April showers help make ideal setting

The weather during the first fortnight of April was predominately dry and often sunny with a brightness which is usually associated with poor angling conditions.

- BY RICHARD DICKSON

March had passed relatively quietly although there was early season promise with occasional successes being reported by sea trout anglers who were fishing in and around the Leven and Clyde estuarial waters.

But the decent water levels on the Leven during March gradually abated and by the middle of April the river was nearing a summer low on the datum. Angling effort had previously been gathering momentum on the river but the springtime low waters caused this to tail off somewhat.

Then thankfully during the third week of the month the proverbial April showers arrived bringing solace to gardeners and anglers alike. Simultaneously the Balmaha boat moorings gradually started to be occupied with one or two boats venturing out on Loch Lomond. Around this same period an occasional trolling boat was seen to leave the Balloch moorings at VOLDAC (Vale of Leven District Angling Club) mainly for a recce around the lower basin early season holding waters.

By Monday April 14, the warm bright sunny weather had relented and at last it was time to get all the gear into the boat and head out on Loch Lomond for my first day on the loch this year.

There was one other veteran angler that morning in the Balmaha boatyard doing likewise and as usual we had a wee collective moan about the fishing in general during our mutual preparations to go out.