Toughest days fishing in Sutherland

Toughest days fishing in Sutherland

While completing an application form for a BBC fishing programme I was asked about the toughest fishing I had experienced. I did not take it as the toughest days to catch a fish but more on the brutal days we go through to catch a fish or just to travel to a faraway loch in pursuit of those mystery fish. I told of one story but it is actually parts of two adventures in the hills both with my old friend and now departed Vince Kerr.

Both were in the mountains north of the Laxford, Stack & Merkland, all on the Westminster estate waters and of course all with permission from the Factor at the time. This is a longer version and is all fact but covers at least two outings in these mountains and lochans.

It always starts in the south, usually around 3am when the car is packed and an early night has been taken.

Coffee, flasks, sandwiches and 695 miles. Nine hours is my record but those were the days when we all drove at 115 miles an hour and more.

Preparation for the walk ahead


On this trip it was limited with speed cameras so a stop south of Inverness was required, Moy campsite is perfect, small, few campers and great showers. It would be my last for three days.  The campsite also gives you that holiday buzz feeling, out in the open drinking beer, wine and cheap brandy a bit of a calm before the storm/pain.

The South had been in a heatwave for weeks but as soon as I passed Lairg the sky was dark with cloud and the rain started as I neared my parking spot on the banks of Loch Merkland. I stopped immediately and thought bugger it lets get the wet gear and boots on now rather than in the pouring rain five miles further on. Luckily no one is on the road at six in the morning up here so I changed in the middle of the road on the shores of Loch Shin.

The rain poured down as I reached the end of my 700 mile journey, the pack had been filled and checked over the previous weeks I strapped two rods cases on either side and started the ascent. It should have been a two hour stiff uphill walk up Sail Na Glaise with a walk along Creag na h Uidhe ridge before a descent of Carn an Tionail to a campsite location next to Lochan a Bhealaich. But as I climbed the weather got worse the cloud dropped and the wind really whipped up as I reached the first plateau.

At times I could only see a few yards ahead of me and my nerves were shattered when I realised there was a cliff edge to my right which I had not expected to see. I had drifted to the East but looking at the map in the dry that is where the plateau starts. In my concerned state I took compass bearings and headed directly North but with the wind blowing from the East and there being a slope to the West I kept drifting off line. It was crazy I knew the correct direction but the weather and contours just kept pulling me to the North West. Within half an hour I knew I was in trouble I had ended up on the cliff edges on the other side totally disorientated and doubting my location.

For the next hour I walked all over the place trying to relocate my actual position on top of this hill, I must have traveled some of it North as I was still using my compass. You start to wonder why you go on these wild walks on your precious ten days holiday on such occasions. I even bumped into a flock of ptarmigan who were surprised to see me, they jumped up into the air and then tumbled to the ground in distress - very strange stuff.

I got to a point that I needed to act fast before something serious occurred, this may sound dramatic but I had been walking lost for quite some time and the weather wasn’t improving. I decided to head West and descend the slope and hope that I had passed the steepest of the cliff edges.  It was hopeless I could not see anything more than a few yards ahead. Then suddenly I felt the gradient change and the cloud appeared to brighten a bit, I prayed a bit and then in frustration called out to God and asked him for some help.

All I can say is that it was an epiphany and surreal moment for me, suddenly the cloud lifted and then parted ever so briefly to give me a view of the loch below. I had my location and within seconds the cloud covered my view and I was back in dark cloud again. The rest of the hike took another hour but I at least knew where I was going and I dropped towards the valley floor at an angle and reached the campsite with Vince appearing out of the mist which surrounded his tent.


Vince fishing on my arrival at the campsite in the mist.

A two hour walk had taken me nearly five hours I had started at 6.30 am and it was nearly twelve as we boiled the kettle for a brew. We were at the loch we had visited the year before with a recommendation from the Factor and had caught seven trout all over a pound in weight and nothing had been seen smaller that day.


It was very clear water and you could see the trout coming out of the depths to take your dry fly and with a wet fly they would often smash into it on the initial drop. Of course so far Vince had not seen anything the night before or early this morning but the cloud/mist was to blame for that.

Coire Loch is another twenty minute walk from the campsite we had chosen so after a full recovery and some whiskey we set off and fished the west bank of the campsite loch with a few takes abut no real serious fish showing themselves to us. You descend a steep hill and then traverse some barren ground before this amazing loch appears.



It can be just another corrie loch but with the cloud the drizzle and the wind sweeping waves onto the shore it is an impressive sight. It looks very deep at one end with the cliffs above and the other end becomes a beach like affair as the outlet stream heads down the valley to the northern oceans.

Vince chose his bank and direction and the contest began. We all know that there is a contest but it is not spoken off or inferred but just talked about after the day or event, fisherman’s hunter gatherer prowess is still important in this day and age.

It was tough the odd tug on the line but obviously nothing showing. I was on an old favourite combo of wormfly point and black pennell on the first and only dropper with a floating line but letting it drop low in the water before retrieval.


 I had a lovely fish of 2lb after an hour but a bit thin as you will see from the photo, it was returned as far as I can remember as we had hoped it would grow a bit fatter latter on in the summer. 1-0 was the final score that afternoon and port, curry and some whiskey were had to celebrate back at the camp that night.





 We fished it hard the following day and pulled some beauties out in the cloud and rain but it was far from ideal conditions.


I have been back there twice and fished on lovely sunny afternoons but there is nothing quite like fishing in the rain and wind when you are soaked through and only have a tent to go back to that afternoon /night.

I always have some sort of contingency pj’s in the pack so that at least when back in the tent I am dry and cosy when brewing up my next curry. I always have a litre of port sometimes mixed with brandy and usually a 75cl plastic bottle of some blended whiskey. (75cl or a litre but always some!!)

This is a classic curry cooked under canvas as it was tipping it outside and was for two as my fellow camper’s tent was not trustworthy enough to cook in.  

His was delivered with the use of gut and his mettle dish as you will see from this photo.






But this toughest experience did not end there as on the way back to the cars on a slightly different route so as to get back to Vince’s car at Lone we trekked once again in the wind, no rain but a lot colder than before. I was tired from two days walking, fishing and camping but Vince had been up there for three days. I noticed he was slowing his pace and kept stopping for a rest but then he asked to take of his jacket and closing his eyes all the time, he had got totally exhausted and I began to realise that he was suffering from hypothermia and just wanted to take off his waterproofs and go to sleep.

It took me an hour to go 100 yards with him. Luckily I had plenty of gas left and cooked him up some soup and found some chocolate. As we dropped altitude it got warmer and he managed to recover enough to complete the walk back to the car and the safety of the Scourie Hotel.

Here is a great picture of my old buddy and fishing pal above the falls at Kirkaig on the way to fish a mystery loch in the hills- never forgotten always remembered, especially on the loch side.

The Best Trout Loch in Sutherland?

After a weekend in Applecross I was ready for some familiar territory and where else better to go than the “best trout loch in Sutherland”

It is a long drive to Lochinver if you chose the scenic route and visiting Sheildaig was a great start to the journey. Glen Torridon was stunning and the hitchhiker that I picked up at Kinlochewe insisted I would save time going via Garve but I dropped him off and ploughed north via Loch Maree and the Gairloch coast.

As soon as I top the rise above Ardmair I know I am nearly there, each mountain I see as I drive towards Elphin reminds me of mad long fishing trips to lochs high up in these hills. At Elphin you get your first sighting of Suilven with its tower at the far end and reminds me of a trip many years ago with three brothers. We walked from Elphin through Cam, Veyatie and then Fionn lochs fishing all including the small satellite lochs to the Kirkaig falls. We caught Char in Cam and 1/2lb’s from the small lochs with a better fish off the end of Veyatie. Splitting up into pairs we were able to test all the small lochans and hot spots for any signs of bigger fish, meeting up at set venues to check totals and what flies were working best.

It amuses me that the worm fly and the Soldier Palmer were the best flies back in 1927 and they still were in ‘79 on this Williams brother’s adventure as well as now in 2013. They were the preferred choice for those trying to catch quantity as well as the odd big one. Dry fly is used but when covering so much water the wet fly has been the popular choice for us.

At Lochinver I stopped to pick up some Scottish pies from the Spar and lamented the closing of the bakery where they made the best hot pies in the world back in the 70’s. At Kirkaig I parked the car filled the small pack with lager, whiskey, pies, rods, reels and my faithful Hardy smuggler . I was in shorts, gaiters walking boots, running vest and had a fishing shirt which was stowed away ready for the time spent fishing.

It took me 45 minutes to see the full expanse of Fionn Loch and another twenty to hit the stream on the north side. It was here that my plans changed completely, it was a glorious sunny day with no clouds to be seen and no haze to block the views. So I decided to climb Suilven and descend the north side and skirt the Na Barrack lochs before fishing “the best trout loch in Sutherland”. It was a very V C Wellington* type of thing to do and was probably my inspiration but I felt no urge to rush to Scourie to be there in time for dinner. 

A can of 1664 was much needed motivation half way up the Suilven path climb but it gave me time to look back west and south and scan the lochs fished in my youth. Na Tri Lochan, Sionascaig, Loch Fionn, Veyatie and the wonderful connecting stream. At the top I shared my whiskey with some fellow walkers who were surprised to find a fisherman amongst the completed ascent party. When they left I rested and fell asleep for a good 30 minutes before my phone rang with my brother Peter enquiring as to where his clothes were as dinner at the Scourie Hotel was approaching. It was 3pm and I was a least 3 hours from my car and I had yet to start fishing so it was unlikely they would arrive before 9pm. The Scourie Hotel Board Master would be wearing jeans on his 1^st night on duty, a first for him but I am sure not for the Hotel.

The views north as you descend the steep path were fantastic, Cansip stood out so clearly as did   the lochs between it and Loch Assynt which I had fished one early May when I had crossed from Kirkaig to Inchnadamph. They are of a good size and hold some good fighting fish which rise to a dry fly on a windy day.

Once at the bottom of the path I traced my way between the Na Barrack lochs and the steep sides of Suilven. There is  a plateau that develops rapidly as you travel west and if you can ignore the great fishing to the north you can travel easily on these giant paving slabs. There are some tempting fish in these lochs though and especially in the main loch I have taken fish of over a pound on many occasions in the last 30+ years in all weather conditions. The Grouse & Green being a terrific fly on this water as well as a Teal & Green.

As you reach the end of Suilven's western slopes the going gets tough and back in the 80's I badly twisted an ankle on miss placing my footing amongst the mini hillocks. It was an injury that cut short a 4 night trip from Elphin to Kylesku, I managed to limp to the Lochinver surgery with some help from a hill walker.  If you do have dodgy ankles which I now have after 40 years of rugby and walking the hills do wear ankle bracelet supports. Even with good boots it is worth having that extra support while carrying a pack and balancing with a 10ft rod.

Your first site of The Loch as you leave the Na Barrack lochs. Taken in 1979 and the quality shows

As you reach the rise at the end of the Na Barrack lochs you get your first sight of “The Loch”, on this day the sun was shining in the west and it was a perfect picture with a slight breeze from the North West and not a soul around. This was our first view of the loch back in 1974 when as a 14 year old I pushed on ahead and as we were passing flicked out a fly just to see if there were any fish about

On the first cast I felt a huge knock and assumed I had snagged the bottom which was strange but on the second cast a 2 1/2lb trout took the wormfly and nearly ripped the small fly rod rod out of my hands, it gave me a terrific fight and was landed as my brothers arrived by the loch side.

We were on our way back to the tents at Achmelvich campsite so there was only time for a few casts for each of us. I carried on with the wormfly for a few minutes with another strong take but this area of the loch is shallow and playing the fish was hazardous among the rocks and the fish released himself easily and the loch went quiet

 

 

1980, I was twenty and proudly wearing my new jacket with friend Doug and bro Peter (PS I wore a Donkey jacket before this)

Peter & Keith in waders and Barbour jackets at the Best Loch in Sutherland. 1979 we think and got lost in the clouds earlier that day only 200 yards from our destination.

 

On this day in 2010 I had as much time as I wanted but in my thinking I would be happy with just one fish to confirm the loch’s status in my mind. There was no sign of rises or movement as I set up my 8ft 6” Hardy Smuggler and set in my new Greys reel which was a Christmas present on its first outing. It was a little large for this rod but the smaller reels have little capacity for backing and when a 4lb fish decides he is boss this rod has little to offer in resistance. Dry Flies drifting on the wind have always done well here so a large size 10 Stimulator was attached to my 16ft leader with a 6lb brown Drennan cast.  

Casting a small 8ft rod after 3 days with my 10ft Sonic can be testing so I false cast across land before nearing the water. The reason for this was that I have caught at least two fish from this loch while just dropping a wet fly into the shallows as I organised myself in getting line out. I did not want this happening again as I wanted a perfect first cast and a rise on the first drift. The Stimulator went out about 20ft from the bank to a place where I had seen a very nice fish many years before (90’s) and where the bank is higher than anywhere else. It was perfect as I waited crouched down in anticipation of the 1^st rise. Striking a fish with a small rod is also totally different fishing wet or dry flies, the tip action requires a much more vigorous jerk rather than my usual pull that had been so effective in Applecross during the week.

After a good five minutes with a bit of twitching and retrieval I conceded defeat on cast 1. On one knee I prepared myself and pulled in some further line before loading the rod ready for cast 2 and covering fresh water with a new drift. The line, leader and fly flew out and caught the breeze and landed delicately in the light ripple, the light coloured Stimulator looked perfectly poised. My concentration was totally transfixed on the task and we waited………

It was not a delicate rise the wild brown trout smashed into the fly and turned aggressively creating a terrific splash and swirl. The line was taught immediately and I lent into the fish rather than the anticipated strike.

It ran.

Then ran some more, way out into the loch not showing itself or even leaping as I had given it as much line as it had needed. At some point it changed its mind and turned back toward me and at some considerable speed, I hand lined the line from the yards of tangled spaghetti in the heather below my boots. The fish then suddenly leapt clean out of the water and showed its true identity as a very large heavy fish of at least 3lb+. Playing of fish can be tedious to readers as George Melly used to say and this one was the norm, on and off runs to the deep and then going left and right I guess in search of weeds or boulders. As this went on I got the fish on the reel and gained the upper hand within minutes.

To be honest I have an amazing memory of catching fish but I only remember the take, the initial fight and maybe a bit about the netting or beaching. But the rest is usually a void and when I try and recall it is a mess of a thousand trouts played. It’s a muddle of hanging on, getting control, looking for the net, getting the net ready, where can I net it, panic on losing the fish, does size matter and then what size is it really!!

Hey no worries, I steered the fish towards the bank 15 yards further along where it was far less steep, descended to the water’s edge and brought him/her closer for inspection. A magnificent specimen, fat and healthy, big spots and a tinge of red left of the eye. 20” with big red spots on the lower edge of its belly, I knew instantly that no net was needed it was the biggest and healthiest fish I had ever encountered here at Graham’s Loch named after me by my brothers and lifelong fishing friends. I released the fly while she was in the shallows and as many fish I had caught in Chile the previous year she darted off into the depths grateful to grow on ready for my further visits in years to come.

Back in the 70's when I had hair fresh face and my faithful Beret

 This loch however is never easy and blank days are a plenty but at least you do see rising fish and even large fish feed in the shallows especially at first light around 4am. It has deep areas and a point that is to die for where 3 bothers and a nephew have camped for a couple of nights in the past.

 I have fished at midnight after driving 697 miles from London one crazy day in the nineties, That morning the deer where unhappy with my lodgings as they barked at my tent at 5am. The biggest I have seen is 5lb+ in the late 80@s, the largest hooked was as described in 2009 but 21” fish have been caught but thin as an eel.

A typical fish from this loch thin, long but beautiful. This was caught on the first false cast and ended up being the only fish that day.

Returned successfully.

 It is fished by many anglers and some like I have been going there over the last 40 years and word has spread through guides and the new licences. But it still has the capacity for 4+ fisherman and you can easily spend a day here but the Na Barrack lochs should always be visited as they have mysteries of their own. My late friend Vince and I came up here in 2006 and had just one fish on my first false cast but we later explored the small lochs to the west and had some fantastic fun on the way back to the Kirkaig. But be careful in 1979 after climbing the steep rise from Fionn three of us got completely disorientated in the cloud and spent 2 hours by a small loch where we rested in our waders and Barbour jackets eating our sarnies and drinking our McEwans.  As the cloud rose we saw Suilven and discovered the loch was less than 200 yards from rested location.

On our last day we would always travel all the way up the loch for the 2^nd visit in hope of a bag to take back to Wales

Three nice fish for our Mothers cooking pot.

 

Suilven’s pillar looks over you always while you are fishing this special loch, at every cast you feel something is looking over you and have that well known feeling the someone is  watching you at all times. I take it as a positive vibe and love the loneliness of the rea especially after spending the previous days walking Oxford St and the Harrods luggage departments. I never feek remote or concened about solitude and if anything fear that my time will be broken by fellow walkers, rock scientists or anglers.

I will leave a whiskey or two under a rock on my next visit and leave it for those dedicated fisherman who adventure out and are prepared to walk the 2 hours and enjoy the best of fishing in the “Best Loch in Sutherland!”

Tight Lines 2014

Off to Draycote tomorrow

Can't wait  cheers Graham *V C Wellington wrote a great book in which he describes journeys such as this but walking from the Culag Hotel to Suilven and back  and there is now a website researching his past see http://www.assyntanglinginfo.org.uk/angling_history_literature for all relevant info,

Tongue to Stack Video and more photos on Flickr

Spending a week at my brother Peter's house looking after dog Jenny and some decorating but most evenings spent in the Nerve Centre. This is his No 2 office & fly tying room but more importantly has maps all over the main wall, covering the Coigach to the Dionard valley and the last loch North i have fished is Bad na h-Achiase in the Eriboll valley. A few nice fish here but the walk up to Loch Stay on side was awesome and I had a  pleasant night spent at loch-side with the company of a swarm of midgies.

The reason for the post is to let any followers know that I have updated my flickr photos with more Scourie years and the annual camping trips the few days allowed before hand. Scourie photos are not exclusively Scourie but are all over West Sutherland and is just the Holiday title. eg "Darling Wife I am off to Scourie" meaning I am off fishing in Scotland for some time and may be home in 10 to 14 days. see http://www.flickr.com/photos/97460423@N08/

There is also a video of my 4 days walking & fishing from Tongue to Stack via Ben Hope, Gobernuisgach lodge and the ridge waterfall between Arkle and Foinaven on You Tube as Flickr only takes 3 minutes video at a time. Apologies for the lack of fishing but my head cam is broken and to be fair did not do too much over the four days.
You Tube link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uchrIqsTiPs&feature=youtu.be

 Pete's big fish on the first morning of my walk is on my Facebook page and I will try and find a better place to publish it  maybe here >

Have been really impressed with Social Media activity on the Assynt area from four Facebook sites including Stewart on Assynt Fly Fishing, West Sutherland Fisheries Trust & Sutherland. I know some worry about our paradise being over-run with fisherman but I still think there is room for more as I still seem to spend most of my holiday in solitude when I am not fishing Scourie waters.

I will type up a few more articles over the next few weeks and hope you will find them interesting on these cold, wet & windy nights. cheers G

Photos & Videos on Flicker

I have managed to start the process of putting some sets of photos on Flicker with a set of videos but not worked out if you can watch video as one film. If I had a more modern PC it is better to watch a combo of both as that is how I have tried to do it and I have seen the results on other pc's.

Any way click on http://www.flickr.com/photos/97460423@N08/sets/ to get the beginnings of my public  photos & videos.

I may add some sets of past photos as the quality of the images are just great.

cheers Graham

Tongue to Ullapool trek June 2013

Just a notice to say that I am all set for my trip up North for a few days fishing around Tongue before a trek across the wilderness to Ullapool taking in a few top fishing spots. 70 miles but over 12 days with 11 nights on the hill, no worries just bought the two litres of whiskey to keep me going through those lonely evenings.

I had planned an article on planning which to be fair has been an enjoyable task over the last 4 months, after two paragraphs I went back to the maps so its on the draft table for now. It will be revived as it is all part of the thrill of fishing and the excitement of a trip in the planning.

the route is planned the lochs to be fished are set and I need to catch fish in the mornings as this is my sole am food intake.

the route is simply

1. Tongue
2. ben hope lochs
3. Gobernuisghish lodge
4. Loch Lynda which is near Loch Seilge
5. Green waterfall or Lochan Easain
6. stack lodge
7. Hush 2 on path to Duartmore bridge
8. 312-337 lochan mhill Dhearg
9. lochs on Bein Aird de loch
10. not sure but in valley before gorm loch more
11. lunch at Inchnadamph
12. loch Bienne Reidhe
13. Suilven loch
14. na tri lochan
15. heading south east
16. probably head for Ardmar campsite

sounds fun?

Report and videos to follow

tight lines this summer

Stupid or just getting old? (Peter Williams)

Stupid or just getting old?

It takes me 50 weeks to plan for my fortnight in scourie.

Let’s face it Rob and I had to decide on our departure a few weeks ago whether we stayed for the week before the GFR or the week after. We chose the week after and maybe Achiltiebhuie the week before.

Then there is the question of accommodation, the expedition tent, the big tent, a cottage?? In the end we throw the lot in the back of the car. Trouble was this year was that every day after breakfast during the camping week it took 45 minutes to sort out the boot of my car.

Let us go further back into the preparation, how many rods? I took five this year. plus a dapping rod. plus a telescopic fly rod. plus a spinning rod (sea-fishing). I used them all, bar the spinning rod, though it might have come in useful on the trout lochs on a couple of very dour days- sorry I will just wash my mouth out.

Reels are easy, one sinker and one floater, in two different weights plus a reel for fly fishing in the sea, spinning reel, and a dapping reel. That’s only seven.

Float-tubing was a revelation this year. But then you need lightweight waders for walking, warm ones plus the different boots for each type. A bicycle pump for the tube. Where does it all end?

water-proofs, evening shirts, chick pulling gear (you never know someone might get lucky), cameras, first aid kit, fishing shirts, socks for walking, socks for casual wear, fleeces ,foot wear and important items like cool dark glasses for the eagles eyrie for the those post fishing post-mortems.

Or you could be like brother robin and go with the attitude' if I have not packed it someone will have one'. Mike had to travel light coming across the Atlantic. I had two cars full of stuff, so crammed into one, I could not even offer a lift to a single Swedish nympho-maniac had there been one looking for a lift between Rotterdam and Scourie.

Finally there are the treasured fly collections that have taken years to build. A few bought here and there, a few sent away for, and those lifted from my fly boxes when my attention was diverted. (40+ boxes at the last count and he's taking them all in 2013)

Can you imagine the depressive state my brother Graham was in when he told me that his total fly collection had been stolen from his garage, save a few select ones that he had lent to a mate who was going fishing in some stocked pond. Fly boxes that had been donated at Xmas time by loved ones (and relatives). Flies were closer to him than some relatives, each with their own story to tell. Many that came in that batch of 50 for stg10.00 that had not felt the water caress Their soft hackles. Years of touching and admiring; gone from the garage. What a stupid place to keep a sacred possession!! I could not help thinking why just steal the flies? Why not some other articles from your collection of valuables at the bottom of your garden?

The rest is now history, Graham had a dismal GFR week but an excellent first week under the guidance of his older brother, taking him to such legendary lochs as the Gillaroo loch at Inchnadamph, loch Urigill and some mouth-watering lochs of Achiltiebhuie. Just for the record he caught three trout over a pound during the first week.

Preparing to go Tubing x 4 on Loch Vatican Achiltibue

In post Scourie mode of mild depression and “i have to sort out my study at home” mood there, in a box folder, were/was the 'stolen ' fly boxes / collection. Cannot believe it was sabotage by Lynda as she had already replaced at great expense a new box and flies. So what was it?

Why these days so much memory loss and repeating yourself or taking an age to get going on the morning of a fishing trip? it is the effects of old age with a bit of something else thrown in for good measure. talking of good measures................... scholl for ever

Peter Williams (The Dognobbler)

Trout fishing on Youtube

Just been looking for some web site ideas and came accross www.ftscotland.co.uk some excellent videos of exploits up in the hills of Wester Ross. There seems to be plenty of other nutters like me who spend their holidays in tents in the middle of nowhere walking through the wilderness in search of wild trout.

I have photos and film of a number of "journeys to where no man has gone before" to quote from Star Trek and will put these into collections on this blogger site in time. Lost a lot of material last week as virus killed my notebook and had to reset and lose all files on drive, will have some backed up and others on steam driven pc from the 90's.

There may be some videos of drunken brothers singing with John Beer in the Scourie Hotel Cocktail bar but that will not surprise many fellow fisherman.