Catching up for lost fishing time earlier in the year, and still trying to stock up the freezer with some cod fillets, I went for another session off Dunbar just before the weather turned nasty for the weekend. It was a fine day as Alcatraz sped easily down the coast towards the Torness area, but I… Continue reading A New Personal Best Ling
Fishing the Haar
Anyone fishing the east of Scotland gets very familiar with the summer haar, or thick mist that rolls in from the sea after a few days of fine, settled weather. Often it burns off by late morning, but it can last for days as a thick blanket limiting visibility to a few 10s of metres.… Continue reading Fishing the Haar
A few hours off Dunbar
This past Sunday I took Alcatraz out for a morning trip from Dunbar – her first launch there in almost a year. There was a fairly chunky NE swell running for the first hour or two and, although this settled down a bit as the tide eased off, the wind and tide combined to a pretty… Continue reading A few hours off Dunbar
Kayaking Desolation Sound, British Columbia
OK, this post has nothing to do with angling, and I didn’t even take a rod with me to Canada, but we were out kayaking and backpacking in a landscape every bit as grand and far larger than our sea lochs. I’d spent time in Ontario a decade before, including several days canoeing, but BC… Continue reading Kayaking Desolation Sound, British Columbia
Mount Robson and Snowbird Pass
A few days of R&R and some substantial driving following our kayaking adventure in Desolation Sound, we kicked off a 4 day backpacking trip in the Berg Lake area of Mount Robson. Coming from the south and west, Mount Robson remains well hidden amongst other mountains until a turn in the road suddenly reveals this snow covered giant (it… Continue reading Mount Robson and Snowbird Pass
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
At Last! – Back in Action
After being out of action with a damaged leg for almost three months, the last day of May saw a good forecast and I decided to try my luck down at Isle of Whithorn and Wigtown Bay. Alcatraz has managed the grand total of 1 day out in 6 months so it took a while to check everything over… Continue reading At Last! – Back in Action
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
Afloat on Etive – January 2014
Alcatraz has been sitting on her trailer since early November and we both badly needed a day out, so the little weather window on Monday was seized with both hands and the boat gear dusted down. Crew on this trip was just my spaniel, who’s not much of a sea dog but really enjoys any… Continue reading Afloat on Etive – January 2014
A modest start to 2014
My 2014 fishing season kicked off in modest style on the Arbroath coastline with an early morning visit to Auchmithie. It’s been several years since I was here and in the dark it took some time to find the track down to the beach, negotiating a minor cliff-fall along the way. Alas, my effort was in… Continue reading A modest start to 2014