3fingersreid Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Not been fishing for many many years thinking about starting again so what's the laws for the water of leith used to be fly or bait is that still the case ? And is the river stocked much? As for the canal I was amazed and delighted when walking between the slateford aquaduct and meggetland with the dog to see three good sized shoals of perch various sizes of fish must have been at least 250plus in numbers in each shoal so how's the fishing on the canal these days ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamborich Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Passed a guy on Monday fishing the water of leith at the back of the Longstone Inn, no idea if he caught anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gasman Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Water of Leith used to be stocked, and permit only, but I'm sure the permits were really cheap, or possibly even free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Not been fishing for many many years thinking about starting again so what's the laws for the water of leith used to be fly or bait is that still the case ? And is the river stocked much? As for the canal I was amazed and delighted when walking between the slateford aquaduct and meggetland with the dog to see three good sized shoals of perch various sizes of fish must have been at least 250plus in numbers in each shoal so how's the fishing on the canal these days ? Water of Leith fishing info: http://www.waterofleith.org.uk/fishing/ Catch and release, and barbless hooks only, for 2013 it seems. (Not much point then, in my opinion... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tams bird Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Canal isn't very clean these days.. I walk along it a lot and never seen anything except wee fish on Saturday. Sticklebacks maybe... Seen a guy fishing thought he had caught something. Turned out it was the bait.. Are fish canibals ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deevers Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Used to be some good sized Pike in the stretch between Slateford and Kingsnowe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Canal isn't very clean these days.. I walk along it a lot and never seen anything except wee fish on Saturday. Sticklebacks maybe... Seen a guy fishing thought he had caught something. Turned out it was the bait.. Are fish canibals* ? I think it's actually clean (or, at least, not polluted) enough, it's just that it's not often very clear. This is probably down to a number of reasons, such as regular dredging to keep the channel open and the increased amount of barge and motor-craft traffic, but the clarity can also be affected by rainfall. At the canal-basin in particular, if the sunlight is at the right angle and the silt hasn't been churned-up, you can see right to the bottom and all the fish and vegetation which are in there. There are plenty of fish, including roach, perch and pike; it's just that - a lot of the time - you can't see them. (p.s. *Yes - lots of fish eat other fish.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeylandJambo Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I think it's actually clean (or, at least, not polluted) enough, it's just that it's not often very clear. This is probably down to a number of reasons, such as regular dredging to keep the channel open and the increased amount of barge and motor-craft traffic, but the clarity can also be affected by rainfall. At the canal-basin in particular, if the sunlight is at the right angle and the silt hasn't been churned-up, you can see right to the bottom and all the fish and vegetation which are in there. There are plenty of fish, including roach, perch and pike; it's just that - a lot of the time - you can't see them. (p.s. *Yes - lots of fish eat other fish.) If It's clear enough to see the bottom then I wouldn't fish there. If you can see the fish then they can see you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leginten Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Is it true that at certain times of the summer there is still a considerable run of sea-trout up the Water of Leith? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gasman Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Is it true that at certain times of the summer there is still a considerable run of sea-trout up the Water of Leith? I'd doubt it very much, as it doesn't empty into the sea, and hasn't for many years. It empties into Leith Docks, and the access from there to the Forth is via lock gates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leginten Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I'd doubt it very much, as it doesn't empty into the sea, and hasn't for many years. It empties into Leith Docks, and the access from there to the Forth is via lock gates. Yes, but I can remember talking to a guy fishing down at the lighthouse at Newhaven harbour who said something about sea-trout running when the locks were opened. Maybe he was exaggerating slightly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gasman Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Yes, but I can remember talking to a guy fishing down at the lighthouse at Newhaven harbour who said something about sea-trout running when the locks were opened. Maybe he was exaggerating slightly. Maybe there's some sort of "fish ladder" to bypass the locks..? I've not been done there for donkeys years, and can't honestly remember, but I'm not sure there could be a "run" through the locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairneyhill Jambo Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Not been fishing for many many years thinking about starting again so what's the laws for the water of leith used to be fly or bait is that still the case ? And is the river stocked much? As for the canal I was amazed and delighted when walking between the slateford aquaduct and meggetland with the dog to see three good sized shoals of perch various sizes of fish must have been at least 250plus in numbers in each shoal so how's the fishing on the canal these days ? You've also got the River Almond. Good for trout, and flatties at Cramond. I would imagine the Almond gets a run of sea trout as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 You've also got the River Almond. Good for trout, and flatties at Cramond. I would imagine the Almond gets a run of sea trout as well. It apparently did at one time, as I can remember my dad going to fish for them - just a bit upstream from Cramond - one night in the late 60s. (I don't remember him catching any though!) I'm not sure what numbers ran up it then, or do so now, but there's a fair chance it'll be cleaner and less polluted now than it was then, so I'd say there's every chance there will be some in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moshy Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Be interesting to hear from anybody that fishes the water of leith because when out with the dog at lunchtimes there's thousands of flies on the water at the moment and not 1 trout splashing about eating them ? not fished the canal for years but used to be better for pike heading west from Winburgh rather than in Edinburgh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyjambo Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 River almond is a good shout. Caught flatties and sea trout there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazio Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 There used to be grayling in the Almond years ago. A pretty rare fish to catch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graygo Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 On a separate note kayak fishing seems to be getting really popular, anybody know where to buy a fishing kayak? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcalum_1 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I would highly recommend the River Almond. I'm a member of Cramond Angling Club and we have done lots of work over the past few years to massively improve the river. Tons of Brownies, Sea Trout and Salmon in the system and at ?30 for a season ticket it is a complete bargain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairneyhill Jambo Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 On a separate note kayak fishing seems to be getting really popular, anybody know where to buy a fishing kayak? You could try here mate http://www.worldseaf...-angling-forum/ Its free to register and someone may be able to sell you a second hand one. or the Glasgow Angling Centre sells them from new http://www.fishingme...owler~6315.html If you do register for the worldseafishing forum, look up some of Nicolas Valentine's posts. He does sea fishing in a kayak all over Scotland and some of the pictures he posts are stunning. Especially the ones just off the Bass Rock. Just type his name in the search facility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoysInMaroon87 Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 Anyone still fishing the water of leith these days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@VladMagic Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 A good friend of mine fishes the water of Leith on a regular basis. Like me he's a fly fisherman and a bloody good one at that! He has caught some specimen brown trout up to 5 pounds! Its full of good quality fish. I will ask him about permits and the best stretches to fish and report back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@VladMagic Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 OK Sorted. He fishes from Dean Bridge all the way down to Stockbridge. Fishing is free but you need a permit which you can get from the Orvis shop in Charlotte Square. Best fishing is first light and at dusk. Its quite challenging fishing and waders are required as you pretty much stay in the river all the way down fishing each pool as you come to it. Very small pheasant tail nymph patterns fished below a larger dry fly works well. He has had up to a dozen good trout on some visits and has caught some real specimens! Tight lines if you go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig_ Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 Mate of mine used to catch Mackerel off Granton Harbour. Caught sh*tloads! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All roads lead to Gorgie Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 A good friend of mine fishes the water of Leith on a regular basis. Like me he's a fly fisherman and a bloody good one at that! He has caught some specimen brown trout up to 5 pounds! Its full of good quality fish. I will ask him about permits and the best stretches to fish and report back. I use the Water of Leith walkway from Saughton down to Stockbridge for cycling or dug walking quite regularly and used to see trout breaking the surface most days but not so many this year. A lot of Flood protection work has been going on near Murrayfield and I wonder if the trout are not coming so far up the river this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 I use the Water of Leith walkway from Saughton down to Stockbridge for cycling or dug walking quite regularly and used to see trout breaking the surface most days but not so many this year. A lot of Flood protection work has been going on near Murrayfield and I wonder if the trout are not coming so far up the river this year. Adult brown trout tend to stay in the same area of a river, rather than travelling up or down it (unlike salmon or sea-trout when making their way to or from the sea), so the likely result of any disruption to the habitat from the flood-protection work is that the "resident" fish simply moved up or downstream a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpie Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 Nothing like fishing in the Canal, with your favorite jeely jar, wee net, lying on your stomach with the graceful fragrance of the rubber mill in your nostrils, walking home through the Meadows with your catch of minnows which were dispatched in the flush express to the Canal in the sky when your mother welcomed them to her home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Potter Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Water of Leith used to be stocked, and permit only, but I'm sure the permits were really cheap, or possibly even free. Permits were free, yes free from Edinburgh cooncil, used to go round the back of donaldsons school up from roseburn. great wee bit there, and behind the tickled trout at longstone, but the banks were steep there. Union canal has pike in it, my big brother caught a big one there once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All roads lead to Gorgie Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Adult brown trout tend to stay in the same area of a river, rather than travelling up or down it (unlike salmon or sea-trout when making their way to or from the sea), so the likely result of any disruption to the habitat from the flood-protection work is that the "resident" fish simply moved up or downstream a bit. Thanks for the answer. It is probably just that section of the river that is maybe missing trout but the flood works look like they are now nearly complete so I am sure the fish will return there very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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