Saturday 26th May - day one
Left Greenlaw at 6am, weather very good after a fairly heavy frost. Charles had to scrape the windows of the Nissan Xtrail 4x4, our vehicle for the week. We picked Brian and Keith up at the Edinburgh Hillend ski slope just off the Edinburgh City Bypass at 6.45am. We loaded up the car with their luggage and fishing gear and were ready for the journey 7am. The journey to Inverary was very straightforward and we had a good run through Glasgow, up Loch Lomondside over to the Rest and be Thankful and round Loch Fyne to our usual breakfast stop with Elizabeth and Dougie Barr. It was good to see them again and we were treated to our eagerly anticipated hearty breakfast. Dougie's home made breakfast marmalade excellent fare. After our breakfast and annual catch up on Islay affairs we said our goodbyes and set off on the final leg over to Kennacraig via Garelochhead and Tarbet. We arrived in good time for the ferry at 12 noon and were able to catch up with Dave and Katie Scott from Earlston our Borders neighbours and friends who had been holidaying on Islay during the week and were returning home. They told us that they had a great week on Islay although it had been a bit windy and Dave had not been able to do much fishing. They had enjoyed some great walks around Loch Gorm as they were staying nearby and on one of their walks had seen the elusive and rare Corncrake and we had not been able to see one in all the year we have been coming to Islay. Dave left us instructions as to its location and hoped we would be lucky. We bid them farewell and dove the Nissan onto the ferry. The crossing to Port Ellen was smooth and we had a great time in the bar listening to Celtic Spirit who were a rock pipe band and were going to Islay to participate in the Islay Music Festival. We were treated to an impromtu gig which had the ferry rocking. They walked off the ferry at 3pm piping their stirring tunes. Check them out CELTIC SPIRIT. Leaving the ferry we headed up the main road over the peatbogs, passed the airport and into Bowmore where we were welcomed by our friends Alistair and Isobel McDonald and given the keys to the cottage just along the Main street from the Round Church indeed the garden of the cottage looks over the fields and church cemetary. They wished us a good week and also commented on the windy conditions the previous week which Dave Scott had mentioned earlier in the day. Luckily for us it had settled down today but it was forecast to return the following day! We unloaded and sorted out the fishing gear as we were going fishing that evening the first time we had been out on the Saturday for a good few years. The plan was that Charles and Keith would drop us off at Loch Nan Cadhan and they would fish the neighbouring Loch Allan. Brian and I walked the short distance over to our loch and emtied the rainwater out of the boat before setting out onto this small lochan. Both this loch and Loch Allan are small and contain a good number of small brown trout three or four to the pound. They gave us all good sport and got us well into the swing of things catching these lovely wild brown trout so different to the stocked rainbows we fishing for more regularly back home. We fished beyond the setting sun and and returned home the four or five miles to our Bowmore base at about 10pm our hearts gladened by the encouraging and enjoyable evening cast on Islay. Highlights today were the Barr's breakfast chat, meeting Dave and Katie Scott, Celtic Spirit entertainment on the ferry and our first cast on Islay 2007. Trout today: small and keen to take our flies C.D.C

Sunday 27th May – day two
Breakfast at 8am, all the usual offerings! Off at 9.30am to the Scor Loch. This journey takes us along an old peat road, followed by a 2 to 3 mile walk into the hills – a very wild place indeed, nestling below some very spectacular mountains. It is all bank fishing here, a true wild brown trout loch. We started fishing at Midday. As expected, perseverance was to be the only way to catch these trout. Very little surface activity but occasionally some dark olives were blown onto the water, making the trout rise and, if you were in the right place at the right time and covered the trout, they rose to the flies. We had our barbeque as usual at 4pm, followed by another hour’s fishing. Then we loaded up for the walk back to the vehicle – a more downhill trek this time. We arrived back to the cottage for a light tea then a run round to see Loch Gorm, As expected, the water was coloured up due to last week’s storms. The winds were still strong and remained so all afternoon and into the evening. With a strong sun and cool north wind and one heavy shower in the early afternoon, including some hail stones the weather was not ideal today. Trout today: 17 Mainly ¾ lbs. one at 2lbs and one at 1 ¾ lbs. The larger fish were very lean. The smaller fish were in good condition. All fish were returned. Flies: Black CDC, Dark Olive, Greenwells, Green Peter, Kate McLaren, Black Snatcher Birds spotted today around Loch Gorm: Ringed Plover, Wheatears, Hen Harrier, Grey Lag Goose with Goslings. Also at Gorm a large amount of hares. At Scor we watched the Golden Eagle

Monday 28th May – day three
Breakfast at 8am. A bright but windy day again. Went to see Jack Adams as we were booked for Loch Gorm today but, as we knew the condition of the loch, we rearranged fishing for the end of the week. Jack also advised us on some of the other lochs we could fish today. As there was a strong North East wind we decided to fish on the bank of Loch Finlaggan. We started at 11am and fished until 5pm. We then took the car down to see the new pier being put in for the ferry at Port Askaig. We dined at the the Ballygrant Inn then went home to the cottage where we settled down to watch BBC’s Springwatch, as part of the programme was being broadcast from Islay. We actually saw Simon King from the programme at Loch Gorm the previous evening checking on the hares which were to feature. Very interesting viewing. Brian and Keith then went out to photograph the sunset. It turned out to be a lovely evening - the wind settled and the midgies returned! Trout today: about 90 fish between us - various sizes, but mainly on the small side. We kept 4 (12oz each) for our daily barbeques as the Finlaggan trout are lovely and returned the rest. Floating lines again as usual today. Flies: Clan Chief, Red Tag, Black Hopper, Blue Zulu, Black Spider. All top of the water fishing.

Tuesday 29th May – day four
Breakfast at 8am. Arrived at Ballygrant at 9.30am to collect permit from Dunnlossit Estate Office. Weather overcast with a very cool north wind which turned to the east in the late afternoon staying cool. We fished until 3pm then had our usual barbeque and fire at the boathouse. Began fishing again at 4.45pm until 9pm. It was a lovely night for fishing but the trout never really came on the take. There were a few rising and, if you covered them quickly enough, they would have a go. Dodo came out in the evening with his friend using the wheelie boat. Midgies out in force as soon as the wind dropped! Had a quick chat with Donald James at the Kennels telling him we had only a few small trout taken in these dour conditions. We took them to Ballygrant Inn and had a round of drinks before returning to the cottage at 10.30pm. A long day, but good sport at this lovely Loch which is such a special place for all of us although perhaps not as productive as we found it in the early years of our visits to Islay. Trout today: about 80 of various sizes. Kept 11 for the Ballygrant Inn – three at 1lb and 8 at ¾ lbs . Very nice, golden trout. Flies: Invicta, Bibio, Kate McLaren, Peter Ross, Blackbird Fly, Blue Zulu. Birds Today: Buzzards, Sparrow Hawk, Cuckoo (heard again but not sighted)

Wednesday 30th May – day five
Breakfast at 8am. Going to Loch Gorm today. Weather forecast is promising, overcast with some southerly winds. Collected key from Jack, arriving at the loch at 10.15am. We set up the two boats – Charles and myself in one, Brian and Keith in the other. Conditions when we started were good – Loch settled fine. The fishing for the first 2 hours or so was really good. Trout coming over top dropper – text book stuff! Unfortunately, as the sun came out, it seemed to put the bigger fish off although plenty of sport with the smaller fish. Finished up at 7pm, back to cottage then went out to Ballygrant Inn for our tea. Returned back to our Bowmore cottage at 10pm. Trout today: in the region of 60. 4 at 1lb, many ¾ lb fish. Golden trout in good condition. Kept 6 for our local friends, the rest were returned. Flies: Blue Zulu, Clan Chief, Bibio Snatcher, Red Tag, Claret Bumble. Floating lines once again. Birds: Stonechats, Hooded Crow, Herons, Little Grebe

Thursday 31st May – day six
Breakfast at 8.30am then set off for Loch Gorm. Bright sunshine with a very strong wind from the south today, though much warmer. When we arrived there was a fair wave but decided to give it a try. Southside of loch was fishable for a third of the way across, the rest of the loch had large white horses. As the jetty with the boats sits on the south shore, we felt we could try some fishing. As the wind get stronger Keith and Charles decided to come in but Brian and I stuck it out for another hour until we too had to give up. We had our lunch and decided to spend the rest of the day at Loch Skerrols as it is well sheltered there. We arrived at 3pm and fished until 7.30pm. Good sport with fish – most up to 3/4lbs. Then back to cottage for dinner of venison supplied by Charles. Dodo came to visit with his usual contribution to our trip – its surprising how quickly a bottle of whisky disappears when the talk turns to fishing exploits. Good company and chat. Off to bed with a healthy glow! Wind settled into a very calm night. Trout today: Gorm until blown off- 12 (with 2 at 1lb, rest at 3/4lb). Good fish, taking pulling flies through the wave. Good wild brown trout fishing. At Skerrols better ripple, scourie wind, very bright. 40 trout – 12 at ¾ lb, rest varied - all returned. Flies: Gorm – Clan Chief, Red Tag and at Skerrols - Clan Chief, Black Hopper, Blackbird Fly Birds today: Eagle at a distance, Buzzard, Shell Ducks, Heron, Stonechats, “corn crake on Springwatch TV!” Gorm tactics were over the areas where you could see the stones, as Gorm is shallow all over these stoney areas are not necessarily only on the edges of the loch. At Skerrols. – the better fish seem to have been out in the deeper middle areas

Friday 1st June – day seven
Breakfast at 8am. Another very bright morning with a strong south wind. Went up to Gorm as we had boats booked but the wind was as bad as we had left it yesterday so we decided not to even attempt to go out today! We decided to go on a short walk from the Mulindry road across to the Broad Loch. Good trout loch, shallows with lots of edges with deeper water. Again, the weather was against us and we could only fish about two thirds of the loch. Brian and I fished from 11am until 3pm. Charles and Keith went to Fada Loch – a smaller place with lots of reeds and lilies. It has plenty of small, pretty trout. Their fins have red and white markings on their edges. Fada lies just a short distance from the Broad Loch. Got back to the vehicle at 3.30pm, everyone a bit worse for the sun was strong today. Settled our dues in at the Dunlossit Estate Office then off to Ballygrant for an early dinner as we are going to finish off the holiday with a few hours on the banks of Finlaggan. After tea, we said our goodbyes to David and Ruby, then called in to Jack Adams to pay for our Islay Estates fishing. We fished Finlaggan from 7pm until 9pm and the wind never died down but at least no midgies! We then went back to the cottage and packed up all out gear, ready for the journey home tomorrow. Another Islay fishing trip nearing an end! Trout today: Broad Loch – very hard in such conditions. 15 fish, most about ¾ lb lovely trout with bright colours. Fada - lots of small fish picked up between the lilies. Not a lot of clear water here – much of it unreachable because of the reeds and lilies. Nevertheless a nice place to fish and cast your flies upon it’s waters. 35 trout in the evening. Smallish, though four at 3/4lb. Flies: Keith used a greased up Black Shipmans for Fada. Broad Loch – we tried intermediates but this made little difference. Floating lines with floracarbon taking the flies down seemed to be enough. This tactic appeared to work with the bright sun over the last three days. Mostly used size 12 flies - Clan Chief, Blackbird Fly and Zulu. Finlaggan trout were fairly small tonight although we had four at 12oz. Blackbird Fly, Pearly Invicta, Invicta and also dry black and olive emergers worked well tonight. There were a lot of large sedges on the water.

Saturday 2nd June - day of return – day eight
Up bright and early with breakfast at 7.30am – bacon rolls and toast. Loaded up vehicle and gave cottage a tidy up. Left at 8.45am for Port Ellen. A complete change in the weather – strong south wind, but also heavy rain and mist on the mountains. Subsequently the ferry crossing was bad in the open water but better once we entered the sealoch, landing at Kennacraig at 12.15am. The weather gradually got better as we drove east and by the time we arrived back at Greenlaw, it was a lovely, warm summer’s evening. Our journey home was straightforward. We stopped for food at the Balloch Hotel then opted to return home via Stirling. We picked up the road just at Balloch, by the bottom of Loch Lomond. It was a much more scenic route and quieter than the M8 through Glasgow! One hour from leaving Balloch we dropped off Keith at ski-slope where Caroline, his daughter, was waiting to collect him. The rest of us went on to Greenlaw where Louise, Brian’s daughter was waiting to collect him. Brian and Margaret now live on the seafront in Dunbar, a little further down the coast from Haddington. We all agreed to arrange our return trip for next year as we have to book the cottage right away. The week we have in mind falls on the Whisky and Music festival, which is the busiest week of the year on the island! It seems to be getting busier every year. Highlights of the fishing week: seeing the Eagles, fishing everyday, wind keeping the midgies away, watching Springwatch from Islay, meeting old friends and coming home sun-burned and fished out! Best flies: Kate McLaren, Snatcher, Bibio Snatcher, Clan Chief, Blackbird Fly, Red Tag, Zulu Blue and Black, Invicta Pearly and standard.

Ps. We are looking for fishing information for Jura and Colonsay for next year – hoping to visit either or both next time. So, if you know any good lochs then let us know!