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- Flexibility is the key to success here. Try wet fly, dry or nymph and be prepared to alter your tactics according to the conditions.
- We fish fast and rhythmically, lingering too long in the one spot will not catch wild trout. You must find and cover their territories, they will not come to you.
- Fish down a bank as fast as the drifting boat.
- Do not underestimate the water quality and general fertility of highland lochs and rivers. Many contain outcrops of limestone or lie over an alkaline base. Highland limestone comes in many forms from pale hard rock to soft marl (a pale clay like mud).
- Be prepared for mega hatches not only of midge but also sedge, olive, damsel, stonefly and mayfly. Shrimp are also common in the more alkaline waters. Do not let bogs, mountains and peat fool you. Highland hatches may happen a little later than in the south but they are highly abundant especially after a rain shower.
- Take time to 'recce' loch or river before starting to fish - forearmed is forewarned. A lot of trout water will be too deep or cold to hold many fish, up to about 12ft is generally good. Look for weed beds, skerries, boulders, promontories, shelves and ledges and any other feature which breaks up the water surface and provides food and shelter for the trout.
- Choose flies according to a) the colour of the water and b) the weather conditions.
- Old wives tales like bright water bright fly and dark day dark fly sometimes work.
- When approaching unfamiliar lochs select a black and red fly first as these are the two most productive colours for wild trout in the North.
- If first choices aren't working change your flies every 15 minutes until you hit on a successful pattern. Be flexible in your approach. If a fly does attract but fails to hook, go down one or two sizes.
- Remember that you are often fishing in very exposed areas and therefore be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions.
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