Croc Hunting - 2022 Finale

This was not a repeat of the final day in 2021, where Donald beat Luke 2 to the good.

On the last day of the fishing season, 15th October 2022, we set out on Loch Langabhat for one final adventure before the waters went quiet for the year. The day started with a cold, light breeze and a cloudy sky, conditions marked by a light westerly wind. It was perfect. Despite the short daylight hours, the excitement was palpable as we launched our boat onto the loch.

The day turned out to be exceptional, especially for Luke, who had the luck of the loch on his side. He managed to catch an impressive 7 salmon, while Donald caught 1, and Donald's dad also reeled in 1, making a total of 9 salmon for the day. These were beautiful fish, though they were colored as it was the business end of the season.

Donald’s day started with a bit of a mishap, losing a salmon within the first five minutes of launching the boat. But Luke quickly changed our fortunes by catching one right after, off Yellowstone. The clouds moved out and the blue skies came out, but the standard was set and the action was only just beginning. As we moved to Morsgail, where Luke caught another, followed by Donald and his dad each catching one.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly Luke’s incredible streak. Switching sides of the boat didn’t disrupt his rhythm; as we drifted towards the Harris end of the loch, trawling a 15g silver toby, Luke continued his streak, catching five more salmon from both sides of the boat. He managed to land every fish he hooked, scoring a perfect 7/7 without losing a single one. However, this streak of luck made for a memorable day on the water.

The peaceful steam down to the Harris end was pure bliss, a serene conclusion to an action-packed day.

The stags were roaring in the background, a reminder of the season’s end. Despite the early darkness, cutting our day shorter than we wished, the experience was nothing short of fantastic. Some of us had better luck than others, but that’s the nature of fishing – it’s as much about the journey as it is about the catch. An excellent end to an even better season.

It is worth mentioning that Donald ghillied the whole day and kindly put Luke on the fish.

Slàinte Mhath and tight lines,

Luke and Donald