The day after Ian and I played with skates and rays, I headed out west again. This time with Ash, aiming for a relaxing winter camp in his hot tent plus a little fishing on Etive. We’d a late start (well I did:-)) so it was noon before we launched and headed up loch. This… Continue reading Fab Winter Camp on Etive
Category: West Coast
Anything relating to Scottish west coast and sea lochs, and exploring and fishing them. This is a catch-all category for posts that don’t fall neatly into one of my usual fishing grounds. For example, posts about Loch Etive are shown in a category of that name. For SW Scotland have a look at Galloway.
2023 Finale
I’m lagging way behind with Corkwing so I thought I’d better bring 2023 to a finale whilst I can still remember anything! So a couple of quick west coast reports to finish the year… Lacklustre Leven Although there are a wide range of species available in the loch, I generally target thornbacks here. Unfortunately I’ve… Continue reading 2023 Finale
Lazy Kayak Camp on Loch Etive
I could have titled this post in any number of ways, but Loch Etive is really just food for the soul. A couple of days of splendid isolation surrounded by woods, mountains and the sea, with a few fish chucked in for free. This overnighter was back towards the end of October, so this report… Continue reading Lazy Kayak Camp on Loch Etive
Sleat Spurries
I’ve been trying my luck in area between Skye and the mainland a few times in recent years. There’s decent fishing and the Sleat area is is beautiful and relatively sheltered compared to the rest of Skye. The downside is the long haul to get there… Ian was boat buddy on this trip and we… Continue reading Sleat Spurries
Exploring Etive
I don’t visit Etive much over the summer as there are usually better options and I prefer to reserve her charms for the harsher winter months. However, with windy conditions elsewhere Etive seemed worth a bash, perhaps exploring some different tactics and marks. I started late in the day and it was nearly sunset by… Continue reading Exploring Etive
Paddling Hourn
I enjoyed my trip to Knoydart back in March, and haven’t been out in the kayak for a while, so I combined the two with some paddling in Loch Hourn in late July. Mind you, I can still see the tick bites on my ankles… I launched on the shoreline at Arnisdale, pretty much the… Continue reading Paddling Hourn
Sizzling at Sandwood
As regular readers will know, Sandwood and the country north to Cape Wrath is a favourite of mine. I do try and get there at least once a year, as much just to escape humankind as to do any fishing. I’m always careful to choose my weather, as the far NW experience is hugely dependant… Continue reading Sizzling at Sandwood
Exploring Loch Hourn – 3 Days in Hell!
Part of the fun of fishing around the west coast is exploring new territory from time to time. You need decent weather but there are plenty quiet nooks and crannies along this coastline. So, after a long winter I happily seized the opportunity for a closer look at Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn. My plan… Continue reading Exploring Loch Hourn – 3 Days in Hell!
Luckless on Loch Leven
I’ve always had very mixed success on Loch Leven, and never figured out quite why. Anything from over 70 thornbacks to double figures in a day, down to struggling to catch just 1. Still, it’s a easy venue to fish and worth a punt every now and again – so Ian and I decided to… Continue reading Luckless on Loch Leven
Struggle for Skate
Win some, lose some, but today’s skate session turned into a bit of a struggle to catch anything. You can’t fault us for trying though! Ian and I launched my Longliner at Puffin Divers before skirting the south side of Kerrera. Out past Bach Island we despatched the anchor to the ooze some 500 feet… Continue reading Struggle for Skate