Not long back from my anual trip north and just got pics downloaded from camera, got rid of hangover etc.
This year was a different trip to previous years, new house and some new company for the week, both were superb.
The week started on Friday night for me on the River Ewe at Poolewe for a spot of sea trout fishing and midge feeding, new repellant was properly shit, would have been better spraying on CO2 enriched blood. Worth the grief as I managed to connect with a 2lb4oz sea trout at about 1AM don'tknow who was happier about it me or Ghillie Ray Dingwall. Still not many sea trout about depsite a slight upturn in numbers.
Saturday got of to a great start too, cooked breakfast prepared by none other than David Craik, then off to the river to dick about with some rods and do a bit of fishing. The Ewe has to be one of the nicest rivers I have fished anywhere, the water was about perfect and the fly fished well through every pool, conditions just felt right. I don't remember the name of the pool but I could see the sea from where I was fishing and it just looked fishy. Nice glide with a good flow down the middle wide enough to require a good whack to cover, about 6' deep that shelved to a narrow tail. After about a dozen casts something grabbed my fly and went nuts, after about 10 minutes it came in, expertly folded into my rather undersized Maclean net by Scott Mackenzie who ghillied for me in the morning. The fish went 14lb4oz on the scale and although it was not dripping with lice it was very fresh and only a few hundred yards above tidal water. Superb way to christen my new MacKenzie 13'er
Second run through the pool produced another superb fish. Without doubt the most energetic salmon I have hooked, hooked mid river about 20 yards from the tail it was very difficult to prevent it heading back to the sea. Several times I had to really lean on it to turn it, Scott was more than a bit twitchy and I got bollocked for being too hard on it. Final run it made was over 30 yards straight to the other side of the pool, superb fish that weighed at 11lb2oz and was covered in lice. Two pics of this one as I feel the fish deserves it!
Had another fish on & off before packing up. All fish were taken on a #11 Gold Cascade swung on a DTX floating shooting head and Rio 10' intermendiate polyleader.
Left Poolewe at about 17:30 to head to Drumbeg and meet Wind Knot and Kevin Muir, pleasant drive despite being raped £1.51 per litre for diesel in Ullapool
Arrived at Lochinver harbour to find Wind Knot had been there all day and caught all the other sea trout on the west coast earlier in the day. Hopefully Michael has some pics to put up.
Sunday saw a bit of pollock & mackerel fishing around Lochinver and the arrival of Hamish & Ewan. Plenty of Mackeral about on the west coast which were eaten both smoked (cheers Kev) and poached thoughout the week. Day finished off with a bit of trout fishing which turned out to be rather uneventful after the salt. Michael & Kev tubed whilst the rest of os fished the bank, proved to be very hard going so we canned it early and get pissed instead.
Michael working hard to digest the Bombay Badboy
Kev gives a helping hand to Michael something to do with sticky flaps, one of those "you had to be there moments"
Only decent trout I got that night despite fishing hard, not all highland lochs are full of starving bandies
Monday was more Pollock fishing which did not really happen, other than H loosing a nice fish there were plenty caught but nothing over a few pounds.
Hamish desperately trying to hold onto a large powerful pollock, I saw the fish at the surface on its side when the tippet popped, I'd give it about 8lb, I think the leader was touched so in salt terms some may count it as landed.
Wasn't really a night for trout fishing so, we got pissed again and Hamish cooked which as always was a bonus.
Michael finishes a bowl of H's sausage cassoulet. I like the look of confusion.... "How could it be that good, I didn't see Hamish boil the Kettle?"
Kev getting nailed into the whisky
30 minutes later, note the glass full of pollock Humungi
Spot more Pollock fishing on Tuesday but again, was patchy. Didn't seem to be as many fish at the usual marks this year although this did not detract from the enjoyment, there is something really nice about casting a fly in the sea particularly when you have the kit dialed in. Most of us were on Airflo Striper lines which turned out to be awesome, far better than the Rio Outbounds I have always personally favoured.
Michael setting up for a backcast delivery in a tricky crosswind
Michael unfortunately left us on Tuesday and my old pal Will turned up which was perfect timing as it partially relieved Hamish from Kitchen Bitch responsibilities. Tuesday finished with us all in tubes on the same dour loch we fished on Sunday (I hate those mother (&^£*%£$ rubber ring things), was harder work again and we struggled so back to the ranch for more beer.
Wednesday was a split between pollock and trout, Will & I went away to explore some new marks which despite looking perfect and having all the right ingredients failed to produce anything much, rest of the day was spent tubing / banking Loch Drumbeg.
Off to do battle with the fish, Hamish on usual morning form before enough coffee has been consumed.
Loch Drumbeg from the front of the house
Will relasing one from Drumbeg
Thursday was a day afloat on Assynt. Ewan, Hamish & I took a boat, Kev & Will tubed. Picked up a load of fish fish drift and things were going well until we had to veer off course to avoid a cyclist in the wrong lane.
Assynt fished well all day and three in one of those Pioneer boats certainly is better than two, we actually managed to get it to drift how we wanted occasionally. No really big fish but lots of fish, Claret Spangle, Bondage Zulu, Bondage Palmer, Kate Maclarens and various hogs & muddlers worked well.
Assynt trout
Ewan & H had to leave Thursday and we were joined by Stuart who was keen to get into the pollock so that's how Friday rolled. Hit the usual mark early on and then left to pester Mackerel and sea trout lower down the coast. Again, the pollocking was tough, Kev managed a cracking fish, his best ever on the fly
Stu managed a couple of small pollock and a few mackerel too and Will really got to grip with the shooting heads
Further down the coast at another location, there mackerel were hammering baitfish close in and we all got a good number including some fair sized fish, no pics as Mackerel should not be handled if being returned. Huge numbers of baitfish present and at times the entire area was boiling with activity. I was running from spot to spot to try to get a throw in before they moved off, serious fun
Saturday was a day for heading into the hills after some trout. First place we went was a loch on which Kev & Stu have occasionally had some very limited success, they cycled it, I banked it. Stuart fluked the only fish by raping the water with a Di7 and some humongus thing, serious trout.
Cracking week, good fishing, good company and superb accommodation (thanks Kev!). Right, enough of my pish and I'm back to work tomorrow, hopefully there are a few more pics kicking around somewhere.
Cheers
Ben