Easier than expected

Not the fishing though

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George came up to help me shift a metal shed and re-lay slabs. We did that on the Saturday, June 8th, in searing heat. We had to dig out 2 cu ft of soil and lay six 3`x2`x1", four 2`x2`x1" and four 18"x18"x1" slabs. Eight hours later we were finished and had more aches than I can ever remember having and we were going fishing next day

The hill road into the loch


Sunday 9th June was looking to be just as warm but, even with the aches, we set off. Mostly on forestry roads but three miles and 1000+` is still a long way.





The path up to the loch

The last few hundred feet is a killer though.








The profile of the walk


We did manage it and I seem to have got my hill legs back after our last trip as we did it in our average 2 mph which was a relief.

There was a brisk, and cool, breeze blowing down the loch so we headed along the right shoreline with the wind behind us. The sun was bright but there were very few rises to be seen. I missed one rise to my dry fly as I talked to an English couple pushing fully loaded bikes along the path. No matter what it says in the tourist book and notices the Cowal trail, at that point anyway, is not a cycle track We offered to help them lift their bikes over the style in the fence but they managed it and, following our directions to use the made up path rather than following the Cowal Trail, which goes straight down the waterfall, they disappeared over the hill.

We continued fishing down this side until lunch but both of us, although missing fish, me six and George two, we didn't manage to land any. Lunch over we walked back to the end of the loch and fished down the left side. I had been successful here last March but this time, again missing a couple of fish, we ended up blank again.

It wasn't even late afternoon but after yesterdays efforts and today's walk we were both tired and decided that we would head back down the hill.

We both enjoyed stretching our legs in the good weather and there will be a lot more opportunities to fish this loch and its partner through the year. I'm just glad to have my hill legs back again.