I was a member of this club for 5 years and enjoyed fishing both reservoirs (Rowbank & Barcraigs ) and catching class Rainbows , Browns and blues , but sadly over the past 2 years the poaching has got 100 times worse than it ever was and the clubs answer is ....... do not approach them , phone the Police (who never turn up ) and the clubs poaching committee is a joke (never hear from them or see them )The general consensus amongst many of the members i have spoken to is to leave the club , a sad day for one of the oldest angling clubs in Scotland and two fine reservoirs .......

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we had the same problem on the gryffe too poaching has decimated a once prolific flyfishing water,the police are a waste off time as by the time they get there the pochers have fled..or you stop putting large fish such as rainbows into the loch and stock it with 10 inch brown trout through the season .this would reduce the poaching ,i have found nets hidden on the banks of the cart on a few occasions and subsiquentlly set them alight i would recomend that the rowbank get tough on poachers as they are spoiling some great fishing spots through thier greed. i was thinking about joining the rowbank .

Don't give up. There was a similar problem on Kilbirnie Loch and 2 members have took it upon them selves to try and fix it. It has now improved. There was actually a situation last week where 2 guys paid the bailiff there day ticket money and a guy along a bit refused to pay and starting being abusive towards the bailiff. The 2 guys then stuck up with for the bailiff saying if we are paying so are you and it ended up he had to leave the water cause he wasn't willing to pay. If yous start asking for permits make sure you have your awn on you and a ticket book to charge them a day ticket. Also try contacting the police for a meeting Kilbirnie Angling Club have done this and the police have told them how to react to d1ck heads and what to do.

Was asked to leave Roebank by the then sec Wilson for upsetting members after having been a member for many years. Three guys spinning on Barcraigs at the dam which i moved on. Two committee members fishing not far from them never said a thing and when i "chinned" them about the poachers there answer was three there of them to two of us.
Poaching has always been a problem there.
Been reading the post about the new Howood fishery. When the Cambells bought it it was drained and two of us netted it for them. About three thousand perch and twenty odd browns.
Used to fish it many moons ago when it was an almost unknown water. Grouse/ skylark/ peewhit/whapp calling all day long and good hatches of fly during the day.
Bob

There seems to be two different types of poaching at the lochs. 1)The pike anglers- they seem like decent guys that dont leave the place in a mess and will leave if asked to do so and 2) the bait brigade - leave empty bottles and cans all over the place and will confront you if they are asked to leave.
There are, I believe measures being put in place prior to the start of the season which will hopefully deter the poachers without anyone having to confront them (they can be politely ask to leave by any member, not just the poaching committee). The main focus of the committee over the last couple of years have been improving the facilities ie new car park, club hut and boats which are now complete and are looking good.
Some of the poachers in the past have attacked, threatened and damaged vehicles of members that have asked them to leave, there was an occasion where suspected poachers came back to the water and drilled a hole in one of the boats hence do not confront them.
If anyone has any constructive advice then feel free to pm me and i will take it to the spring meeting.

ps. Poaching or not, for less than £100 a year for both browns and rainbows on two different waters is great value for money to me.

Rowbank and many other local waters seem to be getting poached more frequently the last couple of years sadly the local bizzies are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike , only exception to this is the private loch on the right as you drive into Kilmacolm (wonder why ?) walk round that or park a car near it and produce a rod n your feet wont touch the ground . Heard also that after a bit of a stand off between a poacher and a bailiff on the Gryffe the local plod are considering charging the bailiff , WTF is that all about ????.

Been a member for the last 4 seasons , but won't be throwing my money away this year that's for sure . Poached galore and nobody gives a flying fook During the summer there are dozens not one or two poachers dotted round the water ... FACT !!!!

It was once the best club in the area but those days are long gone. One member told me he caught 140 perch one day.There never used to be any perch in the water at all. The decline started when the membership was opened up which brought in revenue but little else. I have heard of lots of resignations.... so sad as it really could be something.

ok sounds as though the only answer could be brute force snap thier rods and confiscate thier gear.

And then go straight to jail?