Outer Hebrides

[passiton]

Heading to Scotland in late May with my wife and will spend time on the Isle of Skye, then 7-10 days exploring the Outer and Inner Hebrides.  We’re mostly staying in tents or small glamping huts that out us very close to the ocean almost every night we’re there.  I plan to pack a spinning rod with a dozen lures and a 7 or 8 wt for rod.  I’m researching what flies to bring, but will most likely look for a fly shop on the mainland to stop at and get properly set.  
 

Hundreds of places to fish out there.  Open beaches, rivers, lakes, lochs that flow into the sea………. Timing is wrong for Salmon but there are plenty of other species to target.  Last time we went for a few weeks as a 25th anniversary/retirement and starting a new career celebration and I purposefully left the fishing gear at home.  I’ve been greenlighted to fish away and enjoy myself this time around. Anyone been there and had any luck fishing?  
 

May take a ferry over to Belfast for a day or two and will swing a few flies and cast a few plugs just so I can say I fished in Ireland as well. 

Edited January 29 by passiton

[jerseystriper]

Damm/ always wanted to go to that area- beaches and ocean look beautiful and seems like it would be a fun vacation on various islands -

as far as fishing and flys I can’t give any first hand knowledge but the area has trout so the usual trout flys should work in the lakes. Lot of online fishing information- 

Enjoy- I’m envious 

[surfflyguy]

Some of the UK tiers like Davie McPhail have some pretty good sea trout and shrimp patterns Id bring those. But thats as much as I know 

[BrianBM]

2 hours ago, passiton said:

Heading to Scotland in late May with my wife and will spend time on the Isle of Skye, then 7-10 days exploring the Outer and Inner Hebrides.  We’re mostly staying in tents or small glamping huts that out us very close to the ocean almost every night we’re there.  I plan to pack a spinning rod with a dozen lures and a 7 or 8 wt for rod.  I’m researching what flies to bring, but will most likely look for a fly shop on the mainland to stop at and get properly set.  
 

Hundreds of places to fish out there.  Open beaches, rivers, lakes, lochs that flow into the sea………. Timing is wrong for Salmon but there are plenty of other species to target.  Last time we went for a few weeks as a 25th anniversary/retirement and starting a new career celebration and I purposefully left the fishing gear at home.  I’ve been greenlighted to fish away and enjoy myself this time around. Anyone been there and had any luck fishing?  
 

May take a ferry over to Belfast for a day or two and will swing a few flies and cast a few plugs just so I can say I fished in Ireland as well. 

Global warming has brought a strain of cold-tolerant saltwater crocodiles to Scotland. Don't camp close to the water's edge. Mike Oliver will see this and comment, too.

 

May in the Hebrides is pretty cold, AFAIK. You'll need your heavy polypro underwear no matter how thick the waders may be.

 

Mackerel and sea trout should be the most accessible fish from shore. A lot of water is privately held.

[Running Ape]

Probably plenty of pollack up to a few pounds on any pier, wharf or ledge with a sinking line and clouser. I’ve not fished there but nearly that far north.

 

You will have some very nice long days there in May.

 

 

[passiton]

Thanks for the info so far.   I’m a novice with the fly rod, but will have fun trying. I did find a fly shop on the aisle of Lewis with a guide for local fishing spots and suggested flies.  
 

Some odd rules that I will need to get in my head.  My go to in salt water would usually be where fresh water empties into salt (Brewster Flats etc), but that’s against regs there apparently.  
 

Might get a shot at some pretty water on Skye too.  That’s some gorgeous country that I know I’ll enjoy either way. 
 

A few shots of some nice looking water on the Isle of Skye when we went in fall of 2019. 

[BrianBM]

My, that IS pretty water.

[JRT]

Coastal seatrout? Definitely worth packing a 6/7wt.

 

httxx://www.outerhebridesfisheriestrust.org.uk/angling

 

IF the sun is shining it is an utterly beautiful part of the world.

[connman]

Haven’t been to North Uist in about 30 years and it was pre internet so I didn’t even know they had good fishing there at the time. My Mom lived there for about two years so I visited her there a little west of Loch Maddy. If you are thinking of targeting shore Pollack then a simple white Clouser or even a Striper teaser will work. Apparently there is lots of freshwater lochs with various species of trout but most trout water in British Isles is usually private requiring a day ticket or hiring of a gillie to fish . Hotels often have access to some local water for guests.

[passiton]

Thank you to everyone for helping a bit here.  Tickets are purchased and it looks like 3 days on Skye, 3 on Lewis and Harris, 2 on North Uist, and 3 on Mull/Iona.  Anywhere we lay our head is within spitting distance of a Loch or river and within a five minute walk or drive of salt water. 
 

Picked up a nice Fishpond backpack today and will match it with their small waterproof chest pack.  4wt, 5/6 wt, 7 wt, and a travel spinning rod for banging out jigs and teasers into the salt on a windy day for Mack’s will go in tubes that either get attached to the backpack to carry on or stored in my main checked bag. 
 

 

[EliasA]

Out there there’s some excellent saltwater fishing, with lots of freshwater fishing inland.

 

it seems like you have a good grasp of what what’s in the area, tho I do have one suggestion- given the area it’s unlikely but if you head inland there is some world class greyling fishing

[passiton]

16 hours ago, EliasA said:

Out there there’s some excellent saltwater fishing, with lots of freshwater fishing inland.

 

it seems like you have a good grasp of what what’s in the area, tho I do have one suggestion- given the area it’s unlikely but if you head inland there is some world class greyling fishing

Inland on mainland Scotland or on the Western Isles?

 

This is our trip route.  We’re on the mainland just to travel out the first day and night, then the same in the return.  We start and end in Edinburgh. 

[EliasA]

3 mins ago, passiton said:

Inland on mainland Scotland or on the Western Isles?

 

This is our trip route.  We’re on the mainland just to travel out the first day and night, then the same in the return.  We start and end in Edinburgh. 

Inland as in mainland Scotland. It actually looks like you will be in some good areas. I stayed a time in Edinburgh, so I fished the tweed which was incredible, but that’s a bit out of your way.

 

the two best rivers for winter greyling are the River tweed and the River Annan. The tweed is a reasonable drive south of Edinburgh, and the Annan is way south in the borderlands, so they are both out of your way, but there will be numerous smaller lesser known rivers, such as the Greyfe, teith, tunnel, and earn.

 

especially this time of year the greyling are gorgeous, and a bit more novel than trout.

 

I found a good map online showing the rivers sections with healthy greyling population. The nice thing is the trout and greyling inhabit the same areas, so if the trout aren’t biting the grayling may be more indulgent, and vice versa 

 

[passiton]

10 mins ago, EliasA said:

Inland as in mainland Scotland. It actually looks like you will be in some good areas. I stayed a time in Edinburgh, so I fished the tweed which was incredible, but that’s a bit out of your way.

 

the two best rivers for winter greyling are the River tweed and the River Annan. The tweed is a reasonable drive south of Edinburgh, and the Annan is way south in the borderlands, so they are both out of your way, but there will be numerous smaller lesser known rivers, such as the Greyfe, teith, tunnel, and earn.

 

especially this time of year the greyling are gorgeous, and a bit more novel than trout.

 

I found a good map online showing the rivers sections with healthy greyling population. The nice thing is the trout and greyling inhabit the same areas, so if the trout aren’t biting the grayling may be more indulgent, and vice versa 

 

Thank you!