More trout!

Went to the tout pond again and this time I tried something different. It was a sunny and calm day and I could see the fish moving near the surface at the central part of the ponds. In order to reach them but also to present them with a slow sinking presentation, I decided to use a 5g bombarda in caro rigging. I added a 40cm hooklength with a light (1g) jighead in the end and tried a variety of softbaits. After some casts I decided to switch the jighead to a #8 hook as I wanted an even slower/natural presentation. I put on a 2" Berkley Gulp Fish Fry and after a couple casts I got a take and fish on! It was a nice plump rainbow and after an ok fight I managed to land her.

A fat beauty..

I persisted with this presentation and got some more hits and bumps but without  hookups. The sun was high now and there was no wind so I opted for a complete change in tactics...
I switched spool to the one with 3lbs fluoro straight through and a 2.2g Megabass Izabella at the business end. I saw a fish rising and splashing near some trees and headed there. I got a hit but not hookup on the first cast and after a few more casts I got a solid take and a screaming drag! This was a different animal! It even jumped and for a moment I thought it might be a brownie! After a couple more runs I had this one landed as well and it was clear that this fish had passed a considerable amount of time in the pond... Much leaner, darker and with scars from bird attacks, it was a real warrior.

Rugged fighter.

 Below the video of the action.

I think that this was probably one of my last trips to the trout ponds as I'm planning for some different and 'grander' things to come...

Tight Lines!

Gear used.
Rod: Majorcraft Crostage CRK-T782AJI
Reel: Shimano Biomaster 1000fb
Mainline: Gosen mebarin braid 0.3PE, Toray BAWO superhard upgrade Fluorocarbon 3.9lbs.
Leader: Toray premium fluorocarbon, 6lbs.
Lure: Megabass Izabella 2.2g, 2" Berkley Gulp Fish Fry.

The successor is here...

The first thing I did since returning from Chile was to find a new travel rod to replace my broken Savagear Roadrunner. Being extremely happy with my Spro Mobile Stick 80UL, I looked for something in the same range but with a faster action and heavier power. It didn't take me long to settle on the Mobile Stick 80MH Dropshot/mini crank (2.40m, 3-20gr). It took me a while to locate it, but after finding it on an e-shop in Germany, I duly ordered it...
the rod arrived within a few days and I was dying to try it out. On first impression it comes in a minimalist cloth bag with individual compartments and nothing more. But it is really tiny for a rod of this length. Shorter than the Savagear Roadrunner even though the latter was a foot shorter! Something that its very important for me as I can put the rod in the hand-luggage at the airplane...
I got my chance to use the rod a couple days ago in loch Fyne. I paired it with my newly serviced Shimano Stradic Ci4 2500 and I must say it felt pretty good in the hand.
Straight away I could see that it has a very different action to the almost parabolic 80UL. Much faster and with a stiffer tip as well.
The tide was going out and it was sunny but cold. I started the day by casting 7g metals but after only getting a couple knocks I switched to a 2.5 pearl white Lucky John Troutino (slim whip-tail) on a #4 offset hook and a 7g cheburashka. From the off I got bumps OTD and for the first time in the season I found the fish tightly shoaled and way off the bottom. I started retrieving at the number where I was getting bites (countdown) and soon enough got catching small pollock one after the other.
After missing a few bites, I switched to a plain 5g jighead and put on the same lure , in order to increase hook ups and as there was no fear of snagging up.
This did the job well and I caught a shed-load of small pollock.

First of many...

The little Troutino lure did a good job...

The biggest of the day on a stickbait.

The rod...

You can see the action of the rod in the video below.

After having enough of the little pollock, I switched to a variety of larger lures and got a slightly better fish on a stickbait mounted on a 3.5g Texas jighead. I then tried 4"+ curly/ripple tails on heavy cheburashka (14-16gr) hoping for some better fish. After loads of casts and only limited interest from more small fish I finally got two bites from something better but in both cases the line was cut soon after.
Throughout the day the rod performed well, working lures from 5-16g and casting them a good way. The tip is not solid (so I don't really understand why the rod has dropshot in its features) but very fast and transmits the bites very well. I would have liked it a bit softer (working with softplastics and all) but I'm thinking that it will be ideal for blades soon enough and also other hardbaits. Thus all in all a true all rounder, which is what a good travel rod should be!
I'm expecting great things from this rod and I hope it gives me as much enjoyment as its lighter counterpart that has been truly great value for money.

Tight lines!

Gear used.

Rod: Spro Mobile Stick 80MH
Reel: Shimano Stradic ci4 2500f
Mainline: Duel Hardcore X4 PE 0.8
Leader: YGK Nitlon DFC fluorocarbon, 8lbs.
Lures: 2.5" Lucky John Troutino, various others.

Something different...

After my visit to the East coast last week I needed some easy fishing close to home and was contemplating a visit to the canal. On the last moment though I decided to go for something Ive never done before... Fish in a commercial trout pond! I had the idea for a while in my mind and thought that it would be nice to have some pure fun fishing with loads of farmed rainbow trout hitting my lures and also keeping a couple for dinner.
The fishing wasn't exactly like that in the end but it was an interesting experience and something I should consider doing more often when I got no time for venturing further afield.
I thus decided to visit one of the few such fisheries that allow spinning (Why aren't there more of them?!) and get a half day ticket. The weather on the day was very windy with a couple showers early on but was meant to settle down later in the day. Counting on this I started at about 12:00.
I was using LRF gear and my first lure on, was my old and trusted Megabass Izabella spoon at 2.2g.
I began fishing in one of the ponds and picked the side that had the wind face on, as I usually find the trout like that judging from previous occasions. It took a good few casts to get the first bite and this only came after I slowed the retrieve right down and fished the lure near the bottom. It was a nice fighting size for the LRF gear and I was hoping it was the start of many more fish to come!

First fish of the day.

Unfortunately things didn't work out like this and I had no more takers for another hour, even though I changed many lures (hard and soft) and retrieve styles. I kept moving though and tried another pond.
This pond was shallow and weedy and I decided to go for a small olive-coloured Ecogear SX40F.
Within the first few casts I had a take and a better fish on the end of my line. It was a nice rainbow with beautiful colours but very fat! It fought ok (nothing like their wild brothers of course) and soon I had it on the bank. I persisted on this pond as the weather was getting better and I could see some flashes in the water and after a while I got another good fish on a 6g spoon that managed to shed the hook soon after.

What a fatty!

Overall it wasn't the easiest and most productive 4 hour session I ever had but it was a welcome change from the saltwater and I reckon with a few more fish about and slightly less wind it could be quite enjoyable fishing. These fish may not fight anywhere near as good as the wild ones but on the LRF gear and adding the visual aspect of it, they can provide some excellent fun! Im already thinking of some different presentations to try and tempt these trout so I will definitely try these ponds again...
Below a video of the day.

Tight Lines!

Gear used.
Rod: Majorcraft Crostage CRK-T782AJI
Reel: Shimano Biomaster 1000fb
Mainline: Gosen mebarin braid 0.3PE
Leader: Toray premium fluorocarbon, 6lbs.
Lure: Megabass Izabella 2.2g, Ecogear SX40F, Yo Zuri Altima spoon 5g (fish lost)

East Coast with the heavy gear.

On my last days off, and after finally having the car back on the road as well as my heavier reels back from service, I really wanted to head to St Abbs again and tackle with the big fish that I lost on my previous session there with my friend Giorgos. The conditions weren't identical, as it was much colder now, but the winds were from the West and would change to Northeasterlies later on... I have always found that fishing just before such changes can be very productive and was hoping that this would happen again... It has to be said though that I wasn't expecting any great flurries of fish and was just counting on a few good bites throughout day.
I was going to fish from the low tide onwards and high tide was about 19:00. I reached the mark around 12 o clock and started hiking down the cliffs to a spot that I haven't fished before but looked good enough and was near my favourite rock ledge anyway.
Thankfully the rocks were dry and I didn't have any serious issues even though the studs on my boots were almost worn out. I did however realise that I should have carried some rope with me as there was a very fishy rock-point just out of reach... Maybe next time..

Bright sky early on..

Overcast and cold later in the day.

Nevertheless I started fishing with a 15g cheburashka, #1/0 offset worm hook and a 3'' Scalp Minnow by Crazy-Fish. I aimed for a protruding rock about 30m away and after a few casts, I got hit on the retrieve! I was retrieving over a reef and that's where the fish hit so my first thoughts went to a good coalie or pollock. Unsurprisingly the fish went straight into a snag and I pushed it too hard till I heard the line ping! In retrospect I should have let the fish come out but I was just too impatient...
After some more casts around, I decided it was time to move to my usual spot.
Its important to note that although cold, the place felt more 'alive' than last time, with plenty of seabirds and even a seal swimming about..
I reached my favourite spot after an energetic hike up and down the rocks and started fishing straight away. I tried some metals as well but had no joy and decide to get the 'secret weapon' out! Being nothing else than my favourite Salty Bait inchiku with Gulp Sandeel combo.
On my second cast I got hit soon after touch down and this felt like another good fish. After a couple strong runs and some drag I managed to bring it close enough to see colour, and I thought it was a good pollock, but then the fish made a last run into the kelp and got unhooked with the well known 'kelp leverage method'... My disappointment couldn't be described...
I soldiered on but the place went dead after that. Moreover the weather was already turning and it started raining. I headed off as I was concerned about my boot's grip again and started walking back to the car. On the way back I thought of doing a few casts from a ledge that I don't fish very often as its the one most heavily pressured (in summertime. I didn't see another angler in both sessions). I didn't even bother to take the camera and hastily put on a cheburashka and an old Berkley Pogy paddletail that I found in my lure box...  As it happens I got a take on the first cast O.T.D! I gave the lure a pause and a twitch and the fish was on! It fought well but this time I took it easy and I soon had it at the base of the rocks. Now this spot is like a rock wall and very steep so I had to scramble down and perch precariously on a small piece of rock while trying to pull the fish up with the line. The line was just about holding and I managed to hoist a good pollock up to my feet. I held it there for a second while tying for a lip-grip but the fish wriggled and managed to throw the hook and back it went! I was left speechless! At least I got to see it and I touched the leader so it counts..lol

The 'lost trasure'!

I kept casting in the vicinity and then got snagged. I popped the rod a couple times and managed to set the lure free.. As I retrieved it back though, I got a good take and this felt like a very serious fish!
Unfortunately it threw the hook after a screeching run and I soon discovered why.. The hook point got blunt and bent from the snag!
Bellow the vid of the first two lost fish.

Lets just say that this wasn't my lucky day but despite the lost fish, I somehow felt positive. This maybe because I realised that all the fish were pollock and not the big coalies or cod that I was really after.  It would have been soul-crushing if I lost a 5+lbs cod...
I believe that I'll give the East Coast a rest for a while, not because the fishing is not worth the effort, but because I believe it will be even more productive in a month or two, while the sea-lochs offer much more action right now.

Tight Lines!

Gear used.
Rod:  MC KG Evolution KGS-902L, 2.7m, 7-23g.
Reel: Abu Garcia Soron STX 40
Mainline: Duel Hardcore X4 PE 1.5
Leader: YGK Nitlon DFC flouorocarbon 16lbs
Lures: 20g Duel Salty Bait/4"Gulp Sandeel, 15g cheburashka with 3" Crazy-Fish Scalp Minnow and 3'' Berkley Pogy.

Winter Loch Fyne LRF with friends.

Soon after my arrival from Chile, I spoke with two friends from facebook about joining them on Loch Fyne for a session together. Although we all live in Glasgow, it hadn't been possible to do that till now and seeing that the weather was calm and sunny (a pleasant coincidence this winter on many of my days off!) I thought it was the perfect opportunity.
Thus I was going to get the morning bus (no more of that, car back on the road now!) and meet Fergus and Paul at the mark as they were already staying a couple nights in a b&b there. I only took a LRF setup as the heavier reels were still in service, and from what the boys told me, things were slow so I would need to 'scratch' around...
I arrived at Loch Fyne to be met with calm, clear waters and a sunny sky! There was little wind and high tide would be in a few hours. So conditions-wise, it felt pretty good... I met the boys (and a local angler) at the usual rocky point and they had a couple pollock already along with the local guy losing something big. They were all fishing metals and it seemed a day for it so I did the same.

Flat calm...

Putting on a 7g cheapo metal, I made a long cast, fed line for what seemed like an eternity, and then started retrieving my jig, trying to keep it as close to the bottom contours as possible. A couple knocks later and I had a fish on! It fought well, but soon enough a beautifully conditioned pollock came up. This time last year they were nowhere to be found! This mild weather has definitely kept them active throughout the winter months.. I took this for a good sign but after getting a couple more knocks and a fish or two between us, things really slowed down.

First one for 2016!

A lovely day in winter!

Fergus suggested we try the little river mouth for sea-trout as he caught one the day before and I thought it was a good idea so we walked back in the village and down to the river. There wasn't much  movement and after spending 15mins there we got nothing and decided to head back.
On the way back, we passed a spot I always wanted to try a cast from and this I did.. I had a paddletail on a 7g cheburashka and although the spot looks shallow, in reality a good cast puts you over 15m of water... I got a codling-like hit soon after the drop but the fish let it go. A few more casts and this time the fish had the lure already in by the time I tightened down! A good dogged fight and a chunky codling was landed soon after.

Chunky codling OTD!

I wasn't able to get any more bites at that spot so I returned back to the first point that by now was becoming more fishable with the receding tide. I persevered with the soft plastics fished tight to the bottom and was rewarded with some more codling and also connected with a couple better fish that unfortunately weren't landed. One got snagged and another one cut me off. Both were pollock without a doubt! There seemed to be a period of activity near sundown but the guys weren't having much success even though they changed to softplastics and soon enough they had to go and pick up their stuff from the b&b. I fished on for another 45 minutes and other than a couple poor cod and some knocks I got nothing more, so I called it a day and made my way to the bus stop.

Photo thanks to Fergus...

I love codling on LRF!

Although I fish solo most of the time, its really nice to tag along with people who enjoy fishing and when there are a few fish thrown in the mix, then it makes for some very enjoyable time!
Needless to say I'll head out with the guys soon! Possibly towards Loch Etive as I'm pretty confident that the blade pattern may begin earlier than last year..
I would have preferred to fish with my medium gear as there seem to be good numbers of better fish, and it will happen soon as I now got my heavier babies back! Moreover I got a new travel rod and I'm dying to try it out..
The numbers of fish were still much better than last year and also their sizes which makes me hopeful for an early season trophy. It would have been interesting, had I taken water temperatures, to compare between this and last year and see if the presence of pollock/lack of coalies maybe based on that.. But I can't explain it any other way. All the fish were in excellent condition and hitting even faster presentations so that's good news for the forthcoming sessions. I do miss a good coalfish bite though!

Big boys ready for another serious season! Hopefully...

All in all a great day and it was a pleasure fishing with Fergus and Paul. Looking forward to our next encounter!

Tight Lines!

Gear used.
Rod: Majorcraft Crostage CRK-T782AJI
Reel: Shimano Biomaster 1000fb
Mainline: Gosen mebarin braid 0.3PE
leader: Toray premium fluorocarbon, 6lbs.
lure: 7g metals and 7g cheburaska with Crazy-fish paddletails.