Fly Fishing Fruid and Talla, Scotland

Fly Fishing is not something I had ever wanted to do before. Yeah, I grew up in the country, and we had a lake that I used to fish out of - mostly cane pole and minnow, or lures that you cast and reel in. I can't say it was something I did all the time. Back then, actually touching the fish creeped me out. While I enjoyed rowing out in the boat and sitting under the sun and clouds of the Texas skies, the thought of actually catching something scared me to death. I confess, I may have done more floating around in the boat than actual fishing. So, I surprised myself when I ventured into Gamefish on Howe Street in Edinburgh. I don't even know why I went in, except that I was bored and seeking some adventure. The owner of the shop introduced me to Gordon Graham. 

Gordon and Mara

Gordon owns Scottish Salmon and Trout and takes folks out into the Scottish countryside for fly fishing excursions. (they can also be found on facebook) Gordon and Mara, his super cute dog, picked me up in the morning and we drove about an hour outside of Edinburgh to the Lochs of Fruid and Talla. Our first stop was Fruid. 

hiking into the sweet spot

No one was around but us, and few hundred sheep. The area around the Loch was gorgeous. The weather was cold and windy, and though the skies were threatening, no rain. Gordon parked the Range Rover and we got out all the gear. I was excited about wearing waders. 

waders and a really warm fleece (do you think they're too big?!)

Gordon said most ladies are excited about wearing waders, and he can't figure out why. I don't know why either, really, it's just cool. Kinda like wearing those coveralls that mechanics wear. Maybe it's just because you can get dirty and not worry about it. He let me borrow a fleece jacket too. Just a few days prior, this fleece was worn by Mick Hucknall aka Simply Red. Remember the album Picture Book, or A New Flame.. you know, you had him in your 80's album collection. Godon, Mara, and I made our way over to where there were "hundreds" of brown trout ready to jump onto our lines. We waded through little creeks and bogs and really muddy, gooky stuff. My waders were too big, so I kept tripping, and slipping. I was also not watching where I was going, distracted by the sheep and the beauty of it all, stepped into a mud pit and my right foot got stuck! I couldn't move it. I felt like a dinosaur in the tar pits. "Gordon!", I shouted through my laughter. He came to my rescue. We both had a good laugh, and continued on to the fishing spot. He showed me how to tie the fly on the line, then showed me the rhythm and timing of the cast. 10 and 2, slightly letting the line out, until you're ready for the final toss of the fly into the water. The final toss was where I would lose it. I would release too early, and my line would go all spaghetti like and land about 10 feet from me. It took a little while, but I finally go the hang of it. I had some really good casts, and some really bad ones. I didn't care, It was just fun to be in the middle of the water in my waders. The wind was really kicking up, and because of this, and the temperature dropping, the fish were not rising to the top for our flies. So, we broke for lunch, in hopes for a change in the weather.

Mara smiling at me hoping to get a bite of my sandwich

The weather did not let up, so Gordon decided we should go to Talla, another Loch not too far away. On our hike back, Gordon kept telling me to follow in his footsteps so that I didn't fall in any more holes. Well, I did follow his foot steps, but I still found another bog to fall into. Why he didn't, I can't tell you, but I did! Again, he had to rescue me, except this time he fell too! HAHA! There we were grabbing onto each other as we both fell on our asses into the muck. Thank goodness for the waders! No harm done, except to our pride. I was the first client he had ever had to got stuck in a bog. 

Loch of Talla

The Loch of Talla proved a bit more fruitful. I landed my first Brown Trout! I saw the fly go under the water, felt a tug on my line, I set the hook and reeled it in, channeling the vibes of my Simply Red jacket, with the song, "..I'll keep holdin' on.." going through my head. I knew I had a really big one! 

beautiful wee brown trout, i set you free to grow

Ok, not so big. But it was very exciting, none the less! We fished for a few more hours, landed 4 more fish, putting them all back. They were just so beautiful, I couldn't take them away from their home. Their tiny gills and mouths gasping for air. I had to put them back. The weather got colder, windier, and the rain came down in buckets. 

rain on the Loch

I put my rod away, and was just wading around in the water with Mara, while Gordon tried to land a big enough trout for dinner. Alas, the fish had gone away, so we decided to call it a day around 7pm. Gordon was an excellent guide and fly fishing instructor. Despite the shit weather, I had a great time and can see why folks like this type of fishing so much. I will go again someday, for sure.