Loch Etive Shoreangler meet

I had been looking forward to this for a while, meeting up with old friends and folk I only ever chat to online. Unfortunately the day dawned and there was strong wind and rain forecast all weekend. Several folk had been out since the night before and a few spurdogs and thornies had been caught. People had traveled from North, South, East and West of Scotland and all told about 20+ people appeared.

Malky and his weedfish

After a few cups of coffee and some fishy tales most got round to the main point of the meet i.e. fishing, which was initially uneventful other than the wind trying to blow everyone's rods over and and Malky breaking in his new zippex with a mighty weed fish. Just as the wind was picking up and everyone deciding to run in smaller groups to more sheltered areas Big Spurrie land what would turn out to be a Scottish Record tub Gurnard (still to be officially confirmed) which was only one of two fish landed at this point. At a little over 2lb 7oz it is a belter from the shore.



Five of us moved round to the south side of the loch to settle in for the evening. A lovely spot with just enough room for 5-6 people, fairly strong current and casting into approx. 40-50ft. A bit snaggy with weed on retrieval but nothing very bad.

Quite quickly Rossco had a smallish Spur dog and Garsi a couple of small thornies. Always grand to fish next to Malky as he grumbles away to himself contemplating a blank.

There came quite a quiet spell as high tide came and went, darkness fell and it wasn't until mid-tide down that I broke my own duck with a smallish thornie of 3lbs or so that came in quickly and wasn't even hooked as it spat the bait out as I turned to unhook it. Lucky to land it but it must've been determined to snack on the squid and bluey cocktail. A couple of casts later I'd not noticed any bites but felt a large weight when I started reeling in to re-bait. There was no noticeable movement on the line so I assumed it was the usual lump of passing weed attached to the sinker. Still it was coming in albeit slowly and with a lot of extra effort to get it through the weed bed in front of the mark. It was still 20 or so feet out when I saw the tell tale flash of the white underside of a wing in my head torch to show another thornie. A fair bit bigger than the last and also very thick but unfortunately no scale with me so not sure of the weight but certainly around 6lb I'd think. Not massive but a decent fish.

Malkie still hadn't broken his blank and at that point we gave it two more casts before calling it a night at about 1 a.m. Still time for one last fish for me in the form of a bonus doggie.

Oban Skate trip 2013 - Day Two

Day Two 

Day two dawned to find Oban Bay gray and overcast, wet and very gusty. Pete and the Morecombe lads started my cooking breakfast for half of Oban :) Sausages, eggs, bacon, beans, toast, fried bread, fried onions and mushrooms in mountainous piles. I seriously do not know where Pete puts it as he had a massive prawn curry after the pub the night before as well.

The morning was actually better wind speedwise than the day before but it was from a slightly more awkward direction and was due to increase more steadily than the day before. As discretion is the better part of valor Colin the skipper decided we were Etive bound as it would be too uncomfortable/dangerous to head out to the skate marks. We were all a wee bit deflated but not too much as it was expected all round to be honest and there is no excuse to push things.

Still a day in Etive was a good second choice and we were expecting a fair days fishing. Steaming round the corner to Etive we firstly anchored up just before the connel bridge. This spot has produced some decent spurs before and it did again today. Young Callum was first in I think, followed by his Dad, Pete, then Neil (who had joined us for the Sunday trip) all with spurdogs in the 2-4lb bracket. It was nice and sheltered here but you could tell that the wind was starting to bow and that the correct decision had been made to fish Etive. Paul then had a Lesser Spotted Doggie and Terry another spurrie aboard. Jay then caught a thornie so small the wind blew it of his hook when he lifted it out the water, but it gave a fair few kicks on the way up that made us think it was another spurrie.

I hooked up a belter of a feeling fish that was giving a real fight on my light rod. I stupidly got distracted and allowed the line to slacken off and with a last knock it was off. I'm still gutted at my stupidity as I genuinely think that was a big spur. Definitely a pb (currently 6lb) and possibly a doubler.

I was still feeling like an idiot as we upper anchor and moved into the loch to another mark after a short fruitless drift. The next stop was mid loch near to the Priory. Hopes were to bag a few thornies here and maybe some other of the Etive regular or irregular species. It wasn't to be, after an hour or so of no bites at all and little crab action we moved on to another point. Dave was getting pelters and starting to get nervy as he was the only person onboard on a weekend blanker.

Next stop produced no fish either and baits were getting torn to pieces by crabs with the odd one or two coming aboard until this crab ball appeared. Six or seven crabs made it to the surface, god knows how many might have been on the bait when it was 100 ft down. I knew that Etive could be bad for crabs destroying bait but I've never seen so many crabs. After a decent start to the day it was looking a bit bleak, pretty slow few bites and fewer hook up and fish landed. All sorts of baits and hook sizes were going down but to no avail. Still a lot of banter round the boat and know one was downbeat as it was still better to be out trying to catch.

As the tide would be running there again the skipper moved us back to near the original mark with a couple of hours of the trip left. The wind was howling now and rain coming periodically so the boat was moving at anchor quite a lot so it was pretty difficult to hold bottom. So it was a nice surprise when a few spurs started to come aboard.

I had a few wee niggley bites then which I thought were whiting then got a decent bite and hook up which I thought was a small spur. But was pretty surprised to find a mackie on my line which had taken a mackie bait, cannibal :)) Quickly dispatched and cut up as fresh bait before I managed to get a wee photo. Not to mind everyone has seen one lol. One last fish was to come aboard and the best of the day as it turned out an 8lb spur for Neil. We weighted it in a sling and were surprised it was quite as heavy as it was but it was a chunky monkey.

And that was the weekend, super fun time but slow fishing, ah well next time is bound to be a bonanza, isn't it???

Oban Skate Trip 2013 - Day One

Day One

Well the weekend past was one I had been waiting for eagerly for weeks and also with some trepidation due to the adverse weather forecast more recently. On Saturday morning I met with Jason (Sultzer) and we traveled down to Oban fairly uneventfully but constantly the chat kept going back to the weather. When we arrived at Oban there was a fresh southerly blowing.

We quickly geared up and made our way to the slip to speak to Colin, the skipper of the M.V. Creagallan, to find out his thoughts on the wind which was forecast to pick up. His mind was to sail out beyond the point for a look, then either go to the skate marks or Etive if it didn't look favourable. We set off once the rest of the anglers had appeared, one of Jay's colleagues Pete and his son Callum and the three Morecambe boys (Dave, Paul and Terry), Dave had one the Skate trip as a raffle prize held for last years Sick Kids Comp. The wind and swell were not bad enough to send us steaming into Etive but it was going to turn into a bouncy trip from time to time. After anchoring in the lee of a headland in about 130m of water we got the first baits (usual selection of mackies, squid, bluey and rainbow trout to start) down and waited. A couple of rods with small hooks also were put down to see what else might be about.

By and large there was just a roll on board but the odd period of larger swell did spill round the corner to make it a bit uncomfortable from time to time. It was a slow morning, but as often when the fishing is slow the banter is quick and there was a good atmosphere on board with everyone getting on and having a great laugh. One of the small rods went (first bite on anything of the day shortly before lunch and Jay handed the rod to Callum the young lad on board. He was delighted when he landed a spur of about 3-4 lbs, not a massive one but his first 'shark' :) I think a new sea fishing addiction has been started.

Just after this I decided to bring in my light rod as the tide run had really picked up and it was hard to hold bottom. A small extra weight on the line when I reeled in but I just thought that was just the tide so was delighted when I saw a blackmouth dogfish come over the side. The only species I particularly wanted to catch that weekend bar the skate. A really cool wee thing of about 3/4 lb.

With the wind a swell starting to build about 13:30 the skipper called for one last re bait before we would have to move to beat the tide turning and do a bit of general fishing somewhere more sheltered. One of the whiting I had caught onboard in Feb came to hand and down it went, first time we had used that bait that day. Jason and I had gone into the wheelhouse to speak to Colin and have a sarnie when about 15 mins later  a long strong run on a ratchet. Ooooh some action finally. Out of the wheelhouse to find that it was my rod that had gone (lovely wee whiting). Another couple of small runs, tightening up the line to set the hook and skate on, yeehaa.

Now there were five skate virgins out of seven anglers aboard so as this was likely the only hook up we were going to get all weekend (due to worsening weather) I decided to do the generous thing offer the rod to the first to step forward. This led to silence and five worried looks around at each other (they all still claim they immediately lept to their collective feet :)). I was up for this, one more ask before the I shut the door and took the fight myself. Second time round Terry, one of the Morecambe boys, stepped up to the plate and took up the strain. Lots of pissing taking ensued as he felt the weight and strength of the fish on the line. It was a feisty bugger but he dealt with it well. Dave took the strain a couple of times to give Terry a wee rest but even so it was off the bottom and over the gunnel in a little over 30 mins. A nice 112lb male, which had obviously been caught recently as there was a clean gaff mark visible as it came to the side.

Quickly measured, a few photos and safely back in the water to swim strongly off. Great sight as ever with the skate coming aboard then flicking its tail back to the depths. As was the grins round the boat as not only were there five skate virgins but this was the first encounter any of them had with a common skate. Pics and videos are great but not a patch on the real thing. I have to say I was a tad nervous I'd given a PB away but seeing Terry and is pals so happy with the skate  I was so glad I hadn't been selfish.

We then moved into a shallower and more sheltered bay on the way back but with no luck for the hour or so we spent there. Still we were all ready to get back for a beer and a slap up roast dinner kindly cooked by Pete (it was unexpected and excellent, roast pork and all the trimmings), then a few more beers and fishy chat in the pub. Slow fishing but a really great fun day, what would day two bring.

Etive afloat

I'd been looking forward to this trip for a while as I'd not had a trip to Etive in several months. Everyone had to bring a beer, rig and chocolate bar for the sweepys; heaviest spurdog, heaviest thornie and most species

I arrived at the car park at Taynuilt pier to find everyone else just arrived ahead of me and the Ceagallan just tying up. Floaty on, kit oot the boot and onto the boat. Colin the skipper was soon steaming to up the Loch towards the Glen Etive end. First stop was a good 3/4 of the way up the loch and into 40m. Wee knocks quite  quickly round the boat but initially no hook ups. First blood eventually fell to me with a thornback ray (about 2.5lbs)  and a whiting. A few very small and small spurdogs started being landed round the boat and I had species three fairly quickly, a small lesser spotted dogfish. Just as the skipper was considering a move after the bites died a bit Jason (sultzer) then landed a nice 8lb Spurdog so we stayed a tad longer. A few more whiting and another LSD for me before we moved.

Next stop was deeper about 100m pretty close to my depth limit as I was only using light gear and had a small okuma multi. A bit slow to start with then loads of tiny spurs started to come aboard, pretty much to everyone bar me who could not even buy a nibble. Fair few fish coming aboard but this was a slow spot for me and it was looking like no fish on mark two. Then as one last drop before a move was called I got my first bite here and landed a small spur, species four.

Next stop was the shallowest of the day with everyone else hoping to bag a thornie. To get my species tally up I persisted with the wee hooks and was quickly bringing in a procession of whiting but no sign of the gurnard I was hoping for. Whiting and a couple of spurs round the boat but no sign of any other thornies, which was a bit of a surprise. Time again for another move for the last couple of hours.

A pin whiting's pins

Back to the whiting and small spurs round the boat and one cod as well. First up I had my second spur, then whiting and a poor Cod that looked like something had eaten it's eyes out. Gross but species five for me :)

Soon it was lines up and heading home. Starting to get chilly and everyone was ready to finish up. I won the choc bars and rigs for most species and biggest thornie (only one caught) and Jason had the beers for biggest spur.

I (and I'm sure everyone else) had a great time thanks to Jay for the organisational duties, Colin for skippering and coffees and everyone on board for a good laugh, plenty of banter and smiles.

Shore trip West  next weekend weather being kind.