Montrose Basin - Fowling - Any advice welcome

[Pointer]

I am thinking of a two day trip to Montrose Basin prior to Christmas to try for some pinks. Just wondered if anyone has any advice or recommendations.

I understand that it is not covered under the BASC permit and you require a permit from the council. I shoot on the wash on a regular basis so understand the importance of local knowledge.

Cheers

P

 

[243 Stalker]

Pointer,

I don't have any local knowledge but did spend three days up in Montrose last week with work and would have loved to sat out with the gun, as there were some good flights.

Hope someone on the site can help, let us know how you get on.

ATB 243 Stalker.

 

[sauer]

Can go down the foreshore between high & low water mark ok
But need a visitors get onto the basin itself .
Contact Angus council hq in forfar ,
01307 473880
Ask for
leisure department ....then about wildfowling visitors permit
It's actually outsourced to another mob now but that dept give you details how to go bout it ...
I'd give you details off mine but I'm out country can't check sorry .

Not sure in's & out's of visitor permit but for residential , you'll get time table / dates with times your allowed to walk on from & times allowed to shoot from & till ...
Get a map & vehicle ticket & park in the designated parking area ... then a walk of maybe half hour down to start of the basin.

It can be impressive watching those skeins of thousands coming in over your head albeit too high for a crack ....

Later on in season they get smart , & cone in , way up high ... then right out to middle of the basin & straight down ...better obviously then with low tide & can get right out onto mud ... there are shingle banks to get sat on without too much mud,
Or coincide it with a really windy crappy night hunker up & come in lower ..

Paul

 

[Wrens Mews]

You will struggle to get a permit this late on. They are generally all allocated by late August.
I enjoy Montrose had some great flights there.

 

[sauer]

There were still a few visitors ones available last year .... which I was surprised at
But worth a call

Paul

 

[Pointer]

Thanks all, much appreciated.

 

[sauer]

I'm not home till 21st of Dec , but if your two days if you get a permit is right before Xmas , give me a shout I'll come out with you for a craic,
Also have a chiller so can hang any birds in chiller till ready to go home ....saying that it's that cold just now if same then then won't need it

Paul

 

[Pointer]

I'm not home till 21st of Dec , but if your two days if you get a permit is right before Xmas , give me a shout I'll come out with you for a craic,
Also have a chiller so can hang any birds in chiller till ready to go home ....saying that it's that cold just now if same then then won't need it

Paul

Thanks Paul

Good of you to offer, but will be in Germany just before Christmas. Same applies if you ever fancy a flight or two on the wash, just let me know.

Thanks again

P

 

[sauer]

 

[Heym SR20]

Don't do as my father did. In the late 1950s he had been sent across Cambridge from Africa to be educated. By all accounts he spent most of his time playing Rugby or duck shooting on the fens and the wash. He and a couple of friends, one from the Montrose area drove all the way up to Montrose in an Austin A40 to shoot geese on the basin. After the long drive they were entertained by their host who worked in the local distillery - being competitive by nature he tried to outdrink the locals - enough by said. First morning they went out to the marsh. He fell fast asleep, he just woke up as the geese came over, fired one shot, one pink fell at his feet. Several hours later he was found still fast asleep with one goose and one empty cartridge case - the only one fired in the whole week!

 

[Pointer]

Nice story, reminds me of being a lad and night fishing on a gravel bed below weir on the river Trent. Fell asleep under the umbrella and woke up in mist and no gravel bed around me, only water rising quickly! Lost everything except my rod, umbrella and seat I was sat on... kit wasn't worth a lot thou. Great times had below that weir; monster chub, barbel, pike and mate even caught a big browny.