Fishing Reports

River Leven.

Since opening day the Leven has been fairly quiet with only a handful of anglers on the banks during the week, but busier on Saturdays. Accordingly, there have been few reports of fish seen or caught apart from kelts.

New member Jamie Strachan took a wander up the river last week to get to know some of the lies and soon found himself into a decent fish at the ‘Double Pipes’. However, when the fish was netted it was found to be a kelt.

At the weekend six junior permit holders, including Aiden Montague, Josh McKeen and Lewis White had their first day out on the Leven this season. Lewis landed this 10lb well mended kelt at the ‘Hole in the Wall’, which was carefully returned to the river to spawn another day. Aiden and Josh had  similar ‘success’. Good to hear that there are some keen, responsible, young lads on the river and we hope they enjoy their season.

Still early season and it’s been a few years since the first springer was caught in February. However, one angler is adamant that last Wednesday he saw a good sized fish heading up river towards Chapel Hole. So you just never know……

Bailiffing.

Our full time bailiffs, busy as usual, have found an increase in anglers fishing for sea trout in the Clyde Estuary without permits. Very recently a group of six, who were spinning at Rhu, were warned in no uncertain terms. Needless to say, patrols of the Estuary have been increased to detect further offenders.

Earlier this month, two males appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court charged with poaching offences at the River Endrick’s Craigbell Pool. Both were found guilty and fined. This incident was the result of a joint bailiff/police operation.

The first of our new vans has now arrived, decked out in LLAIA livery. It will already be a familiar site on the Estuary and River Leven. The majority of our patrols are carried out overtly and what could be more noticeable than this?

From time to time the bailiffs find themselves involved in incidents requiring emergency service assistance. To distinguish them, they have now been issued with high visibility caps and vests.

Water Levels.

Over the last fortnight there has been very little rain, if any, and the levels have been dropping back slowly. Today the SEPA website shows that the River Leven has dropped back to 1.22m and the Loch down to 7.98m. The weather is to remain dry for the next week so it’s inevitable that Scottish Water will close the gates. Last season started in a similar vein. Very little rainfall at the beginning, but by August Noah was seen sailing his Ark past Dumbarton Rock….

unfortunately none of these blighters were aboard…………..!!!

JR

Contact Reports at: reports @lochlomondangling.com

Endrick Work Party.

Early season is a good time to get some work done and last Saturday’s weather window provided an opportunity to tackle the removal of the fallen trees at Drumtain.

The band of budding lumberjacks assembled on the bank and wasted no time in setting about the largest of the three…

…quickly reducing it to logs.

A well earned lunch break……

then on to the second ……

……which was quickly dealt with.

The third  has been stripped of it’s branches……

…….ready to be removed with the use of a tractor when the ground firms up.

Work parties focusing on all aspects of riverbank maintenance will continue throughout the season on the Leven, Endrick  and Fruin. Dates to  be announced on this webpage. Just turn up on the day. If you’d like to help out and are available at short notice, please drop the Chairman an e-mail on our ‘Contacts’ page.

A tree-mendous days work guys!

JR

Contact Reports at: reports@lochlomondangling.com
 

Season 2013 Opening Day.

River Leven.

The opening day of the season on Monday 11th February was marked with a ceremony at Bonhill Bridge.

The band of anglers was piped down to the waters edge……

After a short address from the Chairman….

regulars Jack Ferguson and Chic McLean drank a toast ……..

remembering to leave a drop for the River…..

A team photo….

before Chic takes the first few casts……..

………..followed by a masterclass from Jack.

The remainder of the assembly headed off to wet a line….. or seek something wet in a warm place!

Bailiff Colin McFadyen soon spotted Robert Haining at Stuckie Bridge with a good bend in his fly rod.

The well mended  salmon kelt was carefully unhooked and returned to the river.

There was also a report of a 16lb kelt having been caught at Chapel Hole by angler John Brown on a yellow belly devon.

The first few weeks of the season is an ideal time for anyone who hasn’t fished the river before to explore it and find out where the various runs and lies are. Get to know the usual hot spots .The Double Pipes, Stuckie Bridge, Chapel Hole, McKinnons…to name but a few. Time to try out that Christmas present and see how it casts, or just have a pleasant walk up the riverbank and a chat with some of the regulars. Always someone about looking for early signs….

Loch Lomond.

After launching his boat at Balloch, Iain Morison set out in the hope of some opening day sport. As he headed up the east side of the Loch towards the Endrick Bank a reel screamed into life…….

Iain remarks…..

” Nice one for the opening day. Well mended and I estimated it at around the 15lb mark. Got it in the bay just past the Priory. It took a perch imitation rapala. Went back in and swam away like a good ‘un”

The first spring salmon on the Loch are usually caught on the east side of the Loch as they head for the Endrick Bank, particularly around the Boturich rocks area. We’d expect the main spring run to enter the Loch at the beginning of May……but you just never know.

During the closed season our bailiff Colin McFadyen spotted these sheep having a baa’d day out when the Endrick burst it’s banks. We believe that they eventually made it to safety.

JR.

Contact Reports at : reports@lochlomondangling.com

Arrival of The New Season.

The Lomond System fishing season 2013 (migratory species) opens on Monday 11th of February. The ceremony will take place at Bonhill Bridge – 9.00am. So let’s get those rods dusted down and reels oiled up for another year . Fly boxes will no doubt be in need of the usual reorganisation and lures cleaned and inspected. A few weeks to get properly organised you would think, but you just never know. Sammy the Seal, seen recently at the Old Bridge at Dumbarton, wasn’t waiting for opening day and certainly has no respect for conservation. Most probably a very unfortunate kelt.

Memberships/Permits

All membership applications received to date have been processed and permits and tags dispatched. Leven tickets are available as usual from O’ Briens store. Anglers are reminded that they must be in possession of a valid membership/permit before setting out on the Rivers or Loch. The new mandatory catch and release and tagging conservation measures are effective immediately. The LLAIA would like to thank Gareth Bourhill Consulting for kindly donating the tags.

Annual General Meeting.

The Annual General Meeting of the Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association will be held at Partick Burgh Halls, Glasgow on Tuesday 26th of February 2013. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start. Admission by ticket only which is included in the Annual Report package being forwarded to members. Membership fees will be accepted on the evening. Hope to see you all there.

Website.

Over the winter the LLAIA website has been given a fresh look and some new features added. There’s an online ‘Catch Return Log’ you can use to record of your catch over the season. If anyone has any problems accessing or using it please get in touch. We have also introduced a ‘Contacts’ page with various options. Any membership or permit queries should be directed to the Treasurer. A ‘Gallery’  has been added for those who are handy with the old ‘Box Brownie’ and wish to contribute. We’ll be refreshing the homepage periodically and on the look out for some good images to include, so please feel free to mail us your masterpiece. There’s a also a useful ‘Resources’ page. The ‘Reports and Blogs’ page……. keep your fellow anglers updated by contacting ‘Reports’ with your news and photos. Take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the site. Archiving work is still in progress and access links will be added to the site.

Maintenance.

Some of you may have noticed that work has already started on the River Leven. The ‘Community Payback Scheme’ has been busy opening up paths and trimming back bushes. A date will be announced shortly for this year’s ‘Leven Clean Up Weekend’.  Last season’s work parties were well attended and the efforts of those involved had a major and lasting effect on accessibility.

Bailiff Colin McFadyen has been busy fabricating new water gauges which will be appearing on the rivers soon.

Will the gauges cope with this? A winter spate at the Potts of Gartness.

There’s never a shortage of work on the Endrick. The erection of new stiles will continue and particular attention paid to bank side vegetation before it becomes unmanageable. Fallen trees to be removed. Once again we’ll call on members for their valuable assistance. Bring your wet suit!

Association News.

Newsletters were sent out to our members and associate members detailing the progress made over the past year. The Annual Report will be circulated to members prior to the AGM. It contains a Chairman’s and Treasurer’s report which we hope you will find make very good reading.

The support shown for our ‘Voluntary Catch and Release Policy’ strengthened as the season progressed and the percentage of fish returned was very encouraging. Catch Returns increased, possibly due to the new online return form, providing more accurate figures. A general picture of numbers of fish landed etc will be included in the Committee’s Blog.

Coarse Fishing.

Winter pike fishing is well underway and we’d like to take this opportunity to ask coarse anglers to forward  reports and photos for inclusion in this blog. The Loch Lomond system is not only about game fishing and as we know regularly produces some huge pike. The committee is very keen to raise the profile of coarse fishing on the Loch. This will also be mentioned in the Committee’s Blog. In the meantime, if you get a big toothy critter….let us know!

Were you captured here, doggin school and doon the Leven catchin troots? If you were tell us about it.

Have a great Season!

Regards,

Jim Raeburn.

Contact Reports at : reports@lochlomondangling.com