Friday 10 May 2013

Surprise visit

Scotland

We had been invited to stay with our  friends this weekend and into next week at their house near Stirling but, last week we got a call asking if we were happy to have a plan change.
Hearing that they had been offered a friends luxury apartment timeshare for this last week, we didn't take much persuading to accept the kind invitation to Kinlock Rannoch.Especially as it would only cost us a share of the food and the electricity.

So last Saturday morning at 8am we set off on the 7 hour drive the banks of Loch Rannoch in Perth and Kinross.
I had unfortunately a need to return home on Thursday for a doctors appointment today(Friday)

I took along my travel rod and some lures with the intention of having a go at drop shotting, which seems to be all the rage at present, or just plain lure fishing with plugs, soft rubber lures or spinners.Just in case I had a bit of time for a dangle.
60 rubbers!!


The loch is over 9 miles long in a west-east direction with an average width of about 1,090 yards  The River Tummel begins at its eastern end. 
Kinloch Rannoch is located in Perth and Kinross

It was pretty obvious from searches that I couldn't bait fish so didn't pack anything that could tempt me, and as I  found on arrival, that there is a very active keeper giving a regular patrol around the waters.
The loch holds in addition to very large ferox trout, brown trout, arctic charr and pike.

On arrival we met our friends at the administration building for the Loch Rannoch Highlands Club, I got my weekly permits to fish the loch and the River Tummel, they were free!! 
It was confirmed that the loch was fly only, but I could use lures if I was "pike fishing".


The luxury apartment could sleep six with a bit of furniture moving, no need for that as there were only four of us and the two bedrooms on the lower floor were a good size. 
From this you will gather the living room is at a higher level and this offers almost total view of the loch, but in particular and the still snow covered mountain Sheihallion, across the other side is breathtaking. 
A great kitchen diner with more pots and pans than at home,made it a pleasure for me to volunteer to do all the cooking.The Macdonald hotel restaurant just next door to the complex was not very good!
The view

The other direction
From the opposite bank


Anyway, the weather was changeable with the wind blowing down the loch from the West a very fine day on Tuesday and a chance for me to fish, after our sightseeing through the week, on Wednesday afternoon.
Rannock station towards Inverness

Queens view Loch Tummel

Unfortunately the wind changed on Wednesday and it was not a day for me to venture out to fish, so I stayed in and started reading Tom Fort's The Far From Complete Angler, published 1995, a very good read so far.  I may review this when I've finished it.

Wednesday afternoon!!

The day was made good, as we  booked an early dinner at the Loch Tummel Inn about 7 mile away, the food was very commendable(I tried the haggis and the venison). 
There was one proper ale on sale, but for the life of me I can't remember the brewery or the name of the brew,save as to say it was Scottish and very fine and I won the toss on driving!



And so, the break was to end very quickly, and the 7 hour drive home in strong wind and rain wasn't very comfortable.


The Barbel Society book  Barbel Tales

Review by Ian Welch   http://www.fishingmagic.com/index


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