Calling all Scottish Pike FF'ers!

Have already PM'd a few of you but now asking anyone who's on the forum.

I am planning a short trip to Scotland this summer or autumn with a friend. I am a keen Pike (and trout) fisherman and last year became rather addicted to fishing for Pike on the fly due to some very successful rod-bending days! It's definitely my favourite way of taking them, so that my deadbait and lure gear is now gathering dust. My friend is not an experienced fisherman but keen to try on lures - walking and photography is more his thing (both of which I like too).

Anyway, it's my first ever trip to Scotland and he has suggested somewhere around Glencoe as a nice area to base ourselves. I see that Loch Awe is not so far from there and have heard very good things about the PFF potential there. However, from some underwhelming fishing trips in the past I have realised that local knowledge is golden when it comes to a few fleeting days spent on a water that you know nothing about (especially if huge), so what I am looking for is primarily advice or tips on questions such as:

- should I avoid July/August or can good sport be had without resorting to fast sink lines and echo sounders. I'm not against using that or even big spoons/deep-diving plugs if necessary to get a bend in the rod, just prefer floating fly lines and taking them higher up or in shallower water.

- is it relatively straightforward to find the fish on Loch Awe and, if not, would you recommend another Loch or perhaps a river where a fly can be cast and the fish might not grow so big but sport is more regular? Looking at a map the number of Lochs around there is pretty mind-boggling!

- is there anything I should be aware of about permits/boat hire or other practicalities that would help me to plan in advance? Do I generally need to boat fish or is good bank fishing also available?

- any fishing info welcomed i.e. bait fish present, recommended flies, times of day, weather conditions


Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and for whatever thoughts you might have

Michael

As nobody has replied........

First of all consider joining the Pike Fly Fishing Association (£10pa), lots of guys from Scotland on the forum, all with a lot of knowledge. Even if you don't join, there is a lot of info on the site for non-members

I met a guy whilst out fishing who has been specialising in pike for many years. He mentioned Loch Awe and said that either end were the best areas (that's all he said apart from it being a great place to fish for pike)

He was fishing one of the 2 coarse fishing lochs available from the campsite 3lochs (near Newton Stewart) which could be a place to break your journey. He said that there were plenty of jacks on the lochs but not the big fish of yesteryear. Only one loch can be fished by boat and there are none for hire. There is also a stocked trout loch there as well with boats available- rainbows.

I've tried Loch Ken with a fly but without success although I was talking to a regular who said that a couple of years back, 2 guys fishing on a fly, took over a hundred pike in a week, fishing the northern end of the loch.

Sorry I can't be more help.

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pm sent

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