Escaping the autumn gales briefly, I sneak in an overnighter to Loch Etive. I'm shore fishing but using my kayak to get me to where I want to camp for the night. After an amazing paddle down a beautiful, still, loch I get my tent set up right alongside where I want to fish. Dinner is cooked over my campfire, being a juicy piece of rump steak washed down with a nicely fortified hot chocolate to ward off the evening chill. I'm alone on the loch, apart from the bellowing of the red deer stags, and I just watch the stars emerge and then the moon shining over a very calm Etive. Retreating to my tent I warm myself beside the tent stove before hitting the sack.

Next morning I awake to a light frost and a chilly morning - a perfect excuse to get the tent stove going again, coupled with a crispy bacon roll. I fish on during the morning and reluctantly break camp in the early afternoon to begin my paddle back towards civilisation. As for the fishing, it was nothing to write home about really, with only 6 or 7 very small spurdog to show for my rather laid back efforts. Overall though, this was a great little trip and all the better for catching such a fine weather window amongst all the relentless rain and gales of late.