Fishing Sprats on Loch Lomond (Introduction).

An introduction from the writer, Euan McGrandle.

Firstly, I would like to mention some background regarding why I am writing this article.

I have fished Loch Lomond since the early 1970's, fishing with my father and my uncles, mainly. I caught my first salmon when I was aged 10, on a golden sprat, and have been hooked (if you pardon the pun) ever since. I took out full membership in 1981 and have been a member ever since. Like all anglers I have had some great years and some very poor years, but I still start every season full of confidence and the promise of what may happen.

Dyed, preserved sprats were, for many years the bait of choice for many Lomond anglers, though they have lost their popularity in recent years with Toby and Rapala baits being much more widely fished and subsequently catching more fish. However, it is still a very effective bait when fished correctly and is a worthwhile addition to the Loch Lomond troller's arsenal.

The trolling of sprats on the Loch dates back to before the Second World War, at which time the use of outboard engines was a novelty and the vast majority of anglers used oars to get around the Loch. The very action of rowing added "life" to the trolled bait with the natural rise and fall of the bait corresponding to the movement of the boat. The bait was so successful that within a few years virtually all anglers were using sprats.

I still use golden and red sprats in the early part of the season, almost to the exclusion of other baits. I have had reasonable success over the years with the method and feel I don't want to change from what works for me. In general most of the salmon I have hooked I have landed; some notable exceptions though, have been due to carelessness on my part, and on one occasion because circumstances were against me, which I will mention now on the next page...

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