Back over to Etive again, this time taking the kayak for its first 2023 outing. I’d thought about hiking in, but the kayak is definitely easier when you’re lugging a tent stove and wood along.
I dropped my battered Perception Triumph into a virtual mirror up at the head of the loch and cheerfully overloaded her with camping gear (and me!).
Although chilly and overcast, paddling my kayak along Etive was a delight in such glassy smooth conditions.
I stopped off for a quick brew on my trusty Honey stove about half way along. Scooping freshwater from a sea loch for your coffee is strangely satisfying, and it took only a few minutes to boil.
With a forecast of rain later I decided to press on and get myself comfortable for the night before venturing out for a fish. Apart from forgetting my tent pegs (!) it didn’t take long to get set up, including installing the little tent stove.
As you can tell from the photo below, it was starting to rain by now. Not heavily, but enough to have the gloom draw in as the mist descended. Still windless, so I just drifted very slowly along, catching sod-all. I eventually scrounged a baby LSD from the mud below me, but that was it.
Overnight Warmth!
Back at the tent I ditched the kayak gear and got some dinner going on the tent stove. Chilli con Carne, or my backwoods take on it, but it hit the spot perfectly after a few hours afloat.
The stove blazed away merrily as the rain fell ever more heavily, and I felt quite snug in the warmth.
A few hours ashore
Next day started grey again, but a little blue sky threatened as I busied myself around camp and got a shore rod going. The Triumph’s rod rests made a convenient and colourful substitute for a tripod 🙂
I got the stove going again for my coffee and then some bacon and eggs. Camping in January is hungry work, as my stomach reminded me!
Sadly my shore fishing produced no more luck than the kayak had yesterday, with just a single (and small) LSD.
This is a fine little spot for a tent, perched on an old charcoal burners circle just above the loch. You can cast just a few yards away and reach reasonably deep water. Despite my lack of success today, I’ve had plenty small spurdogs from here before.
All good things come to an end though, and I eventually packed away the gear and readied the kayak.
Some bone-chilling fishing
I did a little better as I worked my way back, picking up gurnard – including this nice-for-Etive specimen.
However the wind was rising gradually and I soon found the kayak bowling along Etive at a fair rate of knots. The temperature dropped like a stone with the additional windchill – fine when paddling, but freezing when actually fishing.
I pulled in to another bay and popped another coffee on. As much an excuse to warm my fingers as anything – but a hot drink was very welcome!
The last of my camera batteries quietly expired in the chill as I supped my caffeine, so I took the hint and headed the last couple of miles to my car!
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the fishing at Etive seams very poor and a long travel we had a couple of trips shore fishing loch long and gair loch had codling to 4lb and a couple of nice haddock all caught on muscle so might be worth giving it a try i would love to take the boat but my trailer needs replaceing
Hi Robert – the fishing well up the loch has been fairly poor for the past couple of years, although you’ll catch more nearer Bonawe. I like it a lot because it’s wild and remote country, and a great place for a night under the stars. I’m probably a bit biased against Loch Long after a few fairly miserable trips there decades ago, so perhaps I should give it another try!
Well done Doug, a good effort again & the warm stove looks just the part. Using the rod holders ashore makes great sense, but I’ve not seen it done before. Summertime begins !
Hi Ash, I’ve not done the rod holder thing before either but I was about to lash a few sticks together when the penny suddenly dropped. As for summertime – it was snowing here on the Sunday, a few hours after the clocks went forward. I can see the stove getting more use yet!
Hi there. It’s great to read all of this information about loch etive here. I’ve been watching a few of your videos recently as I’m planning a three day trip here in June.
My plan is to park up at glen etive and put my packraft in and head down the loch, find a campsite and spend a few days fishing.
Can you recommend a spot for the first night with good fishing for the first night?
Great videos and keep up the good work.
Regards
Martin
Vildmark.co.uk
Hi Martin,
I’ve been away for a few days so just catching up now – I hope this reply isn’t too late for you.
There are a lot of decent places to spend the night and it rather depends on conditions at the time. About 6km down the loch from Glen Etive, on the SE bank you’ll find quite a lot of sandy beaches and I often camp here (multiple sites). Between 3 and 5 km down there are streams entering the loch at Larach and Inverghiusachan and both should be OK to camp (I’ve not tried personally).
On the NW bank you can camp at Aird Trilleachan (best on south side of it), but I have found a lot of ticks here. From Trilleachan down to Barrs the shoreline is fairly rocky/stony, but you can camp in the woods – look for the remains of the old charcoal burners pits. These are flattened circles and generally good campsites. The beach at Rubha Barr is a good site but you might have company as it’s relatively popular.
Personally I prefer the beaches on the SE bank as they will be less bug infested at this time of year, but you might find the fishing hit or miss. I’d take a trout rod along as you’ll often see them rising in the shallows. Casting out a fish bait might get you spurdog but the beaches tend to be a little shallow for the fishing to be consistent.
Etive is prone to wind blowing up the loch so take care on the packraft – at least you should be able to carry it out if conditions are poor. A head net for midges (not just mosquito mesh) is essential for calm days!
Cheers,
Doug