Fishing The Fly Scotland
Index => Rivers & Lochs => Topic started by: Terry Coging on 27/04/2016 at 09:08
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My knowledge of the Assynt lochs is limited to several Summer visits there in July and August, 30 or more years ago. My pals and I will be spending a week there, end May / early June and I am wandering what to expect so early in the season?
We will be concentrating on Borrolan, Urigill, Camma and Veyetie, all of which I fished a few times 30/40 years ago. So an exciting trip down memory lane for me. No doubt we will receive advice when we collect our permits from the Inchnadamph lodge but a few tips before hand would be appreciated.
Thanks in anticipation...
ps - my first post on this brilliant site.
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Good morning Terry ...... Welcome to the forum :z16
Hope you enjoy a great trip.
Best wishes
Mike
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Terry myself and a group of mates have fished up there many times and I will be there again this summer.
All of these lochs can produce some fun with hatches of mayfly and a suitable large (size eight) imitation will be a good thing to have but all the usual suspects for loch style fishing will do the business including the Kate McLaren and claret bumble which are two of my own favourites up there. In saying that the last tome we fished on Fionn which if you follow the burn down from Veyetie you will come to a small bay which was great fun on anything small with a muddler head, we lost count of the fish caught between there and the narrows.
A certain mr Liddle on the site has fished these lochs on a regular basis and I am sure he will tell you about his favourite style of fly for up there.
If things go quiet then a single size 14 or 16 dry fly can be useful for the odd fish when things are quiet or in calm conditions.
Hope you have a great trip.
Eddie. :z18
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I think you will find that North Assynt estate has some of that fishing now, we got our permits from the Altnacealgach Hotel 2 yrs back, probably best to enquire , or get Bruce Sandisons "Trout Lochs Of Scotland" a lot of good info in there, easker1
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Thank you Eddie and easgach.
Re the Altnacealgach Hotel. Had many a merry time there years ago. Friends and I drank it dry the year before it was burnt down . I remember using a leaky old boat to row across Borralan so that we could walk over to Urigill. To get across, my boat partner was bailing and I was rowing as fast as we could :z4
The boats look a bit better these days. I sometimes took my own boat up there, is this still allowed?
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Terry,
I will be in Durness from the 25th of May with the usual suspects and might stop off for a cast or three in Assynt on the way home. Might bump into you if you are up there at that time.
Eddie.
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Keep an eye on Little Loch Awe and if the Mayfly are hatching get a permit from Inchnadamph. Very good loch when it is "on".
Loch Beannich is a great loch from a boat or a tube but is a bit of a hike in. Can be really worth it though :z12
Don't be afraid to tie on big flies, and by big I mean #6 or #8. The bigger the wind and wave the bigger the flee.
Golden Olive Bumble, Claret Bumble, Bibio, Zulus in black and blue, Kate McLaren and Loch Ordie should all have their day.
Allan Liddles dry flies work well so listen up when he shows up. :z16
And one last thing - the Lochinver Pie Shop is the most important place in the area. Don't be put off with £5 a pie because they are HUGE and worth every penny. Repeat after me "I love Lochinver pies...."
Enjoy it whatever you get up to and take lots of photos to get you through the rest of the year when your are not there.
:z1
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. Repeat after me "I love Lochinver pies...."
Enjoy it whatever you get up to and take lots of photos to get you through the rest of the year when your are not there.
:z1
Euan,
I love Lochinver pies.
Especially after the walk back down from the loch of the green corrie on a hot day carrying a load of camping gear.
Eddie :z18
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Hi Terry
Great place to visit and I'm sure you'll have a blast after so long away.
Good choice of venues as well, I prefer the big East End Lochs of the Upper Kirkaig system which is both vast and unique.
Borralan, a good 'banker' venue and great should the wind prove too much for the boat. Vastly under-rated and as good a roadside loch you'll get in the area, well worthy of attention.
Nowadays you drive up to Urigill and a short walk to the loch. Excellent water especially around the many weed beds of the 'top end'
Cama is one of my all time favourite lochs, and best described as 'two lochs in one' with the open island and mostly shallow 'bottom end' (the area you first come to) and long deep, brooding exposed 'top end' which is the bit I like the best. Keep the boat now more than two lengths off the shore when you fish up this bit.
Veyatie just shades Cama in the favourite stakes for me, and the further you venture down the loch (you arrive at the top end from Elphin) the better it gets. Again keep close to the bank for the best of the sport concentrating on any wee bays and areas where burns run into the loch. Three quarters of the way down on the left is Loch Medhial (sp?) separated by a narrow sand bar and it is sometimes possible to get the boat through so you have the option to explore her as well. If you do bare right into the big bay which is the best bit.
Fionn is the last water on offer here and it another cracker. I like to take the boat down Veyatie and walk through. Great off the bank and the further you venture away from Veyatie the better it gets.
There are some excellent small satellite waters around the bottom end of Veyatie both towards Sulvien as well as the opposite side, and if you're feeling really fit it's possible to walk over and fish a bit of Sionascaig as well.
As Soundmixer says little loch Awe worthy of attention, as is the wee loch directly behind this.
At this time of year the fish will be mostly on buzzers and olives as you're a wee bit early for the mayflies.
Kate McLaren, Clan Chief, Zulu, Bibio, Wickhams, Loch Ordie, Silver Invicta and Conemmara Black all worthy of a place in your flee box with Kate, Zulu and Ordie Muddlers also worth a place.
Hogs in Olive, Claret and Natural Hares Ear a must, and some small sparse dries (Bibio Emerger, Black Dirty Duster) in there as well (see Partridge of Reditch website, blogs, my name and drop down list for dressings of a lot of my wild loch trout flies, and if you spot the Black Nymph in there then tie some up)
Hoppers are good as are snatchers, if things really not going well then don't be afraid to use a gold head Damsel or Black Tadpole type lure either.
Boats from the Leadmore Estate are as good as you'll get and last time I was up here they also had outboards for hire which were fantastic.
Hope this helps and have a great trip, don't forget the camera either as it's a must have bit of equipment for an Assynt wild trout expedition.
Regards
Allan
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Last time I was on Veyatie we managed to get the boat on to Loch Mhadal as the water was well up , had a good time with the 3/4 lbers, plenty of them,we got the boat and o/board from the Altnacealgach Bar as the hotel was shut,I spoke to a guy later who said his best fish had come from one of the lochans on the North side, I haven't been back since but I've passed it a few times going north, easgach 1
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Gentlemen - Thank you for those valuable and comprehensive postings. Looking forwards to the 'return to Assynt' even more.
I remember having a dabble in Ledbeg River - absolutely stuffed with 4-8 oz fish with some 3/4 pounders.
All those years ago I found the Urrigill to be the most productive but it was under fished then due to the hike.
So - looking forwards to the Lochs, Lochinver pies and to meeting Eddie and his Merrie men.
In France at the mo and was sussing out a place to launch my boat on Lac Du Drennec which is reputed to be a 'Loch Style' fishery.
I see that the regs do not allow one to use own boat in Assynt these days.
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We had a great time up there. 5 of the party had not experienced the Highland Lochs before and they were delighted and want to return. Borralan fished very well and some of the guys were happy to spend the week there, mainly fishing the Mayfly. Every one but me caught a Char or two on Borralan - their first. Had 2 splendid days on Cam from bank and boat. Weaving between the islands and controlling drifts with the electric o/b was both peaceful and productive. Veyetie was difficult due to the strong wind blowing 'down loch' from Elphin but every chance of a drift close to the bank produced fish. Big flies were the order of the day - Sredge, Olive Bumble and Bibio doing the business. Pity the water was too low for us to cross the sandbar into Loch Medhail - maybe next time?
Lochinver Pies. Lochinver Pies. Lochinver Pies....... Yum! Thank you all for your support and advice. We shall be back.
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Great stuff :z16
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After the wonderful experience this year I am returning to Assynt again at the same time next year. I will only dabble at fishing due to having the none fishing wives with us (party of 4). Hoping for a proper fishing trip shortly after, sans wives :X2
We stayed at the Alt this year and can recommend it, however we would like to try other places.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Any suggestions would be appreciated.
How much do you want to cap your night spend per head :? I've stayed in most hotels in the local area...... :wink
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No cap as such Hamish - just 'sensible'. Alt is only £35 bb and OK. Inch is £55 but mediocre TA ratings. Would pay more if good though. The other couple are more into walking than fishing.
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Back to Assynt tomorrow - yippeeeeeee...
Lochinver pies/Lochinver pies...........................
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Enjoy :z16
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Was there last weekend for a few days and will be back up September. Fishing was good as usual, weathers been warm so plenty of growth and food about for the fish. Hope you have a good time and catch plenty.
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Unfortunately (?) this was not a fishing trip. However, I managed to secretly pack the car with and electric outboard, battery, charger, Airflow boat seat, 2 rods, boat bag, creel, wellies, waders, landing net/walking staff and my waterproof jacket festooned with scissors and forceps. I blamed the bbq and large folding chair for the lack of space for our normal luggage.
Only managed two short afternoons on the Loch but caught plenty. Not much interest in traditional wets but going mad for the daddy and sedgehog fished dry. If they did not take the daddy on the point a quick strip and they came for the sedgehog on the dropper. I will be back :cool:
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Just commenting on this post on the off chance somebody might still know anything that could help me.
I’m also looking at launching my own boat on any Loch in the areas mentioned below.
I stay in Ullapool and have fished these areas on the bank along with others regularly.
I’ve tried to contact assynt Crofters and ledmore estate to see which lochs maybe possible to launch a boat from if in fact I could use my own.
It’s nothing of size, just a wee Orkney Coastliner 14’ but I’m yet to receive any reply.
I’d appreciate any help from anyone in the know. Thanks.
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Hi Terry ...... Welcome to the forum :z16
I could be wrong, but I think you'll find that it is a case of no boat launching on any of the lochs and no fishing from canoes or kayaks ...... although float tubing is usually allowed.
Best wishes
Mike
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Hi Terry, I have launched my own boat on Lochs Veyattie, Shin and Borralan. I paid a £10 launching fee plus a day ticket to Ledmore estate for Veyattie (easy access and launching). 2019.
The Lairg Angling Assn let me launch from their club's stony beach on Shin- can't remember the arrangement.
You will need to check with the Alt pub (Craig and Sue) for permission on Loch Borralan. I will be interested to hear if you get your boat on any other Lochs.
I should have been up there this week but out group of 4 have all had health issues.
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Apologies to Mike and Terry. I didn’t see that I had a response to my comment.
Thanks for commenting.
Terry - I tried Ledmore estate, via email but no response. I’ve tried to call only twice (no answer) but hopefully I get someone soon to see what the deal is on the the lochs you mention.
The Alt hotel is closed and I’m not sure it’s ever reopened since the pandemic, I’m not sure who to contact for rights to Borralan. I did take a look at it and a boat launch looks easy and accessible.
I bank fished Urigill, fantastic sport and good days out.
I’ll keep you posted how I get on.
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Terry Coging - Spoke with Craig and Sue at the Alt hotel. Private Boat launch is a No. *smiley-sad*
Same applies to Assynt and Ledmore estates. Private boat launch is a No.
Told I’d have to hire one of their own. Suppose it’s not the end of the world and was worth a shot so guess I’ll be hiring one. *smiley-unhappy*