Fishing in the Highlands of Scotland

Isle of Skye

Thurso

OBBE FISHINGS

Located in South Harris, the Obbe Fishings are set in the magnificent scenery of the Isle of Harris
in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. An extensive natural system, the waters
cover an area of approx 10 square miles and give varied sport for fly fishermen from boat and bank from June to the end of October. All the fishing is easily accessible from the road.

The fishing is varied and includes fishing for salmon, sea trout, brown trout, ferrox trout
and artic char with fly fishing and spinning available. Sea fishing can also be arranged.


The Obbe
A sea loch where shoals of salmon and sea trout wait for a high tide and a run of fresh water
2 rods - Fishing by fly or spinner.

The Mill Pool
where the spring tides come over the dam wall
2 rods - Fly fishing only

Loch Steisevat
A mile long and deep, the preferred haunt of the serious fisherman (or woman)
4 rods - Fly fishing only.

Loch na Moracha
Wide and shallow and fed by the two main spawning rivers
2 rods - Fly fishing only.

Loch Langavat
Three miles long with ferox trout and possibly Arctic Char hiding in the depths
4 rods - Fishing by fly or spinner.

The fishing season runs from the middle of June to the end of October.

Rods are available to rent in every week.

The fishing is mainly let for three parties fishing four rods for six full days, Monday to Saturday.

Each party is allocated two rods on one of the three prime lochs, the Millpool, Loch Steisevat
or Loch na Moracha every day as well as two rods on either the Obbe or Loch Langavat.

Arrangements can also be made for smaller parties.

Boats with motors are provided on all lochs and Ghillies
(guides) are available for an additional charge.

For further information and booking details contact:

The Obbe Fishings

Telephone : 01993 830179

or email :    enquiry@obbefishings.co.uk

Website address is :   www.obbefishings.com

Return to index....Back

Skye - North

The River Snizort

The River Snizort is the most celebrated spate river on The Isle of Skye offering salmon, brown trout and sea trout fishing. Starting from Loch Duagrich it makes its way down the 10 mile journey to the sea loch estuary.

Three Esses Ltd operates the fishing for nearly the entire length of the river and at the beginning of 2005 the company reopened the hatchery which had laid dorment for a number of years. There is now a significant increase in the number of salmon being caught on an annual basis.

Wild Brown Trout are plentiful throughout the river and Sea Trout have been caught at the Big Falls as high up the river as Beat 9.

The Salmon are up and down the river all year but the big runs go from the end of June, beginning of July depending on the flood tides, to the end of the season.

Permits can be obtained from The Ghillie's Office. Rod hire, casting lessons and the services of a ghillie are also available. The rates are available on enquiry as they are often dependent on the time of year you intend to visit.

The season starts February 15th - ends October 15th

Permits for non members can be obtained on a dailly or weekly basis
for more information and prices please contact...

Three Esses Ltd
Derek Dowsett
The Hatchery
Skeabost Bridge
Portree
Isle of Skye
IV51 9NP

Tele : 01470-532297

E-mail: enquiries@skyesalmon.co.uk

Website : www.skyesalmon.co.uk

Classic brown trout fishing on Storr Lochs.

Fly fishing only.

£8.00 per day bank fishing.
£15 per day boat fishing.

Permits can be obtained from

Jansport
Wentworth Street
Portree
Isle of Skye
IV51 9EH
Tel : +44 (0)1476-612559

Return to index....Back

Skye - North West

Salmon and brown trout fishing on the River Brittle.

The River Brittle is a spate river and costs £10 per day

Permits can be obtained from

Glenbrittle camp site shop (Glenbrittle)
Tel : 01478-640404

Return to index....Back

Skye - South

Salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing on the :
River Sligachan.

£10 per day

Permits can be obtained from :

Sligachan Hotel
Isle Of Skye
IV47 8SW
Tel : 01478-650204
Fax : 01478 650207
E-mail : reservations@sligachan.co.uk



Brown trout and artic char fishing on the :
Ord River, Loch Lonachan, Loch An Iasgaich, Loch Ceann,
Loch Eishort, and Loch Na Doireeanach

£7.50 for 4 hours
Stock Loch : £7.00
Hill Loch : £5.00

They have a limited range of tackle available.

Permits can be obtained from

Hotel Eilean Iarmain
Isle Ornsay Hotel
Sleat
Isle of Skye,
IV43 8QR
Telephone : 01471-833332
Fax : 01471-833275
E-mail : bookings@eilean-iarmain.co.uk

Return to index....Back

Loch Fannich

Loch Fannich is situated 12 miles west of Strathpeffer.

The fishing is by way of bank and boat for brown trout.

The season is from the 15th of March till the 6th of October.


For further information and permits contact:

Garve Hotel.

Telephone : 01997-414205

Return to index....Back

Loch Garve

Loch Garve is situated 4 miles west of Strathpeffer.

The fishing is by way of bank and boat for brown trout.

The season is from the 15th of March till the 6th of October.


For further information and permits contact:

The Garve Hotel.

Telephone : 01997-414205

Return to index....Back

Loch Glascarnoch

Loch Glascarnoch is situated 12 miles north west of Strathpeffer.

The fishing is bank for brown trout.

The season is from the 15th of March till the 6th of October.


For further information and permits contact:

The Aultguish Inn, Aultguish.

Telephone : 01997-455254

Return to index....Back

Loch Meig

Loch Meig is situated 5 miles west of Strathpeffer

The fishing is by way of bank and boat for brown trout.

The season is from the 15th of March till the 6th of October.


For further information and permits contact:

Ury Post Office, Marybank.

Telephone : 01997-433201

Return to index....Back

North Uist Angling Club

Below are a selection of waters on the Newton Estate and Balranald Estate in the Western Isles.
Far more comprehensive information including maps, flies to use and best tackle
can be found on the The North Uist Angling Club's own website (details as below).

The fishing is boat and bank for brown trout and is fly fishing only.
(sea trout and salmon fishing can also be arranged).

Newton Estate

Newton Estate comprises the large area of Lochportain and beyond, providing the angler with
innumerable lochs to choose from. Most lochs contain free-rising brown trout with the occasional
loch presenting more of a challenge with larger, more elusive trout.

Loch Fada
Loch Fada is reached by stopping at the water treatment works (Blashaval) and keeping to the east side of the fence will bring you directly to the boat. It is an expansive water that is very prolific and holds large numbers of average sized trout as well as some larger specimens. Small numbers of sea trout and salmon are present, as are char. It is suspected that ferox trout may also be present, particularly in and around the deep holes. Most productive fishing is on the shelving shorelines.

Loch an Duin
With an influx of seawater at the road, Loch an Duin is a brackish loch which promotes good growth in fish. The angler may encounter sea species (mainly Pollack and Coalfish) and sea trout on occasions. The loch can produce specimen trout if conditions are right but equally it can be dour to fish. Fish can be encountered almost anywhere but along shores, promontories and around islands should be productive.

Geireann Mill Loch
The loch is 7.4 miles (12km) from Lochmaddy on the westside road towards Sollas. Geireann Mill is
a large loch, giving much scope to the angler who may fish either the various arms of the loch or the
main loch itself. There is a salmon and sea trout run into the loch but NUAC retains only the rights to
brown trout. The shallower water round the shore is worth investigating, as is the deeper water in the
main loch, particularly around islands.

Loch an Aongais
The loch lies to the north of Geireann Mill.
There is a club boat positioned on the north shore of the loch. The loch holds some good fish.
The extensive reed beds all die away in the winter, only to reappear in summer and it becomes progressively difficult to fish as weed growth becomes worse during summer months.
Recommended areas are the fringes of the reed beds, the duin and the south and west shores.

Balranald Estate

Loch Vausary and Loch Stephainn

A lot of Loch Vausary is shallow but the offshore water can only be effectively covered by boat.
Brown trout can be caught all over the loch. The area where the burn from Stephainn enters
Vausary is worth trying for sea trout in August and September as is the area where the burn leaves
Vausary. The loch holds average sized hard fighting brown trout. Sea trout may be present from August
onwards but the extent of the run is, as yet, unknown. Loch Stephainn is only a short walk to the east
and is worth investigating. It should produce fish around the burns in and out and along the shoreline.

Permits for Loch Bhiorain and Loch nam Magarlan
can also be obtained through the North Uist Angling Club.

For more detailed information please visit the NUAC website or contact :

Mr Philip Harding
NUAC Secretary
Claddach Kyles
North Uist
HS6 5EW

Tele : 01876 - 580341

E-Mail : philip@nuac.co.uk

Website address is : www.nuac.co.uk

Return to index....Back

Loch Morie

Loch Morie is situated 16 miles north of Strathpeffer

The fishing is by way of bank and boat for brown trout and char.

The season is from the 15th of March till the 6th of October.


For further information and permits contact:

Coul House Hotel, Contin.

Telephone : 01997-421487

Return to index....Back

Lochluichart Lochs

The Lochluichart Lochs are situated 8 miles west of Strathpeffer

The fishing is by way of bank and boat for rainbows and brown trout.

The season is from April till September.


For further information and permits contact:

Craigdarroch Lodge, Contin.

Telephone : 01997-421265

Return to index....Back

Tarvie Lochs Trout Fishery

The Tarvie Lochs are situated about 5 miles west of Strathpeffer on the A832.

The fishery consists of 3 natural lochs set in beautiful scenery amidst the hills.
There is an abundance of wildlife all round including Ospreys, Divers, Red and Roe deer
and if your very lucky you might even spot a Red Kite

The main loch is Loch an Eich Bhain which is a 25 acre loch with boat and fly fishing only.
It is stocked with rainbows up to 13lbs and brownies up to 4lbs.
It is easily accessed and car parking is right by the loch.

The second Loch is Loch Ruith a Phuill which is a 12 acre loch with bank fishing only.
This is a mixed loch with both fly and coarse fishing allowed.
Car parking is on the road with a 200 yard walk to the loch.

The third loch is Loch A Chlaran which is a 7 acre loch stocked with brown trout up to 6lbs.
It is fly and boat fishing only and the season is from the 1st of May till the 6th of October.
There is a 20 minute walk to the lochside but is well worth the effort.

The fishery is open all year round except Christmas day and they are open from 9am till dusk.

Prices for the main loch are :

£11 for 4 hours 2 fish limit.

£16.50 for 6 hours 3 fish. limit

£22 for 8 hours 4 fish limit.

The fishery also has a self catering cottage to let from April to October which sleeps 4 to 6 people and bed and breakfast is available in the main house. For the cottage lets there is the opportunity to troll for salmon on Loch Ness with all tackle supplied and an experienced ghillie.

For further information and prices contact :

The Tarvie Lochs Trout Fishery.

Telephone : 01997-421250

Return to index....Back

Loch Akran

Loch Akran is situated 16 miles west of Thurso.

The fishing is by way of bank and boat for brown trout.

The season is from the 15th of March till the 6th of October.


For further information and permits contact:

Melvich Hotel, Melvich.

Telephone : 01641-531206

Return to index....Back

Loch Calder

Loch Calder is situated 5 miles south west of Thurso

The fishing is by way of bank and boat for wild browns, ferrox and char.

The season is from the 15th of March till the 6th of October.


For further information and permits contact:

Hugo Ross, Tackle Shop, High Street, Wick.

Telephone : 01955-604200

Return to index....Back

St Johns Loch

St John's Loch, Dunnet, Caithness.

The loch lies in the most Northerly part of the British Mainland and is ranked as one of the most
popular lochs in the County of Caithness. Situated close by the village of Dunnet, 8 miles East of
Thurso on the A836 Thurso to John O' Groats road.

It has the distinction of supporting the most Northerly hatch of Mayfly in the British Isles.

The fishings are managed by a dedicated voluntary body, The St. John's Loch Improvement Association. The Association, was formed on a casual basis during the late 1950's and has a
current Membership of around 60.

Boats are available for hire to visitors and are located in the Association's harbour which is accessed from the B855 roadway leading to Dunnet Head. The harbour also has facilities for the disabled angler with a purpose built "Wheelie Boat" available for hire. The loch is also suited to wading and this can prove an effective means of fishing, especially during the early part of the Season when the trout lie close in to the bank. Natural feeding is abundant and the trout grow quickly with several fish in excess of 3 lbs. being caught each year.

The best fish caught during the 2001 season weighed in at 5lbs 12ozs. The average size fish weigh
in around 1 to 1½ lbs. They are of excellent eating quality with deep red flesh and a full flavour.

The Association maintains its own Hatchery facility with eggs being stripped from indigenous stock each year. Approximately 8,500 fingerlings are released annually
while around 1,200 are retained over winter and brought
on to about 4 ozs. in weight before release. These fish are marked with a semi-permanent blue dye and, from marked fish caught, it has been proved that these fish can treble their body weight in the space of a year.

The loch fishes well throughout the Season, which extends from the first Saturday in April to 30th September, although it is truly at its best in late May and early June during the prolific hatches of Mayfly. Fishing is by fly only and a minimum size limit of 12" applies. A selection of flies, tied by Association members, which are popular are available for sale at the Northern Sands Hotel.

Boat Hires and Bank Permits

Current Rates

Boat  £12.00 Day session    £6.00 Evening session

Bank  £3.00 Day session    £1.00 Evening session

Tube  £8.00 Day session    £4.00 Evening session

Permits are available from the following oulets :

Northern Sands Hotel, Dunnet. Tele : 01847-851270
(The Hotel also provides tailored accommodation & fishing packages for the visiting angler).

Hugo Ross, The Tackle Shop, 56 High Street, Wick. Tele : 01955-604200.

Harper's Fly Fishing Services, 57 High Street, Thurso. Tele : 01847-893179 (Wheelie Boat only).

For further information contact:-

Neil MacDonald, Hon.Secretary/Treasurer,

St. John's Loch Improvement Association, 5 Heathfield Road, Thurso.

Tele : 01847-896956.

e-mail : stjohnsloch@btinternet.com

Website address is : www.stjohnsloch.net

Return to index....Back

Loch Watten

Loch Watten is situated 10 miles south east of Thurso.

The fishing is by way of fly only bank and boat for browns, sea trout and salmon.

The season is from May 1st till September 31st.


For further information and permits contact:

Watten Hotel, Watten.

Telephone : 01995-621232

also available from

Watten Lodge.

Telephone : 01995-621217

Return to index....Back

Loch Craggie

Loch Craggie is situated 4 miles south east of Tongue.

The fishing is by way of bank and boat for brown trout.

The season is from the 15th of March till the 6th of October.


For further information and permits contact:

Ben Loyal Hotel, Tongue.

Telephone : 01847-611216

Return to index.... Back

Loch Hope

The fishing is predominantly for sea trout although there are brown trout and salmon present in the loch. Loch Hope is famous for its sea trout which are traditionally caught from a boat by dapping or wet fly. There are only 9 fishing boats for hire and it can be difficult to get one in the high season (mid-June to mid-September). Booking well in advance is recommended. Outboard motors can also be hired.

Return to index.... Back