It’s not often that icebergs stop play when it comes to sea fishing in the UK, but it came close yesterday. I was out on the boat near Kinglass on Loch Etive and the fish were (almost!) being protected by large shields of ice drifting down from the Glen Etive end. A very dramatic winter… Continue reading Dodging Icebergs on Loch 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.
Wild Camp on Etive – with a few Spurs thrown in
I do like this time of year – the nights are long but it’s not too cold, and the worst of the bugs are back in hibernation. The autumn colours are still around and the summer crowds have largely gone. And last weekend the weather and the tides lined up nicely too, so I sorted… Continue reading Wild Camp on Etive – with a few Spurs thrown in
Squelching Across Skye – and a Stray Bass
Just back from a few days wandering around Skye with a fishing rod. More wandering than fishing it has to be said, but a few items of interest from the angling point of view. Video here, and the full report below… The highlight of the trip was actually before I even got there, as I… Continue reading Squelching Across Skye – and a Stray Bass
Corryvreckan and Jura
A couple of years ago I sketched out a plan to take a boat around the Isle of Jura, more just to explore this remote place than to do any serious fishing. Of course, doing so involves traversing the Gulf of Corryvreckan which, depending on who you believe, is either the second or third largest whirlpool in the world…… Continue reading Corryvreckan and Jura
(In)action at Loch Leven with Summer Thornbacks
The east coast looked a bit breezy so Ian and I decided to try a sheltered west coast sea loch, namely Leven, for some summer thornbacks. In the event we met up at Lochearnhead at a fairly civilised 7.30 in the morning and trundled across with the early morning traffic. After a short skirmish with an… Continue reading (In)action at Loch Leven with Summer Thornbacks
Goodbye to Alcatraz and Hello to Orkney
I’ve recently said goodbye to Alcatraz, my faithful Warrior 165. She is now 10 years old and not getting quite the same use she once was, so I’ve been rethinking what I need from a boat for the next few years. Consequently, and after a lot of soul searching, I’ve just taken delivery of an Orkney Longliner2. The Warrior… Continue reading Goodbye to Alcatraz and Hello to Orkney
Pollacked on Loch Etive
Fish in the east, fish in the west, but not really the weather to exploit either coast! Faced with the need to check out Alcatraz before an upcoming trip to Galloway I chickened out and made my way over to Etive again, with the furball for company. Having had fairly poor results from down the… Continue reading Pollacked on Loch Etive
Meandering my way to Cape Wrath
I’ve paid two or three visits to the far northwest in the last couple of years. Wonderfully remote and isolated country in which to escape for a day or three, it makes for perfect chillout territory, especially if you pick your weather. My latest trip to the extremes of Cape Wrath was more hiking than fishing but I… Continue reading Meandering my way to Cape Wrath
Spring Spurdog fishing on Loch Etive
Yesterday it was back again to Etive for another shore fish in search of some spring spurdog, although I reckon this will probably be my last for a while. The midges will soon wake up as will the fishing everywhere else, so I think the Lochaber sea lochs will go on the back burner for… Continue reading Spring Spurdog fishing on Loch Etive
A Couple of Days Fishing for Skate at Oban
To be quite honest, being an ageing office worker with the upper body strength of a 10 year old means I don’t always relish the chance to play tug of war with a skate almost as big as myself. I’m neither particularly keen or successful as a skate fisherman, but a great forecast, small tide and late… Continue reading A Couple of Days Fishing for Skate at Oban