From Alasdair MacLachlan
Out on one of my wee strolls through the hills last Sunday, 21st November, with a light northeast wind. It took me by one of Ardnamurchan's trout lochs. After seeing wild duck take flight a small ripple on the loch caught my eye. Two trout of good size were splashing in at the bank and racing up and down.I've heard of trout spawning in lochs near the banks and this is what was happening. I soon saw more fish in close doing the same thing. This is happening all over our hill lochs.
There were wee scrapes in at the edge of the lochs where they had been spawning previously. Even after scaring one of the trout it still came back as if to guard its nest.
I've fished all the lochs in Ardnamurchan and never seen such a size of trout. The loch's water was dark and it was hard to get a photo. This is a photo of a trout I caught last year of four pounds. They taste of peat so I never know whether to eat them or burn them.
Hi Alasdair,I was wondering if some of these large fish were sea trout,can look very similar to large brown trout even with red spots.Sea trout usually have a large square tail, and when spawning go very dark. Obviously there would need to be a burn running down to the sea that they could ascend when the water was high.
ReplyDeleteSean
Alasdair,
ReplyDeleteCan I ask where you caught the 4lb trout? I fished the Twin Lochs a few times this summer but didn't catch anything bigger than a few ounces.
Also, have you fished the loch beyond Glendrian? I think it's called Lochan an Dobhrain? Is it worth a visit?
Hi Alasdair
ReplyDeleteAs a keen fly fisherman for 40 years i see trout like this all the time, very impressive tho they are its just a pitty we have 2 fish for them in trout farms as the fresh water in hill lochs fail to produce anything of good size.