lochnaw

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Paul D

Re: lochnaw

Post by Paul D »

Sounds like a brilliant trip you've got planned Ian, take your camera!!

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Ian
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Re: lochnaw

Post by Ian »

Paul D wrote:Sounds like a brilliant trip you've got planned Ian, take your camera!!
I will be taking the camera paul,im also taking the ipad,that way i put things up on the forum as they unfold and get as many pics up as possible.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Vole
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Re: lochnaw

Post by Vole »

Ian - PM sent
"Write drunk, edit sober" - Hemingway.
Hemingway didn't have to worry about accidentally hitting "submit" before he edited.

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Ian
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Re: lochnaw

Post by Ian »

IMG-20161126-WA0001.jpg
Lochnaw bathomeric chart
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Ian
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Re: lochnaw

Post by Ian »

That's the lochnaw trip finally booked for the 22nd of July,at last.
Can't wait
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Ian
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Re: lochnaw

Post by Ian »

Well my lochnaw trip is only three weeks away and I'm getting excited.ive had a really good think on what baits to use and I think I've finally settled on my choice,bread and sultanas.
I can use three rods so two will be used for perch.
A kilo of Brown crumb laced with black currant essence and hemp oil will be balled in at the start of each session and I will fish over the top with a feeder filled with bread mash and chopped sultanas,with bread or a sultana as hook bait.i might have to ween them on to the sultanas so I won't be using any on the hook for the first couple of nights.
I will be fishing for five nights so the feeder seems the right choice for controlling the feed going in.the mates are planning to fill there swims with boilies but how many can a roach eat before they become full.i will have to stay well away from them and I plan to use two marker floats as an exclusion zone either end of my swim haha.
There are 4lb+ perch so again feeder tactics seem practical but instead of maggots or chopped worm in the feeder I will fill it with cotton wool soaked in liquid worm and a lob on the hook.
I feel it's all about attracting them with very little feed,after all it's mid July,they will have enough natural feed.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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NiceRoach
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Re: lochnaw

Post by NiceRoach »

Sounds like a plan :tea:
niceroach

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Ian
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Re: lochnaw

Post by Ian »

3 days to go now til I'm on the shores of lochnaw and apart from the fishing I can't wait to just relax for 6 whole days as I've been very busy over the past month.
The unfortunate thing was that because the weather up in Scotland was bad in June I never got a chance to see how willing roach would be to take a sultana and all I needed was a few hours on the local quarry pond that's stuffed with roach so looks like I'm going in at the deep end.
There was a competition in a fishing mag for four folk for a free week on lochnaw and they were there a fortnight ago and none of them caught anything big so it's not going to be easy and that's good.
I will have to try hard if I want to catch a specimen roach and I will,from 9pm til 9am for six nights.
I will be fishing along side three other guys who will be sitting or sleeping in there bivvys waiting on their alarms sounding to let them know a fish has hooked itself on their Modern baits and rigs.
I think,with my traditional baits and methods I have a point to prove on behalf of the forum,
Traditional fishing methods and baits will always win in the end and they will.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Ian
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Re: lochnaw

Post by Ian »

Well here I am on lochnaw on the 3rd day and like many before me I am finding the fishing hard going and later tonight the rains moving in on strong winds but this may be the change that's needed.
When I arrived the area was in the midst of a monsoon and the water level on the loch had risen above the rocky shores and inland,making the swims a lot narrower,so space is at a premium.
The loch itself is nothing short of stunning with a castle on the far shore,surrounded with old gardens and ancient woodland,the perfect accompaniment for a loch with big Lilly beds and sunken trees.
Just standing and taking in the atmosphere of the place is something to behold and every night just before dusk a thousand crows come home to roost on the island in front of my swim.
I don't think I've ever observed a water that has given me goosebumps but this one has,after all,if there's a place on earth to catch big roach then this has to be it,but for me,so far it has been scant pickings.
The first night we fished was Sunday and with the weather through the day being very nice then after dark was the only chance to hook a big one.
At 8pm I fed up my swim and I was fishing by 10pm.
For the first three hours all was quiet with only the odd small fish biting,at least I knew the bread was working.
1am was the time when lochnaw gave up one of her big fish and the sound of fraser and steves excitement over on the opposite bank,it had to be a dream fish and at 2lb7oz it was.now I could start believing.
Monday was a bit more productive for myself with plenty of fish around the 6oz mark before I managed one at 1lb that came to a lobworm.
After being up all night I was glad to go back to the lodge and grab a some sleep,passing a few hours before it was time to start all over again.
Monday night into Tuesday was again very slow and after midnight it only got slower.
I had almost dozed around 3am when the clicking of my drag on the reel snapped me back to life and I noticed the bobbin on the left hand rod had risen but enthusiasm quickly turned to nightmare as the fish ran straight through the line of the other rod and made good it's escape.
Could have been an eel as there are some snakes in lochnaw too.
That was all the action I saw until dawn broke and a big otter payed me a visit,was that the reason for the fishless night I wondered.
About half an hour after the otter moved on I got a bit of excitement as right in the middle of my swim a big fish broke the surface,quickly followed by an even bigger fish,I got a couple of good bites but nothing to strike at.
rab came round to pay me a visit and showed me a photo of a good eel he had caught just before midnight,but he also had a slow night for the roach.
At 9am this morning I heard the dejected cries coming from Steves swim and he later told me he had lost a fish he felt was bigger than his 2lb7.
The loch in front of his swim is only 2ft and his line got caught on a rock and all the hassle for him to put on waders and go out to dislodge the line was fruitless as the fish was gone.
I now look forward to my third night fishing this loch,a loch that makes me feel like I could catch a fish of my dreams at any moment,I just hope Lady Luck can find it in her heart to smile on me.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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DaceAce
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Re: lochnaw

Post by DaceAce »

If you get a really big one over 3lbs then take a scale and put it in an empty hook packet and maybe we'll put the rumours to bed once and for all with a DNA test.

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