hunting game, a challenge to catch that illusive fish, or maybe, two or three if you’re lucky.
However, for me, I’ve just found what I’ve been missing, I’ve just found what floats my “fishing” boat! Last year I was fortunate enough to spend a really nice morning fishing Dry Fly in Ireland in the company of a real trout expert, Jason O Riordon. The whole “sight fishing thing took me back to my earlier days fishing for Salmon, the “hunting” instinct was back! Queue Alpine Trout 2011! As big as most salmon, in gin clear water and my personal move to the “dark side” is complete! Like my other passion, pigeon shooting, this is a real game of reconnaissance, targeting and working out which method is best for each fish, wow. Seeing fish of 70cm+ coming at my fly was like turning the clock back thirty years, and fight, those big trout are in this lovely clear water are like Sea Trout on the Spey or Deveron. I shall not write here of tactics as in this game I would classify myself as a real beginner; however, very similar rules apply. The same as salmon fishing and so many other things, for best results, listen to the locals or guides, they, and not some “table expert”, know best.
Many Thanks to Robert and Michaela Stroh, for arranging what for me is real fishing trip. Seeing, planning and anticipating the take, WOW!! Descriptions of each fish and the fishery to follow!!
Having said all this, Salmon fishing on the Spey, Dee, Tweed or Deveron, at the right time can also be fairly special!!!

The water in the pictures above and below, at its deepest is around 8 feet.