I’ve been planning to explore some of the wilder lochs in the Galloway Forest for a good while now and last weekend I finally got around to it. Target for the weekend was a circuit of around 20 miles, taking in between 6 and 10 hill lochs. As a bonus there was a fair bit… Continue reading Galloway Forest Trouting
Tag: wild camping
Kayak Camping on Etive
No fishing in the title, and little in reality, but I’d a superb weekend kayak camping on Etive earlier in March. Sunshine over snow capped mountains, sea ice on the lochs and perfect kayaking conditions. Fishing can happily take a back seat at times! I popped the yak in amongst the mini ice-floes surrounding Glen… Continue reading Kayak Camping on Etive
Overnighter on Etive
As any reader of my blog already knows, I’m partial to the odd overnighter on Etive. Even in February. At least there is more daylight now, even if the full drabness of winter has beaten all colour from the mountains. My hike was its usual soggy self, with a good bit of wind helping blow… Continue reading Overnighter on Etive
A Mixed Tale
Just catching up with a few mini-reports. January 2022 has been a mixed experience, with some decent fish on the west coast offsetting “nil points” on the east. Mackerel On the positive side, I picked up several mackerel on the third of January, which I think is my earliest ever. Ian and I had a… Continue reading A Mixed Tale
A Trek along Etive
My dad would describe the trek along Etive as character building. Very scenic but not easy at the best of times. Today, the mass of thick mud and boulders in front of me was even less appealing as I was laden down with more gear than usual. Up close, the damage was impressive. A huge… Continue reading A Trek along Etive
Peace and Quiet on Etive
I’m often across at Etive over the winter months, both on my boat and from the shore. Whilst the fishing is unspectacular, it is one of the most sheltered places to sea fish in a very windy country. If, like me, you enjoy scenery, solitude and the smoke of a campfire, then Etive is also… Continue reading Peace and Quiet on Etive
How (not) to Catch a Pike
I’ve toyed with doing a little pike fishing for a year or two now, mainly to get out during quiet times of the year or when the weather is too vile at the coast. I caught a few when I was a teenager but I’ve rarely fished for them since. My opportunity came at the… Continue reading How (not) to Catch a Pike
Etive Spurdog – and a Hot Tent Overnight Camp
What with lockdowns and life generally, it’s over a year since I was afloat on Etive. I finally remedied that last month with an overnight trip with Ian. The local swans hassled for a payout as we launched at Taynuilt and headed out into a calm loch. We planned to camp well up the loch… Continue reading Etive Spurdog – and a Hot Tent Overnight Camp
Rannoch Trout – an Overnight Catch and Cook
I’ve been fairly busy since lockdown ended but I haven’t been camping for 6 months now. Even longer since the kayak got wet, so it was definitely time to do something about that! Rannoch Moor is a wide expanse of heather and bog, covered with small pools and shallow lochs. The main road to Fort… Continue reading Rannoch Trout – an Overnight Catch and Cook
Hot Tenting in Scotland
One of my readers (hi Mark!) asked about my glamping set up the other day, and the answer started to get quite long so I’ve converted it into a blog post. Basically, you won’t need to be hot tenting very often in Scotland, but on those occasions you do, it’s pure dead brilliant. Warm toes,… Continue reading Hot Tenting in Scotland