SpinFish Fishing Finder for places where you can fish for native brown trout in the wild rivers and lochs of Scotland. Find information about hundreds of trout fishing locations and day ticket waters or where you can fly fish, spin or bait fish or hire a boat
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Contents
Wild Brown Trout in Rivers, Lochs and Reservoirs
Northern Ireland
SpinFish Wildlife Photo Gallery
Go Fishing with Charlie Whelan
Salmon and Sea Trout Season Dates UK & Ireland
Articles:
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!
Click a title below to go to a featured item or click Back Issues to go to the full list.
The Autumn Run on the Dulnain, Autumn 2003.
Catch and Release, Don't Play with your Food!
Where to Fish For Wild Brown Trout
In Scotland our many lochs offer fishing, scenery and history all in one, there are places like Loch Leven with its the island castle which was prison to Mary Queen of Scots or Lochindorb Castle, island lair to the infamous Wolf of Badenoch that give you a real skin tingle. Then there is Loch Ness where you might just find yourself attached to something more than you bargained for in its monstrous deeps. The lochs vary in size and most importantly in ph. Lowland lochs are generally alkaline to neutral while the highland loch tend to be acidic which has a bearing on the size of fish you will find, with the acidic waters producing smaller fish.
Off course not all Highland lochs are acidic. In the far north around Caithness and Durness you will find places where geological events have brought massive folds of limestone to the earths surface producing alkaline lochs of great water quality for trout growth. Here you will find big, fit, fight fish in magnificent condition. The big lochs, Rannoch, Tay, Earn, Lomond have great reputations for offering high quality sport. Then there is awesome Loch Awe with its British Record trout of over 31lbs 12ozs (39 inches long, girth 25.5 inches and the tail measured 11 inches caught on the 15th of March 2002), whew! Not a stockie, hand raised to this size but a real fish that lived all of its life in the loch eating and growing and you no something - its still there because its captor, Brian Rutland put it back. The previous record fish caught by Ken Oliver of 30lbs 8ozs had stood for less than 2 years. These fish do not come to the fly but trawling a char as bait in the deeps of the north of the loch can have great rewards for the patient angler who would like his name in the record books even if past history indicates that it won't be there very long for there are probably even bigger fish to be had
Where ever you go in Scotland you will find great wild fishing (except in Aberdeenshire where lochs are in short supply for reasons only mother Nature can answer, maybe having provided the Dee, Don and Deveron she found she had been over generous). I hope you find plenty to explore in the Fishing Finder where to fish directory, places where you will experience and enjoy the fishing as much as I have over the years whether catching 3 fish to a cast or hunting all day for one quality fish. The nature of our Scottish lochs is such that you can find cluster of lochs barely a few hundred yards apart (or in the case of Scourie hundreds of loch) where one loch will give you 4 to the pound and the next one will give one pound average. That is the attraction of wild loch fishing.
While this section of the Directory is focused on where to fish for wild brown trout many of our lochs are stocked with rainbow trout (or with escapees which become naturalised in the larger lochs), they may have entered the loch as stockies but after a year or two or more these rainbows are feral!
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.
RIVERS | LOCHS | RESERVOIRS
Lochs
A to H; Aberdeenshire to Fife:
Aberdeenshire | Angus | Argyll | Arran | Ayrshire | Borders | Caithness | Coll and Tiree | Dumbartonshire | Dumfries and Galloway | Fife
Islay | Isle of Bute | Isle of Lewis | Isle of Mull | Isle of Skye | Inverness-shire | Jura | Kinross-shire | Nairnshire
O to Z: Orkney to West Lothian
Orkney | Perthshire | Renfrewshire | Ross-shire | Shetland | South Uist | Stirlingshire | Sutherland | West Lothian
Corby Loch, 32 acre shallow loch 6 miles from Aberdeen stocked with rainbows (2 to 10lbs)and brown trout (it has an indigenous population of wild browns too) fishing from both bank and boat. This is a syndicate water costing £250 per year which also entitles you to fish the Critchie beat of the Don for salmon, sea trout and brown trout. Call 07711 152562.
Glen Tanar, a 5.5 acre loch stocked with rainbows in natural Deeside setting, three boats (2 rods per boat) in two sessions - 9am to 5 pm and 5pm to 10pm. Call 013398 86451.
Pitfour Lake, 30 acres loch fishing for rainbows and brown trout bank (max 10 rods) and boat. Permits £24 per day for four fish, £16 catch and release, boats £6 (additional £8 for an electric outboard). There is also a course fishery at Pitfour. Call 01779 474406, email pitfourfishery@hotmail.co.uk
Loch Lee, wild brown trout and char on this glacial loch, boats £15 (max 6 char per boat) from Dalhousie Estate, call 01356 670208.
Loch Ascog, near Tighnabruaich, offers fly fishing for brown and rainbow trout from 15th march to 5th October, contact Kames Hotel on 01700 811489 or the Post office in Kames for permits, which cost £10 per day £35 per week.
Loch Avich, adjacent to Loch Awe and covered by the Loch Awe permit has good stocks of brown trout which are free rising. Best fish so far was a 7lb 5oz specimen.
Loch Awe, this is a very large (26 miles long, up to a mile wide and 300 feet dep) must visit venue which has produced 4 British Record rod caught brown trout in the last 10 years. Most recent was a 31lb 2ozs trout taken (and returned) by Brian Rutland while trawling in the the north end of the loch. The fish was 39" long had a girth of 25 1/4 inches and its tail was 11 inches. The previous record stood at 30lbs 8ozs taken by Ken Oliver (please note these are not fed up stockies, they are wild and natural fish the product of long lives and natural feed). A productive spot for big fish is around the Island at the Pass of Brander end of the loch.
The loch has brown trout, escapee rainbows ( a specimen of 24lbs 4ozs was taken by Steven Pounder) which thrive and grow very large and char to 6lbs which come to the fly when the water gets warmer. Aside from the very big fish taken trawling dead bait such as rainbow trout Loch Awe has a terrific stock of wild 'real world' trout in the range 8ozs to 3lbs offering great sport for the fly fisher using traditional wet flies. Salmon up to 10 or even 15lbs are taken and the fishing can only improve as the river Awe gradually regains its former glory. The Loch awe Improvement Association and the Argyll Fisheries Trust are working very hard to improve feeder burns by removing blockages, improving redds and protecting redds from flood damage as well as restocking from their own hatchery
The loch and its associated waters including Loch Avich is covered by a protection order and permits must be bought before commencing fishing. Permit prices are very reasonable, £6 per day, £12 for three days and £20 for a week, there is also a season ticket available for just £60 and juveniles and concessions are half price. Permits from Loch Awe Stores, Loch Awe Boats and Awe Service Station. A public slipway situated between the Cruachan Power Station and Loch Awe Village can be used to launch boots. The fishing season is 15th March to 6th of October.
Loch Etive is a sea loch but it has good sea trout fishing, worth checking out.
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.
Kintyre
Kintrye Fish Protection Association have fishing for salmon and brown trout on a number of rivers and loch on the Argyll Peninsula including; Auchlochy Loch, Crosshill Loch, Lussa Loch, Tangy Loch, Loch Raun and the rivers Lussa, Carradale, Glenbarr and Conieglen. Auchlochy is just outside Campbelltown offering bank and boat (2 boats) fishing for wild brown trout up to 3lbs. Traditional wet flies do well in a breeze; Loch Lussa is the biggest loch in Kintyre and hold wild brown trout supplemented by stocks of rainbow and brook trout of 1.5lb to 5lbs, there are three boats plus bank fishing; Loch Ruan is a small hill loch with lots of small wild browns up to about .75lbs; Crosshill is now a pike fishery; Congenie River is a spate river with salmon (best on a falling river) with the best pools from Keprigan downstream, brown trout up to 2lbs. There are some salmon on the Lussa, Glenbarr and Carradale rivers too. Permits from A.P. MacGrory in Campbelltown
Loch a Phearsain, brown trout and char; Loch An Losgainn, large brown trout hard to catch; Loch na Mhinn, brown trout, rainbow trout and char; Loch na Curragh, brown trout to 3/4lb; Big Feinn, large wild brown trout; Loch na Sailm, brown trout to 1/2lb; Loch a Chaorainn, brown trout to 3/4lb.
Loch Loskin, fishing for brown trout, bank or boats, permits from Purdies in Dunoon cost £10 per which includes a boat of which there are 3, bag limit 3 fish. Call 01631 563305.
Loch Tarsan fly only fishing for brown trout, season 1st April to 30th September, bank and boat with a 10 fish limit. Permits from Purdies in Dunoon cost £10 per day. £30 per week, boats are an additional £10 plus a £5 deposit. Call 01369 860440.
Arran Angling Association have fishing for brown trout on 5 lochs: Grada Loch, Sliddery Loch, Kilmory Water, Cloy Water and Sannox Water. Permits for fishing on Arran can be bought from the Arran Tourist Information Office on Brodrick Pier.
Blairquhan Estate near Maybole offers fishing on two lochs, one hill loch, Loch Spallander can be fished by arrangement with the estate ghillie and the Approach Loch which is stocked with brown trout and rainbows to 4lb, average annual catch about 600. There are two boats on the Approach Loch. call 01655 770239.
Fairlie Moor, high in the moors fishing here can be challenging. Stocked twice weekly, rainbows, steelhead and brown trout up to 20lbs with a free boat, permits on site, 07970 153712.
Loch Doon, free fishing for trout and occasional char.
Maich Fishery, Ladylands, Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, KA25 7JR. Fishing for rainbow trout and brown trout, boat or bank. 01505 842341.
Coldingham Loch, Situated just outside the village of Coldingham near St Abbs Head this loch is a gem. Consisting of 22 acres Coldingham loch looks perfectly natural but I believe it was man made many hundreds of years ago by monks from the nearby abbey. The loch is stocked with browns, blues and rainbows produced on site and has a reputation for producing big trout. The loch is fertile, consequently it provides masses of food for the fish which grow on well. The season is from March to November for blues and rainbows. There are restrictions on the number of rods, 20 to the 9 boats and 14 on the mile of bank fishing. Its a long time since I fished Coldingham but I do have fond memories of the loch not least of which is the day when fishing a deep sunk fly my rod tip disappeared into the water as some leviathan smashed my 6lb cast, unforgettable! Call 018907 71270 for further information, bookings and prices .
Hass Loch, 5 miles from Jedburgh, run by Jedforest AA, rainbows to 10lbs and brown trout, facilities suitable for persons with disabilities. Permits from Jedburgh Swimming Pool call 01835 863430 or go to their web site on www.jedforest-angling.co.uk Permits cost £12 per session and £18 for adult and junior (3 fish limit then C & R, all brown trout to be returned)
Headshaw Loch, Selkirk, 17 acres with brown trout and rainbows, bank and boat, call 01450 376809.
Loch of Lowes, run by St Marys Loch AC, boat (no outboards for hire byo up to 5HP) and bank fishing. Permits from the H Brown the Keeper, call 01361 883466 or 01750 42243.
St Marys Loch, run by St Marys Loch AC, boat (no outboards for hire byo up to 5HP) and bank fishing. Permits from the H Brown the Keeper, call 01361 883466 or 01750 42243, cost £16 for the season r £5 for the day, reductions for under 16's and OAPs.
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 Heilen, a shallow loch of about 5ft max, dour to fish but offers the chance of some big trout, contact Hamish Pottinger on 01847 821210 or 07801 563510.
Loch Tofingall, Ulbster and Loch of Yarrow, smaller lochs with good trout in the three quarters of a pound range.
Loch Watten, approximately 3.5 miles long and up to half a mile wide this shallow (max 12 feet) marl loch offers boat fishing, strictly fly only, for brown trout. Watten is renowned as one of the best trout lochs in the country with fish of 2 to 3 lbs taken regularly. Permits from Dounreay Fly Angling Club, call 01847 892998 or from Hugo Ross Tackle in Wick call 01955 851270.
St Johns Loch,
stocked with indigenous
trout this is one of the famed alkaline lochs with a marl bottom.
The most northerly mayfly hatch occurs in June when fishing can be
excellent. Boat and bank fishing, there is a wheelie boat available.
Prime condition wild fish up to 4 and 5 lbs are common. 4 boats
available and a wheeelieboat, permits from the Northern Sands Hotel, call 01845 851270
or from Hugo Ross Fishing tackle, Wick call 01955 851270 (both bank
and float tube permits are available). Run by the St Johns Loch
Angling Improvement Association, call 01847 896956 email
stjohnsloch@btintenet.com
The Coll and Tiree Angling Club have fishing on two lochs, Loch a' Phuill, the bigger of the two, and Loch Bhasapoll on Tireee. Both have burns running to the sea but I have no information about whether there are migratory fish available. Permits from I & F Macleod in Crossapol.
Antermony Loch, near Milton of Campsie near Kirkintilloch. Boat and bank fishing for rainbows and brown trout, stocked mainly with browns but rainbows used in the summer when the browns go off. permits from JB Angling in Kirkintilloch and Janice Hairdressers in Milton of Campsie, price £15 per day, 4 fish limit.
Season permits for the Loch and the river Leven can be had by calling Michael Brady on 0141 781 1545
Loch Arklet off the A829 just 12 miles from Aberfoyle the loch is 2.5 miles long and about 0.5 miles wide and hold good stocks of wild brown trout averaging under a pound, not big but plentiful. Fishing is fly only by boat, call M Meikle on 0845 558869 for bookings, boats about £20 per day, £7 extra for an electric outboard.
Loch Chon, brown trout, pike and perch, 6 miles west of Aberfoyle on the B829, permits from Forest Enterprises, Aberfoyle, 01877 382383.
Loch Lomond, Balmaha Boat Yard have traditional clinker built boats suitable for fishing on this large loch and potentially dangerous loch. Call 01360 870214.
Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association have a lease on some of the fishing on the Endrick and Gairloch as well as fishing in the Loch Lomond and the the rivers Leven and the Fruin. Membership applications to the Secretary, Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association, PO box 3559, Glasgow, G71 7SJ or call 0141 781 1545, cost £160 for 2007 plus a one off joining fee off £25.
The Forestry Commission offer fishing on a number of lochs and rivers in the area including; Loch Branden, Loch Dee, Black Loch, Loch of Lowes, Lillies Loch, Spectacle Loch, Garwachie, Loch Eldrig, Stroan Loch, Linfern Loch, Palnure Burn and Water of Minnock. Permits can be obtained from any Commission Visitor Centre or call the Recreation Ranger on 01671 402420 email lucy.hadley@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
Barscope Loch in the grounds of Barscope Castle near Newton Stewart is a 20 acre loch which holds good stock of wild brown trout. Fishing from the bank or boat costs £5 to £10 per day for 4 fish. For permits call 01644 420294.
Black Loch near Newton Stewart very close to the famous Grey Mares tail waterfall. 3 Lochs Estate have the fishing here, 4 boats, fly only fishing for rainbow trout which are stocked at about 2lbs to 8lbs, open all year. Permits cost £25 for a full day 3 fish and £20 for 8 hours 2 fish, catch and release is £15, prices include the boat and a life jacket, call 01988 830304.
Carsfad Loch run by Dalry AA is a loch of some 110 acres stocked with rainbows and brown trout, fishing is on the west bank only, there are no boats. Any legal method allowed. Permits from the Post office in Dalry.
Earlstoun Loch the fishing on this 180 acre loch is run by Dalry AA who stock with brown trout. Fishing is from boats only and cost £12 per day inclusive of the boat. Permits from Newtons Grocers in Dalry.
Lillies Loch near Newton Stewart is run by Forest Enterprises. Fishing for brown trout from the bank, 6 fish limit. For permits call 01671 402420.
Lochenbreck Loch near Gatehouse of Fleet is a clear water tree lined loch of about 20 acres stocked with rainbow and brown trout by Kirkcubright Angling Association. For permits call 01557 814217.
Mossdale Loch rainbow trout fishing on Aird Estate, permits from the PO in Mossdale.
Mossrodrick Loch near Castle Douglas is a 7 acre manmade loch stocked regularly with rainbows and brown trout fishing from boat and bank. Call 01644 430015.
Newton Stewart Angling Association Waters
The club has the fishing on a number of lochs in the area permits are £15 for 2 fish then catch and release, where bait fishing is allowed it is worm only, boats are available on several of the lochs. This club has made laudable efforts to improve access to persons with disabilities having specially designed a loch,
Wee
Glenamour
Loch, for wheelchair access. Vehicles can drive up to the loch
side, there are platforms and bait fishing is permitted for person
with disabilities, OAPs and juniors under 16. Other loch are:
Bruntis Loch rainbow trout and brown trout fishing on 2 lochs just off the A75 at Blackcraig. Fly only but juniors under 16 and OAPs can bait fish.
Clatteringshaw Loch wild brown trout, all legal methods allowed. Located 5 miles west of New Galloway on the A712. Part of the Hydro scheme, 5 miles of shoreline with the north end being most productive.
Loch Dee fly only for wild brown trout which can grow to specimen size. Located near Clatteringshaw Loch off the A712. Bank fishing only.
Fyntalloch Loch, stocked with triploid rainbows minimum 1.5lbs and holding good wild brown trout, fishing is fly only with bait in a designated area.
Loch Kirrieoch wild brown trout fishing fly only to 1st of July. Located on the approach to Glentrool Village. The west bank is recommended.
Loch Ochiltree triploid rainbow trout averaging 2lbs and wild brown trout.
Permits from Galloway Guns and Tackle, call 01671 403404 when the shop is closed you can get permits (except for Loch Dee and boats on Ochiltree Loch) from the Galloway Arms, call 01671 402653.
Queensberry Lochs on the Drumlanrigg estate near Thornhill consist of 6 lochs; Morton Castle Loch, 8 acres stocked with rainbows and holding wild brown trout and Starburn again stocked with rainbows and holding wild brown trout, day tickets for both cost £25 or £17.50 for an evening (price includes the boat): Slateburn, bank and boat for rainbows, and Coldstream bank only for rainbows and wild brownies, costs £20 per day or £15 for an evening: two new lochs Hillend loch and Farthingford with rainbows (2 to 4lbs) and browns (av. 1lb), permits cost £20 per day and £15 for an evening session. Call 01848 600415.
Loch Roan a loch of over 10 acres just off the A 713 near Crossmichael run by Castle Douglas AA stocked with rainbows and brown trout. £15 per day for 4 fish fishing from a boat. permits from Tommy Sport in Castle Douglas, call 01556 502851.
Loch Struan 5 miles from New Galloway is a pretty loch with extensive weed beds and lily pads holding Perch, Pike and Brown trout. Permits from Forest Enterprise £3 to £5 call 01671 402420.
Loch Fitty,
is on the
B912, 3 miles from Dunfermline. This premier fishing complex,
open 7 days, caterers for a wide range of angling styles. The main
loch is fished by boat, 19 footers with outboards, and from the bank.
The loch season
opens on the 31st of March. Teal Bay is a fly only specimen area
stocked with fish to double figures and fishes all year. Academy Bay
is a bait water stocked with trout. The range of permit prices is
quite extensive but everything is set out on their website,
www.lochfitty.co.uk
Contact The Lodge, Loch Fitty, Kingseat, Dunfermline Fife, KY12 0SP,
email l
ochfitty@mail.com
Call 01383 620666.
Loch Glow, 6 mile north of Dunfermline in the Cleish Hills, all method fishery for rainbows with pike and perch present. Call 0780 3839737.
Lindore Loch, formerly full of pike and perch until rehabilitated about 40 years ago, bonny loch. Newburgh, Cupar, Fife, KY14 6JB, call 01337 810488.
Lomond Fisheries, 3 lochs in Fife Regional Park by Leslie, boat and bank fishing. Holl reservoir (42 acres) fly only, rainbows and brown trout; Harperlea Reservoir (39 acres) brown trout and Drumain (6.9acres), any method of the bank. Contact the Fisheries Manager, Ron Gibson, c/o Markle Fisheries, Markle, East Linton, East Lothian, EH40 3EB. Call 007949 256307.
Raith Lake, Rainbows, Blues and Brown trout in this lake set in a deep valley surrounded by trees. 14 boats available. West side of Kirkcaldy on the B925. Call 01592 646466.
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