Isle of Skye: To the Light House

Isle of Skye  
Part One:  To The light Hoose



Once more the 1,000 mile round trip to the office, with the weekend reserved for fishing. With the salmon season over I went in search of pollock, at Neist Point,
Neist is the western most point on Skye and looks across The Minch to the Outer Hebrides









Cairn building taken to another level




Geology is similar to The Giant's Causeway and is said to extend under the sea to it



 Did a quick risk assessment and chose my spot







My shadow matched me cast for cast, like me switching between a Shakespeare Atlantis 10# saltwater fly rod and a blackrock travel spin with a variety of lures.



The wind turned playing havoc with the fly so I moved to where I could cast down wind





No interest until I tied on a large slug-go which something grabbbed first chuck, whatever it was didn't find the hook though and the slug came back well gummed.

Next cast and it was taken again, a juddering, pulsing scrap ensued, the spin rod was arced right over as the unseen beast powered deep into the rocks at my feet and then it was off - and back came a snapped hook!



Had half a dozen tussles on the slug in all, but I couldn't get the hook to set,
I think the problem was using the largest size Slug-go means the "tex-point" hook is a long way from the tail. Thinking about it now I should have rigged up a second hook and maybe cut down the slug but instead I tried smaller jellies, shads,plugs and assorted lures and flies but without interest

Meanwile, across the other side the landing net was out,




In fact they brought several pollock in, all on floatfished bait.
Typical! I'd cut right down on the gear I took this time and hadn't brought either bait or a float kit.
With the sun getting low it was time to go,





Decided I'd try again Sunday but where could I get a float kit from?  There aren't many tackle shops around here ( in fact not many shops! ) and the tackle shops don't open on Sunday. What would Ray Mears do?

Couldn't find any balsa trees so in the Co-op I bought a pack of raw tiger prawns, some cod fillets, a bag of ice cubes and two jif lemons - no its not Masterchef ...
back at the hotel  I got improvising

Part Two: Would I bag pollock in a jiffy or would the Jif float turn out to be a lemon?

Sunday Morning and I'm keen to fish but with the tide still on the ebb I went exploring instead, the coast around Skye is mostly rock or mud fringed with weed, except for one anomally,










Anyway, on with the fishing.
Back to Neist, it was blowing a hooley, spume was being thrown 40 foot in the air and fishing the rocks would have been asking for a rock in the face.
I reasoned the small quay must have a reasonable depth of water alongside and it was sheltered. And the winch should be able to reel even the biggest marine boggart in




The lemon was deployed.













As high approached things got rougher in my sheltered spot, I perched my camera on a rock for a self-timer shot ..big mistake as it took off!

Now I could tell you I landed a huge fish just after the camera stopped working, truth is I sacked it and set off on the screaming ligament walk back up,

what a lemon...

what a fantastic read mate good report hard luck on the fish. But you have to take the rough with the smooth

Stunning report Paul!

Scenery to die for!

Just been trolling through the archives.
There really are some great places to fish around bonnie Scotland.
If anyone gets the chance to go they definatly should !
Great report and pics

Had a cracking pollack a few years ago off the rocks with a spinner from the same location! The friends who we were staying with, lived at Edinbane - which is down the road from Dunvegan. It's certainly a beautiful spot in good conditions!

One of the most memorable and scary fishing experiences I've ever had, was seeing a Nuclear Sub silently surface just off-shore. It was huge and move swiftly and almost silently away.

wildgoose wrote:

Had a cracking pollack a few years ago off the rocks with a spinner from the same location! The friends who we were staying with, lived at Edinbane - which is down the road from Dunvegan. It's certainly a beautiful spot in good conditions!

One of the most memorable and scary fishing experiences I've ever had, was seeing a Nuclear Sub silently surface just off-shore. It was huge and move swiftly and almost silently away.

Wow! I know its a good spot for whale watching, not been on the Talisker had you!!

a great report paul well done mate

Brilliant report mate,really enjoyed reading that

Great Report Well Done Nice Pics