Description
Fly Fishing or Spinning for pike in Scotland near Edinburgh
The loch is over 100 acres, and offers some of the best pike fishing in Scotland. Also, you can fish from a boat or the bank. Moreover, spin casting, fly fishing and dead baiting are permitted.
Conviniently, Alba will provide all the fishing tackle needed. If you are having a fishing holiday in Scotland, this Scottish pike fishing trip should not be missed.
Where is this pike Loch?
Firstly, this is located a short distance south of Edinburgh ( 1 hr 45 minutes from Glasgow). It’s a beautiful loch set in a wilderness and accessed only by a small private (locked) road. It’s a quiet, secluded and scenic loch. Fishing is all catch and release. These pike average 8-9 pound with 15-20lb not uncommon.
How does your pike fishing day go?
To begin with, we will collect you from Edinburgh and you will enjoy a short drive through the countryside to the south of Edinburgh. Additionally, there is a superbly appointed fishing lodge, to enjoy tea and coffee or a welcome dram. Fishing is either from boat or bank, depending on the time of year and conditions. Both produce sport and you only need to look through our TripAdvisor reviews to get a sense of how good this place really is. Finally, if you are looking for stunning scenery, high catch rates and a great day out from Edinburgh or Glasgow, choose this fishing package.
Included in this pike fishing day
- 18ft boat with electric outboard and dedicated professional guide
- Transport to /from the venue
- Premium predator fishing tackle provided, including lures that work and hand tied pike flies
- Photographs of the day by guide – link emailed to Dropbox
- Waterproof rain gear, spare sunglasses
- Alba Game Fishing “Fishing in Scotland” Baseball cap
Optional extras
- Gourmet cooked lunch served loch-side, with wine and refreshments – £40 for one £60 for two, includes wine, beer and a malt whisky dram at the end of the day
- Professional photography of the day, using full frame format DSLR cameras and prime lenses, Link to Dropbox and photoebook £350
Techniques for Catching Pike in Scotland
This is a guide to the fishing techniques for catching pike in the 4 seasons in Scotland, and specifically at this loch where we fish, near Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Spring – Firstly, Pike are still lethargic in early spring and slow to come on to flies or lures, so bait fishing is the most successful technique. We use Shimano and Daiwa bait runner reels and fish with fresh mackerel we caught on our sea fishing trips. We don’ t advocate using wire traces, and prefer to use 110lb mono traces to a semi-circle?hook(de-barbed) The mono is less like to cause damage to the fish if it goes into a “death roll” and the semi-circle hooks usually guarantee the fish is hooked in the mouth and therefore easy to release.
Summer – Pike are now chasing lures and flies. For lure fishing, we like to stay mobile and go out in the boat and target the shallows, close to the bank or under overhanging trees. This is where accurate casting helps. We use 6-7ft light spinning rods, usually made by Sakura or HTO and a 2500 or 4000 reel suffices loaded with good quality braid. Finally, Delalande long shank jig heads are my choice as they enable you to fish a longer soft shad.
Autumn and Winter – Firstly, as the temperature drops, Pike are less likely to chase a lure. Fly fishing with a slowly retrieved fly can be effective though. Finally dead baiting is a good Autumn and winter method. Mackerel, Roach and other live baits all work well.
