Cruising around Mull

Wow. A great way to spend an evening

With the lazy, hazy days of summer appearing endless, I thought I’d better take advantage of the best weather I’m ever likely to see in Scotland. Thinking cap on and after running through a fair list of possibilities, I elected to have another run around the Isle of Mull. There’s better fishing to be had elsewhere, but… Continue reading Cruising around Mull

A Little Round-Up

Morning coffee

Ah well, I’ve not been completely inert over the past few weeks, although there has been little real drama to report. A few upgrades to the boat, adding a bait board and a cabin top rack mount for spare rods and cameras, etc. Railblaza is nice kit, but eye-wateringly pricey! I’d an overnight trip to… Continue reading A Little Round-Up

Getting Wrecked on Mull – a Visit to the Meldon

First Pollack of 2018

I needed to get shot of my cabin fever after last week’s snow, and conditions looked good for Oban last Sunday. Unfortunately Ian was lurgied with man-flu and didn’t seem to keen to spend a day on the boat passing on his germs. A solo-skate session was one possibility, but I decided to explore a… Continue reading Getting Wrecked on Mull – a Visit to the Meldon

Dodging Icebergs on Loch Etive

Carving through an Etive ice sheet

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

Corryvreckan and Jura

Sea otter in the Sound of Islay, off 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

A Wee Playabout off Dunbar

Pollack take no prisoners when they engulf a bait

Sunday looked to be a nice day so the target was to be Dunbar pollack, codling and ling again. Boat and gear were sorted and I set the alarm to give me a fighting chance of hitting the slip before boats started to stack up. As a result a rather bleary-eyed angler edged his boat… Continue reading A Wee Playabout off Dunbar

(In)action at Loch Leven with Summer Thornbacks

A typical Leven thornback ray in the 4-5lb bracket

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

Orkney Longliner2 ashore

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