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Wild Brown Trout in Rivers, Lochs and Reservoirs
Northern Ireland
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Go Fishing with Charlie Whelan
Salmon and Sea Trout Season Dates UK & Ireland
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Strict Controls on Salmon Fishing in Ireland See Rivers Closed for Fishing
Scottish Record Rod Caught Freshwater Fish
Weird Creatures Discovered in Scottish Loch
Deveron Days and Spey Day Tickets
Useful Fishing Facts to Know Before You Start to Fish in the UK.
Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill, the bill will soon be law, but does it do enough to address the issues of fish farming and Gs?
SANA Annual General Meeting, The SANA AGM was held on the 11th March 2007, presenting those in attendance with some ominous news.
Six Flies For the Highlands The only flies you need for fishing in the Highlands, they make a deadly combination
What to do When a Salmon Takes the Fly Part 1
What to do When a Salmon Takes the Fly Part 2
Cormorant, Why do Fisheries Have to Put up With Them?
Scottish Fisheries Board Salmon Catch Statistics, 1955 - 2004
Book Reviews
Angling News:
The Gyrodactylus salaris Threat
Go on, Go on, Go on, The Irish Drift Nets are Gone!
Features:
The Berwick Angling Association Beat on the Whiteadder at Allanton.
SANA, Scottish Anglers National Association
Fishing Reports:
Angling Rambles:
When Everything Goes Tickityboo!
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The Autumn Run on the Dulnain, Autumn 2003.
Catch and Release, Don't Play with your Food!
Fishing Finder Where to Fish for Pike and Perch
Please note: the information displayed is gathered from a number of sources to save you time browsing the net, the information and prices are indicative of what was available when we searched for data. Please confirm details with the fishery before booking as Spinfish does not accept any liability for variations and changes to terms and conditions relating to any fishery listed.
Aberdeenshire | Argyll | Borders | Dumbartonshire | Dumfries and Galloway Fife | Inverness-shire | Loch Lomond | Nairnshire | Ross and Cromarty | Perthshire | Wigtonshire
The pike fishing feature is proving
to be very popular, as a result there are lots of people coming on
site looking for advice, is there anyone out there who would like to
contribute a small article or 10 about pike fishing or some
pictures - hot spots (go
on tell), photos, tackle hints, baits. Just email your piece to me
at
huskie@spinfish.co.uk
and I will create a new pike section. Go on, help me build up this pike
fishing section.
Pike are prolific throughout Scotland, it could easily be argued that the pike fishing here is among the best in the world with the Scottish and British record standing at 47lb 11ozs taken by T Morgan in 1947 on Loch Lomond. This record pales into relative insignificance next to the head of the Endrick Pike in Kelvin Grove Art Gallery which was found in the Endrick river marshes in 1934, estimated at 70lbs! Then there is the Loch Ken Monster caught by John Murray on the 3rd of January 1777, a fish of 72lbs which measured 7 feet long. Most of the major rivers and lochs of Scotland hold pike. With the growing popularity of fly fishing for pike there are plenty of opportunities for you to take on this challenging creature in the wildest environments Scotland can offer (something I intend to try soon).
Memories of Kinghorn Loch in Fife are still clear in my mind having spent many weekends there as a boy trying, unsuccessfully, to catch a pike. I never did get, even after I was told by an experienced local to use rancid bacon as a bait - I can still smell it now.
My
only success with pike was a one pound jack taken or at least
hooked on the dry fly while fishing for trout in a reservoir in Glen
Morrison. I had just caught a
fingerling trout and given it slack
line in the hope that it would slip the line when what I had
originally thought was a tree branch shot forward and engulfed the
trout. A couple of minutes later I had a pike in the net. The
hook had detached from the trout and lodged in the lip of the pike
while the trout had slipped up the cast with the line through its
gill. The trout appeared unharmed by the experience so I snipped the
line and let it go. I wonder what a 47lb pike would be like on the
dry fly?
Like so many fishermen perch were among the very first fish I ever caught, memorable not only for the thrill of catching a fish but for the sharp pain inflicted on my hand as I grabbed for the fish as I landed it, they have wicked sharp spikes on their fins! Not in the same size league as pike, the record in Scotland is 4lb 14ozs taken from Loch Ard by J Walker in 1989. Perch are common in Scotland, eager takers and good fun to catch.
Although pike fishing is often free of charge it is polite and safer to seek permission where ever possible in case your visit clashes with other activities like the breeding season for birds or the shooting season. I haven't listed any rivers, not that the rivers of Scotland do not hold pike it is just that so many like the Spey, Tay, Tweed and so on are really salmon waters and there are few if any opportunities to fish for pike in them, unless off course you want out shell out for a salmon fishing permit. I will keep looking.
Loch Skene, near Dunecht outside Aberdeen has a good population of pike. Try the Dunecht Estate Office in Westhill for information, call 01339 885341.
St Michaels Loch near Collistone is a very deep loch just half a mile long and about a quarter wide where John Branch - Evan caught a fish of 44lbs 9ozs using w Woolworths fishing kit in the early 60s when he was a lad of 16.
Argyll and Bute
Loch Awe, there are some awesome pike in Loch Awe, the record is 35.5lbs. Here you might catch a record pike or a record trout or char, just about everything grows big here! The loch offers good winter fishing in the weedy bays. Dead baits are good, mackeral, eel, sprats, sardines set on a wire trace with 2 or 3 trebles. Fly fishing is very popular using a standard 10 foot rod with a slow sink or sink tip line and streamer flies tied with white or yellow maribou size 6 - 8. Spinning a plug can be productive but trolling is restricted to the trout season using lures of 5" or more. Favoured marks are around Kilchum castle, Ford and Dalavich. Permits are £6 per day £12 for 3 days £20 for a week and £60 per season, juniors and concession half price. Contact Loch Awe Boats on 01886 833256.
Loch Ascog, Rothesay, Isle of Bute. Pike, perch, contact 01700 503670.
Alemoor Loch near Hawick is controlled by the Hawick Angling Club. The loch holds a very good head of pike with reports of fish up to 35lbs. Tactics recommended are the use of dwad baits such as mackeral, small rainbow trout or sardines. Fly fishing along the weed beds provides good sport and spinning with mepps or plugs. Permits are £10 per day from Rudkins, Riverside Caravan Park and Boutree Motors, call Hawick AC on 01450 373771.
Hellmoor Loch another Hawick AC water holding pike and perch as well as a good stock of brown trout. Permits are £10 per day from Rudkins, Riverside Caravan Park and Boutree Motors, call Hawick AC on 01450 373771.
Loch Lomond and Trossachs Park.
Aberfoyle
Loch Ard, pike and perch (Scottish record for perch taken here) one mile from Aberfoyle. Permits from the newsagents in Kinlochard, £2.50.
Loch Chon, pike and perch, 6 miles west of Aberfoyle on the B829, permits from Forest Enterprises, Aberfoyle, 01877 382383.
Dumfries-shire & Galloway
Back to
Top
Auchenrech Loch, pike fishing available from the bank and from boats, permits £5 per day or £35 for a boat based on two people fishing, call 01556 690277.
Loch Ken, pike, where the biggest pike in history, 72Lbs, was caught in 1884. Permits from local pubs and shops, £4 per day. Boats (with outboard) can be hired from Loch Ken Marina at £35 to£42 per day, call 01556670402.
Loch Rutten, pike, near Dumfries, no permits required.
Lochmabben, 8 miles east from Dumfries, three lochs with pike one of which, Castle Loch, has the Scottish record for tench. All round coarse fishing here.
Castle Loch, mixed course fishing. Permits from Lochmaben, Post office, £6.00 per day.
Mill Loch, pike, no permits required.
Kinmount Lake, good pike, call 01576 300244.
Kirk Loch, pike, no permits required.
Kinghorn Loch, pike and stories of some very big perch and roach, carp and bream, permits from the Ecology Centre by the loch, £4 adults £2 juniors.
Lochgelly Loch, pike & perch (roach), no permits required.
Loch Fad, fishing November, December, January and February. Pike to 35lbs taken recently, £10 per person £10 per boat, call 01700 504871.
Loch Alvie, pike, there are some first class pike in Alvie well into the twenties, dead baits, plugs and spinners and the fly work well. Permits from Alvie Estate call 01540 651255 or from the shop at Dalraddy caravan site.
Loch Arkaig, no live bait fish allowed, permits from the Rod and Gun Shop, Fort William, call 01397 702656.
Loch Ceo Glais, pike, no permit required.
Loch Duntelchaig, Loch nan Geadas, permits 0845743 7437.
Dores, south Loch Ness on the A862 west of Inverness.
Loch
Garry, pike, no permit for bank fishing but contact Tomdoun Hotel
for boat hire, 01809 511218.
Loch Insh is just like a massive pool on the river Spey consisting of great swaths of extensive wetlands and weedy shallows which makes access to much of the bank difficult to impossible (or unsafe). The nature of the loch makes it a serious pike fishery with fish into the upper twenties on record. For permits and boat hire call 01540 651272.
Loch Morlich, someone of my acquaintance from the area was fly fishing for trout on Morlich a couple of years ago when, as he described it, a log came alive and snapped up a trout he was playing, end of story with a 4lb leader. He was a very experienced angler not prone to exaggeration, loath to put a weight to the fish but he described the fish as truly massive. Permits 01479 861220
Loch Pityoulish, a picturesque and productive pike fishery just a few miles out of Aviemore on the south side of the river which holds pike and brown trout, permits from Rothiemurchus Estate, 01479 861220.
Invergarry, between Loch Lochy and Loch Ness on the A82.
Loch Lochy, pike, no permit required.
Loch Loyne, pike, free but contact Tomdoun Sporting Lodge Hotel for access, 01809 511218.
Lock Oich, pike, no permit required but call 018809 501287 for local rules.
Loch
Laggan, on
A84 Newtonmore to Spean Bridge, pike along the road
side bank, for permits call 01540 661645 (allows fishing for pike on
the Spey and Lochan Uvie).
Spean Bridge, A82 east of Fort William.
Loch Treig, pike, no permit required.
Loch Ness, there are good pike in Loch Ness but it is such a vast loch you really need to ask around locally for information, there are concerns about salmon stocks and restrictions do apply.
Loch nam Bat, Milton nr Drumnadrochit. Pike, no permit required.
PIKE! Loch Lomond has an interesting biology because it have two distinct characters. The northern half of the loch is a typical deep highland loch while the southern end is shallow and more akin to a typical lowland loch. The southern environment suites course fish.
Loch Lomond is probably one of the best pike fishing venues any where and the fishing is free. The loch is big, really big and you should search around for information about where to fish rather than waste your time plodding about. Someone once told me there are good pike near Balmaha, then I had a look and realised that I might as well have been told that there are lots of haddock in the North Sea, there is an awful lot of water cover. Balmaha is recommended as well the area around Luss, Cronin Bay, Ardlui in the north end of the Loch and Balloch and Arden in the south. Endrick Mouth, where the monster pike skull was found, is also a hot spot. Both the river Leven and the Endrick hold good pike
Live bait is not allowed as in the past people have used ruffe which have have escaped and multiplied becoming a serious problem because they eat the eggs of other native species of fish.
Geddes Fishery, Dorres, perch, 01667 404377.
Butterstone Loch, near Dunkeld. This is big pike fishing water. As of this season Butterstone is allowing fly fishing for pike on weekdays giving you chance to hook into some whoppers on a ten foot fly rod (see the 34lb fish at the top of the page). In the winter (Nov - March) Butterstone allows any method fishing for pike (except live bait). Spinning (lures bigger that 6" only) and dead bait (sea fish only) allowed. Fishing is from boats at £30 for the day. Call Adrian Haldane on 01350 724238.
Loch Clunie, near Butterstone. The fishing is free at present with 20 plus pound fish on record and rumours of a monster lurking around the Island monastery, I'm told a diver went looking for it and came face to face, he got out of the water double quick, face white as a sheet. A local game keeper had a three legged dog, the fourth leg is in a Clunie pike. Scary stuff, wading might not be advisable without cast iron pants! On my visit I saw several pike rolling on the surface and I recon this would be a good fly venue.
Dunalastair Loch near Kinloch Rannoch is reputed to hold some very large pike. Fishing is boat only, don't be tempted to loiter on the bank as the loch rises quickly without warning when the hydro board release water from loch Rannoch. The loch is a trout venue so I am unsure what the deal is but permits are issued from the Dunalastair Hotel in Kinloch Rannoch, call 01882 632323.
Loch Earn. Again a very large deep loch with untapped potential. For information about permits contact Loch Earn Fishings on 01764 8681257, permits from the St Fillans Post Office in Lochearnhead.
Loch Eigheoch, a small hydro electric loch near Rannoch Station (Rannoch Moor) perch and some nice little trout and occasional salmon, no permit required.
Loch Errochty, pike & perch. Permits Auchterleeks Estate 01796 483724 or The Highland Shop, Blair, 01796 483724.
Loch Faskally, Pitlochry. Pike & perch. Permits 01796 472919.
Loch Freuchie, pike. Call the Dunalastair Hotel, Kinloch Rannoch, 01882 632323.
Loch Rannoch, pike & perch. The east end of the loch near Bridge of Gaur is noted for pike especially in the water that was once the course of the Gaur before the loch water level was raised by the hydro electric scheme, permits Dunalastair Hotel, Kinloch Rannoch, £4 per day, call 01882 632323.
Loch Tay, pike. Yet an other great pike venue but like Loch Lomond it is so big you really need local advice. Permits to fish are available from Kenmore Post office and the caravan site.
Loch Tummel, pike and perch. Big pike water in stunning scenery, permits £3 per day, call 10796 472613.
Loch Vennacher
holds a first class population of
pike up to specimen size, The biggest so far scaled in at 42lbs
taken in 2002 and it is believed there is a record size fish out
there just waiting to be had. Fly fishing for pike has become very
popular and fish to 20lb plus have been taken on single handed rods.
Spinning and dead bait fishing are very effective methods for the
loch. Permits cost £5 Mon to Fri and £6 Sat and Sunday. There are
also boats with outboards for hire. Contact Trossachs Leisure on
01887 330011.
Loch Chroisg, Loch Crann, Loch Gowan, pike, Achnasheen, A832 junction with A890, no permit required.
Loch Ussie, Dingwall, 16 miles north of Inverness on the A9 then A835. Pike & Perch, permits 01349 865505.
Loch Glascarnoch pike, Loch Achnalt, Loch a Chuilinn, Loch Luichart, Loch Garve, 25 miles north west of Inverness on the A832. Pike & perch, no permits required.
Loch Badan Scalaig, Gairloch, west coast on the A832. Pike, permits 01445 712458.
Loch Achaidh na h-inich, Plockton, Past Kyle of Lochalsh on the A 87. Pike, no permit required.
Loch Ronald, Newton Stewart pike, permits £5 per day £25 per week from local shops.
Loch Heron, Newton Stewart pike, permits £5 per day £25 per week from local shops.
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