East Lothian highs and lows.

Lillian was off today and begged me to take her for a quick look in some of the harbours on this side of the River Forth to see if there were any flounders in them. I'm not even kidding. On the way we stopped at the Hopetoun Monument that proudly stands at the top of Byre's Hill about 1km north of Haddington. A short climb up a path and there it was in front if us.

Hopetoun Monument.
The 4th Earl of Hopetoun must have been a top bloke!

A quick photo in front of the monument.

Lillian likes another man's column behind my back!

Another climb up 132 steps took us up to the top of the monument and the views were absolutely stunning.

The Pentland Hills, Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh and Cockenzie Power Station.

Gullane Sands, The River Forth and Fife.

Berwick Law and Bass Rock

After admiring them for a short time we went back down the steps, down the hill, jumped back in the car and headed to Dunbar harbour to hunt for our flat fishy friends. Alas when we arrived the water in the harbour was very dirty. We had a quick cast or two but quickly decided to head further down the coast to St Abbs harbour and when we got there the water in it was crystal clear. I started with a whole large pink Power Isome so that I could see it bouncing along the bottom and hopefully a flounder or two giving chase but after 15 minutes covering a large area there was no sign of any activity whatsoever. Lillian was gutted as she loves flounders. I decided to try round the edges to see if there were any other species around and after some persistent jigging I felt a few tiny taps and hooked a small fish but it shook itself of the hook while I was lifting it up! I think it was a sea scorpion but I'm not sure if it was short or long spined. After that I had a quick look in some of the large rockpools to the left of the harbour but there was no sign of any fish there either. Disappointed we began the drive home. I hate to blank so on the way back up the A1 we popped into Torness Power Station and first drop into this hole drilled right through a rock into the rockpool below produced a blenny.

Velux style skylight provides an easy way to reach the fish underneath!

Another blank saving blenny. Thanks pal!

I then went to have a quick crack at the bass but with an onshore wind and a 5ft swell running it was a futile exercise. Back to the rockpools and as usual they were full of blennies. Next fish caught though was a small long spined sea scorpion which is quite unusual for the area as it is wall to wall with blennies.

There once was an ugly blenny.

One more blenny after that then it was time to go.

Yes it's another blenny! #122.

So it would seem that the fish activity in the East Lothian harbour marks is a bit behind those in the East Nuek of Fife. Oh well, will just have to continue pestering the brown trout in the Water of Leith for a little while longer.

Tight Lines, Scott.