For the attention of Mark

[bigh]

I have booked the caravan by Loch Sheil for the week 11th - 18th July. You must take full responsibility for this as it was your fantastic reports from Ardnamurchan that put a bee in my bonnet to go there.
If you can give me any pointers as to where to get bait and some easy to get to fishing places ( the wife can't walk very well, waiting for a new hip) I would be most grateful. TIA.

[mark]

Loch Shiel!!

take plenty of Autan - midge hell!

need to be down the far end of the peninsula from Acharacle (the baker in Acharacle does cracking pies by the way),

you're going to build up a love/hate relationship with that road!

bait.....

worm heaven at kilchoan at low tide, take a drive over to Portuairk as well, thats where we stay mostly, plenty plenty wormies there as well, but seeing as your in shiel - castle tioram, have a dig on the beach there, plenty of em there as well

easy to get to fishy spots...know loads that are a bit of a yomp but here goes...

pier at kilchoan is an obvious one, can get busy in july though, usually quiet in the evening, I drive me car right along the pier and par at the the end - I say right along, its only 100' long!


old service pier at the lighthouse, usually sheltered and a lot less well known, drive to the lighthouse and into the upper car park, if the tanks are on your left, the old pier is on the right small bit of grass then a zig zaggy path down to it, not too steep
Ardnamurchan Lighthouse - Scotland, United Kingdom

if you zoom into the bottom left of the first pic you can make out the path and there's a well made path/steps to the little piery bit as well, although doesn't look like it on the picture!, float fishing/spinning as the bottom can be a real tackle graveyard, but if you have a go can throw a few surprises up

Little Sanna - portuairk - Google Maps

easy gentle walk across the machair/dunes for 10 mins, fab sheltered little beach, usually decent flattie action, bottom as clean as whistle

seeing as your at the other end check out castle tioram - portuairk - Google Maps


all along loch sunart there's good rock edges though, and doggies, thornies and spurs are pretty easy to come by

I stuck a chart at http://ebgb.net/misc/sunart.jpg & I stuck a chart at http://ebgb.net/misc/n-ardnamurchan.jpg give you an idea of water depths and that

as you drive along towards the lighthouse there's one or 2 picnic areas right on the loch side,
drive right to the beach, reasonably deep channel at the back of the castle, to the west of it the River shiel runs in... you might think I've had the odd salmon and seatrout from the river mouth, but I couldn't possibly comment

same sort of drive from Acharacle to the lighthouse is the drive to Loch Aline... the old pier there is nuts, 25yards out puts you in 300foot of water!

no matter how far you cast it ends up by your feet almost. Some big pollack, spurs, thornies... even the odd skate gets landed from there

if you look at the sunart chart there's a red dot, west of Salen, there's a car park/picnic area right at the loch side, the little nose of rock sticking out drops into reasonably deep water, probably only 10 or 15mins drive from where you are, unless your at the other end of loch shiel, in which case it could take 2 hours!

Google Maps

always the option of a boat for half a day from andy jackson at laga bay, cost 35 quid for a half day last time I had one

if you were there same time in august we'll be up there then

will have a think, see if anythign else comes to mind

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Wow ...loks like I might have a look there myself ,nice one

[bigh]

Thanks Mark, plenty of stuff to look at there. On the bait front would I be better using a fork or a pump ??
The main reason I've taken a caravan where I have is they allow smoking....lol.. that should help keep the midges at bay. Most other places don't. Looking forward to it now.

This is the place I'll be staying : ELMBANK BUNGALOW & CARAVANS

[mark]

the pub - morrison hotel can be lively in acharacle!

should of let me know you were going, the place we stay is cool about smoking as well

never used a pump so can't comment, always used a fork...


I'd still take plenty of autan, and Avon skin so soft as well to keep the little buggers at bay.

not so bad down the end of the peninsula. there's always just enough breeze to keep them away, and when there isn't they are not that bad usually

you thinking of bring a few worms back?? there's a couple of cracking spots for big blacks and white rag

[bigh]

.............there's a couple of cracking spots for big blacks and white rag

And they would be ......... PM if you feel like !!! Cheers.

[mark]

.............there's a couple of cracking spots for big blacks and white rag

And they would be ......... PM if you feel like !!! Cheers.

the only way!!

[mark]

forgot to mention one obvious place, thats not too far away - the long stay car park in fort william, mackies, spurs, doggies, rays, pollack, coalies, codling and sea trout

fish out of the car

[Rich334]

Hi Guys I'm new to the site, Its a great site and good information, sorry to jump in this thread, I'm staying at Kilchoan for the last week in August, I usually stay around the Arisaig area but the wife fancied a change so we ended up booking a Caravan on a site just outside Kilchoan, Ive never fished Ardnamurchan so I'm looking forward to doing a bit of sea and loch fishing.

Rich

[codseeker]

welcome to the site rich

[bigh]

Welcome Rich, Mark is the man to tell you all about the fishing round Kilchoan. I didn't get the chance to scout many places because of the wif's (temporary) infirmity. Good luck when you go.

[Charlie_Thompson]

Hi Guys I'm new to the site, Its a great site and good information, sorry to jump in this thread, I'm staying at Kilchoan for the last week in August, I usually stay around the Arisaig area but the wife fancied a change so we ended up booking a Caravan on a site just outside Kilchoan, Ive never fished Ardnamurchan so I'm looking forward to doing a bit of sea and loch fishing.

Rich

I've fished a few of the lochs on Ardnamurchan for Brown Trout, tried a few more but someone seemed to have moved them! Loch Mudle is easy to get to and is full of fish, some sea trout at the top end. Loch Mhadaidh is a bit scratchy and stumbly to get to but worth the trip. Tickets available from Kilchoan Hotel and the Store, don't listen to a word the gadgy in the hotel says, I'm sure he tried to kill me.

[mark]

Hi Guys I'm new to the site, Its a great site and good information, sorry to jump in this thread, I'm staying at Kilchoan for the last week in August, I usually stay around the Arisaig area but the wife fancied a change so we ended up booking a Caravan on a site just outside Kilchoan, Ive never fished Ardnamurchan so I'm looking forward to doing a bit of sea and loch fishing.

Rich

Ardnamurchan?? never heard of it

where's the 'van?? is it one the wee campsite at ormsaigbeg, west of kilchoan, hope trevor has tidied it up since last time I passed by

there's 2 locks about 20minutes walk north of the campsite, part of old McKenzie estate and free to fish with plenty fish as well, rarely gets visited by anyone - Lochain Ghleann Locha
NM4663 :: Browse :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!
this one is not far away either, not sure but it might be one of the sonachan lochs, ask in the sonachan hotel on the road to portuairk;
NM4365 :: Browse :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!

pier at kilchoan is easy, but getting unpleasantly busy the last few years, but loads of other spots off the beaten track. I'll likely be around that week as well, over in portuairk on the north side

take a spade/fork if you can, you'll kick yourself if you don't

lighthouse old pier is canny, and easy access, the rocks in front of the lighthouse, pretty easy to get down to, if its blowing from the west fish the lighthouse pier, if its blowing t'other way, the rocks down the front, sanna bay is great flatty ground


if you want to familiarise yourself with the lay of the (sea?) couple of charts:

http://ebgb.net/misc/n-ardnamurchan.jpg

http://ebgb.net/misc/sunart.jpg

if its blowing a hoolie there's masses of places along sunart that are sheltered and are always good for doggies and thornies, and the ver present pollack and coalies, mackeral will be everywhere in august

PM me if you want the really good spots!

oh yeah, and take plenty tackle with you. cheap it ain't in the shop in kilchoan, although "tackle and books", in tobermory on mull is a bit less painful (Ł6 return on the ferry) We usually hop over to mull for the supermarket, works out cheaper and easier than driving back to fort william - you're going to love that road in a nice "am I going to die in the next 60 seconds" kind of way

[Charlie_Thompson]

Charlie's Guide to The Murk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o39iO-VRaL4

[bigh]

And don't forget to fill up with petrol/diesel before you leave civilisation. Petrol stations are like rocking horse droppings up there.
BTW Mark, I'm getting a campervan next week so don't be too surprised if you hear that somebody is asking around about your whereabouts !!!!! All depends on when the Mrs has her operation.