All posts by Mr Pietri

General info, North Walls, ova / eggs

Troot in the Shed 2013 starts off at North Walls!

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North Walls pupils in "the Shed"!

Thursday 17th January saw the first trout eggs delivered to North Walls Community School. Jim Erskine, who has trained generations of Orcadian trout anglers, gladly took on the challenge of transporting the fragile cargo from the Kirbister hatchery to the Hoy school and explained all the mysteries of the trout life cycle to a captive audience. The journey can be a perilous one as the ova can be very vulnerable at certain stages. Once at the school, Jim was welcomed by a very enthusiastic group of pupils and staff who had prepared themselves for the demanding task of hatching eggs into little alevins and then releasing them in the local burn. If all goes well, the next two months should see the eggs, first showing eyes and then hatching into translucent orange alevins which will be losing their yolk sacs after a few weeks, ready to be released by mid-March.

Looking forward to reading how things are going!

Mr. Pietri

Fishing, Sanday

Beginners’ Coaching Session for Sanday Pupils (19/06/12)

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Fishless ... but happy!

While they were on their rich task trip to the Orkney Mainland, the Sanday pupils and staff took the chance of casting a fly on the Loch of Kirbister which has seen a lot of action lately!

Most had never handled a fly rod before and one has always to bear in mind that spinning and fly-fishing are two very different angling techniques: in spinning, the weight of the bait or lure helps you cast and pulls the light nylon line out of the reel while in fly-fishing, it’s the weight of the big diameter fly-line which is used to gain distance.

The wind forecast was supposed to be light easterly winds but turned out to be due north… This meant having to change location after a quick picnic and a visit of the hatchery building; there, the pupils were able to see where the trout eggs they hatched at school over the winter came from.

Unfortunately, after fishing hard and persevering, no Kirbister trout was fooled by the youngsters’ flies… The Kirbister Loch is “usually” a reliable venue but when it comes to fishing, there is no such thing as guarantee…

It was good though, to see how the new anglers had progressed through the day: by mid-afternoon, at the north end, Bob and Molly had pretty much mastered the art of roll-casting and would have been able to reach the fish, had they been active. Further down the shore, with Mr. Erskine, Rosa, Lewis and Chloe were learning how to spin with a torpedo float and a fly, a technique which is usually very successful on that loch, but apart from Chloe who hooked a fish and lost it, the afternoon was to remain fishless… It was nice to see the Sanday staff joining in, and Mrs. Newton and Mrs. Thomson showed their usual  perseverance and enthusiasm even though the trout had decided not to play ball…

However, later in the day, when the Sanday contingent settled at the Stromness hostel, there was trout for tea as Mr. Erskine had brought with him some fish that “he’d caught earlier”! The delicious meal was even more enjoyed as everybody had realised by then how hard it can be to harvest a couple of wild trout!

Mr. P

Fishing, Kirkwall Grammar School, Stronsay

OTFA/AFYD Junior Competition (1st June 2012)

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It all started as a headache for the organisers… The wind forecast was very uncertain and Orkney Harbours, the BBC and Magicseaweed wouldn’t agree on a definite wind direction for Friday 1st June… NNW, NW or N? Decision had to be delayed until the very morning when the east shore was the chosen option.

The KGS and Stronsay anglers met at the hatchery and, very promptly, the rods were put together and the 18 young competitors were ready for the 10:00 start. The section of bank which was to see the action for the next four hours stretched from the Hatchery to the north end of the Loch and the anglers were split into four different sections: Junior Fly, Junior Bait (including spinning with flies), Senior Fly and Senior Bait. Very soon, it became obvious that the baskets would be a lot heavier than last year’s, as rumours of fish being caught started spreading along the bank… The bait boys were doing well but the Kirbister trout were also taking well presented flies in the slightly broken water. It was good to see 8 members of staff from KGS and Stronsay having made the trip to support their pupils in weather conditions which were not as inviting as in the previous days. Two o’clock came and the last anglers arrived at the Hatchery for the weigh-in where Norman Irvine had set his scales, helped by Ken Kennedy and Stuart Topp from the OTFA. Some very good baskets reached the scales and it was good to see that the fish were well spread into the different sections. Eventually the results were announced with Marcus Scholes winning the Junior Bait section with a basket of 8 fish for 3 ¼ (the heaviest basket on the day), Fergus McIvor in the Junior Fly section, Cameron Singh-Johnstone in the Senior Bait section and Craig Stout in the Senior Fly section.

We want to say a special thank you to Mr. Erskine who helped the Stronsay pupils hone their skills on Kirbister and Harray during the whole two previous days, to the OTFA members who helped with the organisation of the competition and attended the event and to local businesses W. Shearer’s, WS Sinclair’s and Wisebuy’s for their generosity in providing great prizes and vouchers. For more details on the results, click on the table below:

Results of the 2012 OTFA / AFYD Junior Competition.

Mr. P.

Fishing, General info, Stronsay

Stronsay School Trout Fishing Trip (30th/31st May)

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The Stronsay boys in action on the Kirbister Loch
When the ferry from Stronsay landed at the Kirkwall Pier, on this beautiful spring morning, hopes were high amongst the Stronsay School angling team… After boarding the minibus, the strategy was exposed: the light northerly winds and bright skies would almost guarantee a blank on Harray and it was decided at the last minute to switch to the old faithfull Kirbister Loch whose trout can always be that wee bit more obliging than anywhere else…
The party headed for the north end of the Kirbister Loch and in no time, fly lines were shooting through the rings and rods started to bend! From the shore, it was difficult to tell that only a year ago, 4 out of these 5 anglers had never handled a fly-rod before! Their casting technique, their fly retrieve, right down to their watercraft skills meant that they wouldn’t have been out of place amongst well seasoned fly-fishermen. You may wonder about the 5th angler though… When Cameron joined the trip, he had hardly fished before but managed to learn the skills of spinning with fly and bubble-float very quickly and had a trick up his sleeve for the next day… Wednesday 30th ended with a respectable total, considering the weather conditions, of 16 Kirbister trout including a beauty caught by Keith at just over a pound. Then, the minibus headed north for the Birsay Youth Hostel and later on, once the last strand of pasta had dissapeared from the huge pot of spaghetti bolognese, it was time to get a good night’s sleep and start dreaming about the big Harray trout, as the Harray Loch was to be the destination for the next morning.
Respect for the quarry takes a new dimension with Keith..
Following Mr. Erskine’s expert advice, the chosen location was Kirkness in the north end of Harray, an area offering safe shallow wading conditions and plenty of fish. By the time, the anglers were in action, fish were showing in a few inches of water, but unfortunately they would simply ignore the flies presented to them. Keith and Craig were covering fish after fish very well but their size 14 Dunkelds didn’t receive the attention they deserved… I could barely stand the suspense, borrowed Keith’s rod and tried my best to cover the rising fish… with no more success! It was time for a change of tactics and I tied on a size 12 black & blue buzzer and two casts later, after a few small tweaks on the line, the first Harray trout of the morning was hooked! The traditional flies (Invictas, Dunkelds, Muddlers) were swopped for buzzers and Keith and Craig managed to hook a fish – no mean feat – as we’re talking about very “educated” trout here who see flies retrieved by the best fishermen in Europe on a daily basis! Also a special mention to Andy Rose who accompanied the yougsters all the way from Stronsay, who caught his first Harray trout as well!
That’s when Cameron pulled out his secret weapon, a ” Peach Muddler”, retrieved slowly behind a clear torpedo-shaped float… There was a sudden tension on the line and the light spinning rod double-bent but Cameron kept his cool and managed to lead his fish over the net like a pro. The beautiful trout tipped the scales just short 1lb 1/2, the best fish of the trip!
Craig, well chuffed, posing with his Harray trout, with the Hoy hills in the background.
Around midday, the wind picked up from the north-east and the trout seemed to move into deeper water, out of casting distance, so decision was made to move back to the Kirbister Loch and enjoy a bit more practice for the next day OTFA/AFYD Junior Competition.
Sport on Kirbister was slightly slower than on the previous day and the trout seemed to take the flies a bit short, hence a lot of fish missed on the strike. Kevin and Daniel still managed to catch fish though, and this was a good confidence boost for the next day!
The whole group would like to thank Mr. Erskine for spending those two memorable days in our company, Andy Rose who was a very precious help and The Orkney Trout Fishing Association and the Merkister Hotel for their financial help towards our trip; without their generosity, this trip would almost certainly not have happened. And last but not least, I would like to thank the youngsters who were a model of good behaviour all through the trip and made it a success.
There is a full report of the OTFA / AFYD Junior Competition (1st June) which you can access by clicking on the following link:   http://www.orkneytroutfishing.co.uk/
The one that fell to a Peach Muddler
Alevins, General info, Kirkwall Grammar School, Trout life cycle

KGS release their alevins in the Wideford Burn (Inganess)

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The KGS pupils and their teacher releasing the alevins in the Wideford Burn.

It was on March 18th that Mr. Ewing and his dedicated team from KGS met at Inganess Beach to release the  alevins they hatched in the school shed. Spring was in the air and it was a glorious day which seemed just perfect to set the small trout  free in the crystal clear water of the Wideford Burn. This burn not only holds a small population of  brown trout but is also one of the main spawning burns for our migratory sea-trout.  

However, what should have been a great start for the small trout ended in a rather tragic way when last Monday night, merely a week after the fish were released, we were alerted about a severe case of pollution in this very burn. Most if not all of the fish population in the Wideford Burn was wiped out and the source of the pollution is still being investigated. This is a serious blow to the environment but also  to our project as we were planning to come back in June or September to monitor the growth of our trout using electro-fishing equipment.  

One of the casualties of pollution at the Wideford Burn (27/03/12).
Alevins, Sanday

Alevins released on Sanday!

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The Sanday school pupils releasing the alevins into Bea Loch

It was a rather breezy day, this 20th March, when it was decided that the time had come to part company with the small fish we had been watching grow in the school since January.  The alevins’ yolk sacs (their own food supply) were shrinking day by day and it was time for them to start life as  “real” trout and fend for themselves in the loch.

Thirty pupils from Primary 4 to Secondary 2 and seven members of staff and parents gathered on the shore of Bea Loch and let slip the 250 miniature troot, measuring 20mm, amongst the waves.

Needless to say that the next few years will be very tough for the little fish which will be facing a lot of dangers, from birds and otters but also from their older counterparts which, as some may know, can reach over 10 lbs in this loch!

The visit to the loch was not just about fish as Mr. Thorne, the Sanday ranger, joined us and explained why the loch was such a special environment for a wide range of wildlife, like swans, many different species of ducks and otters.

Well done to all pupils and staff involved for making the project such a success!

Mr. P

Alevins about to be released
More alevins to be released...

   

Mr. Thorne, telling the Sanday pupils why our loch is such a special habitat.
Alevins, Stronsay

Alevins released on Stronsay!

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The alevins have been transfered into sandwich bags...

 The first “Troot in the Shed 2012” batch of alevins were released today on Stronsay into the Meikle Water. The Upper Primary class and the “Peedie AFYDs” (Ben, Matthew and Natalie), all put on their wellie boots and waterproofs and headed for the loch to bid farewell to the 250 small fish they saw hatching  4 weeks ago. The alevins’ yolk sacs were almost reabsorbed and this meant it was time to let the fish go to feed and grow in the loch. Let’s hope that these youngsters get to see some of these fish again in a few years!

Special thanks to Mrs. Bowen for joining us on the trip, Natalie for her photography skills and Matthew and Ben for the videos.

and are ready to be released into Meikle Water...

 

in the shelter of a weed bed.
Rebecca releasing her alevins into the wild...
A newly released alevin: camouflage at its best!
Fishing, General info, Sanday

Fly-tying on Sanday with Primary 4,5,6 & 7

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Primary pupils in action at the Sanday School and their flies on display.

 

Over the last two days, the primary 4, 5, 6 & 7 learnt the basics of fly-tying, while working on the Arctic Explorers. As you can see on the pictures, the results of their first attemps at tying flies are pretty spectacular! Most of the flies were tied on #1 hooks which are much too big for “troot” (especially the ones we currently have in the shed! ;-)), but were a bit easier to work with. However, the P7 pupils even managed to try their hand at tying a proper trout fly, the Black Pennel, on a size 10 hook and there is no doubt that some of these flies would be trout catchers!

Well done to all the pupils involved in these activities and who have shown great skills in listening to instructions and in concentration and generally a very positive attitude.

Feel free to leave your comments!

Mr. P

Alevins, General info, Sanday

All ova hatched on Sanday (at last…)

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When the first ova hatched at the Sanday mini-hatchery 10 days ago, we were looking forward to seeing the bottom of the tank crawling with the transluscent pinky-orange alevins within a matter of hours or days. However, we’ve had to wait until today to discover that all the eggs (apart from maybe a dozen) had hatched over the week-end. Now (and some people are going to be disappointed when reading this ;-)), after very close inspection, I still couldn’t spot Trevor TT nor Tilly TTT who seem to have disappeared into the crowd… 

The great news is that most our ova have made it and that hopefully, we’ll be able to release about 280 alevins into Bea Loch in a few weeks.

Mr. Pietri

Sanday one day-old alevin and egg case (click on picture to magnify)