June

The water level is at weekend height. If the water authorities were at the Barrage then they didn't alter anything. Nothing to report this morning. There is nothing more to add to the total number of springers caught. The worst spring run in living memory has to be the verdict. No excuses!

This morning the water level was about six inches above the weekend height because of the heavy rain yesterday. At 14.00hrs it was still the same. The water authorities weren't to be seen at the Barrage today. On Saturday a 9lbs salmon was caught on the fly just above the Stuckie bridge by a regular angler known as the "Swede" This is the first caught on the fly this season. Apart from this good bit of information nothing else seen or caught. One salmon caught on the Loch on Saturday. News from the Loch is as disappointing as the river. This is cold comfort but it is at least consistent with the news that few fish are in the system. We all live in hope!

Ian Hogg has informed me that Chic lost a double figure fish this morning at McKinnons. A curry red shrimp fly nearly done the business for him. Thanks for the information.

The water level remains unchanged from yesterday as does the catch rate. Water temperature is now at 56 degrees Fahrenheit. I was told that there were three fish off the Loch on Saturday. One angler - Jim Sheen - caught a 9lbs farm fish whilst trolling a Rapala off the golf course side of the Loch. I have heard differing stories about how many fish have been caught on the Loch. How many? Somewhere around fifteen, about double that of the river. The proposed clean up for the river has been postponed till the 24th June. The Association state that the Loch is too high and into the bargain they want time to trim the banks. A wise decision, one that should be supported by the anglers! The Chairman was out and about on the river today. Hopefully plans to improve the angling prospects were being attended to?

The water level is still above weekend height. On Monday it was six inches above and the water authorities allowed it to run off all week. This morning they appeared at the Barrage at 09.40hrs and left at 10.00hrs without altering the level. This is what the anglers have been wanting. A natural flow! Yesterday there was a 9lbs salmon caught at the Top pool on the worm. It was covered in lice. During the week Rab Hainning lost a fish below the Stuckie bridge on the fly. There hasn't been any other reports of fish being caught or seen. Other rivers that were fishing poorly are showing signs of improvement but not the Leven. If catching fish is a priority then Carman is fishing well. A little birdie told me that Chic had a fish around the 10lbs size!

Yesterday evening at about 23.00hrs Jimmy Lunney hooked and landed a 11.25lbs salmon, covered in sea lice, at the glebe corner on the Church side. He took it on a size 10 Ally's shrimp fly. Not to be out done he returned this morning and caught another two at the same place, one at 11.5lbs and another at 12lbs. Once again it was the same fly that done the damage. He has photos of the fish. Well done to him! The water level is about five or six inches above the weekend height. Up until this good news there hadn't been anything to report. Surely this is the beginning of a good run?

Jimmy has kindly passed on the images of the fish that he caught. He asked me to point out that the first salmon was caught at 19.00hrs and not 23.00hrs. He told me that the biggest of the two salmon caught on Wednesday was dropped by him resulting in the ragged look. This morning he was back again trying for more but he only had a pull at the sluice on the corner of the Glebe. Despite him being an experienced angler this is his first season on the Leven. There were a few more anglers trying this morning, as expected, but up until 13.00hrs there weren't any reports of fish caught. Yesterday evening Carl the "Swede" caught a salmon about the 10lbs size on a small black shrimp fly. This information was posted in the forum. The water temperature is now 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Thanks for the information.

The activity earlier in the week seems to have died down. It looks like a small shoal went through. Possibly the Loch anglers will connect with them today or tomorrow. Unfortunately no reports of catches this morning. The water level is still above the weekend height. The anglers have enjoyed a natural flow for nearly two weeks and if more heavy showers appear it should continue. Eddie assured me this morning that the bank cutting will take place on Sunday. I wish him and the tractor driver good luck. They will need it to penetrate some of the growth. The four salmon caught this week were on the fly possibly because most of the banks are overgrown and bank fishing difficult. I had difficulty spinning at the Chapel hole this morning despite cutting the growth myself a couple of months ago.

The river seems to have slipped back into the doldrums. No reports of catches since the middle of last week. Ian Hogg has informed me that Gordon - Keith Adam's fishing pal - lost a fish on the Rapala in the run in to Ritchies Lade. It was in excess of 15lbs. Thanks for the information. The water level is still the same, a few inches above the weekend height. There is heavy rain forecast for Wednesday and later in the week which could scupper the proposed clean up. The banks were trimmed yesterday but I don't know how far down the river the machine progressed. There is an air of gloom and despondency hanging over the river which a good run of fish can only dispel.

Stewart Ingles has informed me that there were two salmon caught on the Loch on Saturday. Billy Marsland: one at 12lbs and Alec Workman: one at 15lbs. Thanks Stewart.

This morning just after 09.00hrs the gates were lowered and the river level started to rise. By 13.00hrs it was a couple of inches above the closing height. There is more rain forecast so it is impossible to say how long the gates will remain down. The water authority worker told me that it wouldn't be possible to raise the gates on Sunday which means that the proposed clean up won't be taking place. See the Association's website for more details. This is the third time it has been postponed. To be fair it isn't the Association's fault but anglers will be put off committing themselves to attending in the future. Still no reports of more fish being caught. For the last fortnight there has been a good steady flow which the anglers have appreciated but it has only produced four salmon. At the risk of sounding contradictory the opening of the gates might at last encourage any fish waiting to run the river to do so? Hopefully!

The water level is now at six inches above the closing height. Thanks to Jack for the information.

Just after 08.00hrs Tam Kirkbride hooked and landed a salmon on the worm at the top pool. It weighed 9lbs but didn't have any lice on it. A good fish all the same. He said that he had lost another. This was three hours after the high tide. Up until 13.00hrs there weren't any other reports of fish being seen or caught despite there being a few anglers on the river. The water level is still the same. Tomorrow should be busy but then again one never knows!

Saturday morning the river was almost deserted. I didn't receive any reports of salmon catches which meant another disappointing Saturday! This morning Paul Matulevicze caught a 9lbs salmon in the Bonhill pool on a tadpole tube. There seems to be the odd shoal of fish running the river but they are few and far between. This brings the tally of salmon to fourteen that I know about. This time last season it was forty give or take one or two. Thanks to Jack for the information and image. An e-mail from J Wallace.

Was on the river yesterday for a few hours. Fished at the Dumbarton weir, caught 1 sea trout around 1.5lbs it had long tailed lice on it. The fish was caught above the weir but the tide had not hit yet. Went below the weir and lost a bigger fish around 4 or 5lb got it close to the bank before it spat the hook.. There was a lot of trout showing an hour before the tide hit the weir but they were quick in moving up river after the tide was high enough. Was using 7grm Copper toby, also caught 7 brownies between 1/2lb and a 1lb good fun on the light gear.

Thanks for the information.

27th June

I haven't been on the river for the last two days and it has suddenly started to fish! Yesterday I had an e mail from Jim Campbell informing me that he had lost a good salmon 10/12lbs on the Rapala at the Chapel hole. He then went to the Top pool and netted a salmon for big Frank about 11.00hrs. The fish weighed 10lbs and was caught on a red floating devon. He then netted a salmon 8/9lbs for Billy Stephinson at the Double pipes which had been taken on a red /gold plastic devon. Both fish covered in sea lice. Dunky Campbell had a 9lbs salmon on the worm at the top end. A couple of e mails from Ian Hogg.

Lost a good fish tonight, at least 10lb in it, on a 12gm abu droppen, hooked it at the eastern, between the big tree and the sluice.

and the second

Alec Mclwee got one this morning at the double pipes,11lb ish on the flying c, Big Keith lost one at the apple tree this morning said it was around 8 or 9lb on the rapala, Chic lost one tonight, first cast, on a copper spoon it was at least 12lb,cheers.

Eddie the Bailiff also provided the same information. The water level is now a couple of inches above the closing height. Thanks to all for the information. When the fishing does happen to be good the information can get a little mixed up. Hopefully this is correct. If anyone has further information don't hesitate to pass it on.

30th June

This morning there were few anglers on the river and up until 12.00hrs there weren't any reports of catches. Yesterday evening big Frank caught a salmon estimated to be 14lbs on a red floating devon at the Top pool. Two interesting e mails from Ian Hogg in respect to the end of the week.

Alec Mclwee got 2 today,14lb and 11lb,14lb on the worm at the whiskey kegs, story to the second one, Chic lost a fish the other night at Ritchies lade on a copper spoon, it broke him, well Alec hooked the same fish while fishing the worm but he hooked the eye of the swivel up the trace on his worm hook and landed the fish, its unreal, he gave Chic back the spoon, this was at the double pipes and Chic lost it at Ritchies.

and the follow up

Alec is just off the phone, it was the split ring or the swivel on the spoon that he hooked and not the trace, I've picked him up wrong, even still its some catch.

It is indeed remarkable. Thanks Ian for the information. The water level is a couple of inches below the closing height. It will be interesting to see what the water authorities do on Monday morning. A regular angler told me this morning that he had caught some nice sea trout this week at the Stuckie bridge during the day. No reports of night time sea trout fishing. Most anglers will be thinking that the level is too high.