[Iain Cameron]

fish pics ahoy

This weekend I mostly went float tubing. Caught some fantastic wild trout, in incredibly beautiful places. Truly outstanding fish at times, very glad to have such waters within short driving range.  

Big yellow chap (not Homer Simpson)


Close up of gill plate:


More spotty than yellow:


The craft, my trusty Caddis Navigator II:


Mostly used the SLX Olive both days; nice!

thanks to Goooooolager's video last week for inspiring me to dust off the tube before the season ends

cheers
iain


ps, oh go on then, have another. All the trout were released, and all of them really pulled. Seeing the tail on this guy, i'm not surprised

[Jim Eddie]

Nice photo's and some bonny troot Iain

 

Jim

[Iain Goolager]

Cracking fish there Iain 

Looks like you had a great day out.

Iain

[Noel Kelly]

Very nice Iain, some of those are colouring up nicely.

[Euan Innes]

Lovely job Iain.
Wish I didn't have chores to do.....

 

[Allan Liddle]

Nice fish Iain.  To be fair Noel these fish tend to hold this colour most of the year, especially the bigger ones, the colour tends to get a tad deeper and white piping on the anal fin, other than that colour wise they're much and such.

Right that does it, must get up there again soon, otherwise it'll be too late again.


Allan L

PS At least i've the 'honour' of lifting the first fish of the season out of here, first cast on a damsel on the drop about a pound and quarter.  Always said i'd much rather be lucky than good.

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Iain! Nice photos too!

Cheers
Mike

[Iain Cameron]

Great stuff Iain! Nice photos too!

Had a return trip to one of the lochs this week.

Caught a few, and enjoyed the time afloat, but the day was slightly disrupted by the disasters that befell my day's fishing partner, who suffered a sinking float tube (the mighty Red Oktober 1 has a breached hull and was emulating its submarine namesake); a lost fin, kicked off in the race shorewards; and a broken rod, which inexplicably became a 5-piece.

I lost a claret bumble, and dropped a sausage roll into the water, but otherwise emerged unscathed...

The Oktober will be in dry dock for examination and repair over the winter, sure to be re-launched next season!

[Noel Kelly]

Had a return trip to one of the lochs this week.

Caught a few, and enjoyed the time afloat, but the day was slightly disrupted by the disasters that befell my day's fishing partner, who suffered a sinking float tube (the mighty Red Oktober 1 has a breached hull and was emulating its submarine namesake); a lost fin, kicked off in the race shorewards; and a broken rod, which inexplicably became a 5-piece.

I lost a claret bumble, and dropped a sausage roll into the water, but otherwise emerged unscathed...

The Oktober will be in dry dock for examination and repair over the winter, sure to be re-launched next season!

Oh my god that's scary!!!!! I remember mr goolager almost dropping a sausage roll once a few years ago, it wasn't a pretty sight...and then to loose a fly as well. Hope you're ok???

[Iain Cameron]

I remember mr goolager almost dropping a sausage roll once a few years ago, it wasn't a pretty sight...

i hyperventilated into an empty crisp poke for a few mins to recover from the food loss horror; the cheese'n'onion fumes soon restored me. I was just grateful it wasn't my scotch egg that I dropped!

[Mike Barrio]

Fish were like torpedoes then?

Cheers
Mike

[Noel Kelly]

All joking aside glad red oktober made it to dry dock and all aboard are safe (Ewan?) be interested to know what failed once the damage report is published?
Thinking of a solo voyage tomorrow, not so sure now...
Noel.

[Mike Barrio]

I have let a side bladder down at Haddo Noel, it felt safe enough leaning to one side and paddling in to the bank. Not so sure I'd feel comfortable on a big loch though!

Cheers
Mike

[Iain Cameron]

All joking aside glad red oktober made it to dry dock and all aboard are safe (Ewan?)

It wasn't Euan, it was a Uni colleague, experienced boat angler, trying tubing for 1st time. He just had a bad day at the office (but loved the tubing and fishing!) and had a life vest on anyhow.

Wasn't a catastrophic blow out, more of a steady, slow leak. Out of the water, we could't really here the air escaping unless pressure was applied to the tube walls.

I've never felt unsafe in the tube when solo, I've seen folks standing up in boats doing crazy stuff who look more at risk. Then again, my tube has 4 separate bladders so I'd have to be shotgunned before it sank!

[Iain Goolager]

Yeah,
Glad there wasn't any serious outcome - lost fin, broken rod & reduced dinner aside.

Can you name the tube type Iain?

The only time I've ever felt unsure of myself was on my maiden solo outing on Lochindorb but then that's only to be expected, oh and also when there are seals around, gulp!

Iain

[Euan Innes]

Goolie-bagger,

It's a Mk1 Snowbee, the original Red Oktober. The reason I now have a Shakey stealth boat is because of the constant fear I had on Loch Beannich last year over 30 feet of water with two bladders, one of which was likely to be emptied at the slightest hiss from the other

RO 1 was fine for the likes of Haddo or Taner but worried me silly on big lochs. Saying that I never had a real issue with it. It steered well, coped with waves really well and was an all round good egg. This tube taught me a lot and changed the way I fish. It also led me down the path of tube mods because the crotch strap needed to be shortened and the extra straps needed to be removed. You should see my Shakey! Only the handles remain and two cordura straps on the port side to hold my net. Everything else is unnecessary on my boats because it catches line. The top bladder is gone too which makes a great stowage space with a dry bag for holding fleeces etc. I may have to start a "show us your tube mods" thread for the winter to keep us all going. 

RO1 will live again - Iain and I will make sure of that 

 

[Iain Goolager]

So is Steve Parton back in the business? I guess I'd be phoning him regarding repair/ replacement.

I know what you mean about line magnets Euan, you really need to JEEP a tube.
I too (as I suppose most do) use the Shakey top compartment to store a waterproof but I keep the deflated bladder in..................just incase.

Iain

[Noel Kelly]

Steve Parton is back making tubes and bladders. I believe this is a limited run so Iain if your mate needs replacements I wouldn't hang about in getting them ordered.

[Kevin Muir]

I checked with Steve last week and he was expecting the bladders to arrive quite soon.

The cost for a full set of five (just like the five bladders in a shakey) is about £100.00.

Kev.