Rock Fishing in NW Scotland

[Man1000]

I am a newbie and this is my first post. I have just moved up to the NW Highlands, my fishing has normally been from a boat around the Kent coast, with a bit of beachcasting thrown in. Can anybody help with any info regarding rock fishing or beachcasting from the coast anywhere from Gairloch to Kinlochbervie, tackle, bait, lures,angling shops,etc. I am new to this type of fishing and any info will be appreciated.

[spanner]

Welcome to God's own country.

 

I used to stay near Poolewe for many years and we still holiday up there all the time. I've fished a lot around Loch Ewe and Gairloch, where about are you based?

 

There are a couple of shops in Ullapool where you can buy tacke, but they are fairly limited so the best bet is mail order. I can recemmend Veals.

 

Bait is a case of catch/dig/pick your own, or again you can buy frozen bait in bulk mail order. I can recommend Baits Direct.

 

Let me know where you are and I'll try and be more specific about marks etc. I'll be across for 2 weeks in early July so we might be able to meet up for a session.

[saint_1877]

Best bit of advice I can give you is to purchase some Admirality charts then you will be able to pick out some deep spots. You will probably have a chance of catching fish such as thornback rays, spurdog and dogfish. I suggest you make some rigs up with luminous beads/tubing and remember to charge them up with a torch before casting out.

[Man1000]

Many Thanks to Spanner & Saint_1877 for your replies and info.

I will be using mail order for tackle requirements. As for bait, I have been spoilt rotten being able to get fresh bait anytime on the south coast. Dig my own? I would'nt have a clue how to! I suppose frozen bait and lures will have to do.

[spanner]

Digging lug can be hard work but there are alternaitives and it doesn't have to be too hard to keep a freezer stocked.

 

If you are going to fish over rocky ground mussel can be an excellent bait and is very easy to collect. A few minutes at low tide on most rocky or mixed beaches and you will be able to pick up plenty enough, but the time consuming bit is the shelling. If you try to pick only the larger, cleaner (i.e. barnacle free) mussels that makes life easier. 20 mins of gathering and a couple of hours shelling should see enough mussel in the freezer to keep you going for a good many sessions.

 

Mustad shrimp rigs can keep you supplied in sandeels and of course mackerel in the summer.

 

Razor can be dug on the spring tides as well, one big tide and I get enough for about 10 to 20 sessions in 2 hours.

[Man1000]

Thanks Spanner. Very informative, I will be out there tomorrow with my bucket and try to act on your info about mussel's.

[Norrie]

Hi Man 1000, Welcome to AN, you will have some fun here.

Spanner, You have interested me on your reports on Poolewe, I have an uncle who lives there,(Stewart Mckenzie) who you might or might not know, he has asked me up on a couple of occasions, and I might now take him up on his invite. Thanks for that.

[spanner]

Norrie,

There are quite a few Mckenzies in the area. If you tell me what your uncle does I might be able to nail him down! We actually stayed 5 miles up the loch from Poolewe, in Inverasdale, where there is an Alistair Mckenzie, any relative? Does your uncle fish? We'll be across for the first two weeks of July so if you happen to go up then we could meet up for a session.

 

Man1000,

Let us know how you get on, not just the bait but the fish as well!

[Man1000]

Hello Spanner,

Sorry I have not got back to the forum, I am in the process of house hunting and very busy. I am in temporary accomodation near Dundonnell. But I did have a go at rock fishing at Cove, which you will probably know. I did not have any luck, maybe I was not fishing in the right place! I did not get a chance to go after mussels, but it is something I would like to try, and will do.

Thanks Norrie for the Welcome.

[spanner]

Oh yes, I know Cove pretty well, its my local rock mark. How and where were you fishing it? There are two main places I use.

 

The first is right at Rubha nan Sasan, follow the fence to the right round the old gun emplacements until it runs over the cliffs, (hop over the wooden gate just before you fall over the cliff!) and stick to the right of the big cleft, there is a small concrete slab at the end where you have to scramble down to flat rocks below. This is a scramble to get down to and it can be slippery when wet so be careful. I only go when its dry and calm. I learnt the hard way that this point catches any swell from the minch as I got swamped by a rougue wave here once. I was phycially several feet under the water and mangaged to hang on as the back wash tried to suck me in. Not pleasant. Most of the fish are in real close, I've had pollack to 9lb from here though most of them are much smaller. Jellies, shads spinners etc.

 

The second spot I use is in front of the last house on the right. There is a rock arch and just to the right of that there are a series of ledges that are safe to fish from. Lures again will tacke pollock, saithe and cod as its rocky for about 50-70yds. I've caught cod, pollack, saithe and wrasse here as well on lug, mussel, mackerel or sandeel. Cast beyond that and its clean with quite a tide run so you need a grip lead to avoid being swept back into the rocks. I usally get a few codling and dab but I always expect doggies or rays as well.

 

If you are at Dundonnel you can always try close to the fish cages in the loch or the slip at Badlaurach. The are some good rocks beyond the road end at Badlaurach but it might be bit of a hike.

 

I would expect the beach at Dundonnel to be good for flatties, and then there are the beaches at Gruinard to try as well.

 

The lighhouse at Rhue, just north of Ullapool, and the beach at Ardmair a little further on are supposed to be good marks althought I haven't fished either myself.

 

When I'm over in July I was planning to try some new marks round at Gruinard if you want to meet up for a session. Apart from the beaches themselves I was thinking of the point at Miotag or the slip just north of Gruinard House as they are a little rougher ground.