Castle Semple is not that daunting. A lot has changed since we boys fished it but I believe the Pike are still there & if anything like they were in the late 60s stuffed with them all be it generally small. Problem is now as I see it, has been taken over by "boaters & windsurfers. Just so others knows we fished it with dead /live baits,floating plugs & on occasion with terrors on a fly rod. This was a long time ago & before fly fishing came into vogue as it is today. We were always the inovators my wee small band of three. There was little boat traffic other than the local sailing boat & no RSPB reserve adjacent to the small loch which incidently too is stuffed with Pike. All the little streams & carriers hold fish but not easy to access but the Pike feed on the Roach & Perch shoals found there.
The best bits are "out of bounds" (reserve) but if you walk down bye what is now the boating station you will find Pike all be it Jacks all along the shore. The oposite bank is tree lined along most of it's length & unsuitable for fly fishing. Bigger fish inhabit well out & a good spot is off the sometime "landlocked" Island about 1/2 mile down from stationwhere there is a bit of deeper water but generally it is quite a shallow loch. Perch,roach abound along with big eels & the odd good Trout. I do believe it might hold Salmon unless there is a barrier on the Cart that would stop them getting that far up stream.The small section at bottom end where the Cart flows out has good banks for fly fishing. The big pool on the river as it flows out gave me a big Pike many years ago.
In all my years of fishing as a boy we never caught a 20lb but had them up to that size but mainly small Jacks from about 2lb-6lb. I am sure there are a few bigger there but all down to available feeding which would be not prolific as you would find on a stocked fishery filled with Rainbows. Unless it has changed I would say it would be an ideal place to fly fish.
Oh the Barr loch on the other side has plenty of fish but is very shallow with a lot of sunken bushes & trees to trap the unwary cast but I have seen people fishing it recently so I guess it still holds some fish.
Have not fished Kilbirnie loch for many years & then just for Trout but I believe that holds Pike too & is an altogether diferent water with a bit of depth in comparison to Castle Semple
Tight Lines
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Last edited by Highlander; 18-10-2009 at 12:37 PM.
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