See what actual customers are saying…
Zen Silk in Scotland…
Hi Jaime,
I do hope you’re well and that by now you’re fully recovered from your injuries. I have been meaning to write to you to let you know how I got on with the (beautiful) silk line you made for me.
Suffice to say, we had a great time in the Western Highlands of Scotland (this was in July) and the line performed impeccably.
The first day we fished we hiked to a relatively close lochan called Lochan Dubh nam Biast (Scots Gaelic for the ‘Loch of the Black Beast’ – which is always a little intriguing). First cast – a nice trout (see attached image). I hasten to add that in the incredibly nutrient-poor hill lochs of Wester Ross, most trout are small (5-8″) and a 10″ trout is regarded as a ‘good fish’. This came in at slightly under that but it was an omen of good things to come. I’ve enclosed a few more images to let you see the Wester Ross environmental context:
- Elf’s Loch – a small, but very attractive and vegetated hill lochan (it doesn’t have an official name, we started calling it Elf’s Loch and the habit has spread – maybe, in 100 year’s time people will find that name intriguing too). The trout here are known for ‘shark-like’ (i.e. moving rapidly along the surface with dorsal fin showing) takes of dry flies.
- Lochan Clais an Fraoich (which, I think means ‘furious loch’) – a lowland lochan right next to the sea where the wind can be pretty fierce) + an image of a trout from the same. These fish are golden (as you can see), tend to take very strongly and fight like demons; spending as much time airborne as in the water.
- Loch Doire na ha Airigh (‘The loch next to the shieling [upland grazing area] next to the grove’) and associated lochans. Very finnicky trout – you need to cast right next to a rise and as delicately as possible – I landed the biggest trout any of us has ever seen caught from this loch (13″) using your line and leader + a size 16 Royal Wulff. I was so impressed… I forgot to photograph it (sigh).
- The Loch an Draing (can’t remember what that means) complex – low lying lochs (of which Lochan Clais an Fraoich is the small lochan closest to the sea ‘above’ and between the two bigger lochs).
- The Dundonnel River – a sea trout/salmon river – I was very lucky to get an afternoon fishing there – but, although salmon were seen jumping, nothing was caught that day.
Anyway – although we did spend a few days volunteering to help the local fisheries biologist (electro-fishing and seine netting surveys, etc.) we fished many locations with several friends. Can’t remember how many trout we caught – but it was a large number and some good sized brownies (my maximum was 14.5″ but one of my friends managed a 17″ trout – that’s a really outstanding fish for the area). These were all wild fish, by the way, trout stocking is not permitted in the area, the genetic variation within and between trout populations is too precious to imperil by insensitive management.
And the line? The line was a revelation. I am so pleased I bought it. It was a dream to use – easy to cast, smooth, supple and, together with one of your dry fly furled leaders, it genuinely and significantly enhanced accurate and delicate presentation. Under windy conditions it just cut through the air and enabled much improved casting precision.
Dressing the line was easy – I bought an old line drier off eBay and refurbished it. Each evening, I wound the line onto it so it could dry overnight. There’s a kind of satisfaction to that ritual and it has the added benefit of making me check the rest of my gear too, so I don’t give in to the temptation to just leave everything in the car until the next day. I’m not sure whether I acted correctly, but in the morning I’d check the line and, if it felt right, I’d use as was, but if it felt in need, I’d apply a light dressing before the day’s casting.
This is probably a trivial point but the line even sounds good as it passes through the rod rings and cuts through the air. It was this that alerted my friends to the new line (I didn’t want to brag – well, not too much!). They were intrigued by the line and I let a couple try casting – and they loved it. Another refused to try it on the grounds that, having seen me casting, he just knew he’d feel driven to buy one if he did!
Anyway – I passed on your details to all. As it’s not a minor investment, I suspect it may be a while before they give in to temptation; but I hope they will.
So – executive summary – it’s a beautiful line, it enhances the whole fly-fishing experience, it even sounds good, (plus, it excites envy in all those that try casting with it 😁) – what more could an angler desire?
Many thanks indeed Jaime, I am very much looking forward to next year’s fishing and building up more experience with what I consider a truly superlative fly line.
All best wishes,
Steve
