Salmon Fishing on the River Lochy
Lying in the shadow of Ben Nevis, The River Lochy is an attractive salmon river, flowing the nine miles from Loch Lochy to Loch Linnhe near Fort William. Salmon and sea trout fishing, although the sea trout have declined in recent years.
The main salmon months on the river are July, August and September, when somewhere in the region of 200 salmon might be caught. The river is divided into four main beats, with 40 named pools, let privately through sporting agents and the lower section of the river, known as beat 7, is let to Fort William Angling Association. This association water is an excellent bit of water, stretching from the tide for about a mile upstream of Fort William. A fifteen foot rod is needed to cover the water adequately.
For information about the fishing on the Association water, contact the Rod & Gun Shop, Fort William.
Rivers Roy and Spean
The main tributaries of the Lochy are the Spean and the Roy. The Spean is a steep and rocky river which relies on River Roy spate water to fish well. Spinning is a popular method on the Spean in high water. Some of the water on the Spean is under the control of angling clubs. For information on access, contact the Rod and Gun Shop in Fort William.
The River Roy joins the Spean about four miles upstream of Spean Bridge. The Roy flows naturally, unimpeded by man made schemes and spates on the Roy bring fish into both rivers, most of them bound eventually for the Roy. Bait fishing is permitted on the Roy in addition to fly and spinner and most fish are taken on worm
River Lochy Map
Tap or click on the map below to view full size image
Note: the maps on this website are extracts from the Bartholomew “Half Inch” map series dating back to the middle of the twentieth century. There have been many changes since the maps were made, and much of the human detail, e.g. buildings and roads, will have changed over the period. It is to be hoped, however, that the character of our Scottish rivers, and the trout and salmon in them, will not have altered too dramatically over the years and that they may still offer the wonderful fishing prospects of days gone by. Bearing the above in mind, anyone planning a fishing or walking trip in Scotland is advised to equip themselves with a compass and the appropriate up-to-date Ordnance Survey map, the most useful for the angler probably being the Landranger series, scale 1:50,000. For the Lochy, see O.S. map number 41.
For further information about the fishing on the Lochy see River Lochy Fishing
For information about the trout fishing in the area see Trout Fishing Scotland