SpinFish Fishing Finder for places where you can fish for Arctic char in the wild rivers and lochs of Scotland. Find information about the many wild locations where you can fish for the elusive Scottish char
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Fishing Finder The Directory of Where to Fish for Char
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.
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Arctic Char are sparsely
distributed throughout Scotland in some of the high hill lochs or in
our larger deep lochs where there is cold water suited to their
needs. In such cold water environments food is scarce and growth is slow, the
maximum size of individuals in a natural population would be about
25cm irrespective of age. The most northerly population is in Loch Girlsta while the most southerly population is in Loch Doon,
the char in both lochs are protected by a conservation designation.
Char in Scotland have become completely landlocked having no inclination to migrate, even where it is possible for them to do so, resulting in individual populations being totally isolated since their entry into fresh water after the last ice age. This isolation has produced over 200 distinct populations in Scotland. It has been found that individual populations are changing, 'morhping', and are becoming or have become distinct subspecies.
Studies of char have discovered some interesting differences within populations. In Loch Ericht it was found that there are two very distinct types, a coloured fish that feeds on zooplanton, planktivorous, and a pale fish that feeds on fish, piscivorous. This differentiation might have a bearing on the tactics employed to catch the fish e.g. trawling a dead bait such as a small trout for the piscivorous char. Reports are that the piscivorous fish are the better eating, the plantkivorous fish being pale fleshed and bland. Up to the age of 8 the planktivorous fish are larger than the fish eaters but from 9 onwards the fish eaters outgrow their counterparts. In Loch Rannoch some fish have even been found to be hermaphrodite, a curious fish indeed.
There are fears that global warming might have an adverse affect on Scottish char should water temperatures in our lochs rise. Char eggs must have temperatures below 7 degrees C to develop while deep water crustaceans, a key source of food for char, might die off.
Although Char distribution is sparse, where they are found there can be very good populations of fish. Having said all of the above I urge restraint when fishing for Char.
On Loch Garry where there are commercial fish rearing cages the char have taken advantage of the excess fish feed and have grown to quite an exceptional size For an insight into what can be had visit www.tomdoun.com where there are pictures of some exceptional specimens. There are even trout fisheries that stock char.
Haddo House Trout Fishery, beautiful 5 acre fishery in the grounds of Haddo House near Methlick rated a s a quality fly fishing water. Bank, boat (19' clinker built boats) and float tubes available with a limit of ten bank rods. Stocked with Brown trout, rainbow trout, blues and Char. Permits £18 per day (£9 for juniors), 4 hours £12 (£6 juniors) catch and release, fish for the table can be taken and paid for at £2 per pound. Contact Mike Bario on 07810 868897.
Mill of Elrick Fishery, Auchnagatt, as well as the more usaul range of fish this fishery is stocked with Arctic Char, call 01358 701625.
Loch Lee, wild brown trout and char on this glacial loch, boats £15 (max 6 char per boat) from Dalhousie Estate, call 01356 670208.
Kimelford Lochs, half way between Oban and Lochgilphead , 6 hill lochs offering a variety of wild fishing opportunities for brown trout, rainbows and Arctic Char. Permits from the Culfail Hotel and the local post office in Kimelford. For boats call John McKay on 01631 563305.
Loch a Phearsain, brown trout and char; Loch na Mhinn, brown trout, rainbow trout and char.
Talla Reservoir, 300 acres of fishing near Tweedsmuir, brown trout and arctic char, permits from the Crook Inn, Tweedsmuir, call 01899 880272.
Loch Calder, the largest of the lochs Calder is also deeper (up to 85 feet) consequently it holds char and ferox as well as a good head of brown trout averaging half to three quarters of a pound. Bank and boat fishing, see Hugo Ross for permit information.
Loch Insh, permits available from the water sports centre at Loch Insh from May to September, call 01540 651272.
Loch Alvie, permits from Alvie Estate Office call 01540 651255 or from the Daraddy Caravan Park 01479 810330.
Commore Trout Fishery, 18 acres of fishing, bank and boat. 60,000 fish in the water at any one time! Amazing stock range including - rainbows, blues, golden, tiger, char, ghost, wild brown trout and salmon. Fish to 24lb with the biggest taken to date at nine and a half pounds. In 2007 they will be stocking 75% blues. Prices £9 for 2 fish, 4 hours to £20 for 7 fish, 8 hours plus parent and child and sporting tickets. Commore, Trout and Salmon Fishery, Neilson Rd, Glasgow, G78 3DA, call 01505 850572.
Loch Awe, a good population of char in this deep loch. If you are trawling deep for char don't be surprised if you get into something big, there are some awesome pike, trout and ferox in Loch Awe. Contact Loch Awe Boats on 01886 833256. Here you might catch a record pike or a record trout or char, just about everything grows big here!
Loch Arkaig, permits from the Rod and Gun Shop, Fort William, call 01397 702656.
Loch Garry, contact Tomdoun Hotel, call 1809 511218.
Loch Inlaggan, see Tomdoun Sporting Lodge web site.
Loch Oich, contact Tomdoun Sporing Lodge Hotel.
Stornoway Angling Association, salmon, sea trout, brown trout and char (char lochs only) on rivers and lochs in the area. Day tickets available, senior £12 plus (£5 refundable deposit when you make your catch return), junior and evening £10 plus deposit. There is good sea trout fishing in the sea and sea lochs. Float tubing is popular, but do not do it alone in the sea. Call 01851 705435 for more information, contact Alex Maclean, 18, Keith St, Stornoway. Email alisugan@tiscali.co.uk Website www.stornoway-angling-association.com
Loch Mealt, North of Portree on the A 855, permits from Portree AA call 01478 612482.
Loch Ness
Bruce Wyne, Drumnadrochit, call 01456 450279.
Inchnacardoch Hotel, call 01320 366258
Loch A Coire, 12 miles south of Inverness, call Brin Estate Office, 01808 521211.
Glenmoriston Hill Lochs, well known for their trout fishing these hill lochs hold char too, contact Glenmoriston Lodge Estate, Glemoriston, call 01320 352300.
Whitebridge Lochs, Loch Bran, Loch Nan Lann, Loch Brotain, Call the Whitebridge Hotel on 01456 486226.
Excellent trout fishing on a number of lochs, char present in some, with boat and bank fishing available. These are quality wild brown trout. I could list the information for you here but the Orkney Fly Angling Association have a first class web site with everything you would want to know about the fishing. Permits for this quality angling experience are £20 for a visitor membership! Log on to www.orkneytroutfishing.co.uk and see what I mean, I'm moving home.
Butterstone Loch near Dunkeld is an exceptionally picturesque fishery with so much wild life to enjoy even if you were not fishing. Stocked with rainbows, blues and its own brown trout the fish average about two and a half pounds with double figure browns, blues and rainbows taken. Boats cost £23 for one person (oap £15); £38 for two rods (£24 oap); £50 for three rods (oap £36) for day sessions 9am until 5pm with a 6 fish limit. Butterstone has 1 Wheelie Boat. Contact Adrian Haldane on 01350 724238 or on his mobile 07710 771715.
Loch Ericht, permits from the Loch Ericht Hotel. call 01528 522257.
Loch Rannoch, Dunalastair Hotel, Kinloch Rannoch, 01882 632323.
Loch Tay, brown trout fishing, Arctic char and nowadays escapee rainbows of enormous proportions. Loch Tay offers both bank and boat fishing, float tubing is done with great caution as this is a large loch, 14 miles long, where the weather can change so quickly.
East Loch Angling Association control a sizeable part of the bank fishing for trout, salmon fishing is in the hands of riparian owners. Boats hire the Loch Tay Boating Centre includes a permit to fish for trout.
Loch Lubnaig, salmon, brown trout, char, pike and perch. Permits from James Bayne Fishing Tackle, 76, Main St, Callander, FK17 8BD, call 01877 330218.
Loch Voil, salmon, brown trout, char, contact Catriona Oldham, Muirlaggan Farm, Balquhider, Scotland, FK19 8PB, call 384219.
Assynt Angling Group, the Assynt Angling Club and 8 local landowner have joined together to offer access to 150 lochs in the area including 20 with boats. The fishing is for wild brown trout and ferox with 5 lochs offering salmon and sea trout fishing. Trout average 6 to 12 ounces with a few fish over the 4lb mark taken every year. This is fishing in the raw, no stockies. Permits from a number of sources in the area cost from £5 per day with no extra charge for the salmon and sea trout fishing. For more information log on to www.assyntangling.co.uk
Scourie Hotel, 25,000 acres of lochs, hill lochs and rivers to chose from, it will take you some time to explore, some lifetimes! There are 36 boats in different locations plus beats on Loch Stack and Loch More, six beats on the river Doinard with two beats available on application. There is salmon and brown trout fishing on the Duart system with sea trout appearing in recent years. Char can be taken on Loch Stack and Loch More (you must have a ghillie on Stack because of the dangerous submerged rocks). Salmon from June onwards, mostly grilse. If that's not enough the scenery is awe inspiring.
Loch Shin, Lairg Angling Club administers the fishing on the loch which has a good head of wild trout, ferox, char and the occasional salmon. Contact The Croft House, West Shinness, Lairg, Sutherlandshire, IV27 4HN, call 01549 302309.
Loch Lubnaig, Loch Voil, for information on both log on to www.incallander.co.uk
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