Last weekend before the pre-wedding fishing fast!

Three weeks before the wedding and my last fishing session before wedding mode kicks in.

Off up to Peterhead area looking to add some species to the list for the year. Maybe stopping of at Peterhead breakwater on the way up possibly some mackies and wrasse.

Then off to Kirkton beach north of Peterhead.

And camping just behind the dunes with a few folk from the WSF Scottish Forum the night before the quest for a big Turbot.














 The Turbot below was caught there a few weeks ago and something similarly sized would be a peachy way to move into the month long fishing fast :)

Reports and pics (hopefully of nice catches) early next week.

14/08/10 - Thornie Quest 2010

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Bait - mackie and squid
Rigs - Pennel Pulleys
Tide - High >>>Low
Place - Camusnagaul Ferry Landing

Early up to get to the mark for 9ish (high water 9:34).

Got there on time and had both rods in the water for high tide.

The initial midgie count was in the billions, worse than I've experienced in a long time. Still a liberal spray of Skin so Soft stopped the little buggers biting.

A few big bites early doors but nothing took.

Manny, Briser fae the Broch and his son all turned up around 10ish (I think not really sure) and quickly all had lines out. I'll leave them to post there own reports but they had a good day.

The fish arrived with the North East contingent and I soon had a couple of good sized doggies. Blank off at least.
The sun was out and the landscape beautiful

My rod started nodding again and took up the rod for a look see. On the retrieve I thought I'd snagged up but it turned out it was just a stubborn fish. Eventually in it came to reveal my first Thorn Back Ray and my target species for the day

Brilliant! It was my third trip targeting thornies and the fishing gods were with me.

Several doggies later another new species for me, a small whiting.

Then after a quiet spell a more doggies followed by a Grey Gurnard and then a Dab.

Things went dead for me and I caught nothing in the last couple of hours before packing at 6.

Brilliant day out in grand company and 5 species caught.

Doggies - 10 or so
Thorn Back Ray - 1
Whiting - 1
Dab - 1
Grey Gurnard - 1

The quest for a thornie continues

I'm sitting wishing away the hours to get out and continue my hunt to land a thornie.

After the amount I saw Rauri and Manny (From World Sea Fishing Forums) land last time I'm off back to the mark near to Camusnagaul Ferry Landing armed with plenty of mackerel and squid baits.

Here's hoping for a bonny thornie pic of my own  to post tomorrow.

08/08/10 No fish, three crabs and some sculpture

Bait - lug and squid
Rigs - Pennel Pulleys
Tide - High >>>Low
Place - Auchmithie

Arrived a bit later than planned bang on high tide, quickly set up and had both rods out.

The weather was much better than forecast but unfortunately that meant the beach  was heaving.

 I'm very much for sharing the shoreline and don't think I've got a right over it as an angler, but I have to say I was pretty pissed off today by families letting their kids run riot. Most of which thought throwing stones right in front of where I and an other couple had set up to fish was fun. I know Auchmithie is not a massive beach but there is plenty of room and throwing stones comes naturally to kids, I just wish their parents had taught them a bit of consideration for others.

As you'd imagine the fishing was slow, only a couple of early knocks and only three crabs to show for the effort by the end of the day. I should probably have moved but I was a stubborn git and didn't.

Though if I had moved I wouldn't have got the chance to help an artist with their sculpture. Throughout the day I had noticed this woman taking photos of sculptures and towards the end of the day as I was thinking of packing it in due to the lovely children, when she approached me to ask for help moving a particularly large sculpture.

How could I say no.

As we got chatting it turned out she was from southern Bavaria and had been living at an artists retreat in the area for the last few weeks. She had been scouring the beaches for stones and driftwood for her sculptures and was in the process of photographing them back in the locations she had originally found them.

I wish I had some scale in this pic, but it was about 150cm long and 75cm high and was pretty damn heavy. She told me it was a single boulder of local old red sandstone which she hand carved to what you can see. It was pretty beautiful. Unfortunately it was the only one I got a snap of, but it made the day a bit more interesting as the fishing was so slow.

And her thanks was in stark contrast to the inconsiderate arses that plagued my day.

Loch Linnie 05/08/10

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I arrived at Camusnagaul Ferry Landing over the loch from Fort Billy about midday.

I set up and had both rods out in about 15mins, pulleys baited with mackie. The weather was a lot kinder to me this time as there was little wind and only a couple of small showers.

Fishing was frustrating for me all day. Early doors a lot of big bites but nothing taking the hooks. Landed a nice 1lb and a bit doggie after about an hour and the blank was off at least. The bites tailed off and around 4ish Raurie and Ross from the WSF Forum arrived. They were into fish straight away and over the next three to four hours gave me a lesson in landing fish . And thanks for the pointers and launce lads.

I'm fairly sure I had a pretty decent thornie hooked just before I finished up but got snagged and lost it

We all left around 7 p.m. with me heading home and them setting off for a night sesh and another mark.

Oh aye and the midgies were pretty bad in patches but the old Skin So Soft worked a treat.

Even though it was a frustrating day and I ended up with only two doggies I really like thst mark and will be back to get that thornie.

1st trip west, hellish weather but two new species.

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11/07/10
Location - Loch Linnie
Two hours before and after low tide
Bait - Mackerel and Sand Eels

Up early for the drive over to beat the traffic, in the end it took almost half an hour less than I thought

Grey and overcast when I arrived but minimal rain and little wind (boy that changed). Still set up and quickly had the two rods out. Bait was quickly stripped from both. I Rebaited and recast and almost immeadiately caught a (grey?) gurnard blank broken early doors. 1st new species no matter what type of Gurnard

At this point the heavens opened with a vengence and the wind whipped up. Lost a fair few bites as I couldn't tell the bites from the wind blowing the rod tips about. and was about to pack it in after the wind blew my tripod over for the second time (some of the gusts were mental).

Still I persisted and the wind and rain died back down. I was rewarded by a nice big tug on the rod and pulled in a reasonable doggie. 2nd new species. I know I'll be sick off them in the future, but happy with the first

I got my second doggie next cast. This coincided with heavens opening again so i decided to pack up and get dry.

Three fish was not a huge haul for 4 hours fishing and a 300 mile round trip but two new species can't be sniffed at.

I will be back there for sure and hopefully a thornie next time.

Eliot Beach - 30-06-10

My first Turbot caught today only wee but every one counts.

A very similar day to yesterday but with the company of Whigger and Tampikeface. Good craic with good company always make for a great days fishing.

Eliot Beach - 29-06-10

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Fished Eliot from low tide through to high tide.

A lot of crabs there today I think as my baits were being stripped. My last cast came in with one of the wee buggers still hanging on, where upon he let go and scuttled away back into the surf.

Ended up with 5 flatties, not much for the time, but a beautiful day off work and some fish can't be sniffed at

All caught on lug and a three hook flapper (size 1's).

Elie Lighthouse - 26th June 2010

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Arrived and set up about an hour before low tide and fished up to high tide.

Overcast and little wind.

First cast and a bite almost immediately. Reeled it in and landed a small coley. Nice to beat the bank early doors.

Nothing more for almost three hours then the bites were coming thick and fast. Over the next three hours I landed another 8 coley.

All the fish were on the small side, half a pound to three quarters of a pound and were returned bar one which unfortunately was badly foul hooked.

During the coarse of the day I hooked a couple of decent sized fish but lost both in the weeds.

I was using a 2 hook flapper and using blacklug topped with bluey.

No fish to brag about but an enjoyable morning/afternoon.