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UK +44 7734 810 706  

USA TOLL FREE 800-972-0408

  • Home
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trout fishing

Trout fishing in rivers and lochs in Scotland

Ray Bergman trout flies, do they work in Scotland?

May 7, 2020 //  by Stewart Collingswood

American Flies in Scotland? Surely that won’t work?

I first heard of Ray Bergman during lockdown. I called one of our best fishing guides John, just to catch up really. After my third week of lockdown and schooling and playing with my 4 year old boy, it was great to get a conversation about fly fishing instead of the daily Paw Patrol, Lego and Paddington Bear chat!

I like talking about fishing with John, he is a superb trout angler, SGAIC guide and Orvis Fishing Specialist as well as my most trusted guide. John is also a brilliant fly tyer and I always value his sage like advice. He told me some amazing stories of Bergman flies catching trout all over Scotland, and baffling anglers who were drawing blanks with modern patterns.

The last time John and I were fishing together was early March, before this Covid situation kicked off. As usual, he was catching fish when others struggled, including me. We were on a busman holiday, a fishing day for some of our best guides. “John” I shouted over, what the heck are you using, he smiled and beckoned me over. I strolled round the loch side to see him.

A fishing guide or a wise old Marshall in a Western?

Dressed head to toe in the best Orvis apparel but for the rather dapper and Scottish weathered leather cowboy hat  he stood smiling at me with a glint in his eye. Johns brand identity is not unlike a Marshall in an old Western, calm and authoritative and good humoured. The trade mark John Hood grey pony tail under the cowboy hat. All that’s missing is the cheroot, and the faint distant echo of an Ennio Moriconi soundtrack. 

Wild Brown Trout, trout fishing, Scotland, best fishing spots, best trout fishery, fishing guide, trout fishing near Glasgow, Orvis UK, Alba Game Fishing, fishing holidays Scotland, Fishing Vacations, best trout flies, Wild Trout techniques, Trout fishing holidays in Scotland
John steers a young angler to catch his first trout

He held up a Ray Bergman fly and I laughed in disbelief. This is a Luzerne he proudly announced! I squinted at it and said, “you’re kidding right?” “No I’m not, lets give it a try”..John cast it out and on the 3rd cast, a lively trout hammered into the fly and hooked itself. It took the fly with such gusto. A rainbow of about 3 lbs was returned safely. I didn’t think much of it till we spoke again a few weeks later and John started telling me how he had spent a lot of last season fishing these historic and classic American fly patterns on various venues throughout Scotland, and baffling everyone with his catch rates. I admitted defeat..”Can you tie me some up?”

Ray Bergman, Trout, First Edition,  Fly patterns, classic flies
First Edition Trout – Ray Bergman

So who is Ray Bergman?

Let me give you a brief history..

Ray Bergman wrote just four books:

– Just Fishing (1932)

– Trout (1938)

– Fresh Water Bass (1942)

– With Fly, Plug, and Bait (1947)

Trout is the only fishing book ever written to remain in print for more than 50 years. The first edition of this angling classic was reprinted 13 times. Second edition (1952) revised, enlarged, with two new chapters on spinning. Third edition of Trout was done in 1978. In the year 2000 the Derrydale Press published a fourth edition with a new forward by Gary LaFontaine. “Trout” in all its volumes and editions has sold more than 225,000 copies; a feat that will probably never be surpassed by a fishing book. The first edition of Trout was entirely a fly fishing book.

When Trout was published, illustrations and recipes for more than 600 fly patterns; 440 of which are classic wet flies. All the colour plate paintings in Bergman’s books were painted by Dr. Edgar Burke a noted author and artist.

Editor of Outdoor life

Ray Bergman was also the angling editor of Outdoor Life magazine from 1934 until 1959 when he retired. Born 1881, died 1967. His name and gravesite was just this past year, placed on a “Cemetery Tour” of notable people in the history of the area of Nyack, NY, the place where Bergman was born, lived, and died.

He operated a mail-order fly tackle business called “Ray Bergman’s Angling Specialties” from 1934 until he retired. He had his own line of fly tying hooks made by the Martinez Company in Redditch, England, sold as Nyack Brand, Ray Bergman Fly Tying Hooks. There were Red Label, Blue Label, Yellow Label, and others.

John Hood on discovering Ray Bergman and the success with the flies..

Back in 2013 I bought a book entitled ‘The founding flies’ by Mike Valla. The book covered the most influential fly tiers from the late 19th and early to mid 20th century. There are 43 tiers covered including many you might recognise; Thaddeus Norris, Edward Ringwood Hewitt, Mary Orvis Marbury, Carrie Stevens, Art Flick, Art Whinnie, Lee Wulff, Dave Whitlock, Helen Shaw and Walt & Whinnie Dette. Among this list was a name I didn?t know but I was interested in finding out a bit more about. Ray Bergman, was an avid fly fisherman, fly tier, shop owner, fishing editor of the Outdoor Life magazine and published author. He had 4 books published, the best known and most popular being Trout which was a best seller for nearly 50 years. The book covered many aspects of fishing for trout but of more interest to me was the number of colour plates of wet flies and the material lists for nearly 600 of these flies. I managed to get myself a copy of Trout, mainly for my collection but also for the patterns within. 

Let’s give those American flies a try in Scotland

Having looked at the colour plates and lists I had the idea that many of these patterns would be worth a try here in Scotland for both brown and rainbow trout. So, for the last 5-6 years myself and some friends have been tying and fishing some of these flies with great success. These are old patterns yes but they are still very successful and worthy of a cast. They also use mainly natural materials and tying methods, something i feel, as fly tiers, we are losing touch with, now there is so much man-made material available and the strong influence of the competition scene using blobs, boobies and buzzers, not that I am against them! Everyone to their own. Please, take a look at the book and see if you can be inspired to give some of these patterns a go yourself, I?m sure you will be surprised at the results.

Fly box, trout flies, Ray Bergman

I have been tying flies for nearly 40 years now and have one or two patterns of my own creations that have been successful, for myself and others, everywhere they are used. So, I wouldn’t be arrogant in saying I know a good pattern when I see it. The Ray Bergman patterns I have picked out and used so far have been in that category.   

Lake Green – A lethal trout fly

My first use of these flies was shortly after I received the book from the States. My good friend Fraser Renwick had invited me to fish Carron Reservoir the following Friday, and the word was that yellow hoppers fished static were doing well. I had also just received some very nice teal feathers from another friend who shoots on the Solway during the winter. The Lake Green was the perfect combination of all these contributing factors, so I set about tying one or two, as well as some phosphor yellow hoppers, just in case! Carron was difficult that day with it being bright and very little wind. We were up at the far dam using various hoppers but not getting much action.

Rising trout

I noticed a fish rise a few yards off and quickly stripped my floating line in to have a cast.  Just before lifting off to cast I noticed there was a swirl at the back of the flies so I put them straight back over it and left it. Nothing, I started to lift it off again and the yellow hopper was hit hard, by a lovely brown of around 12oz. I released the fish safely and cast out a long line and started retrieving quickly, again i had a take on the hopper, a fish of similar size and feisty attitude. A quick change saw the hopper on the middle dropper now and the Lake green on the tail/point. Suffice it to say we had a good afternoon, catching rainbows and browns on the new additions. I tie this fly with fluorescent yellow wool over black thread and use a chartreuse wire to rib it which gives it the green colour needed. I used it to great success on Carron Reservoir and Lake of Menteith for the rest of the year.

Trout Flies, American, Scotland, Ray Bergman
The Gordon – erm, this one works too

The Gordon, was the next fly to get a try, being of similar body colour, it was an obvious choice, again it worked well, especially in bright conditions. Again, I was out with Fraser on Menteith, he had a club competition coming up and as always, wanted to do well. We eventually found rising fish in the gap between the peninsula and the island, but they were being picky. After trying a few casts with various dries, I decided to try a wet fly approach and switched to the Gordon on the point. Within 14-15 casts I had had 10 fish and missed one or two others. Fraser did well in his competition, not all down to this pattern but another Bergman fly was added to the box. 

rainbow trout, catch and release, trout fishing, fly fishing, lake of Menteith
A nice trout in Kates Brae Lake of Menteith

The Luzerne

I run a fly-tying class during the winter months and have a regular group attending each Tuesday evening. Just Prior to the start of the sessions I was asked to do another fly-tying demo for the Luggiebank fly dressers club, they were looking for something different, so I decided to do a range of Bergman flies and try to raise awareness of the 10 patterns I had chosen. The evening was a great success with many questions being asked about the choice and range of patterns, mostly using duck feathers. I also decided that I would use these patterns for the upcoming fly-tying class but would include some others to increase the range to 20. At the end of the classes, usually around March we have an outing so that we can try out some of the patterns tied over the winter.

Luzerne, trout fly, Ray Bergman
The Luzerne
Trout fishing near Gleneagles with Bergman flies

Our choice of venue for this outing was Orchil Loch, up near Gleneagles. The day started very cold with a cold wind making it even colder so my choice to start was a weighted nymph on a long leader fished very slowly. Nothing on this in the first half hour so changed to buzzers of various colours, again nothing. Back to the nymph and success, one fish in the net. While I was netting my fish I noticed young James casting along the bank to what looked like a rising fish but no take. Whilst he was stripping the cast back, he had a thumping take from good sized fish. It was a peach of a fish, fully finned, over wintered and in perfect condition, the fly right in the scissors. I shouted over “well done young man” and turned back to my own fishing. Again, I noticed him cast to a moving fish a few minutes later and again, no interest until he started stripping the cast back. This was a bigger fish, so I went over to help. Another lovely over wintered fish around the 4lb mark, stuck in the scissors I noticed one of the Bergman flies we had tied in the class, the Luzerne. We stopped for some hot tea and a bite to eat but on return I changed to a similar setup to James. The afternoon session I hoped would be a bit better as out of 5 of us, James and I were the only ones to catch so far.  I wasn’t disappointed, casting out short lines close to the shore was the best method, resulting in 7 more fish to my rod and another 5 more for James. 

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SGAIC casting instructor John, guiding on the River Orchy

Carron Valley Success

The Luzerne caught me many fish throughout the year but one memorable day on Carron Reservoir is worthy of a mention. Carron is a beautiful 970 acre reservoir in hills half way between Stirling and Glasgow. I had been invited out to fish with Ronnie Orr from Milngavie AC, as he had heard I was having some great success and wanted some pointers before an up and coming national heat. After arriving early, i set up my rod with the usual floating line and long leader, 2 droppers and a tail fly. I had tied a few Luzerne up using some wine floss and some with a light claret wool, wanting to see how well each did and if the slight variation in colour made a difference. Ronnie set up with a Di5 line and some mini lures that have been successful for him in the past. We had been told that the usual hot spots in the bays had been hammered recently and there was not a lot to be had so we decided to try along the road shore, from top to bottom. It turned out to be a very good day for me, despite it being bright and breezy. We had 41 fish to the boat, rainbows and measurable browns, 36 to my rod and 5 to Ronnie. All my fish came to the Luzerne, wherever it was on the cast. The Claret wool body being slightly better than the wine floss.

Summary

To date I and a few chosen others, have had great success experimenting with and adapting this range of flies for our waters. I would like to see many others using them and having the fun and success we have had. So, if you’re interested and want some further information, give us a call or drop us a message, here to help. The range, tied during the 2019/2020 winter classes now include; Lake Green, The Gordon, Luzerne, Gold Stork, Mallard, Brown Mallard, The Cahill, The Grizzly king, Yellow Drake, Carter Harrison, Chateaugay, Heckham Green, King of the Water, Red Ash, Catskill, Big Meadow, Down Looker, The Deacon, Black Dose and the Winters.    

Written by John Hood and Stewart Collingswood – Alba Game Fishing            

Category: NewsTag: american writers, classic books, Ray Bergman, trout fishing, Trout Flies

Fly Fishing for Beginners – Free Day for Youngsters

January 9, 2020 //  by Stewart Collingswood

Free day for beginners to learn to Fly Fish

Alba Fishing, an Orvis Endorsed Guide service are staging a free day for beginners to learn to Fly Fish. This is aimed at youngsters on Sunday 15th March 2020 at  

Whinney Loch, Coldingham, Borders 10am start – 4pm 

There are 10 places up for grabs and Alba’s team of professional fishing guides will be youngsters get familiar with the sport of fly fishing and hopefully catch their first fish. The first 12 subscribers will secure a place on this day. Age group 7 years -14 years

The venue is one of the best to learn Fly Fishing For beginners – a few pics attached below. It has a wooden fishing bothy facing the water, and lunch will be supplied. Parents are welcome to come along on the day too. We’ll provide lunch for everyone. There is ample parking and parents are welcome to come along, there will be free refreshments and hot soup for lunch  and bread from our local bakery Bostock in North Berwick.

Father and Son, Fishing, Trip, Scotland, Trout, Fly Fishing, near Glasgow, Near Edinburgh, Private fishing loch, Luxury fishing, Fishing Guide
Dad and two sons enjoy catching their first trout

The children will learn the following skills

1. An introduction and overview of fly fishing

2. Which lines and flies to use

3. How to make up a rod and attach the reel and line – knots, types of fly

4. Learn to cast – Roll Cast – Overhead casts

5. How to play, and land a fish and release without damaging the fish or any handling

Each participant will receive a certificate. There will be a few prizes for the best anglers.

rainbow trout, trout fishing scotland, fishing near Edinburgh, catch and release
Rainbow Trout
Trout fishing, fly fishing, beginners, learn to fly fish, Edinburgh, Scotland, Rainbow Trout,
Stunning fishing venue near Edinburgh

Our team of guides can be found here https://albagamefishing.com/team/  the event will be run by guides with current Disclosure Certification and there will be 6 first aiders on site.

All the fly fishing equipment, and safety glasses will be provided. 

To register for this event, please visit email fishing@albagamefishing.com

Short summary of Alba Game Fishing

Alba Game Fishing are one of Scotland’s largest and longest established providers of fishing experiences throughout Scotland. We have a team located throughout Scotland, who specialise in a variety of species. We organise luxury fishing breaks and vacations which mix fishing and touring, mainly for an overseas market. Established in 2004, Alba are Orvis Endorsed and enhance the trips with add-ons like pro-photography, cooked river side lunches, transport, accommodation and vacation planning.

Founder Stewart Collingswood “We are in our 16th year and every year we support various charities. This year I wanted to encourage some complete beginners to the sport. To show youngsters some of the magic of fly fishing that enraptured me and my team when we were boys”

To register for this event, please visit email fishing@albagamefishing.com

Category: NewsTag: children fishing, fly fishing, learn to fly fish, trout fishing

The best fishing near Gleneagles

November 6, 2019 //  by Stewart Collingswood

The Best Fishing near Gleneagles

Firstly Gleneagles is a stunning resort in Scotland, but perhaps you want to look beyond the trout fishing ponds they offer? Here is a comprehensive guide to all the fishing that is close to Gleneagles. In summary the best river fishing and loch fishing for trout and salmon that is available.

There are rivers and lochs for beginners or experts and we offer fly fishing for beginners days.

Finally our guides will collect you at Gleneagles and provide everything you need. Quality rods, reels, lines and fishing tackle as well as transport and a professional guide.

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The Lower River Tay – 20 minutes from Gleneagles

River Tay – Salmon Fishing (30 mins drive from lobby)

The River Tay is one of the most iconic salmon rivers in the world, and home to the current UK record salmon.

Also The Tay offers a variety of salmon, trout and grayling fishing breaks throughout its length.

The middle and lower beats of the River Tay are best for access from Gleneagles. Normally we choose a beat based on conditions and the time of year.

Scone palace fishings is easily accessed from Gleneagles, it takes about 30 minutes to drive to this beat. This is a premium salmon fishing experience, set on a stunning private stretch of the river. Scone Palace was the crowning place for Scottish Kings and home to the Stone of Destiny.

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Boat fishing available too on the River Tay


Salmon anglers can enjoy a day of fishing on the River Tay, Alba guides and casting instructors can help you enjoy your day. Moreover, you will be able to try a range of Spey rod and line combinations to suit your style. The Tay also allows Spin Casting, and hauling from a boat can be a highly effective method too.

Non-anglers are welcome too. There are stunning scenic riverside walks and a well appointed wooden cabin, overlooking the river to enjoy, lunch, refreshments and shelter from the rain. On colder days the wood burning stove gets lit.

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A first Salmon in Scotland for our guest

If you prefer to spin cast, then you can also enjoy fishing this beat, again we provide premium Daiwa Whisker Salmon rods and Penn reels, with a variety of the most successful River Tay fishing lures.

Kinross Trout Fishery  Near Gleneagles (30 mins)

Kinross Trout fishery is ideal for beginners or experts. We have used this trout fishery for many Corporate Fishing events and Team Building days. You can catch Golden Trout, Blue Trout, Wild Loch Leven brown trout and rainbow trout here.

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First ever trout for our guest from Belgium


Kinross also allows guests to try fishing from a float tube, (belly boat). Owner Gary will advise and assist guests if they are trying this for the first time. Indeed first timers can get free hire of the tube, and all they do is bring waders. Children are welcome at Kinross, and as well as supporting Children’s charities. Kinross will not charge for under 16’s. This is fantastic to encourage children to the sport.

Gleneagles, rainbow trout, trout fishing scotland, fishing near Edinburgh, catch and release
Rainbow Trout fishing in Scotland, catch and release

Kinross offer sustainable fishing. Spin casting is available in a separate loch, with single barbless hooks. Alba can provide premium tackle such as the Orvis Helios range of fly rods. Finally we supply hand tied, highly- effective flies, that really work at this venue.

Lake of Menteith Trout Fishing (30 mins)

The Lake is one of Scotland few lakes! (we call them lochs). This is a world class trout fishery. This is a shallow lake, 700 cares in size and home to National Fly fishing Championships in Scotland. Also Menteith hosts many other competitions. There are 34 superb boats on the Lake, all equipped with. outboards, oars, landing net and drogue. The Lake is stocked weekly and evenly distributed by boat and the trout are reared by Menteith staff.

Gleneagles, trout fly, paltered wet, top dropper, trout flies, trout fishing Edinburgh
best flies for trout, the Swamp Donkey

Ideally you should employ a guide for Menteith. Most of our Lake of Menteith guides are also Scottish Internationalist fly fisherman, like John and Graeme. They know the loch intimately, and have the knowledge to maximise your day and help you enjoy great sport. Fishing is from boat only and each boat can accommodate two anglers with a guide in the middle.

Gleneagles, rainbow trout, catch and release, trout fishing, fly fishing, lake of Menteith
Playing a nice rainbow trout Lake of Menteith

Orchil Trout Fishery near Gleneagles (20 mins)

This small fishery offers trout fishing in a lovely setting for rainbow, brown and blue trout. The fish can be a bit tricky to catch at times, but we never seem to struggle. It’s about having the right flies and techniques. The fish are free rising and plentiful.
Orchil trout loch is a great venue for those with mobility issues. Indeed, you can drive right to the water side and there are no steps or hidden surprises.

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George – Alba Fishing Guide and business consultant.

River Earn – Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing (20 minutes)

If you are looking for a smaller, more manageable river than the River Tay to fish for salmon, The River Earn is a stunning river running from Loch Earn eastwards to the Tay estuary. The river Earn starts upstream of Comrie. By the time it levels out near Auchterarder it runs slower and deeper until it joins the Tay. This river also offers brown trout, grayling and sea trout fishing.

Gleneagles, River Earn,Tay River, Salmon Fishing, Fly Fishing,
A lovely October salmon is released on the River Earn at Lochlane and Laggan

Firstly the Earn is one of best Autumn rivers for salmon. Secondly the Earn stays open two weeks after the River Tay season closes. Our River Earn guides, know the secrets of this river, the techniques and best spots. Non anglers can enjoy a day touring nearby at such attractions as Drummond Gardens. The Earn is also close to the famous GlenTurret distillery.

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Stunning Drummond Gardens near the River Earn

Category: NewsTag: fishing guide, Gleneagles, kinross, Lake of Menteith, River Earn, River Tay, salmon fishing, scotland, trout fishing

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