The plan was to use the narrow, winding and un-gritted road into Glen Etive to access the headwaters of Loch Etive and drop the inflatable in where the river reaches the sea – then head off for an overnight camp, fish and stargaze. Things went just fine to start with, until I stepped ashore and… Continue reading Assault on Glen Etive
Category: Inflatable boating
Fishing from SIBs (Soft Inflatable Boats)
Low key at Dunbar
Just a quick update on a short 3 hour outing about 10 days ago on the inflatable, out of Skateraw beach. Mackerel, Pollack and ling were all in evidence, but no trace of their tasty coddie siblings. The most exciting hookup gave a really solid fight all the way until just under the surface, when up popped… Continue reading Low key at Dunbar
Oars out on Loch Leven
… or a trip cut short. I’d another crack at Loch Leven with the Avon a couple of weeks ago as Ian was otherwise occupied and it seemed a waste to take the bigger boat across when the forecast was for fine, sunny weather. Well the forecast was spot on, and it was almost too… Continue reading Oars out on Loch Leven
More codling from Loch Leven
Took a use it or lose it day’s leave today and decided to go for quantity rather than quality with a few hours trying for codling on Loch Leven. The forecast suggested the wind would rise in the early afternoon so I set the alarm for a silly time and packed the SIB in the… Continue reading More codling from Loch Leven
SIBing the Avalanche Shelter at Loch Carron
It’s been four years since my last visit to Loch Carron, mainly because it’s over 200 miles and 4+ hours away, and because the fishing is OK rather than good. However it’s a fine place to visit and I could do with a change from the standard winter choices of Etive or Leven, so the… Continue reading SIBing the Avalanche Shelter at Loch Carron
A few hours SIB’ing on Leven
Ballachulish looked pretty dismal when I arrived just before nine, with low, dark cloud and a bitter wind driving light rain across my windscreen. Not exactly perfect conditions to be out in a little inflatable… I headed up the loch to see if conditions were any better inland and was rewarded by a lighter breeze… Continue reading A few hours SIB’ing on Leven
More Leven Thornbacks
My last visit to Loch Leven was back in early March and the only thing I caught was an ambulance ride to hospital with a broken leg, so I was rather hoping to avoid a repeat performance when dropped the inflatable into the water at Ballachulish. The intended target was thornbacks, but I was conscious… Continue reading More Leven Thornbacks
Inshore codding off Skateraw
Given the weekend is probably going to be a washout for boat fishing, I nipped out of Skateraw for a short session on Friday afternoon. The weather was calm, but with a small swell running from the NE. First up were a few mackerel for bait, and I took a few shots with the GoPro… Continue reading Inshore codding off Skateraw
SIB-ing off Skateraw
Spent a few hours this morning running around off Skateraw, near Torness, in search of some codling close inshore. The weather was stunning, with clear skies and flat seas and it was a joy to be out and skimming the surface of the ocean. Once drifting all you could hear was the occasional whump! of… Continue reading SIB-ing off Skateraw
SIB-ing in Winter
It’s been ages since I had the little inflatable out for a run, but Friday was looking good weatherwise, so it was shoved in the back of the car and we headed over towards Ballachulish and Loch Leven for the day. Arriving at the slate slip I found it completely blocked by a large pontoon… Continue reading SIB-ing in Winter