For decades I avoided Skye after experiencing poor weather on several visits to the island, away back in the pre-bridge days. My loss of course, and I’ve been back several times in recent years and had far better luck. It’s a fickle place but very rewarding if you catch it right – and steel yourself… Continue reading Bracadale Spurdogging
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.
A Lazy Summer Day on Etive
I spent a fine few hours afloat on Etive last Sunday, reminding my little Orkney what water feels like. Only her second outing since last December, so I was relieved that everything still worked! Just a lazy summer day out rather than serious fishing, but great fun nevertheless. It was just after LW and there… Continue reading A Lazy Summer Day on Etive
Skating off Oban
We’d a fine day fishing for Common Skate off Oban in early March. Seven fish to 180lb in total.
A Chilly Re-run on Etive
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
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
Icy Wild Camp on Etive
Ian and I fished Etive a couple of weeks ago with fairly poor results – maybe 40+ spurs between us, plus a few rays, etc., but nothing of any size. So when I trailed the Longliner across to Etive again last weekend, the plan centred of camping rather than fishing. First up was a run… Continue reading Icy Wild Camp on Etive
Nice camp, shame about the fishing…
I keep a good look out for any spots that might combine a good campsite with the chance of decent fishing. That usually means somewhere well out of the way and probably a decent hike too. This one is near enough a five hour drive from home, so it’s taken a good while for me… Continue reading Nice camp, shame about the fishing…
Etive Whiting
The east coast was storm bound and the west looked much the same. Not very encouraging if you’re the skipper of a small dinghy! However, the deep waters of Loch Etive looked a little more encouraging, and plans were duly made. Tides were small and we had a relatively late start, dropping the boat into… Continue reading Etive Whiting
Kayak Camp
I’ve been wanting to try out a kayak camp for a while now, and I finally got my act together last week. Just a short trip but with the promise of a fine evening. I didn’t actually hit the water until after 5 in the afternoon, which gave around 3 hours or so before it… Continue reading Kayak Camp
50,000 Acres of Wrath
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