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Thanks Colin, yes I am very lucky to live here and get to fish these places. You are certainly correct about the Highlands, the stocks of fish may not be what they once were but it’s not always just the fish that make the day/experience. All the best 👍

Cheers yes it was a beauty. I’ve yet to get out to hill lochs though still time. Work and family commitments have meant taking a full day to go off hasn’t been possible really. I fish the odd competition on a weekend (only the one so far, & one this weekend) so if I do take a day, it’ll be one of those. 90% of this season has been short trips like the hour in this video - I often do a dad’s taxi run on a friday so ususlly get time to nip up to the lochs before i need to be back. I’ve been trying in the sea for sea trout too. I think on Fada I’ve done less than 2 days if I add up the short trips, similar on Leathan probably less - never enough time is there? 😆 i hope to get to some hill lochs (one in particular) though i’ll be looking to the rivers soon. I’d like to go to Raasay with the tent to fish some lochs there but will have to see, always next season. I hope you are having a good season and really appreciate the nice comment thank you for the support 👍

Thanks Michael, glad you enjoyed it all the best 👍

Hi Roger - yes, you consider what these rivers used to be like in terms of fish numbers, it is nothing like that now. I often hear stories of ‘how it used to be’. All is not lost though, there are still fish and numbers can be good some seasons, the upper river here I find quite challenging, including just accessing the river. Nature can find a way but unfortunately we don’t help things with things like fish farming alongside other pressures they face. Angling pressure here isn’t one as rivers are lightly fished, there will always be some poaching and all we can do is try to be the best stewards and voices for the rivers that we can be.

You could well be correct Mark, it is fairly shallow there at that tide with a fair bit of weed so I was also not wanting to be catching that too much on the flies. Fly fishing in the sea is totally new to me so I’m trying to remember to do different things and not slip into loch style fishing too much and fish too quick. The spate rivers for salmon & sea trout I’m comfortable in what I’m doing but this is a new challenge, partly why I’ve enjoyed it so much. Thanks for the advice & all the best 👍

Thanks Terry, I certainly will and it will be one I remember. I’ll keep trying for another in the sea but it won’t be too long now until they start to run, as with every season here on the West Coast you live in hope that there are a reasonable number of sea trout and salmon, we’ll see. All the best.

Hi Simon, hope you are OK and thanks. Yes there are very good brownies in both lochs and bigger ones than this are caught occasionally most seasons by those lucky souls presenting the right thing at the right time and getting some good fortune as well. It’s been a while for me, come close a few times so I was made up with this one. I was close to a bigger one last week fishing a dry fly, one for another day perhaps 👍

Thank you, almost to Orkney standards 😆 i was thrilled, I’m happy to encounter any wild trout but I can’t lie, that one was a bit special for me. All the best 👍

Shetland sounds fantastic, this trout is more the exception than the rule for me personally, but it makes it a bit more special when one turns up. There are some great fish in there so you need a bit of luck and time on there obviously helps. But we are lucky to have the lochs with the chance of a real bonus fish. I had a close call with a bigger one earlier in the week fishing the evening with a mayfly. Keeps the fire burning 😆👍

Thank you Joe, almost as big as some of your Irish lough trout , tight lines 👍

I know, it took me a while to find another one, the lochs throw up some really good brownies every season so I always go there with hope and that ‘you never know’ outlook. Nice to get it in to have a good look at it. Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed it, certainly one I’ll remember.

Thanks Dave, oh yes such a hard life 😆 it was bloody freezing though, honest! Spare a thought for my daughter when I collected them having to live through my tale of the epic battle! Take it easy mate 👍

Ha ha! I remember my daughter as a teen enthralled with my fishing tales 😂😂

Cheers Mike, it really was a great take. we are so lucky to cross paths briefly with wild fish like brown trout, sea trout & salmon. Just picture perfect it was, another one that’ll live long in the memory. Crossed the Doon & Stinchar en route to Cairnryan - both looked incredibly fishy. All the best 👍

Cheers Robert, I’m sure how thrilled I was came across, hopefully it won’t be as long wait until the next but if it is I can live with that 😆 all the best.

Thanks, yes I find on the rare occasion I remember to fish a bit slower, the takes can be quite savage, it certainly wanted it! All the best and looking forward to following more of your salmon & sea trout escapades over on the east coast. Cheers.

I’m honestly not too sure, I tend to just want to get them back but if I had to estimate it would be over 2lb but I’m rubbish at guessing weight. Such a stunning fish though, one glimpse of a fish like that, which for me are quite rare, makes you want another! I need to measure the bottom of the net that would probably give me an idea of length. All the best hope you are still getting those lovely brownies over in the States 👍

Thanks Toby, yes the camera took it’s first dunking 😂 takes a little while for audio to right itself after, but it’s great being able to do it easily. I was made up to get that fish, absolute stunner, I had one bigger go over a dry mayfly last wk when i had my first go off a boat for the evening rise. There was a big hatch of anglers curse that night too, it was a tricky evening but stunning in the calm and sunset. The perch sounds fantastic, a great fish that Toby. They are another stunning fish, but a wild highland loch perch like that (assume in a loch) is a great catch well done 👍

Thank you and no problem, hope you enjoyed it. Tight lines 👍

Hi John. Many thanks for the nice feedback and glad you have enjoyed the videos you’ve watched. Thank you. Islay sounds fantastic I hope you have a good trip & some good fishing / conditions. Hopefully might bump into you, check out the club website (links in many of my video descriptions) & if you need to get in touch you can email the address on there and if it is fishing advice related it normally gets forwarded onto me. Happy to give you some pointers if i can if you visit up here & depending on time/work can maybe sort something out 👍 All the best & tight lines.

@@highlandfishingdiary8818 thanks for the reply. Really looking forward to it, looks amazing! I’ll be sure to be in touch 👍 Tight lines 🎣

Thank you, yes It gave me a good tow around and it was nice to see such a fish in such good condition. As I’ve said in other replies, it’s the second one which will be even harder, but fingers crossed I’ll get another before I start looking at our spate rivers. All the best 👍

Very true, this is secretly why I faff about so much in hope of inducing a take - finally it worked 😆 you too Toby, tight lines mate.

Thanks Dave, yes I’m very fortunate. You will no doubt be right, I think I said similar after I caught it. It was the first time I’d been down there so stuck with the ghost tip albeit it is fairly shallow and weedy. But i think I could get away with letting it sink more, I’ve been back when the water was a bit higher and fished a floater as I was fishing over more of those wrack fronds. It’s so hard to snap out of the standard loch style pulling a team / pair of flies, I am trying though. I’ve been experimenting with fishing slower washing line style on the Storr Lochs, just need to mix it up a bit more rather than fishing too quick, but its sometimes easier said than done 😆 👍 all the best & thanks for encouraging me to have a go in the sea.

Don’t worry about changing away from the flies I gave you Mat. Think about the environment you are fishing in and what they are likely to feed on. Shrimp patterns work well too. Fishing is about experimenting with different flies, colours and trying out different speeds of retrieving. I tend to let my flies sink a little before retrieving unless I am using surface flies of course! If you are fishing in an estuary there may be fresh water on top as salt water is more dense. This can affect the sink rate. Salt water fly fishing can be very addictive as you never know what or if you are going to catch. Tight lines Mat and enjoy the experience!

@@mikef6114 thanks Mike, I think when someone has so much experience like yourself, you doubt your own decision to change away from one of the flies 😆 down in that estuary and other places there are a lot of very small fry in the weeds almost like pin fry, another reason I tried something like a peter ross. I’m trying to vary things up, habits can he tough to snap out of! But yes, you’ve given me loads of pointers in terms of all sorts of flies & tactics so I’ll definitely mix it up and try to fish something/experiment according to location. I was out on a boat on Fada last night, I found it really tough there were some mayfly coming off later in once sun set and the fish I got were on a mayfly imitation, point blank refused more general patterns like an elk hair caddis that often work (it was very calm though). I had a beast of a brown go up and over my fly at one point it was so close! It was hard but a great evening chasing around in flat calm conditions trying different things to get some fish. Then the caenis came on, it was something to see, even if I wasn’t catching, all the browns cruising on the fin under the surface lapping up the spent flies very late on. Frustrating and amazing in the same breath! Cheers.

Thank you Angus, it really will be a moment I look back on in yrs to come, hopefully I’ll get some more as I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of it. As for the fly it certainly is, as well as the other patterns he kindly tied me up, I’m sure they will get me plenty of fish. Many thanks 👍

Thank you, yes a lot more photogenic than the angler 😆 definitely getting a line tray, I was looking at some online last week. I could probably try to make one. Thanks as always for the pointers I really appreciate it, best of luck to you as well when you are out for a cast 👍

Thank you, it will be something I will look back on in years to come as with many other ‘fishing firsts’. The second will probably be even harder but I’ll be having some more tries in other places before we start looking to target the rivers themselves. All the best 👍

Thank you, never get tired of seeing sea trout up close, amazing fish and nice to get one in the sea, hopefully I might encounter another before the main runs arrive in our rivers. All the best 👍

Thanks John, I know, sometimes you need a slice of luck so I’ll take it 😆 it was in great nick and I hope it makes a safe journey eventually back up the river. All the best 👍

Thank you David, it certainly was a cracking fish and nice to see it swim away. Just need another one now 😆 it’ll not be too long before the main runs arrive and once again, as with the salmon, we’ll have to see what that amounts to. Fingers crossed. Thanks and all the best 👍

Would love to know the recipe for the sandeel fly. Looking to try my hand at dressing a few and giving the coast a try later this summer.

@@lookcreations Quite a simple fly to tie. Hook - Kamasan B200 size 8 (or B175 size 10 if you want to go small) Tail -White Marabou with a few strands of UV Flashabou on top BODY - White floss built up to form a body, EYES - 3mm three D eyes of the internet. Coat body with UV resin and set with torch. I have tried colour variations like green or brown on top but the all white works best by far. It has caught me thousands of sea trout throughout Scotland.

@@mikef6114 thanks. I will get the materials together and give it a go

Cheers Mike, thanks for that and the help you’ve given me. The second one will be even tougher 😆 i lost a small one last monday evening and saw one other before my mates the seals arrived! Great to see the fly ingredients too, such a great pattern not surprising it has been so successful for you, coupled with all the experience you have too. Here’s to the next one, same to you tight lines Mike 👍

Cheers Dave, as you can see I was quite chuffed! Yes, a bit bigger, them or a pollock, would give you a good scrap. I’ve had pollock pushing double figures off my boat, even ones about 5lb would give you a tremendous fight on a fly rod. Just need to get over this cold now, it’s not a great one tbh! All the best as always mate 👍

Thank you George, I’ve been enjoying the challenge of having a go & thanks for the encouragement. All the best 👍

Cheers Toby, yes I’m sure you are quite right. Like ghosts - nothing for ages and then suddenly you get a few signs. It’s sometimes similar in the rivers when you encounter a small pod of them moving about. I’m full of a bad cold but against my better judgement had a go monday night after work as I felt a bit better. I saw once sea trout jump very close to me at the edge of the wrack, heard another and lost a small sea trout. That all happened in like 10 mins! Rest of the time no sign. Three seals arrived at about 9:30pm working further out in the loch and as usual did their array of splashing at me etc 😆 all the best 👍

Yeah, last two quick goes I’ve been on the floating line and will persevere with that for a bit. You quite often get those tiny pollock coming right into the bottom river pools at high tide, you get them there in ‘the black pool’ which is the sea pool of that wee river. Yes, I’ve been trying ti time it so I can fish a bit before low water and maybe after, but timing it has been tricky with work and stuff. Saturday looked great with low water about 8pm i think, I had hoped to go down for maybe 6pm and fish til dusk until the cold ruined that 😆 Thanks as always Mike.

Thanks Robert. They will, just need to find a bit more time, but aren’t we all 😆 all the best.

For sure, I think most of my locations are probably estuaries to be fair, but it’s where I feel I have most chance. One or two successes might be enough for you then to just go try in some random place off some rocks! It seems some form of fresh water inlet no matter how small is key, but then again you see a few hardy souls catch where there isn’t one. All part of the adventure though, I had hoped to try in the sea this evening but I’m full of an awful cold so I think that has put the mockers on that. I see your next vid is out, I’ll check that out later 👍

Thanks Toby, I would think it might be good in the firth? Is it quite muddy / ok to wade? Best of luck when you do. I spoke to some guys at our club and unfortunately we’re not sending a team to Meig. Something came up meaning some couldn’t now fish which is a real shame as it’s a great day and club. Hopefully will be across next year. Cheers re. the sea fly fishing, enjoying it just having to find a bit of time to have a go now and then. All the best for Saturday.

Very true, I was pretty excited when I saw that nervous water, at first I wasn’t sure then a bow wave came from my left and downstream, I was chuffed just to have selected somewhere that seems to have potential. Cheers for the insight on the ‘leopard water’ that drop off looks great too, clearly that/those fish were using the river mouth / shallows to get away from the seals I guess. Thanks as always for the help and hope your fishing is going well 👍

Aye, I can see both sides of the seals point, they could have chased fish in, but I've never caught fish when they're cruising, could just be my bad fishing!. I'm for out in the salt tomorrow, first in a couple of months, weather looks good!.

@@AyrshireAlps best of luck hope you find some fish 👍

Hi. I’m based on Skye but have only just started trying in the sea here so still not even scratched the surface. I’m sure it is very similar to the coast around the Assynt area & like me it’s just a case of going and having a try. I’ve lived here 18 yrs & have a decent understanding of our freshwater but this sea lark is on a different level 😆 all the best, glad you enjoyed it & appreciate the comment.

@@highlandfishingdiary8818 long time since I visited Skye and fished the lochs below the old man of stor. I fished pollack with a sinking fly line in 50’ of water off the rocks - great day and mad method but got a 6lb pollack in Assynt. Have sub’d to follow your experience. 👍

@@lookcreations thanks for the sub much appreciated. I know the Storr Lochs well and am currently secretary for the angling club, it’s a stunning spot to be able to fish. I bet that pollock gave you a real fight, they do even on light boat rods let alone on the fly! 😆 some great pollock fishing here too. All the best 👍

@@highlandfishingdiary8818 - I’m secretary and fisheries Officer for my local water - Errwood Reservoir; drop me a line if you’re ever in the Peak District and I will take you for some rainbow fishing

@@lookcreations that’s a very kind offer, thank you. I went to Sheffield University a good while ago, the Peak District is stunning area 👍

Cheers, I was going to go straight to the outing where I caught one but decided I’d prefer to show the attempts where I didn’t as it’s all part of the process. But yes I’ll hopefully get it done fairly soon, it was a great feeling to get one and a bit of luck too as you see in the video. All the best as always 👍

Great video again and good to see you using my favourite sea trout combination. What a lovely place to fish with clear water and lovely mountain backdrop. Every day is a learning day. I learn something new every day I go out. Only a matter of time before you hit it right Mat! Perhaps if there had been a little more tide there you might have connected! Great stuff and great to see your video even if you didn't connect. Catching them is a bonus. Really enjoyed your video! Tight lines for next time.

@@mikef6114 thanks Mike, yes it’s a nice spot. As I said to Robert, I had a look down there last wk for a brief go as I was down that way with work. The seals were basking near that burn mouth as the tide was still in a bit and just going out, so I need to be there when their spot has been left dry and they’ve vacated. Plus some rain too, that burn had a small bit of extra water that day compared to last wk. Not sure if it is a viable burn, not that is matters, as there is an impassable waterfall maybe 1/4 mile up. Will try it again for sure. Thanks as always and good luck when you are out next 👍

It’s a funny one isn’t it? To me my gut response is it is maybe a sign of fish so not a complete negative. Whilst they are close by maybe less so? I went back to this spot in the week and basically gave up and went elsewhere. As I approached the burnmouth the tide was starting to go out and the bit I fished was underwater. The rocks by the burn had a load of seals on them basking and they shifted as I got near but just hung around 😆 so yeah, the fish farm near may be a reason and the burns maybe it is a good sign albeit tricky when they are cruising close by. The second spot I went to by some narrows had a solitary seal that crashed at me close in but generally hung further back, there was also an otter i watched for ages which was pretty amazing. I’ll keep trying these spots at different times, cheers Robert 👍

@@highlandfishingdiary8818 where I fish on loch fyne the seals are always there and on occasion even try and steal a sea trout once hooked , hope you get one soon .

@@robertgreen5217 thanks Robert that really helps me. I did finally get one a couple of wks ago and will get that video done soon I was absolutely made up! All the best 👍

Cheers Dave, ah it was just one of those things. I’ve landed plenty off the reel (did in last competition) and tbf that rocky shore isn’t conducive to line on the ground, which I think is why i did it. It all keeps us motivated to come back. I might get a boat on there sat or sun evening weather permitting. It’s a lovely loch. All the best 👍

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it & thanks for commenting. The fish were in a taking mood that evening and it’s nice when that coincides with a visit. All the best for your own season 👍

Thanks Mike. Yes, it’s a lovely rod and I have a spare as about a yr after i bought the first one, Glasgow Angling were selling them off for less than £100, had them probably 10-15 yrs i think, 2 piece rods. The 5wt Greys GRXI is my favourite, a four piece, really good fun to use hill lochs and sea trout on small burns, a small grilse gave it a good test last season! I also use it for dry fly on the Storr Lochs. Glad you enjoyed it, useless with fly names, but it stood out to me. Typically i started with the Ace of Spades on the weekend and touched nowt 😆 All the best.

Cheers Robert. The lower big loch we do a limited stocking of rainbows in the winter. The lochs are a hydro scheme and there have been occasions when the height has risen higher than usual and some rainbows have gone into Fada - they are really close both lochs, with a short shallow section between. When the lochs have been allowed to rise some have got though the ‘dam’ at Fada. Anglers take any caught out of there, both lochs have been fishing well most encouraging are some of the browns being caught, they are now mandatory catch & release & have been for a few yrs now, with only rainbows taken and in competitions. The lochs are contained and not linked to any other waterways, the big loch dam and its outflow basically plunge down a cliff into the sea below. All the best.

@@highlandfishingdiary8818 many thanks 👍

Great colors. I swear the fish from my home waters look like yours 🎉

@@rustbeltwilds837they definitely do, that was another nice one you put on YT the other day 👍