A Few Hours Chasing Thornbacks from my SIB

Keeping a beady eye on me

Just catching up a bit with some rather late reports… A couple of weeks ago I nipped across to Loch Leven to spend the morning chasing thornbacks. I actually drove across the night before to test out some adjustments to my sleeping arrangements in the Yeti, proving you can sleep me, an inflatable and an outboard and… Continue reading A Few Hours Chasing Thornbacks from my SIB

Chilled Out Fishing on Loch Etive

A fine evening in late December on Loch Etive

I’m not a great Christmas fan and was happy to escape the house for a spot of chilled out fishing on Loch Etive. You can interpret “chilled out” as you choose, but in the event it did turn out rather more laid back than frigid. I planned to fish afternoon and early evening before picking number one daughter… Continue reading Chilled Out Fishing on Loch Etive

A bit of Surf and Turf in Lochaber

A thornback ray moulds itself to the SIB tube

Yesterday saw me launching the SIB at Ballachulish before six in the morning, after a few hours kip in the car the night before. I made haste, to try and avoid the midges which are well and truly out of hibernation now! I don’t normally bother with Leven at this time of year as the fishing… Continue reading A bit of Surf and Turf in Lochaber

Two men in a SIB

A baby thornback ray from Loch Leven

It must be a decade since I last fished two men in a SIB, as it’s usually cramped enough for one disorganised angler, let alone two. However Loch Leven ain’t the open Atlantic, and a few hours fishing in calm conditions made it an decent proposition. Apart from the outboard taking a bit of flogging… Continue reading Two men in a SIB

Shorefishing on Loch Leven

Tail-less thornback from Loch Leven

Well, the original plan had been a session from Ian’s boat, chasing St. Andrews cod and Pollack, but the virtual closure of the Forth Bridge put the brakes on that. It’s been a good while since I was last shorefishing on Loch Leven so a hasty rethink saw the rods packed in the car and… Continue reading Shorefishing on Loch Leven

A Trickle of Thornbacks

Paps of Glencoe as the light fades

A lovely sunrise over Rannoch Moor had turned into a somewhat greyer and rawer day at Ballachulish, but it was still and calm as Ian and I launched and headed over to the fish farm and anchored up in search of thornbacks. First fish came a few minutes later when my little spinning rod bent over to the unmistakeable struggle of… Continue reading A Trickle of Thornbacks

More Leven Thornbacks

A nicely marked ray rests on the tubes of my inflatable

My last visit to Loch Leven was back in early March and the only thing I caught was an ambulance ride to hospital with a broken leg, so I was rather hoping to avoid a repeat performance when dropped the inflatable into the water at Ballachulish. The intended target was thornbacks, but I was conscious… Continue reading More Leven Thornbacks

SIB-ing in Winter

Preparing to head home after a winter day's inflatable fishing on Loch Leven

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