Allandale Tarn Fly Fishing Centre is offering a range of fly fishing skills and fly tying courses to suit everyone from complete beginners to existing fly fishers wishing to improve. Informative handouts are provided for all our skills classes to keep for future reference.

Have a look at the classes below and contact Margo/Iona if you would like to book. Be quick, places are limited!!!
Full details are on Allandale Tarn Fishery - Quality all year round fly and bait fishing in West Lothian

£5 deposit per person needed to secure your place. Please send a cheque (payable to `Allandale Tarn Fishereries') to Margo Allan, Allandale Tarn Fisheries, Gavieside, West Lothian or pay at the Fishery when you are next in.

Tel: 01506 873073 e-mail catrionaallan@googlemail.com

Fly Tying Classes

Fly Tying classes to suit everyone. All tools and are materials provided but all course attendees can buy complete fly tying tool kits at a seriously discounted price.

Beginners Level Fly Tying

Beginner/Intermediate level fly tying - 4 night course (run over 4 weeks)

All Tuesday evenings (7pm – 9pm): 9th Mar, 16th Mar, 23rd Mar and 30th Mar - BOOK NOW!!!!!!

Paul Buchanan teaches you to tie:

* Week 1 - Hackled Flies
* Week 2 - Weighted Nymphs
* Week 3 – Winged Flies and Lures
* Week 4 – Epoxy Buzzers and Dubbed Body Nymphs

Cost £6 per night or £20 for full 4 week session.

To book a place on any of our fly tying classes, call in at the Allandale Tarn office or contact Iona/Margo on





Intermediate/Advanced Level Fly Tying

Intermediate/Advanced level fly tying - 4 night course (run over 4 weeks)

All evenings (7pm – 9pm): Date to be arranged. NAMES BEING TAKEN NOW !!!

Iona Allan teaches you to tie:

* Week 1 – Palmered and Parachute Hackled Flies
* Week 2 – Deer Hair Spinning and Hairwing Patterns
* Week 3 – CDC Techniques
* Week 4 – Synthetic Materials

Cost £6 per night or £20 for full 4 week session.

To book a place on any of our fly tying classes, call in at the Allandale Tarn office or contact Iona/Margo on:




Fly Fishing Skills


Introduction to Fly Fishing

Aimed at the beginner who would like to learn about fly fishing and how to do it safely and effectively, this course teaches all you need to know before season 2009 really gets going. This course is suitable for younger anglers (minimum age 12 years). The course spends one evening in the classroom building approriate knowledge, one night of casting lessons and the final session on the fishery putting everything you've learned into practice.

* Week 1 (in the classroom) – Knots, Tackle, Trout Flies, Methods, Safety
* Week 2 (outside on grass) – Fly Casting Tuition
* Week 3 (outside on the Tarn) – Trout Fly Fishing Tactics and Technique

All Tuesday evenings (7pm – 9pm): 20th Apr, 27th Apr and 4th May - BOOK NOW!!!!!!

Cost £6 per night or £15 for full 3 week class.

To book a place on any of our fly fishing skills classes, call in at the Allandale Tarn office or contact Iona/Margo on:



Static Nymph/Buzzer Technique

Allandale’s most successful anglers use the devastatingly effective static nymph (also known as `buzzer') technique, almost to the exclusion of all others. Due to the excellent Allandale water quality, the trout feed avidly on the numerous chironomid midge and accordingly, the larger, well educated resident trout take the natural and artificial with confidence.

Our class suits beginners and improver level fly fishers. Bring your own tackle or if you need some, please let us know when booking.

The class subjects include:

* Appropriate Fly Patterns – Fly Types (larvae, immature and mature pupae)
* Techniques – Correct depth presentation, Striking

Date to be arranged. NAMES BEING TAKEN NOW !!!

To book a place on this class, call in at the Allandale Tarn office or contact Iona/Margo on:

Tel: 01506 873073 eMail: margo@thefishery.orangehome.co.uk

Dry Fly Technique

Once the water warms up, trout take a large percentage of their food from the surface, especially the specimen fish. With this class, you can learn to catch effectively at the surface and you won’t miss out on some of the season’s best sport.

Bring your own tackle or if you need some, please let us know when booking.

The class subjects include:

* Appropriate Fly Patterns – Fly Types (Hi & Dri, Emerger, Sub-surface)
* Techniques – Fish spotting, Rise type identification, Presentation, Striking

Date to be arranged. NAMES BEING TAKEN NOW !!!

To book a place on this class, call in at the Allandale Tarn office or contact Iona/Margo on:




Secrets from `The Scene'

Are you catching enough fish or enjoying yourself enough when out fishing. This class is aimed at the fly fisher who wishes to increase their everyday trout fly fishing catch rate, especially useful if you need to boost your results in the increasingly cut-throat world of competitive fly fishing.

Catching lots of fish, or at least catching more than you usually do is a basic requirement of a good day out fishing. We don't get out often enough, so you always want to do as well as you can on the days that you do get fly fishing.

Being successful at trout fly fishing is not down to luck, and this course presents the methods and tactics used by the top competition anglers in the UK to consistently deliver results. Paul Buchanan, ex British River Fly Fishing Champion and capped 7 times for the Scottish International River Fly Fishing Team, provides the inside information!

You may or may not want to emulate their competitive successes, but you owe it to yourself to catch more trout!!!

Costs only £6 (includes a reference handout).

Monday evening (7pm – 9pm): 22nd March - BOOK NOW!!!!!!

To book a place on this class, call in at the Allandale Tarn office or contact Iona/Margo on:



**New for 2010** Angler's Entomology**New for 2010**

The ability to know what trout are eating is a key skill to enjoying better fly fishing catches (and fun). With just a basic knowledge of aquatic insects you will know what to use at various times of the year, without having to look around the fishery to see what is flying around!!

All the main insects that form the trout's diet are discussed, along with the artificial version and how it is fished.

Not to be missed and suitable for beginners and improvers alike!!

Costs only £6 (includes a reference handout that is laminated for use at the waterside throughout the season).

Monday evening (7pm – 9pm): 29th March - BOOK NOW!!!!!!

To book a place on any class, call in at the Allandale Tarn office or contact Iona/Margo on:

Tel: 01506 873073 or e-mail: catrionaallan@googlemail.com