Frustration at the Lake - by David

I had a frustrating day on the Lake yesterday in the 1st round of the 2009 Scottish National.  Was very happy with practice on Sunday (see below) and had good info from Paul and Ian (and others) before the event.  My BP was a former internationalist, but he had not practiced and really brought nothing to the boat on the day.  I took him to the Heronry where he went 4 up on my by 1pm, and we were seeing enough fish being caught to hang around.  I tried all the flies that did well on practice, trying the midge tip and slow glass in the morning.  At 1pm I changed to floater and traditional (for me) Lake flies (green DB, Cat booby and cruncher) only to land 2 fish in short order by 1.45, one on the booby, one on the DB.  We talked about moving, but as we were doing so, my BP took a fish, so that was that.  How often does that happen - there is just enough going on to keep you interested.  I then took another 2 fish in short order before 3pm, and my target for the day of 8 was still on, debarb hooks, remove booby ( well, take off the eyes) and we were fishing again.  A good pike made off with my now non-booby (no, Tom, it was not my knot!) and as neither of us took any more fish we moved to Shear Point at about 4pm.  Saw the odd fish being taken there and just as I was telling my BP there were no fish in International bay I hooked my 5th and last fish of the day just inside the bay, having come round from Shear Point.  I suppose a day on the Lake with 10 fish in the boat is respectable and, as I said to Gilbert, beaten (as in didn't qualify) but not disgraced.  Onwards and upwards for Ian (see news section), and very well done to him, but for Paul, Robin and me next year will suffice.  The Bothwell and Blantyre circus moves on to Frandy on 30 May, and I will try to secure my Scotland qualification for next year through the RAF qualifying competition on Grafham on 11 and 12 Jun.  In the meantime, I have to go to work.  I hate it when work interferes with fishing.