Local stillwater reports indicate that water temperatures are cooling and trout are being tempted. FAB and diawl bach are taking fish at Clubbiedean (pictured) near Bonaly along with black rabbit.

Boss Steven Johnson said there is no consistency but one angler was smiles better he when hooked into a 12lb trout. Johnson has acquired five new boats.


Across the Pentlands at Loganlea, Karen Jack said things are improving with fish in the top layers. She remains open on a Wednesday night only until 9pm. Please book.


Iona Allan at Allandale Tarn near West Calder confirmed that smokers are working and she is flat out catering for demand. Anglers are catching with some into double figures.


Bowden Springs anglers are also catching with Ronnie Brownlie into nine, best 5lb, and Ronnie Couper and David Syme on seven each, best a 7lb. Egg, cruncher, and cat’s whiskers. Bait pond anglers have recorded returns of over  12lb for four fish. Powerbait working here.


Morton Fishings near Livingston confirm that their diary is now open for club bookings for next season and interested parties should email mortonfishings2023@gmail.com. Glencorse Reservoir also say they are open for bookings in 2024.

Millhall loch near Polmont continued in much the same fashion as the past couple of weeks, with floating lines and small imitative flies producing the most consistent catches. Crunchers, diawl bachs, PTNs and buzzers dominated catch returns, although dry fly tactics came into their own at times with hare lug and yellow owl, CDCs and shipman’s buzzers working well. Again, damsels and Ally McCoist lures were the best of the bunch for those anglers ‘on the pull’.

J Hay recorded 20 fish returned on dries, mainly on shipmans, D Hammill had eight on the same flies, while K Craig had 13 fish, and B Sutherland had 15, both using heasant ail nymphs. G Henderson returned six fish on an Ally McCoist, I Baird had nine on damsels, with D Paterson, W Robertson and F Smith all returning eight fish on buzzers, mostly the Vicar or Minister Buzzer.

Stocked fish have dominated catches at the Lake of Menteith and manager Quint Glen confirmed a few thousand more will go in weighing between the 2lb and 5lb. The best boat recently hooked into 25 on dries at Gateside and two new Coulam boats have arrived bringing the total to 20. Evening fishing stops in two weeks.

Kailzie Trout and Salmon Fishery near Peebles report that fishing just keeps on getting better. Owner Connor Robertson said anglers have enjoyed a lot of action sub-surface action with diawl bachs and buzzers taking most fish.

Full floaters and midge tips have been the line of choice for most anglers but Connor has noticed a lot more action on lures recently, flies like the yellow dancer, hot head damsel and mini snakes pulling some lovely trout.

The bait pond has been fishing well with a lot of blue trout and golden trout being taken home. Powerbait set up with a float at around 4ft down has been the most productive.

Connor said: “We would just like to say a massive thank you to every single person that has visited us since we opened in May and how nice it is for so many to be returning customers.”

Fishing has also been good at Bowden Springs near Linlithgow with bait pond anglers doing really well thanks to re-stocking of 100 trout ahead of a club visit. They failed to show up but anglers who came on spec were rewarded.

Among those who reported in, J Paton had three, S Rowan two, L Rowan four and J Connell three with Powerbait and worm attracting attention.

The fly pond also reports good catches with Alan Dodds on four on buzzer, David James two on Ally McCoist, Neil Armstrong four on buzzer and Connor Robertson three on top hat buzzer.

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