As usual Eddie pick myself up at 6.30am and headed up to the River Tay. On arriving Willie, Robert,Stewart and David were all ready there. After a quick chat it was off to meet our gillies for the day. It has been the same gillies we have had for many years and great guy,s with good advice. Robert decided to fly fish off the bank with myself spinning,Willie and Eddie on one boat and Stewart and David on the other boat.
I heard Stewart was on to a fish after being on the boat for about five mins and landed a nice kelp about 8lbs. Nice one Stewart. About 2 hours went by and I was into a Kelp as well what a fight it gave me with it head shaking and coming out off the water. Eddie noticed I had one on and the boat was on it's was to help me land it. I remember Eddie saying to me take the landing net with you before you go. I said will not need it lol... Well upon landing the fish I headed down the bank to get it then the bank gave way. Happy days..
After lunch it was back out for the last couple off hours before heading back down the road. Although no more Salmon were caught I did manage to land a small trout. Good day out with the guy's and looking forward to next year.
After a couple off sessions at Loch Etive and not a lot to show for it. A couple of thornies and doggies being caught with no spurs yet being caught from the shore but seem to be getting caught from the boats.
Shane and myself decided to head down the way this time to the solway to see if anything was about, getting to our mark about 3pm we started fishing first cast I had a good knock which resulted into a slack line and missed the fish. Shane was next and landed a small flounder. Then I was next with a solid tapping and then a pull over which resulted in 2 doggies being landed. Shane had a nice take which turned out to be the best flounder of the day.
This was the norm for the rest of the day with mostly doggies attacking your bait. We fished till 8pm and then headed back down the road.
Ballast Bank Troon
Shane and his kids decided to give the ballast Bank a go for a couple of hours on the LRF rods. There were plenty of small wrasse about which kept them interested. The best fish Shane caught was a 3lb Ballan Wrasse this fell to a rag worm fished on his beach caster what you have to do to beat the kids.
Arbroath charter Outing 14th July
Nine of us met at McDonalds in Arbroath yesterday for our boat outing. We headed to the harbour after a quick coffee and a wee catch up as we were heading out at nine to the fishing mark. I was amazed at all the creel pots all along the coast line. Once the places were drawn it was down to the fishing. There were a few other boats already out fishing. The fishing was good with plenty of small codling being caught arond the 1lb 1/2 mark. Shane was first one to get a nice wrasse at 2lbs 2ozs. Then a nice cod at 3lbs 3ozs which seen him holding onto the 2 sweeps as we put forward £2.50 for the heaviest round fish and £2.50 for the heaviest cod. Shane held onto this for most of the day as the cod being caught were around 2lbs till Tony had a good pull over and landed a nice cod which when weighed was 4lbs 8ozs at the same time Frank had just landed a nice ling which could challange Shane's Wrasse. On the scales it weighed 2lbs. With 10 mins to go and on the last drift of the day Shane was still holding onto one of the sweeps. But luck was with him as only more small codling were landed.
Best cod going to Tony with 4lbs 8ozs and winning £23.
Best other round fish going to Shane with 2lb 2ozs Ballan Wrasse and winning £23.
Well done guy's and looking forward to the Port Patrick outing.
LRF 3rd Aug
As the club match was postponded Shane and myself decided as we had the bait we would head out to do some more light rock fishing. Arriving at our mark with the sun shining and the sea looking good and the promise of some fish being about. This was a new mark for us to fish our snoods should have been a bit stronger to cope with the bigger wrasse that were about. We were using 10lb line on the drop shots which resulted in 4 nice Ballan Wrasse around 3 1/2 lbs being lost. Saying that we would have landed them if I had not forgot the landing net.
Pleanty of nice differnt wrasse about and good fun on the light gear, makes a change from luging all you shore gear around.
Port Patrick aboard Predator 2
Iain and some off his mates went out of Port Patrick with Dominic skipper of Predator 2. The fishing was mixed with tope to 35lbs. Spurdogs to 17lbs and Bull huss to double figures. All had a good day out.
Arbroath
Shane and I headed up to Arbroath to see if we could get any cod that's being caught. We tried the harbour first for a couple of hours but nothing caught. Nico had been up on Tue night with his freind and they had 13 fish between them the biggest around 4lbs. On monday night there were two six pounders caught. Nothing on Thurs night when we fished, we headed to one of the rock marks for the last couple of hours. We had some fish there nothing big, shane's was 3lbs 8ozs and mine was 2lb 9oz.
Port Patrick aboard Predator 2
Ten of us headed down to Port Patrick on Sunday the 10th Nov, meeting a the key side for 8.30pm sailing at 9.00pm. The weather forecast was to be ok for the morning but to pick up in the late afternoon. We headed to a couple off banks first to do a bit of drift fishing first. A few nice haddock about 1lb - 1lb 1/2 were caught by Shane and Darren then Willie had 2 grey gurnards biggest one about 1lb.
Then it was of to see if any huss or spurs were about. First aboard were the doggies and then I had a good bite which I thought could be a huss as it let go half way up. Shane confirmed this as he landed his first ever huss at 9lbs and Frank followed with his first huss at 16lbs. 2 nice huss and their personl best well done guys.
The tide started to run a bit so we were using around 1lb 1/2 leads to try and hold bottom, as the wave increased we decided to move inshore for some pollack fishing to finish of the day. Pollack rangeing fron 1lb - 8lbs were caught.
Frank ended up with the heaviest Bullhuss at 16lbs winning £25. Matt had the heaviest Pollack at 8lbs winning £25 no wonder he laughing well done guys. Tight lines till next time