Off for My Fishy Hols 2014.

[ValeTudoGuy]

In hotel, just typed a full report only to lose connection. The winner is VTG congrats! Will post details tomorrow from the rig.

Woohoo! My theory of multiplying averages worked.....

Massive congratulations Simon and thank you!

[SmokeyDave]

Congrats Simon and Marc

[Tucky]

Woohoo! My theory of multiplying averages worked.....

Massive congratulations Simon and thank you!

Bugger I used your theory to but obviously had to choose either side so plumped for a touch higher..

[Simon Bolivar]

Ok, so back on the rig for a short one weeker & able to post some pics. Just a few to keep you going until I can type up a story. Here's my new & modest Fly PB, 6lb 12 on a perch fry imitation, caught wading in the shallows amongst the weed. Put up a good scrap & was nicely lip hooked.SAM_4811.jpg It tailwalked couple of times, which is a little disconcerting when you are almost face to face with them in the water.

Here's the best pic I got of my Scottish PB, caught on the second day, at 13lb 10 it just beat the previous PB by 7ozs. Unfortunatley due to the fish bleeding slightly by the throat after unhooking, I didn't want to risk keeping it out of the water to take pics so returned it straight away. As it rested in the shallows I took a few shots, this is the best. Doesn't do it justice of course but it did swim off strongly in the end so good outcome. Did hope that I would get the chance to get a better photo of a decent fish before I left as this one is not exactly suitable for the study wall!SAM_4817.jpg

Luckily the very next day I was to get my chance to take a better pic. Moving swims from the dam end to the top end during the day, I arrived at the fence swim at 1400. It was a rare cloudless sunny afternoon, the worst conditons & time of day for piking. I was a little concerned about the fence, it is a known & obvious hazard, that he pike always go for. Anyway, I was just waiting for 1500, to pour a coffee & Stella to go with a Famosa; to celibrate catching a PB bag for a single day, the day before of 106lb 04 with 14 fish. My second 100lb+ bag from this water & the only place I have achieved it. 1445 & there was a bleep on the Delk's & then a full bodied run. Now I had missed many runs already so I gave it an extra moment & them wound down & struck into a solid lump. It was a strange fight to start with as it seemed to jag, jag like an eel rather than a pike. I assumed it was passed an obsticle & the line was rubbing against it, luckily I was using 30lb line! After a while it became free & yes it kited off towards the fence. I clamped down hard & the fish managed to put a real bend in the 3lb rod. I wasn't worried about the rod but the line could have been abraded on the obsticle & the hooks could pull out. However this time luck was with me & I turned it & as she headed for the landing net she thrashed around shaking her maw & I could see she was just attached by the single hook, used to secure the sardine to the line. The treble which had been stuck in the middle of the sardine & secured with elastic thread, was dangling outside of the mouth. These are always tricky to net as the flying hook will snag it at some point & can lead to the fish escaping or getting snagged up. Using I would hand land or beach such a hooked pike but I wasn't going to risk losing this one. After 7yrs of travelling to Scotland, this one was finally going to beat my UK PB of 14lb, that had stood for an embaressingly 30 long yrs.

She slid over the net & she was mine, lifting her out in the net I felt the pleasing weight. She was quickly unhooked, weighed in at 17lb 03. Photos takenSAM_4843.jpg & she was returned none the worse for wear.SAM_4844.jpg I had a few moments supporting her & took the time to admire her form & very fat belly, looked like she had eaten a large perch of roach recently (both species go to over 3lb in there) & then she kicked free & swam slowing off back into the clear depths.
I then lit up as plannedSAM_4846.jpg then I had it all. A perfect Scottish sunny day, a record breaking pike, on a record breaking week & a beautiful tasty smoke SAM_4849.jpg .

[ValeTudoGuy]

Lovely write up Simon! And now I really must make the trip because I am determined to break 3lb for both Roach and Pearch!

[ValeTudoGuy]

Some wonderful markings there on the Scottish fish! Water quality must be excellent.

Would it be all to geeky to ask for a rundown of your gear you use? Lol

I'm very interested in what people use, the Delkims are something I have often considered buying for many years. I use Fox PSR for Pike, though I am always looking out for E.T. Backbiters.

[PeeJay]

Would it be all to geeky to ask for a rundown of your gear you use? Lol

Yes it would! Off to the PMs with you!

[Simon Bolivar]

The water quality is excellent so excellent the loch is used at the isle's water supply see pics of water treatment unit by damSAM_4830.jpg. There are some beautifully marked fish it's true & it perfect condition too. The other loch they look really tatty post spawn but these looked great & super fit & aggresive. The problem is they fight so hard they risk expiring from lactic acid build up, hence the necessity to return them quickly & if necessary support them whilst they recover.

I use Delkims on the frontTackle.Delks.$T2eC16RHJGQE9noM,BLEBQ7dcUlr,Q~~60_12.jpg & Billy's Back Biter's on the rearSAM_4798.jpg. I really just use them for the swing arm & this works better than others I have tried, see pic. But of course they can be used on their own. The advantage of Delk's is that for DB's the sensitivity can be turned up so you tend to get a warning beep or two before the full blooded run. Not so suitable with livebaits, even turned down low. I brought mine second hand on Fleabay & they work fine. Not the latest but do the job. The remote feature I don't use, despite the fact I paid more for it. I never go more than a few yrds from my baited rods, certianly not out of range of the buzzer. But if fishing a busier water or at night, it would be useful.

As you mention geeky, here's some pics of the rigs I use, the Snake pic shows a Smelt section hooked onto the treble,SAM_4870.jpg this had just been removed from a pikes mouth, not it's throat. When looking into the mouths of the pike, I often found pre-bait I had put chucking in, they seemed to be picking up several chuncks between swallows, like a bird carrying many insects in it's beak. Smelt is a prime pike bait & great hooker, soft so I use the elasticSAM_4915.jpg & it usually means to can catch a couple of fish on them. The snakes I was suturing on, with expired sutures, this mean't I could catch up to 3-4 pike one section; they are expensive after all! The perch rig is on a running ledger.SAM_4921.jpg

My Rods were two 12' Diawa Misson XP 3lbtc with Shimmano Bait Runners & I use Mick Brown 10' boat rods 3lb tc, with Abu Mulitpliers when on Loch Fad. I also keep a two piece jerkabit rod & a 4 piece spinnig rod on the Isle & brought my 4 piece 8/9wt fly rod with me as it just fits in my suitcase. I keep 80% of my gear on the Isle, inc boat seat, inflatable life jacket, lure bucket full with large lures, waders, weighing sling, unhooking mat, cool bag & ice pack. All I take are water proofs, reels, alarms, rucksack & terminal tackle.The landlord had been keeping the rest for me on the basis I would be guarrented to come back for a week every yr to use it. However they have quit the business so I will be renting self catering fishing flat next time & my local island fishing mate has luckily agreed to take my gear for me.

[cigarmo]

What do you do with the 500lbs of fish?

[Simon Bolivar]

Put them all back of course, I am not a Belgian!

[PeeJay]

Neither is Ronald McDonald but he turns out a nice fillet'o'fish

[cigarmo]

Put them all back of course, I am not a Belgian!

you didn't eat any of them?

[Simon Bolivar]

Nah Moe, these lochs just aaren't big enough to allow everyine to take one fish home a session, it'd be empty in a year. 99% of pike & carp are returned in this country by nationally licenced fisherman, our friends from Eastern Europe have different traditions but they are being shown the error of their ways. They have otters back on Bute now so they'll take their share & that'll be enough population control.

[ValeTudoGuy]

you didn't eat any of them?

Catch and release my friend! ...... Put it back to swim away, catch again another day.

[Sean]

That just seems so peaceful


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