|
|
| Fish Species
|
| Brown Trout |
top
|
|
Brown trout are the most prolific indigenous species and they exist in almost all natural waters, from the tiniest burns to the largest lochs. Sometimes they grow very big in lochs by feeding on smaller trout and char, reaching to over twenty pounds in weight. These fish are known as “ferrox”. For the most part however wild trout of fifteen inches or more are highly regarded as sporting quarry for the angler. The trout season opens in March and is excellent in April when large hatches of insects bring the trout to the surface for an easy feast. April, May and June offer tremendous trout fishing opportunities on the rivers and on many of the smaller lochs. Later in the season early morning and late evening provide the best chances of success during hot weather. Come September, the waters start to cool again and during the last few weeks of the season daytime rises again occur.
|
|
| |
Grayling have existed in Tayside for over one hundred years. Clean, fast flowing rivers with rich insect life are their favourite haunts and so Tayside has plenty of habitat for them. Most grayling move around rivers in shoals although particularly large fish tend to be found singular or in small groups. Grayling are truly game fish and a very worthwhile quarry for the fly angler. They are in peak condition from late summer through to January.
|
|
| Rainbow trout |
top
|
|
Rainbow trout were introduced to Tayside about fifty years ago and have since become very popular sport fish. Many of the fisheries offer easy access and tackle for hire making them convenient for the unprepared traveling angler with only an hour or two to spare. Most of them have facilities for snacks and toilets and sell suitable flies and other items of tackle. Rainbow trout are the most common quarry but some put and take fisheries have a mixture of species or types. Double figure rainbows are not unusual and in specimen ponds may have an average size as heavy as five pounds.
|
|
| |
There are no polluted rivers entering the sea in Tayside so almost every stream with connection to salt water has a sea trout population. The Rivers Earn and South Esk are exceptionally good for sea trout fishing. Most trout are in the two to four pound range but much bigger trout are sometimes caught and sizes are increasing since the nets were removed from the estuaries of most rivers. Sea trout enter the rivers from March onwards with the main runs arriving in May or June and continuing until autumn. Best daytime sport can be enjoyed when the river is falling after a flood. During low water conditions night fishing is at its best. Sea Trout can also be encountered in the salt water of the Tay estuary.
|
|
| |
Salmon fishing is available somewhere in the region from 15 January until 31 October. Spring salmon are the earliest running multi sea winter fish. In most rivers the main runs start to arrive in March. April and May are the hot times for spring salmon. These fish can be large, most years specimens of thirty or more pounds will be encountered. By June the first of the grilse arrive and continue to run from then until the end of the season, their weight increasing with each passing month. Large salmon are mixed with the grilse to add spice to the sport. By autumn some of these fish can be veritable monsters and great catches can be made in any of the major salmon rivers in Tayside.
|
|
| Coarse Fishing |
top
|
|
Large populations of pike, perch and roach can be found throughout the region. There is an exceptional amount of high quality pike fishing available in lochs and the slower parts of rivers. Pike up to ten pounds are relatively common and larger fish are frequently caught. Perch and roach are the most common and widely distributed other types of coarse fish. Several new coarse fisheries have been developed over the past ten years. They contain various species including, carp, mirror carp, crucian carp, rudd and tench. Coarse fishing now has a small but growing and enthusiastic band of devotees in Tayside.
|
|
| Sea Fishing |
top
|
|
There is a variety of sea angling venues on the Angus coast, a mixture of cliffs, pebble and sandy beaches and of course off shore boat fishing from the ancient fishing port of Arbroath where the most famous (or infamous) mark is the Bell Rock that lies some twelve miles out to sea and was the cause of many wrecks. A number of sea angling charter boats operate from Arbroath to provide a variety of trips lasting from a few hours to a whole day.
Popular cliff angling marks between Arbroath and Montrose include Mariners Grave, Needle’s Eye, Whiting Ness, Steeple Rock, Usan and Boddin. Cold weather brings the cod inshore and is preferred by regular cod anglers who on occasions enjoy excellent catches. Target species include cod, saithe, Pollock, whiting, haddock, wrasse and various flat fish. Other less predictable species that haunt the coastline and the Tay estuary include bass and mullet. Founders, eels and sea trout are commonly caught in the Tay estuary.
|
|
|
|
|
