For the summer holidays we are heading up to the Isle of Arran I was wondering if anyone might have any information on the sea trout prospects particularly from the shore. I know that in Scotland you need specific permission to fish for migratory fish from the shore, and that much of the island is covered by the Arran Angling assoc. which I fully intend to join but apart from two rivers at Sannox I cannot find a list of their waters. We shall be camping at Lochranza and this is the area I'm particularly interested in. Fishing will be as a side aspect to a family holiday so I can only manage a few hours here and there and I will have in the main to either walk or cycle to any venue,the penalty of having a camper van that two non anglers insist on wanting to call home.

cheers Mark

Try this: -

Dougarie Arran Holidays

As for fishing from the shore, try Pirnmill and there is mullet in lochranza that cruise the bay near the pontoon with the tides, try the end of the spit also in the bay

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Just My Tuppenceworth!!

I had same problem in NZ of holidaying in a camper with non fisher but got around it by parking up next to where I wanted to fish with the argument that the view was amazing, then of course, when it got dark and there was little to do, snuck off with rod, also has advantage that night fishing is best for STs, leaving you free to look at churches and monuments during the day, if you have to.

(God, when is the season starting, have to read this forum to get the fly fixes I need.)

having grown up in Newcastle we spent almost every summer holiday from about the age of 4 to 16 and have returned 5-6 times as an adult as I love the place. I have, during the many holidays fished all over the island and in the sea. Most of the rivers only hold small brownies but most have a run of sea trout and one a run of salmon. The mullet fishing is good all around the coast and especially in the many estuaries on a high tide. There is also mackerel which are twice the size of the ones you'll catch along the English coast and show-up any comparable sized sea trout on fly gear.

I have caught sea trout from the shore at Machrie, Brodick and Sannox on both fly and spinner over the years and many mullet from the tidal part of Glen Rosa on bread and fly.

Notable rivers are:

Glen Rosa (enters the sea at Brodick) (AAA) has small trout and sea trout along with mullet in tidal section.
Machrie Water (enters sea at Machrie) (private ownership but day tickets available) never fished it but walked the river many times. I never saw a brownie but may have but has sea trout and I believe the only run of salmon on the island.
Sannox Water (AAA) has small brownies and a good sea trout run. I have also seen quite a few jumping on many times I've done the walk between Lochranza and Sannox.

There are also a number of hill lochs which are teeming with trout. The only one I have fished is Coire Lochan which is about a mile walk (uphill but not difficult) and is a beautiful place to fish and is sheltered from N/NE winds.

If your a golfer take your clubs as there are some fantastic courses especially at Blackwater Foot.

If you've not not been to Arran before you'll love it. They say it is "Scotland in miniature" and it is. If I didn't live so far away we'd have a week there every year! If your crossing from Ardrossan look out for the basking sharks from the deck. I'm not sure what their numbers are these days as I always remember seeing more back in the 80's but maybe I was just an excited (obsessed) teenager seeing shadows lol!

One final tip... Buy the best mozzi repellent and citronella candles you can get as evil midge can be a right pain if they are on form.

Enjoy it and let us know how you got on!

Hi Mark
Ref ARRAN i go every Wed work related and to be honest the place is one total $ hithole and there,s not many rivers in it that u,d be able to fish
so ur best bet would be to go sight seeing

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BIG BOYS BITE

Work related...not for the tourist board I'm guessing

Chris.

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" I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish except that we like it and it makes us think and feel".
Roderick L Haig-Brown

Hi all many thanks for the replies.

Stone Park/ dekakuna. Cheers I shall look into all that you have said. The mention of mullet is beginning to suggest a plan B though past encounters with the species leads me to suspect it won't be as easy as Colin Macleod makes it appear in his Fly Fishing & Fly Tying articles.
brighton trader. I have lived to this philosophy for years and have a good working knowledge of camp sites with fishing close by. Our journey back south includes a four day stop over at Lazonby, Oh dosn't the Eden just happen to flow by the place:

You must live in a fantastic place Stig? Although I don't remember Stevenston/Saltcoats/Adrossan being that inspirational? - maybe it was because I didn't see the place as I always kept my eyes straight ahead for fear of making eye contact with the locals? Yes the rivers are small but the place is far from a $ hithole as you say, maybe it is the lack of concrete, noise and lights that disappoints you?

Ps. If you took the time to read Marks original post he was after "information on the sea trout prospects particularly from the shore"

Ah , the Three Toons !

I believe they once made it into the Lonely Planet guidebook.

Hi ibm59 could you just confirm if you received the PM I sent, I'm new to the site and I'm not sure if I sent it properly.

cheers Mark