[Rob Brownfield]

Following on from the Loch Leven thread, I think we are all aware that Leven trout have been used to stock waters all over Scotland and indeed the world.

I do wonder if Loch Leven has always had big fish, but traditional methods and "drifts" just did not cover the fish and thus they are elusive. Perhaps using some of Steve Partons tactics with lead core lines, big flies and rudder drifting might produce big trout.

I know one "local" loch that received several stockings years ago after a fish kill and that has produced Browns to 14+ pounds. These fish were not your typical Browns, and were much more like Sea Trout in appearance. It was always said these were the Leven fish decendents. All thee fish came to dead baits or lures.

I know New Zealand received stockings, and we all know about the legendary size Leven strain trout get to over there.

I understand they also ended up in India, the US and Canada.

Anywhere else, especially in Scotland? (No need to name waters if they are on your secret list, just curious to the potential of these fish?).

[Jim Eddie]

Rob

The Falklands are another location that was stocked with Leven trout. It is not noted for "big" fish the average being around a pound. Not sure about lead core lines as its a relatively shallow loch with an average depth of around 9-1/2 ft. The depth was reduced in 1830 when the Loch lost about 1/4 of its area and around 6-8ft in depth in a drainage scheme. Prior to this it had runs of Salmon and Sea Trout and a population of Char. Perhaps the reason they do not grow to large size is the lack of a prey fish and the trout being inscetivourous and not Ferox ? 

 

Jim

[Rob Brownfield]

Now you have me extremely confused. The bathymetric map of Leven from 1909 shows depths way more than 9 feet, down to 83 feet in two seperate holes. Looking at that particular map I would have thought the average was closer to 15-20 feet??

http://maps.nls.uk/bathymetric/view/?sid=74422112

But agreed, not as deep as many of the great lochs up North/out West

What I find interesting is the loch that I have seen the big Leven strain fish from is shallow, very shallow indeed. The only fish in it are Pike, Eels, Trout and sticklebacks, so not a vast amount of food from that side of thongs, but, it does contain huge amounts of shrimp and daphnia. Having said that, every double figure trout has fallen to dead baits or lures rather than flies (but its not heavily fly fished for trout, so maybe thats why).

[Jim Eddie]

Rob
I should have said average depth,

" Loch Leven has a surface area of 13.3 km2, a mean depth of 3.9 m, a maximum depth of 25.5 m"

Comapre that to Loch awe for instance

"Average depth 32m, maximum depth 93.6m"

 

Jim

[Allan Liddle]

Yup Jim level was dropped and previously water lapped the castle walls so Mary would've been able to cast out the window.
North and South deeps have always featured Rob and agree with Jim, fishing certainly altered significantly when water height altered.

But it has the capacity to produce big browns given it's prolific feeding which can only get better with the continual improvements in water quality.  Reduced rod and stocking pressure will undoubtedly help Leven realise it's potential as a remarkable, unique and very important trout loch.

That said it's not only the Leven strain that has the potential to grow big, all trout will do this given the right conditions (hence the reason so many rod benders have been encountered in small remote 'virgin' lochans throughout our upland areas having been placed there by anglers).
Orkney and Shetland have shown what careful 'seeding' of eutrophic trout less waters can produce and we know these are not Leven strain fish, Orkney fish are very similar as are some of Shetlands, but not all depending on the water they go into.

However we also know that Leven fish stocked into waters without the opportunity to grow as well will produce more 'Traditionally Scottish' sized fish (Wee Silvers as they are known on 'The Loch') and they will darken somewhat in peaty waters.

[Derek Roxborough]

Plenty feed off the Island in the form  of Sticklebacks, I was watching the trout slashing at these one day when I took my Granddaughter out to the castle, all round the shore the trout were feeding away on the shoals, so there must be plenty of feed to produce larger fish, pre the last war the estate here took stock from Howietoun and these were supposed to be Loch Leven strain, I would reckon that most of the handy lochs round here have that strain in them, a definite difference can be seen from the darker trout in the higher lochans, although some of the bucket biologists have been busy in the past, as there are one or two lochans with the lighter coloured fish, easgach 1