Scotland is internationally famous for the quality of its commercially stocked trout fishing.
The stocked fish are predominately rainbow trout, but there are many wild brown trout waters that
supplement their numbers with stocked brown trout. This type of trout fishing is truly world class and not
to be missed by any visiting angler.
History
Rainbow trout are not native to Scotland and in fact they do not even breed naturally in our waters. Their
original home is the Pacific coast of North America and they were first introduced to Scotland in 1888.
However it has only really been since the late 1960s that they have become widespread and they are now the
main quarry species for the Scottish stillwater trout angler.
How to catch
Most of the main commercially stocked fisheries in Scotland are fly fishing only, but there are a good
number that allow bait fishing as well. If you trout fish at home, then your own tackle will probably be
perfectly adequate. There are obviously special flies etc which are popular on a specific water, but they
are not essential. Many commercially stocked fisheries have a tackle shop on site, which will be able to
supply local patterns and local advice is freely given. Actual tactics depend on the time of year and
weather conditions and can vary from dry fly and nymph fishing to deep sunk lures. A floating and
intermediate fly line will cover the majority of situations.
When to catch
There is no official close season for rainbow trout in Scotland. Generally speaking the physically larger
waters shut down over the winter period but nearly everywhere can be guaranteed to be open from April to
the end of September. Many of the smaller fisheries are literally open all year round. In fact late autumn
and winter can often provide some of the best fishing at these waters.