February

05th February

The site is currently undergoing a makeover. Images and news will be added in the next few days and weeks. Jack has informed me that the marker above the Bonhill bridge has been washed away in the floods. Anyone who didn't witness them should look at these three images.  Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 The houses at Thomas street just missed being flooded a week before Christmas. The water level is a lot lower now and if the cold snap continues the river should be at a good height for opening day. The price of the season ticket is £88 for a local and £98 for an "outsider"

08th February

The season tickets are now on sale in O'Brien's newsagents. Thanks to Jack for the information.

09th February

The water level today was 8 inches above the closing level. It should be lower on Monday which will mean that it is a good height for what ever method of fishing that takes your fancy. The weather forecast at this moment in time isn't too good. Jack said today that he hasn't seen any kelts recently. Possibly the exceptionally high water has flushed them out of the system. Here's hoping for some good sport on Monday!

11th February

Jack has passed on this link that anglers will find interesting. The reason being that this season the Association are charging £25 for a permit for coarse fishing on the Loch. One theory doing the rounds is that the money will go to this deserving cause. It might placate some anglers who believe that coarse fishing is free.

12th February

The start of the season was more of a simper rather than a bang, at least up until 14.00hrs. At the Haldane burn a Baggot about 6lbs was caught and I believe a kelt was hooked as well. In the vicinity of the Bonhill bridge one fish about 3lbs was reported hooked. Jim Kennedy hooked a kelt at the Piles on the fly and an unlucky angler hooked a kelt at the Floors on the worm. Unfortunately the hook came out of its mouth and became entangled in a bush and the end tackle was lost. The Renton area fared better. Chic hooked three kelts on the fly. Overall there weren't as many anglers on the river as expected for opening day. There is about 7 inches of water above the closing level and the water temperature was 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Weather wise it was a decent day. The high water in winter has damaged the wall between the Linbrain hole and the Chapel hole. The gravel bank below the Pikey has been washed away and the banks at the Floors has been affected. Interestingly the Piles is now wadeable all of the way through. This might help the fly fisher reach the far bank where there is a channel where the fish move through. Still it is early days yet and there will be kelts in the Loch that will move down the river. Last season the site benefited from good feedback. Hopefully there will be the same response!

18th February

It seems to have been an unbelievably quiet week on the river. The only reports I received were a couple of more Baggots being hooked. Yesterday the amount of anglers fishing was on the low side despite it being the first Saturday of the season. There is still about 8 inches of water above the closing height. The damage done by the record high water is becoming more apparent. A huge chunk of the wall at McKinnons has fallen into the river and it looks like it will worsen as the tide moves in and out. Some anglers have said that some snags have disappeared but others have been created. After a week of banging my head off the wall I have managed to set up a discussion forum. I have still to input the necessary information and safeguards against hackers so it should be Tuesday by the latest it is online. It will only be a success if the anglers who post information behave responsibly. The forum will be moderated to weed out the irresponsible posters.

19th February

The forum has been activated and so far there are two dozen posters registered. A request that I receive every season is to post a link to the previous season's news so that anglers can compare catches. This I have done. In the next few days I will upload some of the images that were on the site previously.

20th February

The river is very quiet in respect to the number of anglers fishing. The one or two that are fishing seem to be out for the exercise. There is 5 inches of water above the closing level but there is more rain forecast for the end of the week. Because of the record high water during the winter causing so much damage - the Duck Bay Marina for instance - it will be interesting to see the water authorities attitude to the river flow this season. Will they allow the level on the Loch to rise to previous levels before opening the gates? An interesting e-mail from Tom Scanlon. Thanks Tom.

Hello Robbie,

Off to a flyer on Saturday - a cracking 14 lb (based on length) cock salmon just down from the Renton footbridge around 2 p.m. Not sure if it was a very well-mended kelt or a farmer (unlikely a springer). It was fin-perfect and silver (not tinny) but not torpedo-enough to be a springer. I wasn't expecting anything so I didn't take my camera :(. I had some doubts so it was safely returned and bolted-off with a splash.

I was fishing a floater with a 15 ft very fast sink tip.
It took the fly attached (from Glasgow Field Sports) - a silver bottle tube using a Frodin tube single. I think this tube single does the fish less damage, hooks well but is easily removed. Also, if it is fished with the hook point up as shown there is less of a problem with snagging.

cheers + best of luck with the Forum

Tom Scanlon

It isn't all gloom and doom!

25th February

I wasn't on the river yesterday so I don't have any upfront information. The past week was definitely on the quiet side. The water level remains about the same, hovering around the 8 inches above the closing level. One e mail from a regular contributor.

Hi Robbie ,

 fished Dumbarton today just above blue bridge and hit two fish, both were kelts around 6lb and 8lb , the second one was pretty much well mended . both fish took a Scott Young tadpole variant and put up a decent fight on my 9ft , 9weight single handed sage using a cortland blue intermediate, a bit of fun on the small rod . didn't here of anything else down that way........Derek

Thanks Derek. Information like this is still needed despite the forum being up and running. I have been pleased with the way the forum has got underway. Few problems to contend with and only one or two minor complaints. All we need now is run of springers and everybody will be smiling!

26th February

Today I walked from the Polaroid bridge down to the Slaughterhouse pool. At McKinnons I spoke to two regular anglers. One said that there had been about a dozen salmon kelts caught since the start of the season. Both told me about an angler, who will remain nameless, who keeps every fish he catches no matter the size or condition. He had in the last week chapped a kelt on the head. The angler was a regular who should have known better. A lot of damage to the banks is becoming apparent. The bank at Mckinnons is fast eroding. There is a sewage pipe here which could leak. The Grassy bank is falling into the river. One angler said that it wasn't the fault of the high water in the winter but it was the Bailiffs to blame! Hmm. They are not perfect but this isn't down to them! The pool at the Stane hut has silted up more than before. The high bank at the bend at the bottom of the Golf run has badly eroded and fallen into the river. Overall there are few signs of kelts and none of spring fish. Hughie in the wheelchair has provided a better image of Rab Melville's record fish which I will post shortly. Thanks Hughie.

28th February

Jack has informed me that the water level is now 20 inches above the closing height. This is too high for safe wading. Thanks Jack.