Stocking

Ten thousand brown trout were stocked in the 2015 fishing season averaging between 16ozs and 32ozs almost 6 tonnes in total weight.

Stockings took place on 4th March, 11th March, 15th April, 24th June and the 17th July. The average weight stocked in 2015 was 1lb 5ozs.

Catch Returns Show Catch Return Data  

As Season Ticket holders you averaged just over 15 days fishing this season which means you have saved an average of £23.

Please try to spend a few minutes after each trip and log in what you have taken and also returned.

The format of the return form now allows you to enter the number and weight of each species of fish killed and also to enter the number, species and approximate weight of fish returned, as well as what they were taken on. This will give us more meaningful data as quite a number of anglers return all their fish, whilst others keep one or two and return the remainder and some will take their limit and return none.

The information you supply is important, so please as many returns back before 31st October 2016 and you will be entered into our prize draw.

Catch returns this year were up slightly at 6.4% compared to 3.6% in 2014. Please remember when sending in your returns to include your name and address on the form, just in case you are a winner!!

This year’s information represented 138 days fishing effort where a total of 717 fish were landed giving an average catch per visit of 5.2

By species, 695 brown trout, 21 rainbow trout and 1 charr made up the total numbers taken.

Breaking these numbers down further:

• 236 brownies were killed for a total weight of 378 lbs 12ozs (ave wt 1lbs 9½ozs)
• 459 were returned for a total weight of 550lbs 12ozs (ave wt 1lb 3ozs)
• 20 rainbow trout were killed for a total weight of 82lbs (ave wt 4lbs 1½ozs)
• 1 rainbow trout was returned for a total weight of 12lbs (ave wt 12lb)
• 1 charr was returned for a total weight of 0.5lb ( ave wt. 8ozs )
• No eels were registered this season.

Total weight caught was 1024lbs, giving an average of 1lb 7oz. Total fish killed 256 (36% of total) and fish returned 461 (64% of total) which is in line with last years figures.

Another interesting statistic for this past season is the percentage catch per species with brown trout 97%, rainbow trout 2.9% and charr 0.1%.

A significant decrease in the number of rainbow trout in the water in 2015 would indicate that there had been a further improvement in the containment at the fish farm this year although the fish which had escaped were of a significantly higher average weight.

For the avoidance of any doubt Loch Earn Fishings only stocks Loch Earn with triploid Brown Trout.

Season 2015 has seen a good number of heavy brown trout killed with at least twenty averaging in excess of 14lbs with some as heavy as 24lbs. We would like to appeal to those fishers who have caught some of these trophy fish to show a little restraint and if at all possible on a voluntary basis to return all fish in excess of 7lbs in weight as removing large trout in these sorts of numbers is not sustainable in the longer term.

Loch Earn Fishings has been stocking Loch Earn with brown trout since 1991 the year after the Protection Order was introduced and we should really have had a British Record Brown Trout by now but if we continue to keep taking these fish it will never happen. Please remember year on year the number of people fishing continues to decline and the greatest decline is in the number of youngsters taking up the sport. We have a finite resource - please look after it.

In Season 2016 we are reducing the catch limit to FOUR fish.

Angling Clubs

312 Browns caught by 54 rods = average of 5.8 fish per rod. 114 Fish killed for 134lbs 2ozs = average weight 1lb 3ozs.

A number of clubs had to have their outings cancelled this year due to unseasonably windy conditions in June & July.

Other News

As many of you will know we have had issues with our slipway from time to time and especially in very low water conditions. In order to remedy the situation a substantial investment is taking place over the close season when our existing slipway is to be removed and a new one put in its place.

A team of engineers will oversee this operation and a heavy duty crane will be brought in to lift the precast sections (each weighing 15 tonnes) into position. The new slipway will be longer (24m), wider (5m) and at a much steeper angle than the present one.

The new slip will also be fitted with guides to let the drivers know where the edge and the end of the slipway are.

During late spring /early summer we will also be extending our caravan pitches from the present five to ten.

Glenbeich Estate

Glenbeich Estate has recently been sold and the new owners do not wish their loch frontage included in the area covered by the Loch Earn Fishings Permit. As a result the shoreline from the mouth of the Beich Burn (known as McGregor’s Point) westwards along the A85 to Lechine Cottage (approx. ¾ mile) will no longer be included.