The Runner
Well-known member
Northerly winds had kept me away from the North End pollack marks last week, turned to a fresh southerly last night so back up to Aird/ Kilmaluag today. Walk in a bit easier than usual as one of the crofters had just been along it on a quad bike which flattened a lot of the vegetation on the rougher bits. Wished him a "Madainnn Mhath" as he came back about 40 yards away and got a "morning" in return- think that should have been the other way round....
Had the whole place to myself again, started at the Bun-Idein end, pollack first chuck and then nothing for half an hour, Changed to a smaller lure, a little black and white Cannibal Shad , and picked up another five in the next hour. Suppose could have stayed there all day picking off odd fish but the siren call of slack water and what might turn up on a big bait got me to move 400 yards along and set up the big rod. Most of a side of mackerel on a 6/0 got lobbed out 50 yards- only got 40 minutes before the tide started running with no indications. One of these days....Did have another two pollack on the lure rod while waiting though. Left backpack and beachcaster at the top of the rocks and just took lure rod and small bag along to the far end of Rubh'an t-Sailleir
Again only got half an hour here before had to withdraw to avoid getting wet feet as the tide filled a little gully behind me, one more pollack and a half pound coalie, back to where I'd left the rest of the gear and added one more from the tide rip. Swell building strongly so moved back to where I'd started, two more pollack straight away then nothing for a while so decided to have the last 40 minutes on Rubha na Tragha which I'd walked past twice. Changed to a 20gm Toby for extra distance as reckoned the backwash from the now heavy swell might be pushing the fish further out. It certainly made one difference, picked up another four small coalies on it as well as one last pollack before called it a day.
Good mixture of sizes to the pollack today- only remembered late on that had put scales in bag the other day so weighed second last (and probably second biggest) fish (third pic) at 5 lb exactly which probably put the biggest (second pic) around seven.
Steady stream of gannets going past mostly Southwards and loads of shags and guillemots about- think I had a take off a guillemot on the drop but luckily didn't hook it. Odd collection of Corvids on the croft land just by the Aird turnoff. As well as a lot of jackdaws there were seven or eight ravens and around a dozen hoodies all rummaging around in a freshly mown hayfield- unusual to see so many of either together. Very late mowing, all of the other croft fields there had been cut by mid July which makes me wonder if there had been corncrakes about in these two fields. A few still turn up here every year scattered about the North end of the island, and you can get a grant if they're on your land for delaying the mowing.
In summary, a warm day, a gully full of pollack, and a view out to the Western Isles.
What more could you ask for ?...
Had the whole place to myself again, started at the Bun-Idein end, pollack first chuck and then nothing for half an hour, Changed to a smaller lure, a little black and white Cannibal Shad , and picked up another five in the next hour. Suppose could have stayed there all day picking off odd fish but the siren call of slack water and what might turn up on a big bait got me to move 400 yards along and set up the big rod. Most of a side of mackerel on a 6/0 got lobbed out 50 yards- only got 40 minutes before the tide started running with no indications. One of these days....Did have another two pollack on the lure rod while waiting though. Left backpack and beachcaster at the top of the rocks and just took lure rod and small bag along to the far end of Rubh'an t-Sailleir
Again only got half an hour here before had to withdraw to avoid getting wet feet as the tide filled a little gully behind me, one more pollack and a half pound coalie, back to where I'd left the rest of the gear and added one more from the tide rip. Swell building strongly so moved back to where I'd started, two more pollack straight away then nothing for a while so decided to have the last 40 minutes on Rubha na Tragha which I'd walked past twice. Changed to a 20gm Toby for extra distance as reckoned the backwash from the now heavy swell might be pushing the fish further out. It certainly made one difference, picked up another four small coalies on it as well as one last pollack before called it a day.
Good mixture of sizes to the pollack today- only remembered late on that had put scales in bag the other day so weighed second last (and probably second biggest) fish (third pic) at 5 lb exactly which probably put the biggest (second pic) around seven.
Steady stream of gannets going past mostly Southwards and loads of shags and guillemots about- think I had a take off a guillemot on the drop but luckily didn't hook it. Odd collection of Corvids on the croft land just by the Aird turnoff. As well as a lot of jackdaws there were seven or eight ravens and around a dozen hoodies all rummaging around in a freshly mown hayfield- unusual to see so many of either together. Very late mowing, all of the other croft fields there had been cut by mid July which makes me wonder if there had been corncrakes about in these two fields. A few still turn up here every year scattered about the North end of the island, and you can get a grant if they're on your land for delaying the mowing.
In summary, a warm day, a gully full of pollack, and a view out to the Western Isles.
What more could you ask for ?...
