Scotty Mitchell
Well-known member
Mountain Goat condition has been and gone!
Loch Shin
- Thread starter codyarrow
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Cap'n Fishy
Well-known member
The area around West Shinness Lodge where a peninsula juts out is reasonable wading although again, smallish fish from the bank, IIRC.
I swear the wild goats at Loch Skeen were laughing at me the last time I scrambled my way up the hill.
Scotty Mitchell
Well-known member
That’s one that is on the list for this season.I swear the wild goats at Loch Skeen were laughing at me the last time I scrambled my way up the hill.
Cap'n Fishy
Well-known member
A big group of us took Shinness Lodge for a week in 2018. Used it as a base for fishing all the lochs in the area. The lodge had its own boat, parked at that big peninsula. A couple of the guys took it out, but it was a bit small, and we did the rest of our fishing on Shin from the LAC boats parked up beside the Overscaig.
Col
Better start your training now, the climb is a lung buster !
The shoreline on Shin can be difficult but there are some better areas. I've found that you can catch several fish in one spot then nothing in an other. The easier the access from parking places is often not the best fishing so you might need to walk a distance from the road. As Colin says be careful as there are some very soft areas and some deep holes. The hill lochs above Loch Fiag are a good day out with plenty of small trout. Merkland looks interesting but have only fished from the shore once and did not catch much, there was a huge hatch of Mayfly but no fish rising!
sean freeman
Well-known member
I fished the Merkland river one evening when I was there and the rise that night was incredible, didn’t see anything like it any other evening that week. It’s a great part of Scotland to explore with a fly rod.
Grew up fishing all around there as my uncle lives at the first house in Corriekinloch. As has been said, the fishing there can be pretty special including Shin from the bank and especially from the last hour before darkness into the wee small hours - providing there is a decent breeze/wind - but be careful of both midges and the soft banks! Short, 10 yard casts and work your top dropper back to you right under the rod tip is all that's required normally and keep moving. 20-30 decent fish a night isn't hard to achieve and you'll likely connect with something decent.
The hill lochs around the surrounding areas are well worth the efforts of walking in but please consult with the local gamekeeper especially within the shooting season. The myriad of rivers around and above Shin are worth spending day or two on as well. They are stuffed with fish, almost all very small but they do contain the odd good fish through the small stuff.
As for the Ferox in the loch, then all I will say on that is it's worth the effort of doing it properly - if you put the effort in then you'll see the rewards...
The hill lochs around the surrounding areas are well worth the efforts of walking in but please consult with the local gamekeeper especially within the shooting season. The myriad of rivers around and above Shin are worth spending day or two on as well. They are stuffed with fish, almost all very small but they do contain the odd good fish through the small stuff.
As for the Ferox in the loch, then all I will say on that is it's worth the effort of doing it properly - if you put the effort in then you'll see the rewards...
ohanzee
Well-known member
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The one on the corner with the parking area opposite, before the gate?
andypandy1961
Well-known member
That will be Allan the retired stalker. A really nice guy, spoke to him a few times. A couple of times he has given me the key to drive through the gate.
A
A
Cap'n Fishy
Well-known member
The times John and I have fished Merkland, we usually do better drifting down the south shore. As with Shin, it's a case of drifting through an area that seems devoid of life, and then you run into a an area full of fish, and then another slow spell. Hot spell, slow spell... and so on. One year we went out from the north west corner, with a nice steady north-westerly behind us, so we just pushed out and started fishing. We were doing the usual - running through some fish, then a slow spell, then more fish, so we just kept going. The breeze was close to parallel with the shore, so we only needed a pull on an oar here and there to keep us on track. About 4 hours after we started, we reached the south east end, having fished the entire 4 miles or whatever it is in one continuous drift. Memorable day!
A few pics of Merkland....
John applying Factor 50 midge repellent...
Did I mention midges? When they are at their worst, the midges on Shin and Merkland are impressive.
I spot my dapping rod there. Dapping is good on the lochs up there too.
Standard stamp on Merkland varies from year to year...
But we generally find it to be a bit smaller than on Shin.
This was from the year we did the drift the length of the loch - 2014...
One on the dap...
Slightly better stamp in 2016...
Had a day with Angus in 2018...
Black-throated divers with a chick on Merkland....
Col
eddleston123
Well-known member
It is my intention to fish Loch Skene next year. I say 'intention' because my left knee is still pretty much fecked!Better start your training now, the climb is a lung buster !
I've fished it many times in the past and always had great days up there. I would like to fish it at least one more time and have a wee chat with the mountain goats on my way up!
It would be particularly good to catch another vendace - not convinced though that there is many, if any left.
Sorry to diversify.
Perhaps I should start a thread of things I would like to do for 'The very last time' !!
Douglas
I fished a windy day on Merkland with mayfly hatching. We drifted tight to the far (southern) shore and had cracking sport with a really good stamp of fish. Unfortunately the wind got up and stopped us doing a second drift. We moved to Griamma which was sheltered for the afternoon and again found fish feeding on mayfly. Smaller fish but very well conditioned.
The only time I have caught much on Merklands road shore was a day it went bright and I went deep with a black minkie in the bay between the road shore and the cages. It was heaving.
Do they not go deep once they've been in a while ?
My dad and his mate caught a few (by accident, it's not legal to target them) when they were first put in but didn't see them again after a couple of seasons.
eddleston123
Well-known member
I don't really know much about them. However, I have caught a few over the years - around half a dozen. They were all caught in the same bay, which is very shallow with lots of weeds.
Douglas
windows screenshot programAll around the same size and caught on traditional wet flies.
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Beacon Beige
Well-known member
Make sure you get out on a boat , Caught lots of smaller trout from the bank but the boat gets you far more coverage and better fish!
Remember midge repellant as it was alive with the buggers!!
Col
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