Kayak wild camp and fishing on Loch Etive

[@randall6002]

Really enjoy watching your videos mate they capture everything that's good in fishing/camping.

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Thanks! I really enjoy a day or three in the back of beyond. Combining fishing and camping suits me better than just doing one or the other, and I'm lucky enough to be able to get out there reasonably often - most years anyway!

[@tamlyon4435]

A wonderful trip Doug 👍 think the smell of that bacon frying brought in the Spurs ....

[@Corkwing-DougK]

I think it was one of these rare days when you could have stuck bacon on the hook and still caught spurs. I think it was one of my best trips up there - beautiful weather, a fine camp and some decent fishing.

[@dave-ux1iu]

nice to watch,can't ask for more than that.thanks

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Glad you enjoyed it - Etive is beautiful on these still, glassy days. That particular spot is usually almost completely silent too.

[@garymurray4878]

Excellent film again Doug 👍 what a stunning place 🎣 and some fish too🎣🎣🎣👏👏

[@Corkwing-DougK]

It's a lovely combination of scenery, camping and fishing. Mind you, I was up more recently for an overnighter and we were well soaked walking out - the sun certainly doesn't shine all the time!

[@davidnowell-cook712]

Always great seeing a new Doug K video pop up. Thanks for this Doug.

[@Corkwing-DougK]

I've got one more pre-lockdown trip to pull together - hopefully there's enough worthwhile material to make a video out of it. Hot tenting and some chunky spurs from another sea loch. At the rate I'm going it'll be a Christmas special - 2021!

[@davidnowell-cook712]

@@Corkwing-DougK Your videos have been a huge help to me during all this Doug and I’m sure many others. . It’s great to see what’s out there and to plan some future trips. I’ve even started looking at boats ! Best wishes and keep up the great work.

[@ianfirkins6460]

Blimey, you got some kit on that kayak, Doug! Stunning scenery.

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Yeah - it was a bit overloaded if I'm honest, and I wouldn't do that on more open water. Quite luxurious though - I'm not used to having an actual chair to snooze in alongside the campfire!

[@BEN10TO10]

Didn't think you would get brownies in a sea loch, nice video.

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Thanks! It might be partly to do with the amount of freshwater that gets trapped in the upper loch and just sits as a layer on top of the saltwater below. Sometimes you can drink from the loch and barely taste any salt at all, especially over the winter months. These are just tiddly trout and there are better ones in there, not that I've had any over 8oz or so.

[@BEN10TO10]

@@Corkwing-DougK Yes your probably right but then you also have spur dogs existing the in the same water. It just seems bizarre to have fresh and seawater fish co existing in the same environment, cheers fella.

[@PiscatorUK-Fishing]

Nice video Doug, thanks for sharing, good to see some good size spurs

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Cheers! The average up here is pretty small, but they do sometimes sneak into double figures. Equally you can get some really tiny babies at times - it just depends what's swarming around your particular patch of mud at the time.

[@PiscatorUK-Fishing]

@@Corkwing-DougK cheers Doug, the last time I was up there on the kayak was October last year and I was getting 3 tiny spurs at a time probably between 6 and 8 inches

[@NicolasValentinScotland]

Lovely spot of fishing

[@Corkwing-DougK]

I'm nothing like as hard core as you guys when it comes to kayak fishing, but I do like messing about on the upper loch. The fish are smaller but it's a great place to chill out and spend a night under the stars (or clouds, depending on your luck!). Even if I'm not fanatical about kayaking I do like your videos so keep up the good work once we're free to move again!

[@NicolasValentinScotland]

@@Corkwing-DougK maybe one day we kayak fish together . your uploads and adventures are great .

[@iaincarslaw237]

Doug you always make class videos.

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Glad you like them - but there's loads of trips where I don't get enough footage to pull a video together. I'll pull together a montage or something at some point.

[@gw6797]

Just been recommended your videos Doug and he was spot on, all the things I like doing too, been video ingredient a few trips myself but have picked up some good tips off you Atb Graeme

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Thanks Graeme - I like a mix of camping, fishing, hiking and boating. You can spend an awful lot of time playing with a camera and still find you've missed something you wanted to get on video. All good fun though, and I'm gradually figuring out what works for me!

[@ashleyhoward8926]

Very, Very good; well done Doug. You could try using the kayak to tow the Orkney full of bacon & eggs?

[@Corkwing-DougK]

I'm not that bad really! Apart from a couple of snack bars, that lot covered me up until I got home. I reckon nothing quite beats a bacon breakfast cooked outdoors. I sizzled the same for Liz and the dog up there on an equally beautiful day in August and both agreed with me!

[@ashleyhoward8926]

@@Corkwing-DougK You're dead right, but I still think maybe you could be sponsored by McColls. Keep up the good work

[@magicalscotland]

Been there second time, can't wait to go back! The side of the loch you are on looks like a very good spot. Thanks for another good quality video

[@Corkwing-DougK]

It's a fine spot to spend the night but I'm not too sure about the fishing. I've had a few spurdog from the shore around there but it's been hit or miss and this was easily the best fishing I've had. I was actually planning on fishing from the kayak most of the time but the fish just kept on coming so I just took the comfy option with a plentiful supply of hot coffee!

[@DavidTYork]

Great session and the weather, wow!

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Obsessive following of forecasts and grown up kids that consume less time are the main secrets to success! Etive is tucked far enough away inland that it often has really calm weather even when the likes of Oban has a strong breeze running. Leven is similar but a lot busier, given the road running round it.

[@DavidTYork]

@@Corkwing-DougK Living in Yorkshire, my trips to the West Coast an Skye are more of a lottery! Keep the videos coming, they are great!

[@simoncbroadley9577]

Great Video

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Thanks - but it's Etive that's always star of the show. Wonderful place.

[@simoncbroadley9577]

@@Corkwing-DougK Love the place , Spent my last three Christmas's camping on the shore at Glencoe end and Oban end , Don't think ill be aloud up this yr. though

[@strikenowfishing1406]

Very enjoyable watch 🎣🦈

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Even more enjoyable to film! I'd a great time!

[@jollyman7796]

thanks for the vid love fishing scotland we do the west coast evey year portpatrick but going to the isle of skye for a shot next year

[@Corkwing-DougK]

We'd a couple of trips planned to Galloway in June, both of which were lost to the plague! Skye in August and September was excellent though, and I reckon we'll be back next year if we can. It's a big island though!

[@Adventuristic89]

Think I camped not too far from that spot I was just at the bit with an old broken concrete boat pier. Absolutely great place to visit

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Yes - you would've been about half a mile south of where I was. Great place to spend a night.

[@simoncarrier8]

What’s the BIG fishing rod you have Doug? 🙏🏻🤷🏻‍♂️ nice video Thanks

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Hi Simon - if you mean the blue beastie I was shore casting with, then it's a Daiwa Supercast 13PM. It's an OK rod but really overkill for that scenario. I've got a bass rod that I might have a try with next time, just to see if I can still get the distance needed with a small to medium bait. It's pretty clean ground so you don't really need very beefy gear, and spurs don't generally stress your gear too much either.

[@liamwill83]

Breathtaking!

[@Corkwing-DougK]

It sure is - and hard to imagine that a lot of people once lived and worked here. Completely deserted nowadays.

[@aldomcgowan6561]

Just watched this for a second time just wondering is it just mackerel you are using I’m heading to there next weekend

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Yes, just mackerel strip. Bluey can do better for rays at times. I occasionally use squid but find it pretty hit or miss. There are mackerel in the loch at the moment but they aren't consistent or easy to find, so you're usually best to take your own along and treat any catches as a bonus.

[@thomaswislocki2804]

Magic Doug.... best country in the world with scenery to match.... your cooking makes my taste buds flow and I love the new wood burner camping stove, where did you get it from Doug ? my wife and I have searched the net but can't find the one you have on your video. Keep posting you wild camping breaks.... we're hooked mate...!!!

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Hi - it's this one - www.aliexpress.com/item/4001335529451.html - but it's now listed as no longer available. It's very similar to the Winnerwell titanium stove at twice the price. If you don't need the weight or space saving of titanium then you've got far cheaper options available. If you use it as a tent stove then make sure you have a spark arrestor too, and peg out the chimney so that it doesn't blow about in any breeze. I like the design of mine as you can use it as a firebox as well as a stove; the feet are far better than the 4 rods you often get; and the little window is pretty cute too. I haven't used it often enough really to provide an informed opinion, but I'm pleased so far. Obviously folding titanium is more flimsy that stainless steel, but you'll not carry 12-20kg of bulky steel stove very far! I bought this one after a normal steel stove transformed a couple of cold winter camps in a big tipi tent, so I'm sold on the concept of hot tenting :-)

[@johngraham912]

New to your channel magic video

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Many thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've had 2 or 3 really fine kayak trips on Etive now. Cheers, Doug

[@johngraham912]

@@Corkwing-DougK Doug am coming down from peterhead on the east coast by car with plans of camping loch side and fishing can i get a car loch side if so what is the best place to go and what road to take thanks.

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Realistically it's pretty hard to get a combined car camping and fishing spot on Etive, especially over the summer. The kayaking videos were all launched at Glen Etive but I was fishing miles away from there. You can camp at the head of the loch, at the very end of the Glen Etive road, but you may struggle to get a space and it's a bit of a rubbish dump. Sea fishing here is pretty non-existent. A few people camp and fish along the loch north of Bonawe quarry, but you risk finding the estate gates locked behind you - again, it is likely to be busy. At least you have some prospect of fish in this area. From Peterhead I'd head for Perth then the A85 to Lochearnhead. At Tyndrum take the Oban road for Taynuilt/Bonawe, or else the Fort William road for Glen Etive - you'll need to turn off this down a long single track road to get to loch, and the carpark at the end is pretty small and could be full...

[@johngraham912]

@@Corkwing-DougK thank you Doug not many out there answer back.

[@Carrera-gp9od]

Excellent video again , beautiful scenery What type of hooks are you using , you seem to unhook those spurries very easily !

[@Corkwing-DougK]

These will be Sakuma 545 Manta Extra or Varivas Big Mouth Extra, 3/0 or 4/0. Fairly small barbs, so come out more easily - and all these fish were lip hooked anyway. I'm going to try barbless too, as Ian seems to do fine with them from the boat. You don't need anything too meaty for spur dogs really.

[@markc7955]

I caught my biggest fish there. 52lb skate. Just a tidler really. I will be back soon. Not many places on the west coast you can almost guarantee a good days fishing, especially in the winter.

[@Corkwing-DougK]

That's interesting, as there have been a few skate taken from Etive now and it never used to be known for them. My only Etive skate is an 8lb baby a few years ago. The population generally really seems to have bounced back and there are loads of them off Oban and elsewhere nowadays.

[@reelfishingsibandshore.851]

Just watched the video with my 7 yr old, looks like a trip up in the motorhome is to be planned either loch lomond or etive

[@Corkwing-DougK]

I keep meaning to try Lomond, but I've never fished there (one of the reasons for getting the kayak was to try a bit of freshwater, but I always find myself gravitating to the salty stuff). You can get a motorhome down Glen Etive with care, and there's plenty of deer to see, but parking at the end of the road is a bit limited.

[@andrewmaccallum2367]

Motorhomes are such a horrible and unsightly blight on our beautiful Scottish landscape ...please follow Doug's lead ; kayak & camp .

[@craigscott4912]

That's a crackling stove, what make / model is it please ?

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Hi - I think the stove is this one - www.aliexpress.com/item/4001335529451.html - although this isn't showing photos so I'm not certain (some of the reviews do have photos, and look the same as mine). It's very similar to the Winnerwell titanium stove at twice the price. If you don't need the weight or space saving of titanium then you've got far cheaper options available. If you use it as a tent stove then make sure you have a spark arrestor too, and peg out the chimney so that it doesn't blow about in any breeze. I like the design of mine as you can use it as a firebox as well as a stove. A lot of these stoves have 4 rods you you need to use with butterfly nuts, etc to put them together, which is fiddly and doesn't let you use the stove as a firebox. I haven't used it often enough really to provide an informed opinion, but I'm pleased so far. Obviously thin folding titanium is more flimsy that stainless steel, but you'll not carry 12-20kg of bulky steel stove very far!

[@pr1tch1]

Brilliant Doug . What camera you using there? Cheers

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Hi Stephen, I just use my phone most of the time - Galaxy s9. A Panasonic Lumix TZ-90 also contributed but I tend to use this only occasionally for telephoto shots as I find the phone quicker and easier. Most of the time I'm shooting in HD 1920x1080 and not 4k and the phone produces lovely video that doesn't need much beyond basic editing (my older s7 was just as good). Both the s7 and s9 are reasonably waterproof (IP68) which is a big plus. There's also a little bit from an el-cheapo gopro copy that I found washed up on a beach - at least I know it's waterproof! The image quality and colour is poor by comparison though and I'll be upgrading to a new GoPro pretty soon. All these cameras struggle in low light which is their main limitation. My old DSLR coped a lot better, but it's too large and heavy for most of what I do nowadays. The biggest improvement I made with the phone was to add a small tripod which can either be used standalone or velcro'd to a tree branch or fishing tripod, etc. Mine's an Ultra Pod 2 but there will be plenty of others. Cheers, Doug

[@pr1tch1]

@@Corkwing-DougK thanks Doug . I also have the s9 . I tend to disregard it's video capabilities. I'll get myself tripod and use it more often. Many thanks

[@petermuir9739]

Easy paddle,41/2 miles🤣🤣

[@Corkwing-DougK]

Honestly, paddling is an awful lot easier than walking in! I need the practice too.