I’m always working several books ahead, gathering material, planning chapters, writing stories, and so on. Here’s a snippet from book nine–Nymphs and Wets

Our friend, Theo Bakelaar, from Holland, spends time each year in Scotland, fishing for Atlantic Salmon, and fishing for brown trout in the streams and lochs (lakes) of that country. It is in loch fishing where the wet fly comes into its own.

The brown trout on the lakes (lochs) of the highlands of Scotland teeter on the edge of survival. Food is not abundant, in fact, scarce is a better word to describe its availability. As a consequence, the fish are highly watchful for anything that might give the appearance of being edible. Thus it is that the best flies for the Highland Lochs are suggestive and not imitative. And, too, the angling methodology is not what most anglers might envision. It is not a single fly, but rather a “cast” of flies, usually three. The point fly, and the one above it, are sunken, and the top fly is a heavily dressed dry that is skated over the surface. Often the wets have flash on them or are tied with bright, attractive colors to better show themselves to any nearby browns.

It not as hard to cast the “cast” as one might assume. Just employ the Elliptical Stroke—make the backcast a bit sidearm, swing the rod up and around, and make the forward stroke with the rod a bit more vertical. This stroke keeps the flies from tangling on one another.

Fish attracted to the motion of the skated dry fly, often take one the sunken flies. However, if there are several fish in the area, all three flies may be taken on a single cast. Then the fight is on. The fish are often not large, but still, fighting three browns, all going in different directions at the same time, can be a bit challenging.

Browns are browns, no matter where they are found, and like browns everywhere, those in the Highland Lochs hang out in the best cover they can find in those areas where food is most available. Anglers who frequent the lochs know full well that the heavy bank cover and near-shore boulders make perfect cover, and because the shallow water is a better region of available food. So, rather than standing on shore and casting out, they use a boat or float tube and get out from shore and fish tight to the bank.

And though the average fish is not large, these are totally wild, and totally native brown trout. The take is usually aggressive, and they fight like fish twice their size.

A classic upland moor stream that flows into the distant lake.

Many of the streams tumble over bedrock on their way to the lake and there are plenty of rapids and water falls. A plunge pool such as this is a great place to find highland browns.

The currents from an inflowing river are always a great place to find feeding trout. Note the rocky shoreline in the background. Such areas are fished from a boat or float tube.

F;y boxes are crowned with brightly colored imitations, but note also some of more natural tones.

Bright flies are great, but those of more natural coloration are great too. Anglers will sometimes fish one bright wet and one more drab wet on the same “cast.”

The Alexandra, one of the all time great wet flies (one of the first flies that I tied and fished nearly 60 years ago). The peacock herl wing is highly attractive to trout the world over.

Soft hackle flies seem to have originated in the highlands, and this Partridge and Red is still an excellent loch fly.

Notice the key characteristics of the classic loch fly: bright colors, silver tinsel body.

And let’s not forget the hackle. Woolly Worm variations are great because the hackle moves at the slightest impulse from the line, suggesting a living creature. Notice the red and blue and bright silver tinsel–a great combo.

And speaking of Woolly Worms–notice the silver tinsel rib.

An “average” highland brown.

A brown on the large size of “average.” Note the dark coloration. The fish live in tea colored water.

A very nice highland brown. The take is always strong and the fight hard.