New beginnings!

Hello 2026 and to new beginnings...

If I'm being honest I've only fished off the kayak 3-4 times in the past 5 years. Partially down to a lack of motivation, but also hindered by a temperamental back issue that can rear its ugly head when lifting/pulling heavy weights. The Hobie Outback, as much as it's a cracking fishing kayak, was just proving a bit too much. 

Though it's more than that, when saltwater fishing in the UK there's quite some clothing required, add to that tackle, electronics, bait, etc. There's quite a lot of gear to organise for a trip, load/unload and wash/dry post a trip. I also found myself not feeling challenged anymore. I started my kayak fishing adventure in 2007, though ten years later I was running out of steam. I'd turned my hand to a few disciplines during that time, whilst achieving some competition success along the way. 

I was fortunate to have been sponsored by Hobie, Lowrance, YakAttack and Reubon Heaton, though sponsorship perhaps proved to be a double edged sword, pushing me far more into competition fishing, freshwater lure fishing, video production/editing, gear reviews and promotion of my antics via social media platforms. I found that over time this detracted considerably from my enjoyment of the sport.

If I could turn back the clock I'd not entertain sponsorship, I'd have retained by Prowler Big Game kayak for much longer kayak, sticking to saltwater bait fishing, perhaps with a little saltwater lure action from time to time. I'm grateful for the opportunities that I've been given, and the experiences that they've bought, but allied with a back issue, my enjoyment of the sport faded rapidly during 2019/2020.

Though I still love fishing, I was keen to find something new, something challenging, I had zero qualms about starting at the bottom of the experience ladder again, in fact I embraced the notion.

The past five years has seen to move to, and around, Scotland. I've finally settled in the north, finding myself growing more intrigued with fly fishing as the months have gone by. I found the thought of river fishing quite exciting, always being on the move, wildlife and changing scenery to enjoy. Best of all, the gear is light and not much is needed!,.. my back approves.

I've recently purchased a house on the banks of the River Conon, Though I'm still awaiting to move at this point in time. I've met the local ghillies from that area and embarked on a 7 week course (1 day a week) introduction to fly fishing for salmon. 

I've had to invest in some new tackle, not really a hardship as we all enjoy a bit of retail therapy where fishing is concerned. Lots of online research was conducted prior to committing to any purchases, allied with plenty of good advice from the ghillie who's teaching me the basics. 

The Conon is a good sized river and produces good catches of salmon & sea trout on an annual basis. There's also trout fishing, which is probably something that I'll also pursue over time.

I ended up purchasing a Vision Hero fishing outfit, a 13'7" #8 rod with a matching Hero Salmon reel, loaded with backing, main line and an interchangeable tip (floating). I since purchased some additional tips (intermediate, sinking, etc) manufactured by Airflo, perhaps more on those when I get some experience with them.

Chest waders, wading boots and a wading jacket were also purchased, again, I may comment further on them once I've clocked up a few trips. 

I've already enjoyed my first day of tuition, a rather chilly one at that!. Opening the curtains early that morning saw me greeted with a fresh fall of snow, though it gradually disappeared on my drive over to the Conon. It was nice to meet new faces from what's soon to be my local area, social life is a little lacking in my daily job, which often sees me working from home.

Post initial briefs and tackle up, I was soon heading to the river, breaking the ice by foot to access some clear water. I was introduced to the 'Double Spey' cast, which after some time I started to get to grips with, becoming more proficient as the day went on. It's all new, I wanted a challenge, well I was definitely getting that!!.

Lessons learned that day?, wear my artic socks!, my feet were definitely suffering in the frigid winter waters of the Conon. Post that trip I invested in a pair of Lifesystems Palm electric hand warmers, which I decided should prove very useful in future trips! (I hate cold hands). Though there was a log burner in the fishing hut, hot soup and plenty of coffee, hence plenty of opportunities to warm up throughout the day

I'll leave it at that for this entry. I think I'll have to tweak the title of my blog as my days of kayak fishing are likely over. However, the web address is well established and it's surprising how many daily visits that this blog still attracts. Hence I'll probably just introduce a fly fishing section and take it from there. 

It's good to share experiences, I'm constantly reading other peoples pages, social media posts and watching YouTube videos, learning from others peoples experiences, good and bad, is very beneficial.