Things are stirring in the deep..

For the past few weeks Ive been making a foray to the lochs once a week and things seem to liven up the past couple sessions. Last week I managed to visit my favourite mark in Loch Etive and although it was already late in the day I still managed to rack up a nice little mix of species and had quite a lively short session comparing to the long drawn affairs of the previous ones. This was in part because of the ideal weather conditions (overcast, mild, no wind) along with the suitability of the mark as a sheltered area away from the main loch. There were no big fish but all the signs were there that it wont be too long now..
I chose to fish with my spro travel rod so as to maximise fun with the little fish due to its semi parabolic character and indeed it was a joy! I fished simple 3.5-5g cheburashka with #8 slim offset hooks and 2" slim softies.

love the colours on poor cod.

A lonely whiting, first from loch Etive..

Skinny coalie..

This week I was planning to give the lochs a rest but the forecast showed very mild temperatures, with warm southerly winds, overcast skies and a new moon. I couldn't let the combination of all these favourable factors pass so in the morning I headed up to loch Fyne at my usual mark. I decided to start from the left arm of the harbour so that i would fish the outside and have the wind at my back. It was hard controlling the line and feeling for bites but for once this wind was relatively warm and I was glad I could fish without gloves for the first time this winter! I was fishing Gulp prawns on 12g cheburashka and soon I felt a bite. i struck and felt some weight with a few head shakes but not much more. It was a lovely sea scorpion and I'm always happy catching these little beasts..

Stunning!

Not scared of big baits..

After the scorpion I moved towards the point and fished towards the inside of the harbour as the wind died down a bit. I changed to slims and paddletails and the bites started coming, followed by some very welcome codling, pollock and coalies much better sized than the ones from my winter sessions of late..

Better sized codling from the deep.

Some nice pollock as well in good condition..

After a while and while the tide had receded considerably i decided to move to the opposite arm of the harbour as I was sure more fish were to be found there.. On reaching the other point I was left with my mouth open as fish were going on a blitz and smashing fry on the surface! This is an unusual occurrence in the warmer months but in the middle of February personally its something Ive never witnessed! I knew at once what fish was doing this though... Coalfish! At once I started casting the little shad and was getting hit every cast but some fish didn't stick so I changed to a metal (if only I had a popper!) and was now getting coalie after coalie.. They were of a good size and excellent condition. I was fishing with the heavier gear but nonetheless I lessened the drag and enjoyed the fights with a wide smile on my face! I was also reminded how much i like coalies for my dinner so i kept five while releasing all the rest, possibly around twenty fish altogether. superb fun!

Rugged fighter!

Coalies save the day!

Dinner...

They were feeding well..

Finally a session worth noting and a lovely dinner as well. Hope the mild weather continues as the best fishing is just around the corner when the pollock shoal up in spring!
From the freshwater side the canals are now ice free and a friend informed me of some fishy-looking lochs not far from home that we will explore soon.

Tight lines!


Gear used.
Rod: Spro Mobile Stick 80 UL, 2.40, 0.6-8g, MC KG Evolution, KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g.
Reel: Shimano Stradic 1000 fc, Shimano Stradic ci4 2500f
Mainline: Yamatoyo SW super Light Game PE 0.4, Sunline Tenya PE 0.7
leader: Dragon fluorocarbon 7lbs,P-line Halo fluorocarbon, 10lbs
lures: Scented prawns, slims and paddletails on 12g cheburashka, metal jigs.

The slow part of the season...

This month saw proper winter weather finally arrive upon us with plenty of snow, low temperatures and ice on the canal. The bad conditions along with increased work obligations contributed to the fact that I've done very little fishing comparing to last year.. Albeit I have managed to get fish from the salt later than ever before in the UK so I cant complain too much..
I did a few sessions on the F&C canal with the best results coming before ice up a couple weeks ago.. I've yet to encounter any perch but got a few jacks. A day just before the really cold weather came through was particularly good with the jacks getting really aggressive but I only had limited time and managed one jack while losing two that attacked a spinnerbait. I was fishing a light rod and couldn't set the large hook properly..

Pretty jack.

Icy...

After that day the canal has been pretty quiet and thus today despite the low temperature warning and brisk wind, I decided to head up to loch Fyne as I knew I would catch something there.
It was sunny for the most part with a cold NW wind and the occasional snow falling, making for an unusual fishing day but in the end I did manage some fish although as expected it was hard work.
I started with long dropshot rigs and heavy leads of over 10gr and various scented lures. As the tide receded I switched to cheburashka and paddletails as I could now work them better and with fewer losses since the current was weaker and didn't drift and snag my lures. I lost a better fish on the cheburashka and other than a few missed bites all fish were caught on the dropshot rig. This was to be expected as the fish have slowed down their metabolism and prefer more static presentations. Moreover scented lures where clearly more effective today again due to the low temperatures and sluggish fish. All fish were caught around midday.

Nice camo on this one..

They dont shy away from larger lures..

Clear cold and windy... Not ideal!

I should've scaled down and played with these guys..

Some notes from the day:

• Smaller lures would probably have been more effective as I would target the tiddlers specifically but instead I gambled for something better that didn't materialise..
• Fine wire, extra sharp hooks are a must.. Losses in winter due to weak hook-holds are more strongly felt!
• The larger fish were absent this time. Smaller fish always more active..

I think we are now in the hardest part of the year fishing-wise and any opportunity/chance of success should be exploited. Its a time for improving presentations and general fishing efficiency with usually meagre results. I do feel though that a decent fish in this time of the year is much more valuable and memorable than one in the warmer months..
In the following weeks I think a visit to some more protected marks is in order and time for the lightest/finer approach with small lures to take place. This includes the canal were I've yet to fish with UL cheburashka..

Tight lines!

Gear used.
Rod:  MC KG Evolution, KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g.
Reel: Shimano Stradic ci4 2500f
Mainline: Sunline Tenya PE 0.7
leader: P-line Halo fluorocarbon, 10lbs
lures: Scented worms, prawns on dropshot.

First fish for 2015!

Today I made my first outing for 2015 and as I wanted guaranteed results I visited Loch Fyne again and expected to have a similar session like last time..
The conditions were almost identical  although the waters were very high and slightly stained after the rains.
I was going to begin with small inchiku jigs (14g) working them on the bottom after filling their muppet with scent. This worked very quickly and I got the first codling of 2015 up. So far everything seemed similar to last time and I had high hopes for the outcome of the session...

The weather has been unreal!

Filling the muppet with scent...

First fish of 2015!

Alas, for the next couple hours I was getting very few tentative bites and only a couple tiny pollock and poor cod to show for my efforts... Moreover due to the strong current and the high water taking my line through rocks and kelp deep down. I lost numerous lures (all my inchikus) and practically emptied my reel of braid!
Disappointed, I walked to the car and picked up my UL dropshot gear with 6lbs fluoro mainline. This setup doesn't cast far really but I hoped that the abrasion resistance of fluorocarbon would help and plus I had no other choice!
I tied a new long dropshot rig with a #8 slim offset hook and a 8g metal pilker for weight. I used various lures, from worms and prawns to paddletails with the latter being more successful at the better fish..
The fish finally started to show towards late afternoon and a couple codling entertained me on the ul gear. Because of the lack in casting distance I wasn't able to target the deeper areas and thus decided to call it a day before 4 o'clock. I new more fish were hanging deep as a fellow angler with much heavier gear and metal jigs, managed some coalies and pollock although he struggled as well..

Even poor cod were few and far between...

Nano pollock..

Better codling showed in late afternoon.

On the prawn..

Good fun on the Ul gear..

This was by far the worst session I ever had in this mark and I believe the most serious reasons for this are the possible emptying of the adjacent fish farm cages (no fish-no feeding-no leftovers) and the stained/high waters due to the heavy rains.. Still it was another spectacular sunny day and getting those few first fish for the year a good start to my 2015 fishing. Moreover its another example of how differently fish can behave in otherwise similar days, with the exception of a couple small factors. Learning every day as they say...

Tight lines and best wishes for a good fishing year in 2015!

Gear used.
Rod:  MC KG Evolution, KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g. Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Shimano Stradic ci4 2500f, Tica Libra 2500SA
Mainline: Sunline Tenya PE 0.7, Sunline FC guide special fluorocarbon, 6lbs
leader: P-line Halo fluorocarbon, 10lbs
lures: 14g inchikus, various worms, prawns, padletails on dropshot.

Im not done yet!

Well since moving to Glasgow and with the Christmas and New Year holidays upon us, I had very little time for fishing. A few short sessions in the Forth and Clyde canal were honestly pathetic! I was needing some fish and got my chance today since I got a few days off from work. I had only one mark in my mind.. Loch Fyne! Surprisingly, although the temperature was quite low (3C), the lack of wind and the bright sun made for a very pleasant day. I used the tried and tested presentations of cheburashka/offset hook/paddletail and Salty Bait/Gulp and started getting bites from the start.. I could see a few cormorants and a seal working the area so I knew the fish were around, although I would prefer if the seal wasn't there!
After a couple casts and missed strikes (I got rusty!) I finally got the first fish up. A small pollock opened the day and more fish followed soon after. I got the usual species with a few plumb codling making the catch even more special. some pics and notes from the day below:

First fish of the day..

Codling were in superb condition..

What a day!

Decent codling..

Baby octopus? Squid? looks like I'm using tubes next time..

Feels like there's more of a better stamp around now..

Pollock from the 'abyss'.. Skinny and full of eye parasites..

Not nice!

Poor cod numbers high as ever!

• Mild day - fish feeding well afternoon onwards.
• Codling plumb and in much better condition than pollock. Found pollock with eye parasites near the bottom, not codling..
• Bite frequency not very different to warmer months! Albeit fish stayed deeper.
• Not necessarily slow retrieves best.. Codling attacked even on faster speed.
• Found codling feeding on small molluscs..
• 3"- 4" paddletails on 10-12g cheburashka most effective.
• cormorants and seals good fish indicators.
• Poor cod unaffected by the cold!
• Pilkers, stick baits not very effective today. Fish wanted natural presentation bounced on the bottom and at times would hit as the lure passed over kelp/rocks on the way up.
• Increased number of missed fish. Either due to not taking the lure well or getting unhooked.. 
• As expected, deep basin areas in the sea lochs fold fish even in the coldest weather.
• Possibly better stamp of codling now.

A much needed fishing session and I'm now convinced that the sea lochs are year-round fisheries for rock fishing! As long as the correct location is found there are plenty of fish to be had..
Another note from today: I saw two groups of anglers fishing around me with a combination of baits/lures and  they had meagre results (a couple dogfish). Testament to the effectiveness of rock/finesse fishing, I just don't get why more people are not getting into it! The net and even the magazines now are full of info and anybody can go for it.. The west coast is a true LRF heaven and so many people are missing out!
I'm pretty sure that this was my last saltwater venture till the change of the year and I hope to have a few sessions like this one in the next year as well. Might visit the canal tomorrow and try again for a Forth and Clyde canal perch!

Tight Lines!

Gear used.
Rod:  MC KG Evolution, KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g.
Reel: Shimano Stradic ci4 2500f
Mainline: Duel Hardcore 4x4 PE 0.6
leader: YGK Nitlon DFC fluorocarbon, 8lbs or P-line Halo fluorocarbon, 10lbs,
lures: 3"- 4" paddletails, Salty bait/gulp.