Channel Island-based angler, Chris Kennedy, grabs the opportunity to head into the depths of the highlands and sample Scottish sea loch fishing on the Isle of Mull
Winter can certainly be a depressing time. The dark skies, rough weather, and the bait fish often heading offshore can mean that we spend more nights in front of the TV with a glass of our favourite tipple than out fishing, doing what we love. This is the time of year when many of us spend untold hours surfing the net, looking for angling inspiration. I can’t tell you how many hours I have sat there looking at nautical charts on Navionics or using Google Maps to find more accessible shore marks. Scotland, to some degree, feels like Britain’s last wild frontier, particularly the Highlands and islands.
For anyone who hasn’t been, or isn’t aware, there are too many miles to count of untouched coastlines where a shore angler has probably never wet a line. For any of us dreamers, the existence of such places is enough to keep you awake at night. I have been enchanted by Orkney, seduced by Skye and captivated by the Western Isles, all of which are mouth-watering prospects for the avid fisherman. My love affair with Scottish fishing goes far beyond my family ties. There are few places where you can go and feel the history around you like there. It’s a land littered with castles, deep sea lochs and distilleries. The natural beauty and frequent sightings of wildlife almost extinct elsewhere would impress anyone. The Scots are hardy people with a charming way of words, a race forged by struggle, with a rich heritage of warriors and poets.
When I was given the opportunity to travel up to Scotland for some winter fishing on one of the Inner Hebrides, I packed my bags excitedly and began to dream of a land that time largely forgot. I had the task of going up to do some work, mostly shooting video, but I also had a mind on writing about what would surely be a great adventure. Being based on Sark, one of the smaller Channel Islands, getting up there was a challenge. It took me a day-and-a-half, starting with a ferry that was almost cancelled due to incredibly rough seas, followed by planes, trains and automobiles. Despite the treacherous travel conditions, I was desperate to make the journey to see an isle that until now had only existed in my thoughts.
SALEN PIER
Exhausted, I was delighted when accomplished northeast-based angler, Ryan Thompson, picked me up in Carlisle with his 11-year-old son. Harley is an aspiring young talent who we’ve all been seeing on social media over the past few years. Conversation flowed seamlessly, perhaps too much so as we narrowly missed the CalMac ferry from Oban to Craignure. Luckily the later ferry got us to our accommodation, a beautiful wooden framed bungalow with a Nissen hut-style roof. The wonderful part was that we had our o
