I first fished this loch just 2 years ago and fell in love with it. The fish aren’t large but it is a wonderful, maze-like mix of islands and shallow bays set firmly in the harshness of Rannoch Moor. Easily accessible from the main Glencoe road it is easy to lose both the traffic and your bearings after a short paddle.
Today was my first freshwater foray of 2023 and I’d a new toy to play with in the shape of a 15 foot collapsible Ally canoe. A forecast of chilly but sunny bode well for canoeing although perhaps not so great for the prospects of trout.
I’ll pop in more detail on the Ally at the end of this post, but this was my first “live” attempt to build the thing by the waterside. Let’s just say that things didn’t go spiffingly 🙂 I had put it together twice before in my back garden and sussed out the basics OK. Sadly, a hummocky bankside meant a lot of rework, serious cursing and a bright red face. It took over an hour to get ready…
Launch (eventually!)
On the plus side, by this time the mist had cleared and the sun was blazing away.
I paddled along slowly, bumping off the odd submerged rock but otherwise just enjoying the day.
From time to time I cast a fly, without great expectations in such bright conditions. The canoe behaved well enough and didn’t threaten to throw me overboard.
Time for a brew, so I stopped ashore on a gravelly beach and dug out my Honey stove to boil up a coffee. Enthroned on a comfy rock, I sat and contemplated my surroundings for a few minutes. Despite the snowy mountains all around, my little beach was pleasantly warm (I’m struggling to remember the last time I actually felt warm when fishing!). Despite it’s reputation for killing unwary travellers, Rannoch Moor was showing it’s kinder face today.
Stirring myself eventually, I paddled on towards the outflow from the loch. Along the way I managed to land my first trout of the year, taken on a rather clumsily presented March Brown.
Campsite
I checked out a number of potential campsites for the evening but this was the clear winner. My own tiny island with just enough space to squeeze my little F10 tent onto a little patch of beach. With a name like Eilean na h-Iolaire (Island of the eagles), who could resist!
Tent pitched and suitably weighted down with a few rocks, I brewed another coffee and lazed around the sand for a while.
I debated whether to head out for another fish or just to slump down in a comfy seat and savour my surroundings. Duty won – it is possible to savour surroundings whilst fishing from a canoe, after all – so I launched and commenced paddling.
My diligence was rewarded by several more brownies, topped out by a nice specimen that looked around the 3/4lb mark.
By now I was pretty knackered after an early start and a fair bit paddling and fishing. I headed ashore for a beer and a well earned night in a warm sleeping bag!
A Grey Morning
I slept well enough and awoke to find a grey and slightly drizzly day awaiting me. Quite a contrast to yesterday’s sunshine, but my little patch of sand was well sheltered and I munched a leisurely breakfast.
Packing away my camp I headed back out on the loch in search of more trout.
The breeze made paddling a bit of a chore for an unpractised amateur like myself. The canoe is definitely more wind prone than my kayak, although I guess a lot of it is down to getting the right technique.
Ducking into the lee of the largest island on the loch the wind died completely and I drifted ashore on a fine little sandy beach. More coffee and a little wander around the trees and moss covered glacier debris fields ensued. These little islands are out of reach of deer and look completely different to the overgrazed mainland environment.
Back afloat I was soon into more hungry little trout, which I picked up most places I tried.
Ally Kayaks
The Ally packs away into a giant rucksack, with enough spare space for a small amount of extra gear. It’s certainly a convenient way to transport it around and store it back at home.
My main interest in the canoe is it’s ability to pack a larger load than a normal fishing kayak. That gives me more options for camping – fuel and camp cooking, larger tents, etc. Being collapsible means I can leave it securely in the car rather than exposed on a roof rack.
And, at 18kg, I can carry it more easily than a conventional canoe (or kayak). The trade off is poorer performance in wind and limitations in sea keeping – I keep my ass out the water, but I wouldn’t want to be caught out in poor conditions. Time will tell, and we’ll see just how useful the Ally is!
A great account of what looks like a really nice trip & the photo’s are good too, not least from the drone. Well done ! I still fancy a honey stove myself & a tiny kelly kettle.
Hi Ash, I think the trout add a little variety and are a good fallback when it’s too windy to try proper fishing (!!). I like the Honey stove as it packs small and has survived my neglect for over a decade – and you can use it like a mini-brazier. The main downside is that it’s a bit fiddly and sooty to put together. They will literally boil a decent mug of water on a handful of twigs. Mine is the stainless steel version – the weight of the titanium version appeals but not the price!