Modern Day Technology

Sorry to those of you who were furiously clicking their mice, (or mousse) waiting to see what was happening up the Loch and at Balmaha, especially at Grilse time too. The reason the web site has been inaccessible recently was because of a blimp (an IT word) in the program which knackered (my word) the web site. Thankfully, Gary MacRitchie upon his return from holiday has the know how to fix these modern day technological problems. I’ve also noticed that there is a faint similarity between computer jargon and fishing, for example, “debug”, does that mean we should change our fly, “I’m gonna debug this Claret Bumble for a Grouse and Claret” and Paste, well, that’s Fullers Earth self explanatory, and off course “there’s a virus in the system” well, that’s always the case when there’s plenty of fish in and you can’t get out because your loaded with the flu. I could go on here but you get the format, oops sorry.

Okay then onto the gossip, back to May, Robbie Brown on the 25th had a cracking springer of 13lbs hang onto his Rapala and end up in his boat whilst trolling at the stables. Ewan McGrandle was reported to have caught a grilse of 5lbs on the Endrick Bank at the end of May. Into June and July now, and that saw Frank Donnelly land a 10.5lb fish up at the Pilot Bank, and my old mate Ernie East loose a fish even further up at Ptarmigan Point in June. Then good old Walter Gilchrist starts the grilse ball rolling on the 6th July when he lands a beauty of 6lbs caught off the stables, John Costello sneaked out to the shops, so he told his misses, and managed a few hours up the tap end and took home a smallish grilse for Loch Lomond at 4lbs, I hope it was worth it John, cause I haven’t seen him since. Peter Lyons just back from fishing for Sea Trout in Ireland got a 6lb fish. Then on the 12th of July a glorious day for the Raeburn`s, Jimmy and his brother Alan, who were going to camp out for a couple of days up at the tap end set off, Alan leading the way. As he trolled past Sallochy all hell broke loose, and after restoring some calm to the situation gazed at a sparkling 12lb fish lying on the floor boards of his boat. I spoke to Jimmy that night on the mobile phone asking him if he was going to celebrate the fish by visiting the Inversnaid Hotel, to which he replied he would but was just going to troll down to Cashell and then back up to the hotel. A phone call from a jubilant Jimmy 15 minutes later, revealed he had just landed a 6lb Grilse which he caught upon ending our previous conversation.

Now I know I may have missed a few names and details of fish caught, and I do apologise, I have not been on the loch as much as I hoped to have been, through one thing and another, including the mother in law going into hospital, well I’m blaming her for the lot, makes a change me blaming her. I do know that the King’s, Davie senior and young Davie have been cleaning fish scales from the floor boards of their boats, and Eric Donaghy and his mates had some success whilst camping up at the Caves. Then there was Saturday 16th July, and it was reported there were 10 fish into the club at the Vale of Leven, and a further 8 fish on the following Monday.

In the picture is Denis Mclaughlin with two Salmon caught up the tap end a couple of years ago.