A Chilly Re-run on Etive

Casting out in the dawn light

Am I an angler or homing pigeon? Out for just the second time this year, and I find my way back to the same spot as last month. I’d a snowy forecast but a rainy reality, which was pretty much as I expected. I do find the forecasts always overstate the likelihood of snow down… Continue reading A Chilly Re-run on Etive

Kicking off 2020 with a PB

Winter Sunrise

I hastened along the trail, mindful that darkness would fall before I reached my preferred spot. This was a last minute effort, and I faced a good 2 hours hike down the loch. Bearing in mind that some spots are a little hairy in daylight let alone at night, I was keen to minimise stumbling… Continue reading Kicking off 2020 with a PB

50,000 Acres of Wrath

Crossing Strath Chailleach

Raw coastal wilderness is a rare beast, even in the remoter parts of mainland Scotland, and the magnificent isolation surrounding Cape Wrath is now almost unique. It’s one of my go-to places when I need to escape my fellow humans for a day or three. Sandwood Bay can be pretty popular at times, but very… Continue reading 50,000 Acres of Wrath

Wild Camp in Galloway

Sunset over Merrick

Galloway is one of my favourite parts of Scotland, but I’ve never ventured much into the hills, at least on foot. My forecast said windy, but dry and sunny, so I decided to try an overnight wild camp in the mountains, followed by a few hours shore fishing on my way home… Glen Trool looked… Continue reading Wild Camp in Galloway

A Couple of Days on Skye

Fish on!

I try and keep gear to a reasonable minimum when slogging across heather and bog but I was definitely red faced and sweating as I arrived at the northern tip of Skye. Something to do with too much sun and too many thermals – not a common problem in Scotland! Ditching the rucksack staved off a… Continue reading A Couple of Days on Skye

Early Autumn Shorefishing in Argyll

Launching a mackerel bait

I’ve not really been shore fishing around Argyll for months, ever since the midges started to appear, so I was happy to head westwards for a daytrip at the weekend. It was 50:50 whether to trail the boat, but I plumped for the aerobic option and packed the shore gear and hiking boots instead. Plump… Continue reading Early Autumn Shorefishing in Argyll

Wildcamp at Sandwood Bay

Lobbing a bait into the surf

A couple of weeks ago I managed to escape back towards Cape Wrath for a little wildcamp at Sandwood Bay. Surf, scenery and solitude reset a jaded mind very effectively! A few fish would be nice, and September is generally a good month to find them, but my real aim was just to have a little chill… Continue reading Wildcamp at Sandwood Bay

Sutherland Bass

Solitary splendour at Sandwood

I live a long way from the wilds of Sutherland, so it was a 5 hour drive through Friday afternoon traffic before I finally got parked up. And then the hard work started as I marched on for a further couple of hours to reach my destination. I pitched my little Vango tent in the early dark, on the grassy machair… Continue reading Sutherland Bass

Final Fling for 2017 – a Hike in the Sunshine

Another small spurdog about to be landed

Days of Christmas force feeding meant I really needed to get some fresh air,  so I reckoned a hike in the sunshine along the banks of Loch Etive would fit the bill nicely. Fishing wasn’t the main aim but it looked possible to get 3 or 4 hours to wet a line before darkness fell.… Continue reading Final Fling for 2017 – a Hike in the Sunshine