A couple of days in Dumfries and Galloway

July is time for my traditional migration south for a few days fishing with Malkie. Usually a week I only managed a couple of days this year as I got burnt to a fecking crisp and couldn't think about a third day in the sun, lightweight I am. Unfortunately only a few pics as we kept forgetting our cameras and my phone seemed low on batteries all the time and we were saving juice for any good catches.

Day one was to be floundering in the morning, pit stop followed by a crack at the smoothies in the evening/night. Carsethorn was the venue of choice and after meeting Stuart (a new forum member Jedi Master) to dig some lug to the crabs foraged the night before we were off. Stuart is a grand chap to fish with especially as I've met few folk to out chatter Malkie  His car was like an angling supply shop to boot, most of which came with him down the shingle lol. This was where I made my first mistake, I'd left my cap back at Malkie's house and as it was a blazing hot day I slowly got cooked. 

Fishingwise it was not prolific but we had all had a handful of fish I think Malkie and Stuart had 6 each and I had 5. Most were between a pound and a pound and a half, no massive ones either with the biggest going to 1lb 9oz. Stuart should have a good photo or two as he took the bigger fish home as his mum loves flounders. 


We were out all through the heat of the day and I was absolutely cooked by the end of the session but after a rest and a feed it was off to the night fishing at the old lifeboat station. The way the rocks are there I set up a fair bit away from the lads so was a bitty bored as I had very little to keep me active no bites and snags. Malkie and Stuart had a progression of whiting and doggies coming in to all the baits under the sun, lug, crab, bluey and squid. I wasn't getting any nibbles or anything, fishing to the same rough distance no more than 60 yards along the rocks. Still I persisted until about midnight when I decided to have a snooze, thinking if the smoothies come on I'll hear about it soon enough. Unfortunately they did not. I finally landed a single whiting of about a pound that had been hooked while I had a kip and something sizeable had bitten a chunk out of its belly and its upper jaw. Looked a bit hellish but a blank saver it was! We had fished until about 3 a.m. and I'd been up for 23 hours by that point so it was a slow daunder back to the motor. 

Day two after a glorious 3.5 hrs sleep we were off again to Port Logan for a wrasse bash, just Malkie and me this time. Stopping off for Malkie to dig some lug that were like bloody hawsers, thick, fat and heavy.

The route to the mark once we had parked up should have just been over the field, through the gate then along the cliff tops to where we were to fish. Unfortunately the farmer (who we had chatted to briefly in the passing) failed to say there was a new electric fence up so the relatively short walked turned into a full lap of the field to then get into a second before we found a spot to safely get through the electric fence. All the while the sun was splitting the sky and seemed even hotter on the pasture for some reason.

First spot a rocky gully we had a few smallish pollock on hard spinners and small shads nice wee sport but nothing to get excited about, Malkie had the best at 2.5 lbs. We then moved a few hundred feet along the rocks and Malkie found the wrasse. He had landed a couple before I caught up and was landing one as I got there. Freelining lug out and letting it drift under the overhang directly below us. It took a few casts but I got my first after 5 mins or so which gave a good account of itself on my Rockfish (the matchstick as Malkie calls it). A browny red coloured wrasse, not sure what species but i expect ballan.



Malkie had another as well and I followed that with a pollock of about a pound which again gave me a good fight on the light rod. 

I moved round to another spot just 20 feet away but where I could work the other side of the overhand and after a long time of nothing other than one more pollock, a tad bigger, I got an almighty hit. This is what light tackle fishing is about a decent fish on taking line whilst I kept trying to turn its head so it would not go to ground. I could see some orange gold flashes in the sparking water but was not sure if I had a wrasse or pollock on. The rod coped well and whilst it was well compressed I eventually got control and started to get some line back. I could now see it was a nicely sized wrasse definitely the best fish I've had on the light gear. Malkie came round to help me land it and take the necessary pic. Lovely red orange coloured Ballan, about two pounds by Malkie's reckoning. Great fun. We kept going another hour or so before trudging back up the cliffs in the heat but this was the last of the day. 



Thanks as always to Malkie and family for the hospitality. I'm just sorry I was so knackered and sunburnt but i decided I needed my own nest to recuperate a tad. If it is nice this Saturday think I'll head out again after some more wrasse as that was a cracking bit of sport.

Loch Leven

After fishing Loch Linnhe the night before with the big rods I decided to fish the old slate barge moorings behind Loch Leven hotel on the way home next morning with the LFR gear. In contrast with the night before there wasn't a breath of wind and the sky was mostly blue. Lovely you think well the little Scottish vampires were out in force and I look like I have measles this morning with all the bites, especially my wrists for some reason.

Still in for a penny and all that, I spent a few hours winkling out some micros. Lots of Poor Cod falling to isome.

And the best fish of this session a small codling falling to a pink HTO Knight Worm. Though I was going to lose it as it went like stink on the small rod.

I was hoping for some wrasse, pollock or trout but none showed themselves before I beat retreat due to the midgies.

Sea scorpions ago-go

I decided on a wee trip over to Anstruther harbour yesterday with the LRF gear to see what was about. I think I got the last parking space in the town as I arrived to find some sort of gala day setting up and the red pier carpark closed. As I'd gone at lowtide I went as planned to the rocks over the back of the harbour. Even over low there was a reasonable amount of water in which to work in. Proven style of choice was dropshot rig with isome and a size 14 hook (not aiming for monsters lol). The wind was stronger than forecast and had more south in it as well, so there was little or no shelter under the harbour wall.

Still I thought have a few casts and see what happens. A bed of kelp and boulders was the ground a first cast I quickly had a wee tap tap on the lure as it worked back. A wee draw back then settle and I could feel a hook up. I love the sensitivity of the Tronix Rockfish UL. Every wee bump and snag on the bottom can be felt and distinguished from the gentle tap of a small fish. In this case a Long Spined Sea Scorpion which went bananas, tiny though so quickly landed, unhooked, a quick pic and put back.

Who you looking at???

This was the pattern for the next hour as I landed a LSSS every 2-3 casts all very similar in sized and with similar patterns. Ugly wee beggars but I love catching an photographing them. A couple were buzzing as I unhooked them which I had never experienced before. It was fairly vibrating in my hand. Not sure if this is  something anyone else has experienced or a common threat response?

I did get a more interestingly coloured one but the vibrant reds I saw in hand haven't come out in the picture unfortunately. The tail and pelvic fins especially were really lovely colours.

Towards the end of my wee session I started getting loads of wee coalies/pollock. I can never tell them apart when they are that small. They provided a wee bit more entertainment before I packed up and went my merry way.

Portknockie Harbour

Taking advantage of the great weather I decided to have a trip up north to Portknockie harbour for some LRF and to meet up with Sharpie. After a great drive through the beautiful countryside of Perthshire and along the spey valley I arrived in Portknockie in glorious sunshine but a bit more wind than I would've liked. First stop was the outer breakwater with the LRF gear. Drop shot rig with some isome on as bait. Lots and lots of tiddler coalies coming and inspecting but nothing taking. The water clarity was amazing compared to the last trip on the east coast. Sharpie arrived shortly after and firstly fired out some feathers to see if there were any mackies around as we had in mind to try for conger later on. He was having no better luck than I was and decided to join me with my second LRF rod in the sheltered harbour when the wind got up again, wind is the major drawback with LRF.

We went to a wee hollow in the inner wall I'd noticed a blenny sticking its head out of as I walked along the harbour earlier. Same drop shot rig down and we were both surprised to see blennies and small sea scorpions appear from everywhere. There were also dozens if tiny flat fish (far to small to ID). First to catch was sharpie with a wee coalie that darted out from under the boat we were next to to take his isome.

There were several blennies but one much much bigger than the rest and the one I targeted. Thankfully they were very obliging and both of us had one in quick succession and thankfully I had the biggie. There were a few different looking fish but I never managed to catch a particularly nicely patterned one as it kept getting chased off.

Sharpie also had a wee long spined sea scorpion and the smallest flounder I have ever seen all of 2 cms. We tried for some of the other flatties to see if we could ID them but I'd forgotten my smallest pattern hooks and they couldn't take what I had. I'm fairly sure there were wee plaice and turbot as well as the flounders. Will need to go back to find out.

We never stuck it out for as long as intended as the sun beating down was pretty intense and retreated to sharpies before heading to try for conger that night,

Quick report: Cellardyke 13-07-13

With the lovely weather continuing I decided to take the LRF rods over to Cellardyke harbour to try to winkle out some blennies. I'd PM'd Dykerboy and found him already fishing when I arrived.

The conditions weren't best for the light gear as the temp had dropped a lot and the wind was getting up I was bloody cold in shorts and t-shirt as it was about 10 degrees colder than the morning. Not busy fishwise from the start with almost no bites at all. Dykerboy was fishing lug into the harbour for flatties and I persevered with the lures. After about an hour Dykerboy had a thick flattie of a pound or so. I looked like a brick lol.

Dykerboy had to head off shortly afterwards to wine and dine his wife for her birthday (hope you had a good night).

The wind was a real pain for the light lures so I decided to give myself another half hour before I packed up and went home. Good decision as a few casts later with the Rockfish Ultra Light my wee blenny lure was smashed.

Hmm not a blenny that's for sure. Rod bent double and me hoping that the size 10 hook was up to the task. As the lure was hit right under the harbour wall I could see a wrasse zipping about. It felt like I'd hooked a monster due to the light rod a 4lb braid I was using, really great sport. After a wee anxious moment or two I got it under control and landed it, very glad it was high tide so there wasn't much of a distance to get it up.

Very happy as it's my first wrasse, a species that for some reason has alluded me for some reason till now. Next sunny day I'll be back to try to get the blennies as well.

LRF codling

Drop Shot Rig - Pink Knight Worm. 

Well just a quick trip report, I spent a couple of hours along the Arbroath cliffs again after work tonight. Such a beautiful day to be out in the fresh air and whilst not gin clear the visibility of the sea was much better than a fortnight ago, so I don't think it will be long before the lure fishing really takes off for the summer. Again as I am a LRF newby these early trips are more about accustoming myself with the gear and techniques. This time round I decided to tie a drop shot rig and use a TronixPro HTO Pink Knight Worm. I initially tested the action in the water to check how it moves and was impressed by the movement. I think this combo should account for a goodly amount of catches this summer.

LRF codling

Of the action I did have it was landed one lost one. I moved from my initial spot to fish a deep gulley about 12 feet across and was working the lure across the line of shadow and sunlight from the sun starting to go behind the top of the cliffs and quite quickly bang. Rod bent over and line zipping back and forwards. I might only have landed a wee codling of a half a pound or so but jeez that was some fun on the Ultra Light.

I also got a wee taste of what wrassing with it will be like as I had one hooked for all of 15 seconds before it spat the hook. Simply going nuts all round with the rod bent double. I can't wait to see what the summer will hold for this style of fishing.

First LRF trip - Arbroath Cliffs

Well a day of nice weather deserves to be used so off to the cliffs I duly went armed with my Light Rock Fishing gear for a first test of it all properly. I had hoped to walk to the end of the cliffs and slowly make my way back to the carpark going up and down for a few casts here and there. That thought was quickly knocked on the head as if the rocks weren't busy with like minded souls they were covered with sun bathers. As I was passing the Needle's E'e I saw the rocks empty so dived down there fearing I'd go along and back with nowhere else to fish.

First blood to my Rockfish.

The water was a lot more coloured than I had hoped but at the very least a few hours getting to grips with the LRF techniques would put me in good stead for the rest of the summer. It is amazing how much of a picture of the bottom you can get skipping a 2.6g jighead along with 5 lb braid. As I had not had a sniff. I moved round the rocks a bit further as the tide went down. Third cast on the new bit, nibble, nibble, hit. Yes fish on and I certainly found out that I had the Ultra Light Rock Fish. Bent in two and I could feel every single thump the fish made. As this was the first fish I have caught on this rod I had nothing to compare it to so never knew if it was a coalie, rockling or a small codling but I had never thought it was Freddy the Flounder that must have followed me from Riverside Dr. I was chuffed my first LRF caught fish was a lure caught flounder of about 27cm.

I stayed to soak up a few more rays but caught no more. Here is hoping for a lot more of today's weather all summer long so I can rock hop to my heart's content as I think light rock fishing might just take over my summer :)

Tronix Rockfish UL - My new toy

My first impression of the Tronix Rockfish UL(ultra light) is great. It is really light and seems to have a good balance between sensitivity and strength. Time will tell but I'm wishing the weeks away for summer so I can target wrasse, mackerel etc with it. Should be fun playing with mid sized fish on really light gear.

Still I just need some nice calm weather for a few days so I can get out and christen it.