The unique look of the Collie Dog lends it's self to many variations and much experimentation. The Collie Dog comes into its own as the water temperature goes up, the Collie fished now combined with the floating line can produce tremendous sport right through the season. With a fresh influx of Grilse in the Summer, these little fish can be not only acrobatic in their attempts at the Collie they are very persistent as well. Fished on an intermediate, slow or fast sinker the Collie can also produce good results I have found the Collie to be a very good fly for backing up a pool in the spring particularly if you have a wind, even better a steady upstream wind. Another method worth a try, which is more suited to a certain type of pool, a pool that has a good lie in the fast rush or neck of a pool with calm water lying on the far side of the stream, the McKenzie and McGregor pools on Cornhill and the Temple pool from right bank and Sandy's pool On the Amat beat would be good examples, a Salmon lie that as the season progresses can be covered adequately with a floating line but early on in medium water conditions and water temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees it can be necessary to bring the fly over the Salmon in a more controlled manner and depth.

Using any of the sinking range of lines cast a long line almost square across pool into the calm water, mend the line and keep the rod low, the fly will have reached a reasonable depth now smartly hand line back till fly is in the fast stream at or very near the lie the fly will have came coursing through the water almost broadside on and these Collies could be fairly large 3 to 5 inches long. At this point do nothing stop hand lining after coursing through the water at a steady speed it will now flutter momentarily before it is swept back and down this is just when the Salmon will hit it and I mean hit it !! I never use Collies tied on heavy brass or copper tubes the sinuous movement of the fly is lost, as the the heavy tubes will tail down in my opinion you gain nothing the line will give you the depth you needed and shortening your nylon cast will also give you more depth if required I am sure Salmon react to and take the Collie dog instinctively I have seen countless times Salmon which are lying in a pool or run erupt into life in pursuit of a Collie which has been swiftly moved over them, the same fish that had shown little or no interest in other flies. If they are not jagged, under the right conditions they will come time and time again the most times I have moved the same Salmon to the Collie was 12 times he came to the fly on the 13th and took it. The last three or four times he came he was almost beaching himself in his eagerness to get the fly this was on the Barn pool at Amat.

Two seasons ago at Amat I was out one evening in late July with Dan Reynolds, the day had been very quiet with just the one Grilse taken I took Dan up to the Barn pool tackled Dan up with a Collie. I quickly showed him the area to concentrate on and sat back and watched as Dan rose a Salmon of about 9llbs seven times. As the light was fading and we were pushed for time we went down to Long pool where the same method was employed this time on a couple of Grilse one about 4lbs, the other 6lb, after 2 coming to the fly almost alternately three or four times before the 6 pounder was hooked and landed. The Salmons reaction to a Collie dog is similar to a cats instinctive behaviour to flash out a paw or pounce on a string that is flicked in front of it as it doses in front of the fire, it cant help it it just instinctively reacts that way. Interestingly another trait they seem to share is that after a short period the object of its curiosity may only become of interest as it disappears out of its view, which will bring on a bout of renewed enthusiasm. Similarly Salmon will react as a fly goes out of its sight or it looks as though it has lost its chance. Sometimes this will happen after the Salmon has came to the fly quite a few times, you will work the fly right into the side or over a ledge then their will be a flash of silver often resulting in an explosive take. Just going out of sight seems to be the added incentive needed to make him take. The under water configuration of some pools relative to the Salmon lie will produce this response almost every time as in certain lies the Salmon obviously does not have a completely un- obscured view. On the Barn pool at the first couple of good lies, as the Collie comes well across the pool the Salmon will come forward onto the fly in the fast run. If worked right close into the inside of the current into about 9 inches of water a very slight bay in front of rock they will come right into the shallow water slightly further back in the pool the will again come straight forward onto fly. To intercept fly just as it comes onto bed rock you must resist the temptation to strike in quite a lot of instances if you do nothing the Salmon will hook himself , or the least you need do is merely tighten as he turns away and down it may be difficult to do as it happens so quick. Sometimes they will come clear of the water and take the fly on the way down just like a big trout, the Salmon of just under 20 lb in the photo's porpoised out the water in an arc and took the fly on the way down clearing the water by about two feet!