Angling: This trout packed a punch

Walking round the frozen white platforms at Rosslynlee Fishery, I could understand why only a brave few would venture out, writes Stuart Fraser.

Despite the arctic conditions, fish were showing all over the water. I kept on the move, went through the usual lures without success and ended up with a single scruffy damsel.

My set-up of floating line with long leader has served me well in the past and this day was no different. The water was unusually cloudy in parts but visibility was still fairly good. I managed to get my first fish on the far bank off the point of the peninsula. Inching the fly slowly along the bottom I could feel gentle pulls, but kept retrieving.
With less than six feet from the bank I got a solid rattle and the fish was on. At 3lb it was a fair-sized fish and it fought well before coming to the net. Moving down to the sluices and second cast I was in again as a fish that rose three feet from where the fly landed took with such 
venom for its size.

The trout was punching above its weight, but it still managed to hook itself. Moving back to the lodge area, the best was still to come as I tempted a rainbow in excess of 4lb. Fin and tail perfect, it was a bar of silver and refused to be bullied in. Playing it out I admired it before returning it to fight another day.