Ardtornish Estate Co Ltd
Estate Co Ltd,
Ardtornish,
Morvern,
Oban PA80 5UZ
Tel: 01967 421288
Ardtornish Estate boasts no fewer than 16 hill lochs and the native wild brown trout fishing has been very good in recent years in both quantity and quality of fish caught. Loch Arienas – which yields several hundred trout each year, was the loch where our record brown trout of 16 lbs was caught in 2006.
Guests staying in one of their properties may fish all lochs for free, paying only for boat hire if required.
For non-residents, fishing on Lochs Arienas, Doire nam Mart, Tearnait and all other lochs costs £10.00 per rod per day. Boat hire on Loch Arienas, Loch Tearnait and Lochan Lub an Arbhair is as follows:
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1 day and 1 rod – £30.00
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1 day and 2 rods – £40.00
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1 week and 1 rod – £90.00
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1 week and 2 rods – £150.00
Important Information
All fishing is by fly only; we don’t permit spinning, bait fishing, or lead weights.
Brown trout can be fished on a catch-and-keep basis.
A return must be made for all catches.
Fishing must be booked in advance and a valid permit shown if requested.
The estate will no longer be offering boat engines for hire, you can, however, obviously bring your own.
All bookings for loch fishing on the various lochs should be made through the estate office in person, or call on 01967 421288
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Loch Avich
Heading towards Oban, Taynnuilt, and loch Etive on the A 85 turn left at the Bridge of Awe onto the B845 towards Kilchrenan and Loch Avich, just before you reach Dalavich turn left by the river Avich, within a short distance of 1.5 miles you will arrive at the start of loch Avich, can be accessed from the East or West banks.
A lesser known water, much smaller in comparison to Loch Awe 3.25 miles long by up to half a mile wide and over 50m in depth.
Falls on the river Avich have been eased to allow the access of migratory fish from Loch Awe into Loch Avich but the river, other than for trout fishing is preserved. However, presenting a fly to the river trout is very difficult because of the surrounding forest.
There are only a few places where it is possible to cast effectively.
Brown trout, and rainbow trout, which average 10 oz in weight. Trout of over 4lb have been caught in recent years, as well as pike and perch.
There is also the possibility of a salmon.
Flies and tactics.
The Oban and Lorn angling club has boats at the east end of the loch and also bank fishing for half a mile on the north bank and 1.5 miles on the south bank.
Fishing and boats are also available at the east end, at Loch Avich. Boat fishing is the best way to fish the loch as the banks are unstable in some areas and this can make wading dangerous.
Fishing permits are available in-store from James Bayne in Callander.
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Loch Awe has always been famous for its wild brown trout, having broken the British rod-caught record four times over the last decade. It is, however, its reputation for good mixed bags of 8oz - 3lb trout that still attracts the majority of anglers. Whether novice or purist, young or old, Loch Awe has a great deal to offer both game and coarse fishermen.
Fishing on Loch Awe is not only for the purist or well-seasoned angler. Whether you are experienced or a novice, young or old, Loch Awe has a great deal to offer.
Brown Trout: The brown trout season runs from 15 March to 6 October. Methods of fishing vary, and whilst fly is generally accepted as the best method, many anglers use worm or maggot (either ‘ledger’ or on a float). Spinning with lures (Mepp, Rapala, Toby) is also successful, but it is always advisable to fish on the light side – up to a 6lb test. Flies should be of the wet variety (10–16), of standard or loch pattern, and in harmony with the months applicable to hatching flies. Irish patterns also do well, and for the angler wishing to lose him/herself in the many bays ‘nymphing’ can be very rewarding.
Rainbow Trout: Escapees from the two fish farms on Loch Awe also provide sport and should be fished in the same manner as brown trout. (15 March - 6 October). Would anglers please kill ALL rainbow trout caught from the loch, whatever the size? This is to lessen the impact that escapes of rainbow trout have on the wild brown trout population.
Char: A natural and historic species often caught by trout anglers, especially as the season progresses and the water temperature rises. (15 March - 6 October)
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Fishing permits are available at several outlets throughout Central Scotland. Local outlets are Loch Awe Stores in Lochawe, Loch Awe Boats at Ardbrecknish, Awe Service Station at Bridge of Awe, and the Tight Line at Lochawe. Permits cost £8.00 per day, £18.00 for three days, £28.00 per week, and £80.00 for the season (half-price for juveniles and concessions). There will be no charge for children under 12 who are accompanied by a permit-holding adult. Trout and Coarse season runs from 15 March to 6 October, the Pike season is all year round.
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Loch Ba
Loch Ba offers free fishing for wild brown trout in spectacular surroundings. Located on the A82 just a few miles south of Glencoe, Ba is part of a group of lochs that straddle the road with Ba to the west of the road and Lochan na Stainge and Lochan na Ashlaise to the west.
The trout are not big on average but they are plentiful, take well and fight hard. You can fly fish, spin, or use bait, traditional fly patterns do well including black pennel, Greenwells, March brown, iron blue dun and olives, or anything that looks like a sedge, heather moth, or daddy when in season.
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Loch Fad (Rainbow and Brown Trout) – 175 acres, the ‘long loch’ is situated on the lovely Island of Bute off the west coast of Scotland and lies directly along the Highland fault line. It is classified by Scottish Natural Heritage as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) for its scenic beauty and its huge diversity of bird life and vegetation.
The loch is surrounded by wooded hills, including one of the first commercial Douglas Fir plantations dating from the 1840s.
With a maximum depth of 36 feet at the narrows, the ends of the loch have shallower areas ideal for fly fishing and although fish can be taken all over, the south end does tend to fish better as the water warms
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This fantastic two-mile loch is perfect for catching arctic char, salmon, and brown trout.
For brown trout head to the shallow waters in the north end and for arctic char head to the southern end. If it is salmon you are after then this loch can also be surprisingly abundantly stocked.
The Oban & Lorn Angling Club was founded in the 1940s but fell away in the fifties. In 1972 the club was reformed by a group of keen anglers to promote fly fishing links in the Lorn of Argyll with leases of seven lochs.
Today the club has leased to twenty-four lochs and nine boats on seven lochs with further access to one bank of the River Awe below the weir on the Taynuilt side.
Our lochs vary from small puddles to large waters each having its own features containing mainly wild Brown Trout though there is a chance of catching an Artic Char in some of the lochs, also escaped Rainbow Trout, Perch & Pike in Loch Awe.
All wild trout respond to traditional fly patterns. Outboards to a maximum of 5hp are allowed on most of the lochs.
Permits can be obtained from the Oban & Lorn Angling Club
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Loch Quien is catch and release only and has wild and stocked Brown Trout and is a low-lying fertile loch which can produce lovely fish, but can be a real challenge. It is easily accessible and is quiet and beautiful. Fishing is strictly Fly Only and there are 4 boats on the loch, without outboards, as the fish are easily spooked. At around 90 acres it has good areas of shallow water for wading.
Loch Quien fishes better early morning or late evening with traditional flies and nymphs. If the fishing’s slow, large black flies can at times pull a good fish or two and flies like Greenwells, Dunkeld, Blue Zulu, Olive Woolyworm, Pheasant Tail Nymph and Hoppers in Orange or Black are worth trying.
Day tickets are £14 and are available from the Loch Fad Office and also from Bute Angling & Outdoors, the fishing shop located on Albert Place in Rothesay just opposite the ferry terminal. There are 5 boats available for hire at £7 per day..
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Loch Scammadale
Oban and Lorn Angling Club also manage several good trout lochs and will let you buy a permit to try your chances at catching wild brownies in moorland lochs such as Loch Nell, Loch Lonan, and Loch Sonachan. For those looking specifically for rainbow trout, sea trout, or pike
Permits are £6 per day, £12 for three days, or £30 for a week and are available from many of Oban’s fishing tackle shops. Specific permits for Loch Scammadale, you can find them at Scammadale Farm. For a truly relaxing trip, three-man boats can be hired for a week at these lochs allowing you to take to the open water and enjoy the tranquillity of Argyll’s countryside.
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