An extraordinary week of fishing. Part 5 : Hoping for a bonus species?

With Jake and I having already helped Ross add a few new species to his tally this year we decided to head down to a few marks in East Lothian in the hope that something unusual may turn up. First off we headed to Yellowcraig beach to explore the rockpools and gullies there at low water. I have in the past seen 15 spined sticklebacks there and some of the rockpools are very big and very deep so the chance of something strange turning up is always a possibility. Upon arrival Jake headed to fish some of the gullies that the sea was flooding into and Ross and I focused on the Rockpools. It wasn't long before the usual suspects started appearing, namely blennies and long spined sea scorpions, and greedily grabbed the Power Isome chunks we lowered into their lairs. 

No two sea scorpions are alike and they are so photogenic!

After working our way along the rocks and then back again, with lots of fish but no nice bonus catches, we met up with Jake who had also caught a few long spined sea scorpions and a nice pollock from the kelp filled gullies.

Fiesty little pollock. Good fun on LRF gear.

We had a final poke around in some large rockpools and caught a few more fish. Ross spotted a tiny fish and was determined to catch it just in case it was one of the smaller goby species or something else unexpected. After failing to hook it a few times on a #14 hook I gave him a #20 and he soon hooked the smallest long spined sea scorpion I have ever seen!

Nothing escapes the #20 hooks!

A close up for those with poor eyesight!

Next we headed to the beautiful Seacliff beach. Jake didn't think it was a great choice for species hunting but previous trips here cod fishing made me think it had potential and I was happy to take the blame should the fishing be poor. The rocks at the western end of the beach are home to the smallest working harbour in the U.K.

Room for one or two small boats only.

 
We started fishing in it when we got down there and were soon pulling out loads of small fish. Long spined sea scorpions, blennies, coalfish to start with and then Jake caught a small codling.

Choice of mark proving to be a good one as Jake gets the 4th species out of the tiny harbour and adds a new species to his 2012 tally in the process.

I then popped over the back and had a quick go down the sides of the gully that's cut into the rock that leads up to the harbour. There were two other anglers there and I got chatting to them both and they were very interested in my ultra light setup. As the tide began to come up over the rocks we were on we went back up to the harbour. Jake and Ross had been happily fishing away catching plenty of small fish and the two anglers stayed for a while and chatted to us. The action seemed to slow down a bit as the harbour filled up and the pressure was on when one of the intrigued anglers told me he wanted to see me catch something. I needn't have worried though. Right on cue I had a cracking bite and my rod tip arched over. I though it was a flatfish as my lure had been on the bottom but as a brought it up to the surface I could see the huge mouth of a sea scorpion appear. Quickly hoisting it up I realised it was a short spined variation. Only my third ever and a new PB.

18cm long and 3.85oz of swimming mouth.

After this I had a go just out side the harbour mouth over the now submerged gully with an Ecogear Aqua Bream Prawn. The view to the west is quite spectacular.

The ruins of Tantallon Castle sit atop the cliffs to the west of Seacliff.

It wasn't long before I was getting small bites and after getting a few taps soon landed one of the culprits, a small coalfish which was quickly returned and followed by a better fish which I knew was a pollock after it performed a trademark power dive even if it was only a small one.

Great fun on the ultra light Diaflash rod.

With the tide about to trap us on the rock we made our escape. After a few casts from the rocks onto the sandy beach trying our luck for turbot but with no success we headed off. We popped into North Berwick on our way back up the coast for a quick hour in the harbour there as we've not really fished it as much as maybe we should and again I felt it may throw up a surprise or two. Apart from a few ever obliging blennies,coalfish and long spined sea scorpions though the only other fish we caught was a flounder which followed my lure up and grabbed it very aggressively.

Doubt the predatory nature and powerful swimming abilty of this species?
Fish for them with lures in clear water to see their capabilities!

That was the last fish of an enjoyable day. No real surprises apart from the codling and the short spined sea scorpion and Ross whilst not getting any surprise species seemed to be very happy catching the tiny long spined sea scorpion!

Tight lines, Hutch.

An extraordinary week of fishing. Part 4: Loch Lubnaig

Following on from our successful morning on the Forth and Clyde canal we headed over to the deeper waters of Loch Lubnaig, in the hope of targeting artic char as well as the big perch that inhabit it. We popped into James Bayne's Tackle in Callander to get our permits and soon after we were on the shore of the loch. Ross summed up Lubnaig in one whispered reverential word "awesome!" The water was a good couple of feet higher than the previous times we had fished it but still clear with a slight peaty stain. Lure wise I went straight for a 5g Jackson Cymo in pink, a lure which has always done well for me at this loch. Ross was equipped with the same lure and Scott was using a small pink Evergreen vibe lure. We began to work the lures around an area where a stream flows in next to a deep drop off. I was working the lure with little rips and falls, classic sink and draw retrieve pattern, it wasn't too long before a fish grabbed my lure and bore down. Fish on! The fish didn't want to come up to the surface and took line to try and stay deep. I was playing it very lightly and keeping the rod tip down but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't a trout and that could mean only one thing, it was a good sized perch! I played it into the shallow water where Scott was waiting with the net. As soon as the fish got into the net the barbless single hook popped out of the fish and feeling very lucky indeed we set about weighing and photographing the perch before releasing it again.

Not an arctic char.

At just over a pound this was my biggest perch so far this year.

We carried on fishing and I managed to hook and lose a fish that I suspect was a brownie, before we started to move around the loch. Scott headed south to a little rock flanked bay he had discovered on a previous session, Ross stayed where the burn ran in and I went north round into the bay. Scott had rigged up his favourite Lake Fork Live Baby Shad on a 3.5g #4 AGM jig head and was working the weed beds. It quickly produced results with some greedy perch attacking his lure!

Golden Shiner is Scott's go to colour. Perch love it too!

No big perch for Scott but they were all in lovely condition.

The perch were in the mood and we would later find out he had managed to land seven all roughly the same size. Before he got back though I had just worked my way back round the bay see how Ross was getting on. As I was making my way I heard Ross give a shout and saw him playing a fish. Hoping it was a char I hurriedly made my way over. Ross had got the fish in the shallows and he confirmed it was a char with an almighty "Yes!" followed by loud cursing as the fish threw the hook and drifted off into the loch, with Ross in close pursuit! Gutted! The fish had come off just as Ross was lifting it onto dry land. Feeling his pain I told him of the 3 other char I had caught and not landed, seems they are as adept as other trout species when it comes to throwing the hook!

Ross tries to hook a second char.

We soon got back to fishing and I went with a brown Cymo and Ross with a silver Mepps. After about 10 minutes I had a bite and felt a head shake and a little darting run. I had my suspicions the moment it took the lure and played the fish as delicately as I could. The fish came into view in the shallows and I saw what I had been hoping for, an arctic char! With my heart in my mouth I played it into the shallows and with Ross guarding its escape route, managed to beach my first ever arctic char! I was over the moon and with the score evened up at last I photographed my lovely catch before watching as it swam back to the deeps.

Finally one that didn't give me the slip!

A little time to recover before being set free.

Ross was now determined to catch another char and set about working the area. At this point Scott returned and we told him about the arctic char Ross had lost and I had landed. He joined Ross and had a go with his pink Evergreen vibe lure for a char. I headed off round into the bay where I had had some perch on our last visit. Half an hour later I found a small weed bed with gaps that I could work the Cymo through and no sooner had I started targeting the gaps I had a bite and struck into a good fish! The fish kited and stayed deep and soon it came towards me and turned in the water showing beautiful stripes and scarlet fins. It was a nice perch and was a bit bigger than the first one. I didn't have any scales but it was over a pound and great fun on the LRF rod! 

Got you!

Perch really like the Jackson Cymo.

A quick photo then back it went. I shouted over to Ross who began to make his way over. He pitched up just in time to see me land a second big perch! Again it was bigger than the first but I didn't weigh it and after a quick photo it was soon released back to sulk in the weeds.

Another lovely Lubnaig perch!

I think we must have carried on fishing for another hour and a half but apart from a visit from the highland cows, there were no further action. All in all it was a brilliant afternoon session in stunning surroundings and it was warm as well! I was really pleased to land a fish I have never caught before and always considered them as quite rare. Shame Ross didn't land his first char but it wont be long before he will be back, they are on borrowed time!

Tight lines, Schogsky.

An extraordinary week of fishing. Part 3 : Forth & Clyde Canal predators.

With two salt water sessions under our belts we decided to switch to a couple of freshwater marks on Thursday last week. First up was a trip to the section of the Forth & Clyde Canal that runs past the Falkirk Wheel. It's been very productive every time we've visited so far and this time would prove to be no exception although it did take us slightly longer to find the fish. Heading East along the canal and crossing over to fish from a long pontoon opposite the towpath Jake and Ross were first of the mark with a few small jacks and Jake also catching a perch.

Jake's small jacks were all very cute...

...but still demanded respect!

Jake gets the first perch of the day on a silver Lake Fork Live Baby Shad.

Ross wanted some tiny pike action and soon had one on the bank after an epic battle.

Ross quickly also discovered that Lake Fork Live Baby Shads are a perfect mouthful for small Jacks.

I was slightly further along from the them and after missing a couple of takes I finally connected with one and landed a small jack that took a Savage Gear Soft 4Play in dirty roach.

Greedy little jack almost swallowed the lure whole!

Whilst Jake and Ross continued fishing from the pontoon I headed to a spot back towards our starting point where I caught a nice fish during my last visit and whilst I was fishing there they landed a few more jacks and then Ross got a perch.

An even smaller pike for Ross.

A perch too meant I was now due one.

Hoping for a better fish I began slowly working the area from a pontoon. Casting to the reeds on the far side and slowly bouncing it along the bottom back to me. After a while everything went solid and I knew I had a fish on. It wasn't moving much though and at first I suspected it may be a decent jack that was about to go crazy at any moment but as I slowly wound in and the fish came to the surface I could see it was a nice perch. After a bit of head shaking it was in the net and straight away I thought there was some thing familiar about this fish. The scarring on this perch looked similar to that on one I'd caught about 3 months ago from the same stretch. Later examination of the photos would confirm it was indeed the same one!

Hello again!

I've decided to call it Tony on account of the scars it has. I don't normally kiss blokes but made an exception.

The fish was weighed at 1lb and 4oz making it a new PB. Tony has put on an ounce per month since I last caught him and obviously has a little patch in this section of the canal so I may run into him again in the future perhaps!

A nice way to spend the morning and for the second part of our freshwater day we headed off to Loch Lubnaig. Jake had a score to settle with a member of the salmonoid family and Ross fancied one too. I on the other hand was after more perch and hopefully some big ones from a spot I discovered last time Jake and I were there!

Tight lines, Hutch.