The Machair Lochs, South Uist
Outer Hebrides
Fishing is a wonderful thing. There is so much variety, even in fly fishing, that you should never become bored or stale. South Uist is a very special place, a kingdom apart and the machair lochs are the jewel in the crown. I've just returned from a week fishing for wild brown trout with a friend on these lochs, and what a joy it was.
The fishing is with traditional fly patterns and from a boat. The weather changes continually and so the sky is a delight. The water surface varied from a good wave to a worrying ripple, but we were blessed most of the time by decent conditions that hid our casts and allowed us to catch a few of the gorgeous fish that live in these rich shallow lakes. The trout are fit with small heads -- a sign of plentiful food and fast growth perhaps -- and big forked tails. They fought furiously and the few we took for supper tasted delicious.
Now I have 11 months to plan and dream of my return. Oh and plenty of time to tie those lovely traditional flies.