Overview

This site is meant as an on going newsletter dedicated to fishing on the River Leven. The sources quoted will be the anglers, who fish the river on a regular basis, and not the officials who run the Loch Lomond Angling Association of which the river system is part of. The reason being, that in the opinion of the local anglers, the truth about the catches and prospects on the river are being distorted. The facts will be portrayed as accurately as possible and where rumors are quoted they will be indicated as such. The River Leven flows between Loch Lomond and the River Clyde and in the past has been a Mecca for game fishers. Trout, sea-trout and salmon have been freely caught but fewer in the past decade. The length of the river is approximately seven miles. Loch Lomond being a vast piece of water meant that in 1971 it became a reservoir hence the reason the barrage was built at Balloch. When the Loch fills up with water the authorities open the gates and the river rises dramatically in a matter of a few hours. Four or five feet can be added to the summer level. At this point bank fishing becomes necessary. When the water starts dropping fly fishers will then start to wade the river which is seen as being more productive. Unfortunately for the anglers the water is not allowed to run off to summer levels. The reason being that when the Loch reaches a certain level the gates are shut to preserve water stocks. The height at which the gates are shut is about two feet above the river's summer level. It is at this level wading is at its best and fishing prospects are at their optimum. This is a bone of contention with the anglers. The Association officials year after year keep promising to sort out the problem with the water board but never do. In fairness to them on a Friday morning  the gates are lowered and a compensation flow of water becomes apparent, of about six to eight inches, which lasts till the Monday morning. The summer low is welcomed by the sea-trout fishers but not so much by the salmon anglers. Writing in the Trout and Salmon a few years ago the Chairman of the Association described the river as "seven miles of double bank fishing". Unfortunately for the anglers the east bank is mostly overgrown and wading is not possible for all of the seven miles. Crawford Little also wrote, in an article a few years ago, that between 250 million and 800 million gallons of water flow down the river daily dependant on the height of the gates. It has also been described in the past as the second fastest flowing river in Scotland. The river is generally split into three distinct parts in most anglers' minds. Dumbarton to the Boat hole. The Boat hole to the Managers run and the Managers run to Balloch. Some anglers fish only a certain part of the river and rarely the other parts despite its shortness. The river is tidal up past McKinnon's hole, nearly halfway, which means fish can easily swim into the Loch in less than a day. Anglers fishing the Loch are "big ticket holders" which also entitle them to fish the river. In their minds the river is a feeder for the Loch and the fewer fish that are caught on the river the better! The river ticket holder is not a full member of the Association and therefore cannot vote at the AGM hence the accusation that the officials care little about the river. All legal methods of fishing are allowed except for the float. It was banned over twenty years ago to supposedly conserve stocks and prevent confrontation with the fly fishers. Because of the fewer anglers fishing the river it is possibly time for the ban to be lifted. The river flows mostly through an industrial area at the top end till it reaches the Renton, where it gives way to fields. The fields go all the way to Dumbarton which is a built up area. This means it is not the nicest of rivers to look at. Approximately forty yards is the width of the river at the top end which is more or less uniform till it reaches the golf course above Dumbarton. A cycle track on the west bank, running close to the river from top to bottom, means that spey casting for the fly fisher is an advantage. Flies for the fly fisher are a matter of personal choice, size being probably more important. Despite going through an industrial area the clarity of the water is generally good about 90% of the time. The day when the gates are opened is obviously an exception. For the day ticket visitor (£15) advice is a must. As with any river local characters abound. The visitor would best start at the Bonhill bridge. Tickets can be purchased in O,Brien's newsagents where he or she, a rarity on the river, will meet one of the locals. Characters such as old Rab and Glen will freely give of their knowledge, even if you don't request it. Other anglers such as Jack, will be even more helpful. At the end of the eighties when fishing was more productive illegal fishing was rampant. Poaching with nets was common and sniggling, especially in the Bonhill pool, was endemic. With the decline in the number of anglers fishing the river illegal methods have also reduced. A matter of opinion some may say. Of the three main methods, fly, bait and spinning, the bait seems the most productive over the season. Spinning is mostly practiced in high water. There is of course a dedicated band of fly fishers some of whom swore in the past to fish the fly and not any other method. They have all I think relented due to the lack of fish. I am sure I will be contradicted. Fly fishing unfortunately seems to be the least productive method allowed. For some reason the fish, even in the warmest of water, seem reluctant to come to the surface for a fly. Therefore the more discerning fly fisher will usually use some form of sunk line. The intermediate for many seasons was popular but is giving way to the sink tip. Due to the clarity of the water  smaller flies than normal, what you would probably fish in similar conditions in a similar river, seem to work better. One local expert ,Sid, has regularly done better than other anglers using smaller flies. He uses flies more suited to trout fishing than salmon. In common with other rivers the Ally Shrimp is popular. Sea trout fishing has its band of followers. Some question their sanity. Knowledge of the river at night is of course important. Several years ago some of the Bailiffs in their wisdom proceeded to install rocks at certain places in the water. The places chosen seemed to coincide with the best places for sea trout fishing at night. Anglers were either falling over them or getting their flies caught on them in the low water. The river being in theory navigable, fortunately there are seldom any canoes or boats, meant that the local council demanded their removal. Some were removed but others remain. The low slow water usually means floating lines and small flies. Standard sea trout night time methods seem to prevail.

Where to fish?

The barrage at Balloch, the top most pool, was in the past the most popular spot on the river because the fish had to slow down to pass it before entering the Loch. Illegal fishing, and anglers standing shoulder to shoulder, was the norm which led to the Bailiffs putting obstacles in the water to prevent fishing. This is a place that is rarely frequented now. 150 yards further down on the east bank is the mouth of the Haldane burn partially shielded by over hanging trees. This 100 yard stretch of river is popular with bait and spinning anglers in the daytime, not so much with the fly fisher due to the trees. Next stop the Stuckie bridge. The pool above the bridge is worth ago with bait and spinner. Below the bridge the 100 yard stretch is ideal for the fly in the daytime and night. Less so for bait and spinning. At the corner the river quickens making it more suitable for the fly in the low water daytime and night. A further 200 yards on you come to the double pipes which can be seen on the bottom of the river in low water. Very popular with the fly at night, bait and spinning in the daytime. One of the best lies on the river. At the next corner are some overhanging bushes on the east bank. Above and below the corner is worth trying with any method. A 100 yards further down the river narrows to form a funnel  just above the chestnut tree which has partially fallen into the river. Worth trying with all methods daytime and night. This leads directly into the Craft stream. A 150 yard stretch of water once very popular not so much now possibly because it is a rough wade. You wouldn't want to walk by it though. The Linbrain hole dominates the slow bend. Fish will definitely lie here in all levels of water. Very popular with bait and spin. Less popular with the fly due to back eddies. Another 100 yards further on is the Chapel Hole. The stretch between it is worth trying with the bait, spinner and fly, daytime and  night. The hole is not as deep as it once was. Because of its lofty position fish can be easily spotted. Popular with all methods daytime and night. This brings us to the start of what was the Factory Wall, now demolished. The rocks mentioned earlier on are still in place on this stretch which hampers the sea trout fishing. The wall is usually busy with users of all methods daytime and  night. The end of the wall is the start of  a 200 yard stretch of water which leads down to the Bonhill bridge. It is a fast shallow piece of water very popular with fly fishers which can yield fish daytime and  night. Starting here is the most popular stretch of water on the river by far. Recently this stretch has become fly only 100 yards above and below the bridge down to the Glebe burn.  The Bonhill bridge was rebuilt in 1988. In doing so a large hole in the river bed was created. The authorities have twice tried to fill it in with truck loads of rocks which the river has just seemed to swallow up. The hole still exists, albeit some what shallower. Fish definitely lie here, hence the decline of the Chapel and Linbrain holes. The reason for the attempted filling in of the hole was the sniggling that went on. In 1989 a 23lb sea trout was taken from below the bridge despite it being a hot sunny day and the presence of kids diving into the river. At the time it was the British record. The tail end of the pool is very popular daytime and night. Below is the Glebe run. This stretch of the river is popular because of good car parking facilities. Glebe corner has yielded some good fish in the past. The area between the Bonhill pool and the Piles is rightly worth ago with all methods daytime and night. Above the Black bridge is the pool known as the Piles. Popular with anglers and geriatric swimmers. It is rarely undisturbed daytime and night. All methods are worth trying. Below the bridge the water quickly runs into a long slow pool known as the Floors. It appears to look like an excellent piece of fly water but rarely obliges. It is till worth the effort. The bait and spinner do better daytime and night. This is an area that local angler Willie Broon knows well. Going round the corner you come to Ritchies. A pool that has a back eddy in low water but it is not to be passed by. All methods daytime and night are popular. Local angler Sid has been known to have a swim in it. On the right hand side are the pigeon lofts which is the start of the Managers run .This 300 yard stretch of water becomes the Redburn further down. Again not to be passed by. All methods are worth a try. This was one of the areas that was rife with poachers years ago. Upon reaching the corner a large pool is to be seen. It is deep and dominated by back eddies. A popular place with all anglers. Again all methods are tried daytime and  night. The run off has on the south side of the river a small pool at the end of the wall called the Hot Spot. It is easy to miss. Popular at night with the sea-trout anglers, It is at the head of a 200 yard stretch of water frequented mostly by the bait and spinning angler in the daytime. When the water is low this is one of the few places an angler can wade across the river to the far bank. Many anglers do just that. At the pigeon lofts another large hole becomes evident which is dominated by back eddies. The high wall makes it good for fish spotting. It is one of the few places on the river that can be fished productively from both sides. The south side being favored by fly fishers. A long slow bend called the Bucks eventually gives way to the Street run. The run is one of the stretches that seems to have gone out of fashion in recent years which is a great pity. Possibly because it was at one time full of discarded junk but cleaned up in recent times. A stretch of water suited to all methods daytime and  night. The foot bridge at the end of the run dominates the skyline. A place in the past where illegal fishing took place. Bits of corrugated iron would be positioned on the river bed beneath the bridge and when fish swam over them they would be sniggled from the top of the bridge. Some anglers are of the opinion that the high water can reach here on occasions. The fish would move back and forward with the ebb and flow. Three hundred yards further on is the start of the Lade This is a place where the discerning sea-trout fisher might have to queue up to get in at night time. It is possibly the busiest place on the river in the evening, more suited to fly than bait or spinning. The end of the Lade  brings you to McKinnon's hole. This is the place many consider to be the true high water mark. A very popular spot daytime and night with all the legal and illegal methods. The Garden stream follows on from McKinnon's for about 150 yards till it reaches the Wash house pool. It is popular with sea-trout fishers and those who like to bait fish from convenient tree branches. The once popular Wash house pool is a combination of slack water and rubbish which means it is largely ignored. After the bend is the Back Stream, at one time busy, but now possibly  too shallow to hold fish. This area is known as Dalquhurn point. At the bottom end is the Boat pool. The pool was once regarded as the first stopping off place for fish but not now. It now seems to be shunned by anglers because it has become overgrown with bushes. After the Boat pool is the Howgate. A stretch of water about 300 yards long which is, like much of the river banks, now overgrown. Suitable for bait and spinning from the west bank and fly fishing from the east bank, mainly at night. The next stopping place is the Blue bridge so named because it is coloured blue! The river above and below the bridge has been very popular in the past. The Kilmalid burn once entered the river here but was diverted down stream when the bridge was built. This part of the river, popular with night time sea-trout fishers, is like much of the bottom end silted up and slow moving. Despite this, and the fact it is tidal, it attracts those who practice all fishing methods. Especially those from the Dumbarton area and beyond. Dumbarton Golf Club backs on to this stretch of the river and was at one time part of the river thus it is known as the Golf run. At the bottom end of the run is an island visible at low tide. Here mullet are probably more plentiful than the game fish. From here to Dumbarton railway bridge the low water is probably too slow for the serious angler though it still attracts some. This is a great shame because many a would be angler learned his skills here in the past. Just above the railway bridge at the Slaughter House pool many early season white fish are illegally taken by unscrupulous anglers. This is the stock the river depends on for the future. Angling below Dumbarton road bridge has its devotees especially in the shadow of the castle. Is it because they are possibly misguided in their belief that they don't need a ticket? This piece of information has been up dated in early 2007.