Dunlichity House

We hope you all had a great Christmas.

The layer of ice that we have had on both lochans has finally gone and, although the banks are a little soft, we have reopened this morning.

Time to get those Christmas presents out of their wrappers and catch fish before the cold weather really sets in.  Also a good time to get a Troutmaster badge!

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There is snow on the banks this morning and a thin layer of ice on both lochans.

Given the weather forecast for the next few days, we have decided to close until after Christmas.  Once the conditions improve, we will reopen and update the blog.

Stay safe!

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The lochans have both thawed and the snow has gone.  The banks are wet by accessible with care. 

We have reopened this morning and there is only one Troutmaster entry of the board this month.

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Both lochans are frozen and there is 4 inches of snow on the banks.  We will post a further blog once we are able to open.

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Tuesday, 26 November 2013
No frost today!  Normal fishing conditions, so Fishery will be open until 4.00pm today.

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Monday, 25 November 2013
It's that time of year!  Heavy frosts overnight mean the lochans are frozen.  Unfortunately the Fishery will be closed today.
Further updates will be posted as and when the weather conditions change.

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Saturday, 23 November 2013
FISHERY RE-OPENS
Milder weather overnight has meant the fishery is open today as usual.


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Friday, 22 November 2013
Following heavy frosts overnight, the Fishery will be closed today. 
Please check further postings for a change in conditions.

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All the ice has gone and the fishery has reopened.

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Woke up this morning to a layer of ice over both lochans.  Given the very low temperatures that are forecast for this evening, we have decided to stay closed for the weekend and to review the situation on Monday.

In 7 years here, the earliest that we have previously lost a day to ice was 20th November!

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The final heat of this year's Dunlichity Cup is on Saturday.

The father and son pairing of David and Liam Skinner will be competing for the overall prize, whilst they are joined by George Skinner, James Gray and James Watson in the running for second place.  Everyone has an opportunity to influence who will be this year's champion.

The heat will also have the normal monthly prizes.

Arrive at 09.00 for a 09.30 start.

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11 competitors arrived for the penultimate heat of the 2013 Dunlichity Cup.  Some noticable absentees at the top of the leaderboard meant that middle-ranked competitors had an opportunity to make up ground.

James Gray took the honours with a bag of 7lb 14oz, over 3lbs higher than second placed David Skinner.  Graham Matheson was third and Neil Pirrie won the bottle for the biggest fish outside of the top 3.


These results mean that David Skinner is now strong favourite to lift the trophy for the second time.  Only Liam Skinner can also take first place.  However, 5 competitors can take second place.


The final heat of the 2013 Dunlichity Cup is on Saturday 2 November. 

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The penultimate heat of the Dunlichity Cup is this Saturday, 5 October at 09.00.  In addition to this being a standalone competition, there are still annual prizes up for grabs as the league draws to a conclusion.

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As a result of a busy time at the house, we are combining the last two heat reports:

Heat 5 - Saturday 10 August

We had not originally intended to hold a competition in August, but as a result of a request from the July competitors, we convened an extra heat.  13 anglers arrived for what turned out to be an interesting heat.  A lot of fish were caught during the day, but pride of place went to David Skinner with a bag of 10lb 5oz, which included a 7lb 14oz rainbow.  Second was Tim Watson with a bag of 6lb 3oz (including a 4lb 4oz rainbow) and third was Neil Pirrie with a 4lb 8oz bag.  George Skinner won the bottle.


Special mention to Michael Kerr, whose perseverance led to him putting his first points on the board (6).  The result moved David Skinner up to third place in the league, with Liam Skinner and James Watson both falling back after scoring nil and 1 point respectively.  George Skinner moved into first place.

Heat 6 - Saturday 7 September

A number of absentees meant that only 8 anglers competed for reduced prizes.  It also mean a fish of any weight would guarantee at least 3 points.  In the end, three competitors blanked!

There were 4 5lb+ bags and a tie at the top of the points board, with Liam and David Skinner both landing bags of 5lb 15oz.  Both got 10 points but Liam was awarded first prize on countback.  Magnus MacDonald was third with 5lb 3oz.
George Skinner's absence allowed Liam and David Skinner to both leapfrog him, with James Watson moving up to equal third place.  The other big mover was Magnus MacDonald.  With two heats to go, 8 anglers could still claim first place.

The next heat is on Saturday 5 October.
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We have been able to secure fishing on the Kilkoy Castle beats of the River Glass next week and are extending an invitation to Loyalty Scheme members and competitors in the Dunlichity Cup to join us.

We have 3 rods available on Wednesday 11 September, Thursday 12 September and Friday 13 September.

If you are a Loyalty Scheme member or have competed in the Dunlichity Cup and are interested in joining us, then please email us you name, contact telephone number and the day(s) that you would be available to fish.  If over-subscribed, then a draw will take place.  Please let us know by noon on Monday 9 September.

Our email address is dunlichityhouse1@btinternet.com

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The next heat of the Dunlichity Cup is on Saturday 7 September at 09.00.  A report on the last heat will be posted later in the week.

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As the rain hits the window, it is difficult to picture the conditions which faced competitors when they arrived for Heat 4 of the 2013 Dunlichity Cup!  Heat, clear skies and lochans that were at record low water levels.

We anticipated that the general conditions, coupled with the low oxygen levels would mean that fishing would be tough.  How right we were!

Throughout the heat, 16 anglers only managed to take 9 fish.  All agreed that the fish were there but were simply not interested.  Heat 3 winner Darren Skinner probably had the best idea, leaving early empty-handed to tend the Scottish Open greens at Castle Stuart!

The fish that were caught, however meant that some new names were amongst the winners, with Garry Patience winning with 5lb 14 oz, and Neil Pirrie third with 3lb 4oz.  In second place was 2011 Champion Liam Skinner.  The bottle went to James Gray.

Liam's second place moved him to the top of the overall standings, with other big movers including Garry, Neil, and James.

The next heat is on Saturday 9 August at 09.00

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The next heat of the Dunlichity Cup will be this Saturday, 12 August at 09.00.

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We are closing the bottom lochan tomorrow, Tuesday 30 July from 11.30 to 17.00 for a private party.

The top lochan will remain open for the whole day.

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With the top two league competitors away, it was an opportunity for the rest of the field to gain valuable ground.  However, the fish had other plans ...

Fishing conditions were really tough, and although a lot of fish were seen, not many were being hooked.  Early on, fish were being returned - a decision which may haunt a few of the competitors.

At the end of the heat, only 13 fish had been retained, with Darren Skinner coming out on top with a bag of 5lb 13oz.  Second was newcomer Douglas Trolland with 5lb 8oz and third was Will Jack, with his two early fish weighing in at 4lb 13oz.  Sean Cowan won the bottle for the largest fish outside of the top 3.



The next heat is on Saturday 13 July.

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The next heat of the Dunlichity Cup will take place on Saturday 13 July at 09.00 for a 09.30 start.  The top lochan will be closed until 14.30.

An account of Heat 3 will follow shortly.

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For the second successive year, Donald Patience won the Dunlichity Troutmaster Fish-Off.

In a keenly fought competition, Donald took his 11lb 4oz bag in the first 3 pegs and had an anxious wait, as other anglers closed in on his total.  In particular, Neil Pirrie, Colin Keith and Dean Geddes were in position to take the lead right through to the last peg.

Donald won the first prize of £100, an individual trophy and will hold the Dunlichity Troutmaster Sheild for a year.  Colin Keith was second and won a prize of £50 plus a runners up trophy and Dean Geddes was third.  Will Jack and Neil Pirrie also won prizes.


Donald now goes forward to the National Finals in September, hoping to improve on his creditable 7th place last year.  As part of his prize, Dunlichity will contribute up to £100 towards his travel costs to the final.

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The next heat of the Dunlichity Cup is tomorrow, Saturday 8 June at 09.00 am.  The top locahn will be closed for the competition until 14.30.

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The Fishery has been fishing well over the last few days with some big catches recorded.

On Thursday evening, Ian Young caught 15 fish during an evening session.

On Friday 17 May, George Phillip caught 23 fishing during a 4 hour session, whilst Peter Rae caught 21 in a 2 hour session.

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16 anglers braved the elements to compete in the second round of the 2013 Dunlichity Cup.  In spite of showers and windy conditions, many of the competitors caught and released fish on the hope that the "big one" was waiting for them.

There were good performances from David Skinner, James Watson and George Swanson, but the winner for the second heat in a row was George Skinner, with a bag of 7lb 15oz.

David Skinner was second, with James Watson third.  George Swanson won the bottle for the largest fish outside of the top three.



The win consolidated George Skinner's place at the head of the league, with everything still to play for!


The third round of the Dunlichity Cup is on Saturday 8 June.

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A good turnout of competitors met with good fishing conditions for the first heat of the 2013 Dunlichity Cup. 

18 anglers caught over 70 fish throughout the day, with 23 fish being taken.  16 3lb+ fish and 7 4lb+ fish were landed.

With last year's high fliers Colin Keith and Bill Greig failing to enter a fish, and with Ian Young on holiday, it was left to George Skinner to take first prize with a bag of 9lb 2oz.  James Watson was second with 8lb 11oz and 2011 winner Liam Skinner was third with 7lb 15oz.  Graham Matheson continued last year's practice of winning the bottle!
This year, the league is run on a points basis, with the winner getting 10 points, second getting 9 points etc.  As a result, the standings after the first heat are:
The next heat is on Saturday 4 May.  Please note that it has been necessary to change the date of the July heat from Saturday 6 July to Saturday 13 July.

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In spite of an overnight frost, the Lochans are fine this morning and today's first heat of the Dunlichity Cup will go ahead as planned.

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Heat 1 of this year's Dunlichity Cup is this Saturday, 6th April at 09.00.

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The 2013 Summer prices come into effect from Monday 1 April.  In spite of the fact that all of our various costs have risen over the past year, we are keeping our prices at the 2012 rates.  It is also worth noting that our Catch and Release tickets have remained unaltered since 2010. 

In addition, we are introducing the midweek special offer which proved popular over the winter.

The prices are as follows:





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The frost was not as bad as expected last night and we have opened at 09.00.  The Fishery fished well yesterday, with George Skinner catching 18 fish, David Skinner 13 and George Swanson 11.

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In common with the last few days, the lochans were both frozen at 08.00 but have started to thaw.  At 10.30, half of the top Lochan has thawed and we anticipate that enough of the top Lochan will be clear for some fishing to be possible by midday.  Consequently, we will open the gates at 11.30.

A heavy frost is forecast for tonight, and given that the clocks go forward tonight, it is likely that no fishing will be possible tomorrow morning, and possibly later into the day.  We will give a further update at 11.00 tomorrow morning.

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After a heavy overnight frost, both Lochans have a full covering of ice this morning.

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There are still a few pockets of ice first thing this morning, but we anticipate that these will have mostly cleared by mid-morning.

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Snow and driving winds overnight have left the banks covered and snow is still falling!

This is now the latest that we have been closed due to the weather at the start of the year in the six years that we have been here, beating the previous latest of 22 March 2011.

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The ice has cleared so we have reopened.

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Guess what.............?

Heavy frost overnight has left the bottom Lochan fully frozen and 90% of the top Lochan frozen.  Will update the Blog as soon as the Fishery is fishable!

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The snow has cleared and we have reopened this morning.

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This is getting annoying!!!

A substantial fall of snow overnight has left the Lochans with a reasonable covering this morning.  More snow is forecast for later.

Keep watching the Blog!

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The Fishery is clear of ice this morning and has reopened.  However, the forecast over the next few days is not great so check the Blog before travelling.

We opened the gates yesterday afternoon as much of the ice had thawed during the morning.  Colin Moffat, who called in "on spec" caught 11 fish over 4 hours.

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After reopening for a day, the Lochans are frozen again!

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The ice has all cleared so we are reopening today.

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The dates of the 2012 Dunlichity Cup heats are confirmed as:


We have decided not to hold a heat in August as many competitors are on holiday.

We are keeping the entry fee at £25 for the 4th year in succession but are introducing some changes:

1.  The league will operate on a points basis, with each heat winner getting 10 points, runner-up 9 points, etc down to 10th place who gets 1 point.

2.  The minimum number of competitors to retain the current prize distribution of £60, £40 and £20 is 12.  Between 11 and 9 competitors, the prizes will be £50, £30 and £20.  The minimum number of competitors to hold a heat is 9.

Any questions, please contact us.

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The date for the 2012 Troutmaster Fish-Off is confirmed as Saturday 18 May.

This year's final at Grafham Water has been moved to 2nd September.  This allows us to have our Fish-Off later in the season when hopefully the weather is better. 

We will shortly be writing to all who have qualified, formally inviting them to compete.

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Congratulations to Colin Keith, who ended the 2012 Dunlichity Cup competition as a worthy champion.  Held over 7 heats between April and November, Colin won two heats and was in the top three in two others.  Colin had a season bag of 37lb 4oz and also caught the biggest fish of the competition at 12lb 1oz.

Ian Young came a creditable second with a season bag of 24lb 7oz, with James Gray third with 22lb 7oz.

During the season, 27 anglers competed, in excess of 295lb in fish were taken and prizes to a value in excess of £1200 were distributed. 

The final rankings were as follows:
There will be a few changes to the way that the competition operates in 2013.  These changes, together with the competition dates will be published shortly.
 

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We closed the Fishery yesterday as both Lochans were 50% covered in ice at the start of the day.

This morning, both Lochans are fully frozen with a 3 inch layer of ice on top.

Keep checking for further updates.

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We are reopening today.

The top Lochan is clear and the bottom Lochan is now 70% fishable, and will clear further as the temperatures remain above freezing.

We still have to check that the Bothy water is running and the toilet is in operation.

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The top Lochan has now fully thawed and the bottom Lochan is about 30% fishable.

If the thaw continues overnight, then we will reopen tomorrow.  A status report will be posted at 08.30 tomorrow morning.

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The clear skies overnight have resulted in a frost which has left a layer of ice across both lochans.  We will monitor the conditions throughout the day and will update the Blog once we are able to reopen.

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Although the banks are still damp in places, we have reopened the Lochans this morning.

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Would you believe it!  Open for a day, then a heavy overnight frost has frozen both lochans!

At least Ken Gordon was able to christen his new rod yesterday with 4 fish during a 2 hour session.

Keep an eye on the Blog for further updates.

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The ice has now cleared and we have reopened the Fishery.  The banks are quite wet in places and care will be needed when walking aroung the lochans.  In addition, we have still to check the water supply to the Bothy.

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Best laid plans ......

We have woken to an overnight fall of snow.  Some ice has formed on the Lochans and the snow is still falling.  As a consequence, we are not going to open today.

The forecast today and this evening is for freezing temperatures and more snow, so it may be a few days before we can get the Lochans opened.  Keep watching the Blog for updates.




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The Lochans have now thawed and the banks are drying out.  Unless we get a significant amount of rain overnight, we intend to open tomorrow, Friday 1 February.  If anything changes, we will post an update early tomorrow.

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Temperatures plunged overnight, leaving a thin layer of ice across both lochans.  Given the forecast over the next few days, it is unlikely that we will be able to open in the near future.

Keep watching the Blog for further updates.

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Fishing was good yesterday with Bill Grieg and Martin Krop both catching 7 each and losing others.

The bothy pipes are fixed and the fishery is open as normal.

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The first fish of 2013 was caught and returned today (2 January) at 11.13am by Dunlichity regular Martin Krop (aka Inverness Personal Chef) on the bottom lochan.

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The lochans have fully thawed out but the banks are very wet.  In addition, we have a couple of burst pipes in the Bothy which will require attention.

We plan to reopen this morning (2 January) at 10.00 am.  There will be no water or toilet facilities until the bursts have been repaired, and care will be needed on the banks to ensure safety and minimise damage.

Any further updates will be posted on the Blog.

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Our best wishes to everyone for the coming year.  We hope 2013 is healthy, happy and prosperous for all our fishery friends.

Best wishes

Karen and Mike

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