Saturday 17th October 2020

With the 2020 Season fast coming to an end the chances to get out on Lomond were rapidly reducing. My good friend Michael’s two young Grandsons Cameron and Adam both fanatical anglers already had been desperate to get out on the Loch with their Papa for weeks.

So with weather conditions on our side we set out from the river with the boys and their Father, also Michael, in Michaels boat. Full of chatter and excitement before leaving I was presented with a walkie talkie from Cameron who advised that we were to keep each other informed at all times of any fish caught. The other three walkie talkies went with Michael and the boys in his boat making sure I would be ‘fully kept up to date”.

Great to have anglers Cameron and Adam on board

The boat to boat comms started even before we had left the river and into the Loch with constant checks as to whether anything had been caught. Conditions were calm with little in the way of a wave but the day after all was really about the wee ones who were desperate to see a fish regardless of type!

Just above Boturich one of the pokers let go with a sudden if short lived take for when I lifted the rod there was a brief bend before all went slack followed immediately by a call on the radio from the boys in Michael’s boat ahead of me asking if I had a fish!

Lots of chatter and jokes all the way up the east shore and on crossing the Endrick Bank the inside rod with the orange tiger toby suddenly announced a take! After retrieving the other rods I lifted the inside rod and quickly realised it was a small pike of about 8lbs and commonly found in the shallow water on the Bank. After a short tussle the Pike tossed the orange tiger avoiding the need to bring it to the boat. Throughout this time the radio was noisy with chatter with Cameron and Adam excitedly wanting to know what was going on. I found out later and we laughed as apparently when they learned I had a fish on both of them announced that they were in the wrong boat and wanted to change boats and join me!

We fished North up to Milarochy Bay and the Black Rocks before heading across to Buccinch for lunch and a break and a catch up.

After the fire, lunch and some time collecting pine cones we were off again and Cameron and Adam now getting their wish and switching to my boat in the (false) belief that they may stand a better chance of seeing a fish in my boat.

As we headed South we passed one of the tour boats and the boys had everyone on board waving in return. Our peace was broken when their Dad came on the radio to announce that they had a fish on whereupon I had to tell them to sit down as a was worried that they were planning to literally jump ship! It turned out to be a false alarm in the way of a prank or joke on their Father’s part.

With no further action our next break was on the ‘spit of Inchmurrin’ for a respite and run around for the boys. Before leaving the boys were asked if they wanted to continue to fish down the Loch home or just to sail home and get home sooner. To our surprise they both announced that we should fish home.

Crossing over to cover Luss water outlet we then fished South without further events, realising that my boat was no luckier they had returned to their Papa’s boat.

Lifting the rods just above Duck Bay we headed for home with some fun in racing and sailing in tandem on the way.

Not the best days fishing by any means but a really enjoyable fun day for the boys and for the adults. Thank you Cameron and Adam for sharing your knowledge, experience and company.