hillies can be wonderful characters, and they can also be as dour as a dreek Scottish weather event. Get them onside and they can help you catch fish where you would otherwise struggle, but the flipside is that you upset them at your peril. One such incident from the River Lochy, on Scotland’s west coast, started with an arrogant fishing guest making dictatorial demands and culminated in obedience to the letter, and just about as ignominious an end as it was possible to conjure up.
Back in the 1950s, when salmon were plentiful in Scottish rivers, it was commo
They had some good sea trout in the boat from the morning session, Veronica in particular having excelled herself dapping a Goat’s Toe. Now they happened to be close enough to Isle Maree for John to notice that there were fish rising just off its shoreline.
He glanced at the ghillie. ‘David, there must be a buzzer hatch or something going on over there. Let’s take a look.’
‘No point, they’ll only be small fish.’
‘They look like decent rises to me. It must be worth a cast?’
It was obvious that David wasn’t enthusiastic, but he set the boat to drift do
Full List of areas covered on our Somerset Fishing Lake Directory:
Abbas Combe, Adsborough, Alcombe, Alford, Alhampton, Aller, Allerford, Angersleigh, Ansford, Appley, Ash, Ash Priors, Ashbrittle, Ashcott, Ashill, Ashington, Ashwick, Athelney, Axbridge, Babcary, Badgworth, Baltonsborough, Barrington, Barrow, Barton St David, Barwick, Bason Bridge, Batcombe, Bathealton, Bathpool, Battleton, Bawdrip, Bayford, Beckington, Beercrocombe, Berkley, Berrow, Bickenhall, Bicknoller, Biddisham, Bilbrook, Binegar, Bishop’s Hull, Bishop’s Lydeard, Bishopswood, Blackford, Blackmoor, Blagdon Hill, Bleadney, Blue Anchor, Bossington, Bower Hinton, Bowlish, Bradford-on-Tone, Bramwell, Bratton Seymour, Brean, Brent Knoll, Bridgehampton, Bridgetown, Bridgwater, Broadway, Brompton Ralph, Brompton Regis, Broomfield, Brushford, Bruton, Buckland Dinham, Buckland St Mary, Burnham-on-Sea, Burrow Bridge, Burtle, Burton, Bury, Butleigh, Butleigh Wootton, Cannard’s Grave, Cannington, Carhampton, Castle Cary, Catcott, Chaffcombe, Chantry, Chapel Allerton, Chard, Chard Junction, Charlinch, Charlton, Charlton Adam, Charlton Horethorne, Charlton Mackrell, Charlton Musgrove, Charterhouse, Cheddar, Cheddon Fitzpaine, Chedzoy, Chesterblade, Chewton Mendip, Chilcompton, Chillington, Chilthorne Domer, Chilton Cantelo, Chilton Polden, Chilton Trinity, Chipley Park, Chipstable, Chiselborough, Churchingford, Churchstanton, Clapton, Clatworthy, Clewer, Cloford, Closworth, Coat, Cocklake, Cole, Coleford, Combe Florey, Combe St Nicholas, Combwich, Compton Bishop, Compton Dundon, Compton Pauncefoot, Corfe, Corton Denham, Cossington, Cote, Cothelstone, Coultings, Courtway, Coxley, Cranmore, Creech St Michael, Crewkerne, Cricket Malherbie, Cricket St Thomas, Crock Street, Croscombe, Cross, Crowcombe, Cucklington, Cudworth, Culbone, Curland, Curload, Curry Mallet, Curry Rivel, Cushuish, Cutcombe, Dean, Dinder, Dinnington, Ditcheat, Dodington, Doniford, Donyatt, Doulting, Dowlish Wake, Down End, Downhead, Downside, Draycott, Drayton, Dulcote, Dulverton, Dunball, Dundon, Dunster, Durleigh, Durston, East Brent, East Chinnock, East Coker, East Combe, East Cranmore, East Horrington, East Huntspill, East Lambrook, East Lydford, East Pennard, East Quantoxhead, Eastertown, Easton, Edgarley, Edington, Edithmead, Elworthy, Emborough, Enmore, Evercreech, Exebridge, Exford, Exton, Farleigh Hungerford, Faulkland, Fiddington, Fitzhead, Fivehead, Flaxpool, Ford, Ford Street, Forton, Four Forks, Frome, Fulford, Fyfett, Galhampton, Gare Hill, Glastonbury, Goathurst, Great Elm, Green Ore, Greenham, Greenway, Greinton, Greylake, Gurney Slade, Halse, Ham, Ham Street, Hambridge, Hardington, Hardington Mandeville, Hardington Marsh, Hardway, Haselbury Plucknett, Hatch Beauchamp, Hatch Green, Hawkridge, Heath House, Heathfield, Hedging, Hemington, Henlade, Henley, Henley Corner, Henstridge, Henstridge Ash, Henstridge Marsh, Henton, Hewish, High Ham, Highbridge, Highbury, Hillfarrance, Hinton St George, Holcombe, Holford, Holton, Holwell, Holywell Lake, Hornblotton Green, Horsington, Horton, Horton Cross, Howley, Huish Champflower, Huish Episcopi, Huntspill, Huntworth, Ilchester, Ilminster, Ilton, Isle Abbotts, Isle Brewers, Keinton Mandeville, Kilmersdon, Kilton, Kilve, Kingsbridge, Kingsbury Episcopi, Kingsdon, Kingston St Mary, Kingstone, Kingweston, Kittisford, Knapp, Knighton, Knowle Hall, Lamyatt, Langford Budville, Langley Marsh, Langport, Lattiford, Laverton, Leigh Common, Leigh upon Mendip, Leighton, Lilstock, Limington, Liscombe, Littleton, Litton, Long Load, Long Sutton, Lopen, Lovington, Low Ham, Lower Aisholt, Lower Godney, Lower Vexford, Lower Weare, Luccombe, Luckwell Bridge, Lullington, Luxborough, Lydeard St Lawrence, Lydford-on-Fosse, Lympsham, Lyng, Maperton, Mare Green, Mark, Mark Causeway, Marsh Street, Marston Magna, Martock, Maundown, Meare, Mells, Merridge, Merriott, Middlezoy, Milborne Port, Milborne Wick, Milton Clevedon, Milverton, Minehead, Misterton, Monksilver, Monkton Heathfield, Montacute, Moorlinch, Muchelney, Mudford, Mudgley, Nether Stowey, Nettlebridge, Nettlecombe, Nightcott, North Barrow, North Brewham, North Cadbury, North Cheriton, North Coker, North Curry, North Newton, North Perrott, North Petherton, North Wootton, Northay, Northmoor Green or Moorland, Northover, Norton Fitzwarren, Norton St Philip, Norton sub Hamdon, Nunney, Nunnington Park, Nynehead, Nythe, Oake, Oakhill, Oare, Odcombe, Old Cleeve, Oldford, Orchard Portman, Orchard Wyndham, Othery, Otterhampton, Over Stowey, Over Stratton, Overleigh, Panborough, Parbrook, Pathe, Pawlett, Pedwell, Pendomer, Penselwood, Pibsbury, Pilton, Pitcombe, Pitminster, Pitney, Pitsford Hill, Podimore, Polsham, Porlock, Porlock Weir, Prestleigh, Preston Plucknett, Priddy, Puckington, Puriton, Pylle, Queen Camel, Raleigh’s Cross, Redlynch, Rimpton, River Bridge, Roadwater, Rockwell Green, Rode, Rodhuish, Rodney Stoke, Rodway, Rooks Bridge, Rowberrow, Rudge, Ruishton, Rumwell, Runnington, Sampford Arundel, Sampford Brett, Seavington St Mary, Seavington St Michael, Selworthy, Shapwick, Shepton Beauchamp, Shepton Mallet, Shepton Montague, Shipham, Shurton, Simonsbath, Skilgate, Somerton, South Barrow, South Brewham, South Cadbury, South Chard, South Cheriton, South Petherton, Southway, Southwood, Sparkford, Spaxton, St Audries, St Decumans, Staple Fitzpaine, Staplegrove, Stapleton, Stapley, Star, Stathe, Stawell, Stawley, Steart, Stockland Bristol, Stocklinch, Stoford, Stogumber, Stogursey, Stoke St Gregory, Stoke St Mary, Stoke St Michael, Stoke sub Hambon, Stoke Trister, Stolford, Ston Easton, Stone Allerton, Stoney Stoke, Stoney Stratton, Stowell, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Street, Street on the Fosse, Stretcholt, Stringston, Sutton Mallet, Sutton Montis, Swell, Tarnock, Tarr, Tatworth, Taunton, Tellisford, Templecombe, Theale, Thorn Falcon, Thorne St Margaret, Thorney, Thorngrove, Thurlbear, Thurloxton, Timberscombe, Tintinhull, Tolland, Toulton, Treborough, Trudoxhill, Trull, Tytherington, Upper Godney, Upton, Upton Noble, Vellow, Vobster, Wadeford, Walton, Wambrook, Wanstrow, Washford, Watchet, Watchfield, Waterrow, Wayford, Weare, Wearne, Wedmore, Wellington, Wells, Wembdon, West Bagborough, West Bradley, West Buckland, West Camel, West Chinnock, West Coker, West Compton, West Hatch, West Horrington, West Huntspill, West Lambrook, West Lydford, West Lyng, West Monkton, West Pennard, West Porlock, West Quantoxhead, West Stoughton, West Woodlands, Westbury-sub-Mendip, Westcombe, Westham, Westhay, Westonzoyland, Westport, Whatley, Wheddon Cross, Whitelackington, Whitestaunton, Willett, Williton, Wilton, Wincanton, Windmill Hill, Winsford, Winsham, Witcombe, Witham Friary, Withiel Florey, Withycombe, Withypool, Wiveliscombe, Wookey, Wookey Hole, Woolavington, Woolmersdon, Woolverton, Wootton Courtenay, Worminster, Wrangway, Wrantage, Wraxall, Yarley, Yarlington, Yenston, Yeovil, Yeovil Marsh, Yeovilton