I'm glad you enjoy them John, even in spite of the lack of fish :-) It will be interesting to see what it is like up here next season, hopefully we can keep putting fish back for a few years to see if the numbers build up to a sustainable level.
Great stuff Philip, I'll need to start from the beginning again. The strange thing is the two times I've been to the goosed loch I've caught fish. However I've still to land a fish from my south lochs nemesis. All the very best and hope to see you in the coming season. 🎣👍😀
I was up 3 times and had one fish, though the 2nd time I was there I had lots of missed takes and splashes. I do think the density of fish is still very low and I've never seen anything up the far end of the loch so it seems like the fish are all concentrated down one end - I guess this is easy to do if there aren't many fish. Hopefully numbers of fish will increase to a sustainable level over the next few years and we can see how they will shape up.
My best trout, just shy of 2lbs was caught half way down the bank you arrive at when walking up from the Pentland Road. The two others, 6ozs-8ozs were caught at the bottom end. The top end does seem to be devoid of trout. Must be better feeding at the bottom end. There are definitely more gravelly and sandy holes at the bottom end.
Glad you enjoyed it Tony, it is always good to get out even if the fish don't come easily and on a lovely day like this right at the end of the season you just can't beat it.
Thanks as usual- when I hear you're fishing a loch which, until recently, was bereft of fish-and in a northerly or easterly wind- I am reminded of those ancient Chinese philosophers who float fished without any bait on their hooks in order that their meditations might not be interrupted. I know how they felt ! Look forward to seeing you in the new season
I know for certain that there are now some fish in this loch and I'm putting this down to someone having moved fish from a nearby loch - bucket biology. The nearest suitable loch is some considerable distance away but with many people having quad bikes and so on these days it makes it possible to transfer fish without too much effort. Not long now until we are out again and hopefully I will get back up to this loch a few times in the coming year to see how things are coming along with it.
Hi Phillip - I still find it hard to believe that in such a lovely stretch of water there are little or no fish !! Quite bizarre. All the best. Cheers Doug
There were fish in it up until about 1990 or so, then they vanished for some reason. I have to guess that someone has moved a few into it from another loch as there are now a few fish in it. I have to guess that there simply isn't enough spawning for a population to be sustainable. There is another loch I know of that the biologists have been looking at and it is a good big loch but very few fish are caught and it turns out that they think there are very small numbers of fish in it and that it is a recruitment problem.
There certainly isn't any spawning in burns so any trout spawning must do so in the loch. This does happen successfully in other places so it is not impossible and the fact that there used to be trout in it gives some indication that there must have been successful spawning at one time. However the level of this loch has risen over the years and this may have resulted in the spawning beds in the loch not being successful any more. So, we just have to wait and see.
I can't wait to get going Matt but the honest truth is that I tend to do most of my fishing at the back end and sometimes I don't fish in the spring at all, it just depends upon my circumstances but hopefully it won't be too long.
Thanks for all your videos Philip. Keeps me going when I am tying flies. Roll on Season 25👍🎣🎣
I'm glad you enjoy them John, even in spite of the lack of fish :-) It will be interesting to see what it is like up here next season, hopefully we can keep putting fish back for a few years to see if the numbers build up to a sustainable level.
Great stuff Philip, I'll need to start from the beginning again. The strange thing is the two times I've been to the goosed loch I've caught fish. However I've still to land a fish from my south lochs nemesis. All the very best and hope to see you in the coming season. 🎣👍😀
I was up 3 times and had one fish, though the 2nd time I was there I had lots of missed takes and splashes. I do think the density of fish is still very low and I've never seen anything up the far end of the loch so it seems like the fish are all concentrated down one end - I guess this is easy to do if there aren't many fish. Hopefully numbers of fish will increase to a sustainable level over the next few years and we can see how they will shape up.
My best trout, just shy of 2lbs was caught half way down the bank you arrive at when walking up from the Pentland Road. The two others, 6ozs-8ozs were caught at the bottom end. The top end does seem to be devoid of trout. Must be better feeding at the bottom end. There are definitely more gravelly and sandy holes at the bottom end.
What a gorgeous day to be out with the rod Philip, if we caught fish every time we went out it would not be a challenge. Great video with a brew too.
Glad you enjoyed it Tony, it is always good to get out even if the fish don't come easily and on a lovely day like this right at the end of the season you just can't beat it.
Thanks as usual- when I hear you're fishing a loch which, until recently, was bereft of fish-and in a northerly or easterly wind- I am reminded of those ancient Chinese philosophers who float fished without any bait on their hooks in order that their meditations might not be interrupted. I know how they felt ! Look forward to seeing you in the new season
I know for certain that there are now some fish in this loch and I'm putting this down to someone having moved fish from a nearby loch - bucket biology. The nearest suitable loch is some considerable distance away but with many people having quad bikes and so on these days it makes it possible to transfer fish without too much effort. Not long now until we are out again and hopefully I will get back up to this loch a few times in the coming year to see how things are coming along with it.
Hi Phillip - I still find it hard to believe that in such a lovely stretch of water there are little or no fish !! Quite bizarre. All the best. Cheers Doug
There were fish in it up until about 1990 or so, then they vanished for some reason. I have to guess that someone has moved a few into it from another loch as there are now a few fish in it. I have to guess that there simply isn't enough spawning for a population to be sustainable. There is another loch I know of that the biologists have been looking at and it is a good big loch but very few fish are caught and it turns out that they think there are very small numbers of fish in it and that it is a recruitment problem.
See ya next season Phill have a good off season...
Hopefully won't be too long now Billy, can't wait to get going again.
Goosed in a great place mate …if there’s good spawning available makes you wonder where on earth the trout disappeared to …hmmm🤫
There certainly isn't any spawning in burns so any trout spawning must do so in the loch. This does happen successfully in other places so it is not impossible and the fact that there used to be trout in it gives some indication that there must have been successful spawning at one time. However the level of this loch has risen over the years and this may have resulted in the spawning beds in the loch not being successful any more. So, we just have to wait and see.
Won't be too long and we are back on the water. 👍
I can't wait to get going Matt but the honest truth is that I tend to do most of my fishing at the back end and sometimes I don't fish in the spring at all, it just depends upon my circumstances but hopefully it won't be too long.