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up that scotland again, went to one island that has we've never got to but always wanted to - Barra.
Think I died and went to heaven for the week. Well once I got there, had a rant on the blog about the trip out if anyone caught it, but what an awseome place, small island, drive all the way around in half an hour, but lifting with fish, of both the trouty and salty variety.
west coast where we were staying, loch tangusdale, claimed to be the best brown trout loch in scotland and from what I witnessed (but was oft a bit too 'poorly' in the mornings to experience) is pretty true, did winkle some of the smaller brownies out though, getting on for 2lb each
that puddle to the left is loch na doodah or something, and is where the bigger ones lurk, many 5lbers landed out of there each year by all accounts, witnessed one slapped on the bar in the pub, which is the building at the top of the first beach
the rock marks are bristling with the usual pollack/coalies - but not the cursed coalies that make up the majority on the mainland west coast - hard fighting fish, 2 or 3lb clones every cast virtually, same with the pollack, but what scrappers, 11' greyflex spinning road and every one took line as it dived, emmense fun, but although didn't get to have a shot more than 4 or 5 times in the whole week, although did get a new PB wrasse from the causeway over to vatersay
to much other stuff to do and too many of the mysterious island pints to recover from that seemed to continually land in front of me
Really wierd to get used to, sat in the bar, total stranger walks in, and buys you a pint, and christ can they put the stuff away
You've got to love somewhere though where every house has a boat in the garden, those on the waters edge have built there own slipways, serious ingenuity in some of the craft they put to sea in
looking south to vatersay and the end of the outer hebrides chain
vatersay beaches
the shop was pretty cool:
looking east from vatersay. been offered a croft for not much money, which is basically the entire wee peninsula below and has its own slipway, the channel at the end was the best spot I found for fish, not a single pollack from there though, but masses of big coalies
the airport is hoot, flight times change every day as they can only land when the tide is out
couple for Norman:
wreck of a catalina that hit vatersay in fog, there's another wreck on top of the biggest of the hills, either a lancaster or a halifax bomber, was a bit pished when the locals were telling me about it
main reason was the trip was to sort some electronic trickery out for a couple of 'wee' boats, first one was a bit of an unexpected eye opener - The Barra Lifeboat! Severn class all weather boat, but has made me wonder about RNLI policies when the cox (top man and new best chum!) is buying navigation gear from me out of his own pocket rather than use the stuff thats fitted to the boat. what a monster though, twin caterpillar diesels - 1250hp each! that 2500 ponies to play with with, and they let me, with my reputation play with it! wouldn't want the fuel bills though, 100 gallons an hour
t'other one was for a commercial creeler, owned and worked by the lifeboat cox, would get a text saying I'll drop you a 'fry' off..... was probably given enough fish and shellfish to feed a large family for a month, which couple with beer might be the reason I didn't wet a line as often as I planned
never been anywhere as friendly and welcoming, had offers of free accommodation anytime we want to go back up, use of a boat if I want one when I'm there, endless free shellfish and stupid amounts of beer. didn't want to come back, but will be back there very very soon somehow!
trip back was fantastic, had theses lads for company most of the way:
Think I died and went to heaven for the week. Well once I got there, had a rant on the blog about the trip out if anyone caught it, but what an awseome place, small island, drive all the way around in half an hour, but lifting with fish, of both the trouty and salty variety.
west coast where we were staying, loch tangusdale, claimed to be the best brown trout loch in scotland and from what I witnessed (but was oft a bit too 'poorly' in the mornings to experience) is pretty true, did winkle some of the smaller brownies out though, getting on for 2lb each
that puddle to the left is loch na doodah or something, and is where the bigger ones lurk, many 5lbers landed out of there each year by all accounts, witnessed one slapped on the bar in the pub, which is the building at the top of the first beach
the rock marks are bristling with the usual pollack/coalies - but not the cursed coalies that make up the majority on the mainland west coast - hard fighting fish, 2 or 3lb clones every cast virtually, same with the pollack, but what scrappers, 11' greyflex spinning road and every one took line as it dived, emmense fun, but although didn't get to have a shot more than 4 or 5 times in the whole week, although did get a new PB wrasse from the causeway over to vatersay
to much other stuff to do and too many of the mysterious island pints to recover from that seemed to continually land in front of me
Really wierd to get used to, sat in the bar, total stranger walks in, and buys you a pint, and christ can they put the stuff away
You've got to love somewhere though where every house has a boat in the garden, those on the waters edge have built there own slipways, serious ingenuity in some of the craft they put to sea in
looking south to vatersay and the end of the outer hebrides chain
vatersay beaches
the shop was pretty cool:
looking east from vatersay. been offered a croft for not much money, which is basically the entire wee peninsula below and has its own slipway, the channel at the end was the best spot I found for fish, not a single pollack from there though, but masses of big coalies
the airport is hoot, flight times change every day as they can only land when the tide is out
couple for Norman:
wreck of a catalina that hit vatersay in fog, there's another wreck on top of the biggest of the hills, either a lancaster or a halifax bomber, was a bit pished when the locals were telling me about it
main reason was the trip was to sort some electronic trickery out for a couple of 'wee' boats, first one was a bit of an unexpected eye opener - The Barra Lifeboat! Severn class all weather boat, but has made me wonder about RNLI policies when the cox (top man and new best chum!) is buying navigation gear from me out of his own pocket rather than use the stuff thats fitted to the boat. what a monster though, twin caterpillar diesels - 1250hp each! that 2500 ponies to play with with, and they let me, with my reputation play with it! wouldn't want the fuel bills though, 100 gallons an hour
t'other one was for a commercial creeler, owned and worked by the lifeboat cox, would get a text saying I'll drop you a 'fry' off..... was probably given enough fish and shellfish to feed a large family for a month, which couple with beer might be the reason I didn't wet a line as often as I planned
never been anywhere as friendly and welcoming, had offers of free accommodation anytime we want to go back up, use of a boat if I want one when I'm there, endless free shellfish and stupid amounts of beer. didn't want to come back, but will be back there very very soon somehow!
trip back was fantastic, had theses lads for company most of the way:
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