Rain at Last !!

After what seemed like an eternity - well actually nearly 9 weeks, the rains have arrived in Morvern. The river is not quite in full spate, but as seen at the tail of the Middle Pool above, plenty of water to allow the fish to make their way up from the sea.

With this in mind, Sat evening seemed a good bet. Conditions were nearly perfect, but there was an East wind which tends to keep fish down. The water was still a bit warm, but at least it was not as hot as a bath as it sometimes is.

I hit the bank at about 2030, and as usual headed for the points on the South side of the loch, where the sea trout and salmon seem to like the sandy bays. Very quiet for the first hour though I did catch a couple of wee fish which I reckon were smolt, oh and a beautifully marked little Brownie.

As the sun dipped below the hills, and it got gloomier ( never really gets dark here at this time of year ) some activity , but fairly far out. As the evening progressed however you could almost track the fish as they headed inshore. - the occasional leap, but more often than not, a big "V" as the fish came in just below the surface.

On the top went a "stimulator", on the middle a black pennel, and on the point a silver stoat. The wind got up, and it was time to start stripping in fast to make the top fly work - and work it did as within 30 mins I had sea trout of 3 and 5lb. Hunger and tiredness got the better of me about 11pm, and time to go home.

This morning I walked along the bottom of the river with the dogs, just at high tide. I'm pleased to say that within the space of half an hour I counted about 2o fish going upstream from the sea pool. With luck this should now be happening with every tide, and after the desert recent conditions, we should at last be able to get some sport.

Things have also been busy with the sea fishing, and 2 parties last week filled the fish boxes with mackerel. More fun though was the booking I took at short notice from a father and son staying at Ardtornish. Plenty of mackerel again, but as we drifted over the slate wreck near Ardness Point, they started to get into the big Pollack. Young Mikey did best, and here he is with what he says is his biggest ever - estimated at about 6/7 lb.

Today I'm going out to the boat to give it a good clean - a bit like a crime scene at the moment after all these fish - tonight, the big pool at Claggan beckons I think - still to land my first salmon this year from the river !

Spey Delights

Yes folks, the one doing the rather elegant pose holding a lovely fresh run salmon is yours truly and faithful pup Tara. ( Oh - about the mop - I'm going through a Bohemian period at the moment so am somewhat more hirsute than normal ) I am just back home after what has been my best ever week on the Spey, fishing with friends Kevin & Colin Franks, Peter MacGregor, Tom Fergusson, and for 2 days, Tom's son in law Gordon.

Spey weeks are always fun whether I'm holding the Salmon School, or as in this week, just fishin' and chillin' out with mates. With little opportunity to get on my local River, I was perhaps looking forward to it more than ever. This year however I decided to change the habits of a lifetime, and do the following :-

• Fish as many hours of daylight as I was physically able to ( getting old after all )
• Just put up one rod as opposed to my usual 2 each with different lines
• stick to a floater with either an inter or sink tip
• most revolutionary esp for me - use just one fly all week - in this case, a fly designed by my good mate Sandy from Aberdeen - the Sandy Special !

On arrival the River was about 8 below the summer zero mark. 4 fish had been caught the previous week, and with little rain forecast, we should have been fishing a slowly falling river. Apart from a few hours rain on the Tuesday, which brought the river up an inch or so, that is indeed how it worked out over the week.

Monday therefore brought great expectations. Alas however, all I seemed to be catching was smolt, though in amongst these I did get a sea trout of about 2lbs. Apart from that however - zilch ! Things did not improve, and indeed got worse as in the evening I got into a big fish ( honest !! ) on the Lower Slabs, fought it for 15 mins and was "broken" after it set of on what looked like a fairly gentle run - after a few blue words, inspection of the 15lb nylon showed some fraying, and I can only surmise that I had caught the bank at least once as I casted from the rocks on this pool. Needless to say for the rest of the week, I was inspecting the nylon with great frequency.

Tuesday saw me on the River at 0600 to try things before the fish had the sun fully on them, and on the Green bank Pool, I am pleased to say it worked - 2 salmon, each of about 10/11 lb taken by 0700, both from what is know locally as the "White Post" ( Actually a bench on the opposite bank that has collapsed and lies at a strange angle on the bank ). 1000 saw number 3.

I suppose I could now go on to wax lyrical as they say and give a blow by blow account of the rest of the fishing. I will not however, partly as my keyboard skills mean it will take me for ever, and partly because, on reading the "cartel" of fishing authors in some magazines that will remain unnamed I shall restrain myself( yes, indeed a closed shop - have you noticed how few writers there are who seem to appear everywhere, and if any of you have tried, how nearly impossible it is to get anything published unless you are a close associate of the chosen few ? )

Anyway, suffice it to say that my total for the week was 6 salmon, and the 1 sea trout. And - the experiment was a true success. - This will now be my policy for the future. It may not work every time, but it certainly paid off last week. Not so much luck for the others unfortunately though Colin did get a nice 12lb salmon - seem to be a few gaps in my fly box though after I think at least one "raid" by persons unknown !!

Time to sign off now - the joy of being away is that I come home to 2 acres of grass that badly needs cut - all done and now I'm knackered - time for bed

PS - Tara was excellent, and behaved herself at all times (thankfully ) - she was happy to just sit on the bank whilst I waded.

Just for you doggie lovers out there, Tara is now 1 year old, and a real cracker - biddable, easy to train, quick as lightning, and follows her daddy everywhere. Just a wee bit of fine tuning to go on the training, and she should be ready for the birds this season.

Tara, myself and my mate Brian headed up to Loch Tearnait the other night. It was warm, sunny, and there was a brisk easterly breeze ( not the best ). After an initial flurry where she chased after some ducks on the horizon, on being brought back, she behaved herself and sat on the bank while I waded. ( no waders necessary up here if you are not afraid of a wee bit of cold water - you dry off on the walk down ). The fishing was a wee bit hard work until the sun dropped, and it started off as one of these days when you went through the contents of the fly box.

Eventually however a Loch Ordie on the top, and 2 black spiders below did the trick, and I landed 6. Always wanting to be in on the action however, just as I was releasing one, Tara grabbed it, and swallowed in one gulp ( not a big fish ). Suitable remonstrated, she didn't even attempt this with any of the others.

With no rain for about 6 weeks now, the River is perhaps the lowest I have ever seen it - so low in fact that I walked across it this morning and never got my feet wet. Fish are now piling up at the mouth, but thankfully Sammy Seal must be getting plenty of feeding out at sea. rain is forecast for later today and tomorrow, so with luck these fish can begin their journey upstream.

Sods law however ( well nearly ), it looks as if when the river will be full of fish, I will not be here. That said, I'm off to the Spey for a week, and really looking forward to it. Willie has told me that there are plenty of fish, and like the Tay this year, plenty of big fish. As we speak, my vice is red hot as I tie up a variety of my specials. ( yes I know - like some of you I probably have flies coming out of my ears, but you know what its like !! )

Not a lot else to report at the moment, though for the stalkers amongst you - the Roe bucks are doing nicely. The land where I shoot used to hold just a few, but after storms last winter brought down bits of fencing, there seems to have been a bit of an invasion. Omens look good also for the stags, and while out after the Bucks last week I saw again the big one that has eluded me for so long - I reckon he's a 14 pointer after the brief glimpse I have had. - I've already marked out the place above the fire for his head if I am lucky enough to get him.

That's all for now folks, and I'll be back in a week or so - hopefully with pics of lots of fish from the Spey.

Dog Days

Phew!!! - its hot, humid, and not really the weather for fishing. Despite this, things are actually on the up. The River is very low, but sea trout are actually managing to get up - I saw one last night going through a riffle with only about 4 inches of water around it. Jed also saw it and made a move - I called him off though and he will have to wait till I get into a fish the proper way.

Arienas has been moderate, mainly due to the hot weather, but also, on occasion a complete lack of wind. The midges are also out in force, so if coming, look out the jungle formula, or whatever it is you use.

The big success story is however the hill lochs - Tearnait is at its best with baskets of over a dozen coming in regularly. Also, the Sula Lochs and the black lochs are producing fish of excellent quality, and some of them up to over 2lb. Small spiders seem to be doing the trick, but a mate of mine from California has done very well with big yuckers of nymphs, and also dry fly.

We have been out in "Camrach" a couple of times, and the mackerel have arrived in numbers - One or two decent Lithe also taken, mainly over some of the wrecks ( which can get expensive as you keep snagging tackle ), and while out with my youngest kids at the weekend, we were followed back by a school of Dolphins !! - and did I have the camera ??

No news from Mr Hardy on my broken rod, but hopefully it should not be too long I have been using a 10ft rod that Bruce and Walker made up for me, and this has been excellent - don't you find that you get attached to things though ?

Stalking has been a case of very early mornings ( on site at 0330 ) and very late nights. We have an old caravan up in the woods now though, so we have started staying overnight - no more grumbles from her indoors when the alarm goes off, and at that time in the morning, even the dogs say Sod Off !!

Places are still available on Morvern waters in the second half of June and in September, but the Spey school and fishing is now fully booked. I have the opportunity of another week on the Spey in August next year, and if any of you out there are interested, please get in touch.

Taking a party out sea fishing tomorrow morning, so I'm off to get everything ready on the boat.

See Y'All soon

PS - will be getting a new camera soon, so apologies that no pice meantime,

I'm Back !!!

After a driech and cold winter and Spring, family and personal incapacities, sick dogs and generally not a very good time over the past couple of months, I'm back.

As I speak, the weather here is like St Tropez in the summer. The temperature thingy on my shed peaked at 25 this afternoon, and at 6.30 in the evening its still 21 in the shade - who needs foreign holidays !

Fishing wise, before this week, both air and water have been very very cold, with the result that the lochs were hard work. A couple of blanks have been recorded, but I am pleased to say that things have now picked up considerably. Water is warming up ( though after the past few days hopefully not too much ) fly life is abundant, and at long last the fish are coming up nicely to the fly. As a result, fish are now being caught in numbers.

Mr Johnston from Clydebank had 10 on the bank on Monday, Joseph from Tain had 7 the next day, and having managed to get out myself, I had 5 last night. The fish being caught at the moment are all brownies, and with this weather the river is low, meaning that there is a wee build up of fish at the mouth of the river. Some however managed through on the spate at the weekend, and several large sea trout and salmon have been doing their acrobatics in Arienas, and in the larger river pools.

One bad note to record though - I set off last night with my usual rod, a tried and trusted Hardy 10ft Ultralight. Tackled up at the car, waddled down to the loch in waders, and was just flexing into casts when - snap ! - the rod broke just below the spiggot. I've had the rod for a few years, but after talking to Mr Hardy its on its way down to them for repair.

Forgot to mention, I had a couple of days on the Spey in the first week in April - River high with snow melt, but plenty of fish coming through. Started on the fly and had 2 well mended Kelts, + a hen fish of about 9lb - all on the "Bourach". After a rise in the water, got the ironmongery out, and after 5 mins, went to cast my Blair Spoon when snap - the rod broke ! ( by the way, anyone know where I can get Blair Spoons ? can't seem to get them anywhere. )

Thankfully this was not an expensive piece of equipment, but I'll be hoping this year that it doesn't come in 3's !!

Tomorrow I'm off to Glasgow on my other business, but I'll be back Sat. - Now time to get the "Camrach" in the water.

Plenty of Roe Bucks about also, so with luck, I'll soon be able to say sorry dear I'm fishing/walking. sailing/stalking when her indoors starts wanting things done.

Finally - I look forward to seeing both my "regulars" and new faces this year.

Slainte

LOOKING FORWARD TO A GOOD 2008

Hello friends old and new - after so far a very bleak, wet and miserable winter, FISHMORVERN is back in business and busily planning for the 2008.

Since I last spoke the only fishing done has been in the sea, mostly for Pollack, which given the right conditions have thankfully been plentiful. As the boat is still out of the water, most of this has been done from the shore, though I did hitch a ride on someone Else's boat one frosty morning. Spinning has been the order of the day on most occasions ( 18g Toby in silver/blue ), though on calm days, I have had the old battered fly rod that I use for sea fishing out. Both methods have been productive, and I beat my personal record on the fly rod this year with a lovely fish of over 8lb - great fun, and thankfully the old rod took all that was thrown at it.

Apart from the fishing, stalking has taken up most of my spare time, though with the wet and miserable weather I have taken a look outdoors some mornings and just gone straight back to bed ! - No point when it's wet and windy as they wont bother coming out of the trees.

Plans are now well under way for 2008 season. The web site has been updated ( check http://www.fishmorvern.co.uk/ ), Ads have been placed in the fishing press June and July, Some maintenance has been done on the banks of the River Aline, tackle is cleaned and lubricated, and for those that need extra lubrication, courtesy of Macallan, I will be awarding a bottle of 10 yr old malt for the heaviest Salmon, Sea Trout and Brownie this year.

Finally for today, I promised Robert I would include this

This was taken last week in the hills of Morvern on yet another cold and wet day. Despite this however, after much tramping up near vertical hillsides, John ( on the right ) and I did find some hinds for Robert ( on the right ) to have a go at. This he did admirably and from a range of over 140 yards, using his .243, he took down 2 hinds cleanly. As you can see, He's more than happy

Storms forecast for tomorrow so away to batten down the hatches !! - be back soon

Fame at Last

Its taken a while, but at last I can say that FISHMORVERN is now internationally recognised !!! - well in Japan at least ! After a call from Visit Scotland, we hosted the above party who are making a film in the area, I think about rail journeys, with Fort Willam to Mallaig being used as the "Harry Potter" connection. As part of their documentary, amongst other things, they wanted to film some Salmon Fishing, and we were happy to oblige.

"Ken", the one in the waders, is the Commentator on the programme, and wanted to learn how to cast a fly. No problem, and after about 15 mins of practice, he was casting into the Big Pool at Claggan like a pro, well nearly. The River was looking good and one or two fish showed. Alas however, it was not to be and in the short period of time available to them, we did not touch anything. I hope that they enjoyed themselves, and that they got the footage they wanted - Cameron who was spectating however did say that they were most impressed with my "Snake Roll" cast - I suppose everybody has to be good at something. - I wouldn't mind practicing the cast on one of the rivers in Hokkaido, the Northern Island of Japan though - plenty of King, sockeye and Coho I hear, and if anyone out there knows anything about fishing in Japan, I would be glad to hear from them.

Onto other matters, Ardtornish will be closing the River tomorrow, as they always do at the end of the stalking season for Stags. A week or so left on the main lochs ( salmon & sea trout only ), so its effectively the end of our season.

As its been the first full season of FISHMORVERN, I am glad to report that it has been successful. The totals for the season have been about 45 salmon, over 200 sea trout, and countless brown trout from River Loch and hill loch. Highlights have been the continuing run of large sea trout early in the year, with the best being over 12lb ( Mr Lapping from Irvine ), and most of all, the increased run of salmon into the Aline system. I hear reports that other West Coast fisheries may be struggling, but apparently, and hopefully, here we are starting to return to former glories. Whether this is the knock on effect of removing cages from the sea loch years ago, increased co-operation with the Fish farming Co's, or more likely the closure of the Irish Drift Nets ( well those that are legal anyway ), I don't know. More good news is that I understand that there is to be some form of stocking by the landlords, so we look forward to some form of hope for the future.

Its now the time of year when I have to sort out Accounts, Corporation tax and the dreaded VAT, and also sit down to make plans for the future. The Web site will be getting a re-vamp, advertising ( expensive but necessary ) put in place, and now that I have my Motor Vessel ticket, an expansion of the sea fishing activity on board "CAMRACH". So next year I will be offering fishing for Salmon, Trout & Sea Trout, and also sea fishing and sight seeing trips in the Sound of Mull - Whales, Dolphins, Sea Eagles etc abound round here, and in the winter we get the occasional visit from Killer Whales who seem to find the seals tasty ( good !!! ). Oh, and the boat will be coming out of the water this weekend, for a good clean and service.

Finally, I will also be offering Deer Stalking , by arrangement, and if it works out, wildlife photography expeditions. How will little me fit all this in you ask ? - Well, things are now good enough that I can consider taking on some help. Enquiries are welcome, but I will probably be looking to recruit a youngster to help - I am after all not getting any younger.

Most of all, as this will be the last big report, can I extend my thanks to all those who have visited this year. It has been a pleasure to introduce you to Morvern, and a great pleasure to enjoy the company of you all ( I'll try to get some new jokes for next year ). Thanks also to those who have mailed me in support, and to those that have commented on this my first attempt at a blog.

I'll give brief updates on the sea fishing in the next few months, and on the stalking which after tomorrow moves on to the hinds. Otherwise, thanks again, and I look forward to seeing some of you again next year.

Jm B