The place was absolutely heaving at around 11am all the boats were out, the lodge was full of bailiffs and Managers, the banks were crammed full of anglers and the water was still full of fish. The wind was coming off the North shore as a left to right and looked ideal but the only issue with this is that there were loads of anglers. I thought that I would go around duffers and bog bay where the wind was a little more tricky coming right to left and blowing in your ear. It also picked up as the day went on. There were a few more gaps on the bank but as you can see below in Bog bay, not many. 
I had half an hour on Duffers without success and then moved into Bog Bay as the wind was a little less. They were all wading on the bank so I had no choice to do the same which is not what I would normally do early season. This guy in the picture had 4 in 4 casts on a black and silver lure and finished with his limit, he also thought he would welcome the shelter. I had nothing in the bay and nor did those to my left but those on the point at about 12.30 decided to go home for lunch having bagged up earlier so I popped in just inside the point. Three or 4 casts later I was in to a nice Rainbow and safely returned it. Shortly after all went tight again and after a great fight I caught the 4lbs 2oz overwintered rainbow below-nice fish!
After these two fish I then had a method that worked. Not all my own doing as I had been checking what the others had been doing. I was using a floating line because i wanted the control and it wasn't too deep. I had a 15ft leader initially with two flies but by now with the wind increasing I was down to one a variant green pea as per the picture. I can't really say it's my invention because there are many pea variants but it was one that I concocted myself.
Hook: kamasan B175 size 10
Tying silk: Black
Head: Gold bead
Collar: Olive Lite brite
Body: Black Chenille
Rib: Fine silver wire
Tail: Black marabou
The method for me was to cast out at right angles to the wind as far as you can, they were a good way out and then mend your line. This allowed the fly to sink a little and as the line tightened in the wind begin your retrieve with slowish long pulls. It was usually in the fist 3/4 pulls when everything went tight and you were in. I managed to repeat this a further half dozen times and ended with 7 fish returned and one kept on the day.
I like to return fish in the water and as with the photo below you can bring the fish close maybe by pulling the line by hand, pinch the fly in your figures and if barb less you can twist it out and shake off the fish back to the water to swim off.
Got some time off work this week - I'll be back!
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