kayos
Well-known member
I HATE SEALS!!
This was the first Saturday of the summer that was warm, sunny and windless and it's only Aug 4th! So it was off to Blairmore- yes again, I hear you cry!
Two photos from the boat.
Arrived at the pier and it was wonderful to have sun, warmth and no wind, the first time the flag has been dormant all Summer.
So with all the elements in our favour we were so excited and even better, had the pier to ourselves. Still sharing a rod we rigged up annd I took control of the rod, walked to the edge of the pier, looked up and there he was.............the biggest goddamm seal I have ever seen! Twenty yards off the pier, looking right at me and snorting..........I kid you not.............FCK!! Couldn't believe it, we have been to Blairmore roughly 15 times over the last 3 Summers. and have never once, seen a seal.
OK, be calm, wait for it to dive. It did and I have never seen a girth like it, massive. Waited again, it surfaced about 20 yards diagonally off the right hand of the pier, so I rushed to the left hand side and cast out diagonally, must be 90 yards away from the seal, will be OK. Daylites hit the water and within 2 turns of the reel, fish on, felt like two. 15 seconds later, seal on! Drag on the reel was full on, the seal took the fish and swam...........busted!
Well you can imagine my language. Now we only had 4 rigs, 3 leads and 2 spinners with us, so not impressed. Changed to a spinner and had a cigarette and a think. Up came the seal again, looking at as, snorting, so annoyed, it's taking the pish!
Anyway after 10 mins, cast in the spinner, mackerel first cast, seal 10 seconds later, result no fish, but at least I had set the drag, so got my spinner back. This seal seemed to take the fish, but not bite it off, instead stripping line for about 20 seconds. Over the next 20 minutes, I cast another three times, hooked a mackerel each time, but each time, taken by the seal. However the last cast, I got another mackerel on after the seal had taken the first one and I finally landed the first fish of the day. So frustrating, as it had been fish a cast..........to the seal!
Bouyed by my first catch out went the spinner again and this time he smashed me and I lost the spinner!
Ok time out, up to the cafe for a coffee and a chat about whether to move 2 miles down the loch to Strone. Lynn decided she wanted a go as Blairmore is such a lovely spot. 2nd set of daylites on and with no sign of the seal, she cast.............fish on, got it all the way to the piles of the pier and wham, seal appears from nowhere, out of the water, smashes into the fish. Lynn nearly fell off the pier as she was peering over to lift fish out. Got the fright of her life! Only 1 rig and one spinner left so off to Strone it was..........gutted!
Thought I had a photo of it, but it is just diving!
Strone pier is not like Blairmore. No trust has refurbished it
Hardly the same setting!
However after a fruitless hour and some choice words, the mackerel finally came on.......and no seal!!
The scenery was stunning
The upside of Strone pier is that they have a pub at the end of it !
By the time the lager called, we had about 20 in the day, more than half went back, as they were a bit wee, but we kept a few
So an eventful day that ended up just great
This was the first Saturday of the summer that was warm, sunny and windless and it's only Aug 4th! So it was off to Blairmore- yes again, I hear you cry!
Two photos from the boat.
Arrived at the pier and it was wonderful to have sun, warmth and no wind, the first time the flag has been dormant all Summer.
So with all the elements in our favour we were so excited and even better, had the pier to ourselves. Still sharing a rod we rigged up annd I took control of the rod, walked to the edge of the pier, looked up and there he was.............the biggest goddamm seal I have ever seen! Twenty yards off the pier, looking right at me and snorting..........I kid you not.............FCK!! Couldn't believe it, we have been to Blairmore roughly 15 times over the last 3 Summers. and have never once, seen a seal.
OK, be calm, wait for it to dive. It did and I have never seen a girth like it, massive. Waited again, it surfaced about 20 yards diagonally off the right hand of the pier, so I rushed to the left hand side and cast out diagonally, must be 90 yards away from the seal, will be OK. Daylites hit the water and within 2 turns of the reel, fish on, felt like two. 15 seconds later, seal on! Drag on the reel was full on, the seal took the fish and swam...........busted!
Well you can imagine my language. Now we only had 4 rigs, 3 leads and 2 spinners with us, so not impressed. Changed to a spinner and had a cigarette and a think. Up came the seal again, looking at as, snorting, so annoyed, it's taking the pish!
Anyway after 10 mins, cast in the spinner, mackerel first cast, seal 10 seconds later, result no fish, but at least I had set the drag, so got my spinner back. This seal seemed to take the fish, but not bite it off, instead stripping line for about 20 seconds. Over the next 20 minutes, I cast another three times, hooked a mackerel each time, but each time, taken by the seal. However the last cast, I got another mackerel on after the seal had taken the first one and I finally landed the first fish of the day. So frustrating, as it had been fish a cast..........to the seal!
Bouyed by my first catch out went the spinner again and this time he smashed me and I lost the spinner!
Ok time out, up to the cafe for a coffee and a chat about whether to move 2 miles down the loch to Strone. Lynn decided she wanted a go as Blairmore is such a lovely spot. 2nd set of daylites on and with no sign of the seal, she cast.............fish on, got it all the way to the piles of the pier and wham, seal appears from nowhere, out of the water, smashes into the fish. Lynn nearly fell off the pier as she was peering over to lift fish out. Got the fright of her life! Only 1 rig and one spinner left so off to Strone it was..........gutted!
Thought I had a photo of it, but it is just diving!
Strone pier is not like Blairmore. No trust has refurbished it
Hardly the same setting!
However after a fruitless hour and some choice words, the mackerel finally came on.......and no seal!!
The scenery was stunning
The upside of Strone pier is that they have a pub at the end of it !
By the time the lager called, we had about 20 in the day, more than half went back, as they were a bit wee, but we kept a few
So an eventful day that ended up just great
Last edited:
two words mark:exclam: fandabbydozy report
and make clapping sounds
