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Fishing for Trout in Highland Lochs - an introduction

Our January 2000 contribution from Lesley Crawford

Visiting the Highlands of Scotland for the first time you might be forgiven for thinking you have arrived in loch fishing paradise. To put it simply, choice is not going to be a problem! Scotland as a whole has over 35,000 lochs and a goodly number of these are concentrated in the Highlands. Expect deep chasms of lochs slicing between monumental hills, small peaty lochans which glitter temptingly on the moor and translucent limestone waters which just shout trout at you. Most freshwaters contain brown trout of various size, some of the deeper lochs also hold ferox (large deepwater trout) and Arctic Charr, and a few sea linked waters harbour migratory sea trout and the intermittent salmon. Annoying escapees like rainbow trout do occasionally invade but for the most part our lochs remain glorious wild habitats where the brownie reigns supreme.

The compelling drama of Highland loch fishing can never be underestimated as its appeal lies bound up in many things. It's the spectacle of the mountains and the struggle against elemental forces of wind and wave yet It's also the tranquility of a heather moorland or the raw beauty of a red sun reflected over silent waters. This backdrop merely serves to heighten the intensity of the chase for secretive trout, often across a vast horizon of water, a task many will relish especially when compared with fishing for farmed fish in stocked ponds. The twists and turns of angling fortune in loch fishing demand your fullest attention, there are no half measures in this sport. -- All you need to do is get yourself here, the lochs and their trout will do the rest!

THE QUARRY
The loch trout of the highlands varies in dimension from a few ounces to several pounds in weight. Size is influenced by the amount of available feeding and the degree of access to natural spawning but there are also genetic influences at work.. Whatever their final size, inherited characteristics make the loch trout a cautious but spirited fighter which seldom if ever, gives itself up easily. Challenge is central to their appeal however and confrontations with butter gold brownies are rarely anything but memorable.

TROUT HABITATS
The diversity of lochs you can fish here is breathtaking. From dark peaty lochans to translucent limestone pools there is a huge cross section of waters to choose from. The `best' quality angling is usually found in shallower lochs which harbour a goodly amount of trout food and have some degree of shelter in their midst. Highland trout tend to linger where there is food and shelter available, depth of water is therefore critical. Remember the Highlands can be a harsh environment and that trout will often forage very close in (It's too cold and rough out in the deep centre) and huge distance casting is not always essential.

NATURAL FEEDING
There is a huge range of feeding available to loch trout and depending on where you fish you will find the trout happily consuming a selection of shrimp, snail, stickleback, minnow, mayfly, sedge, midge, heather flies, oak flies, crane flies, beetles, all range of nymphs and larvae, stoneflies, needle flies, claret duns and so on ad infinitum! In general terms the alkaline to neutral pH lochs are more productive for invertebrate life than those with a high acid content. Do note that sustained high density mayfly hatches occur in the Northern Highlands particularly in Caithness & Sutherland, and that these are on a par with hatches on Irish loughs. To meet the best hatches you need to be in the Far North from mid June to mid August, July is usually the peak month.

WHERE TO START
In general terms the further north you travel from the central belt area ie Glasgow and Edinburgh the better the loch fishing becomes. The best wild trout lochs normally lie to the north and west of Perth with some tremendous loch fishing in Argyllshire, Lochaber and Perthshire itself. To visit the crème de la crème you should think about traveling to Inverness (there is a good airport there) and then starting your exploration. Invernesshire has many good waters but for really wild fishing head toward Caithness, Sutherland and Ross-shire. The very adventurous may also want to island hop to Orkney or Shetland, Lewis and the Uists but be warned it will take a lifetime to do these watery trout havens real justice!

LIKELY FISHING COSTS
Loch fishing for trout is generally far less expensive than river fishing.
For loch bank fishing for wild trout you can expect to pay in the Highlands anything between 3 to 9.00 per day for a permit, 5.00 bank fishing (often with wading) is the norm. For loch boat hire 10/ 15 per day with an engine extra. Tackle hire is around 5/ 10 per day often with a deposit for breakages. Waders can be hired for about 5 per day in certain areas.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Numerous web sites exist for Scottish angling - try www.fish&fly.co.uk obviously!

Also www.hookedonScotland.co.uk or www.gamefishing.co.uk. The `Where to Fish' site is also helpful.
For accommodation in specific areas try the HOST web site (Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board) or tel 01997 421160.

Useful Publications Lesley Crawford's Fishing for Wild Trout in Scottish Lochs (Swan Hill) plus various local guidebooks by this author and others when in situ.


Lesley Crawford's top ten tips for successful HIGHLAND TROUT ANGLING

A light 10ft rod, matching reel, floating and intermediate line and 4lb nylon will cope with most situations. Landing nets only really essential for boat work. Other essentials; good quality waterproof, waders, sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, midge repellent (midges are worst in August, but can be difficult in July and September).

Most loch fishers favour traditional patterns and their modern variants. Soldier Palmer, Zulu, Invicta, Kate McLaren, Black Pennel, Bibio, Claret Bumble, Red Sedge, Hares Ear, Black Sedge, Butcher are among many which will do the business. These are mostly fished in size 10 to 14 with 16`s sometimes used in calm conditions.

Highland trout can be fickle and the principal influence on their behaviour is always the weather. Best conditions are normally warm overcast days with a breeze but not a gale. Difficult conditions include thick mist, very hot humid weather and extremely high winds. If you can try and select your angling time to meet with the better conditions, an hour during a dull warm spell is worth ten in hard bright humid weather. - Steady weather patterns are always better than extreme swings in temperature and rainfall.

Make as much use of the (normally single) dry fly as you can, floating flies are not just for river angling. If loch trout are visibly rising on the surface, use a dry fly. Sedge patterns are always good as are mayfly patterns in season. Be adaptable, fish flies where you think the fish are feeding ie deep or shallow.

Most Highland trout angling is `loch style' done with traditional floating line. Intermediate lines are normally only used if the trout appear to be lying deeper.

Loch style is usually executed with a team of flies anything between 1 and 4 flies being commonly used. Space dropper flies a good six feet apart however (so they look unrelated) and select numbers of flies according to the ferocity of the gale. I prefer only one or two flies from the bank and two flies in the boat.

Always start your angling near obvious trout feeding areas including near weed beds, off points, near islands, off ledges, amongst boulders etc. Always fish just where the water begins to deepen 4ft to 12ft is a rough guide. Deep cold sterile water does not normally make a good habitat for trout.

Best months for trout angling are normally May, June, July and September, August can be difficult in times of high humidity but April, if there is a mild spell, can see some very good trout caught.

Beware of `average' sizes in loch trout, these are only a rough guide and sometimes you will hit a much larger fish or indeed much smaller fish. Look at the natural feeding and availability of spawning in the loch but also consider the time of year. For example `smolt' trout migrate into the lochs from their spawning burn in June and can give a false impression of size.

Keep only what the loch can spare and the table require, anything else is unnecessary and always return the odd big trout. He`s the one that carries the best genes for survival and if allowed to breed will pass these on to the next generation.

Tight Lines

About Lesley Crawford

Lesley has fished for brown trout and sea trout from a very early age and her enthusiasm for these beautiful Scottish fish shows no signs of diminishing. She is well known as a leading angling writer and photographer with prodigious articles in a wide range of publications including Salmon Trout & Sea Trout and the Scotsman.

Lesley is a REFFIS qualified fishing guide and arranges bespoke wild trout angling holidays in the Northern Highlands. Her first major book `Fishing for Wild Trout in Scottish Lochs' (Swan Hill 1996) was a runaway success and the long awaited follow up `Scotlands Classic Wild Trout Waters' (Swan Hill) will be published in May 2000. Order your copy now.
Read more about Lesleyat www.wildtroutfisher.co.uk

Also within Fish & Fly...

February 2000: Lesley Crawford takes a seasoned look at various tactics employed by past masters in Scottish trout fishing and ponders how best we can apply old skills in the new millennium - Out with the old and in with the new.