Loch Killin - A Profile
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 15 December 2009 18:40
- Written by Fred Carrie
Having first read about this loch in Lesley Crawford's book "Scotland's Classic Trout Waters", and being enchanted by photos of what seemed to be a very lovely loch, I at last managed a trip there, with my youngest son Martin,
on a bright, cold and windy late May day a few years ago. I can confirm, having seen it in the flesh, that Loch Killin near Whitebridge in Inverness-shire is indeed a very beautiful place.
After much frustrating phoning around I was finally told that no one bothers with permits for bank fishing on Loch Killin. Now, let's be clear about one thing: I am not telling you that you definitely do not need a permit - or at least permission of some sort - all I'm saying is that is what I was told. Honest m'Lud. If after reading this article you still fancy a cast there and are uncomfortable with the concept of free fishing, it might be worth phoning the Whitebridge Hotel for the latest information. These situations tend to change. 
Loch Killin, OS map 35 grid ref. 525115, is on the west edge of that vast area of lonely hill and moorland known as the Monadhliath Mountains. 
The loch is at the head of the River Fechlin, which is also rumoured to be worthy of a cast or two, and runs NW to SE. In a cold NW wind, such as that which blew down the loch all day when we were there, it is not a warm place to fish. Bloody freezing in fact. The location though is superb. This is one of the most scenic of the easily accessible lochs in Scotland, perhaps beaten only by Loch Hackle near Tongue. On the west bank near vertical cliffs, heavily clad in birch trees that are safe from the marauding jaws of sheep and deer, rise from the water. A glimpse of Scotland past.
The fish are small, or at least were on our visit, probably the smallest we have ever caught, average barely 6” with only one or two above 9”. We caught loads and they provided good, fast action on the fly; deer hair emergers being the most successful. Remember though that under unfavourable conditions of bright sun and cold wind, it tends to be the smaller fish you catch.
You don’t need waders or even wellies if you stick to the eastern shore beside the road. You will not want to wade there, believe me, it would be suicide. However, waders are needed if you go to the south end where the river comes in. It may be that you are not allowed to fish on the west bank as there was an old, dilapidated sign saying “no fishing this side of the river”. I am not sure what that meant as there was no river near there, or it may be that the river has changed course. No one bothered us anyway.
Although we caught all of our fish very close in, within a few feet of the edge (the bottom shelves off quickly into very deep water ), I am sure that a boat would be a great asset. Sadly, though, none is available for hire, or at least none was a few years ago. If you could get permission to launch your own it would open up much more water and perhaps offer possibilities for ferox fishing. There is a special sub-species of charr in this loch, dark coloured with big fins and small scales, rumoured to be named The Haddy by locals, but this I cannot confirm. 
We fished HI-D lines for an hour or so to see if we could winkle a few out, no luck though. Ours was a Haddy-free day, but we felt like real Haddies ourselves considering the number of lighting fast tiddlers we managed to miss!
Two curious things about our day there was an almost total lack of bird life and two large bunches of red carnations by the waters edge.
Don't be put off by my tales of cold winds, bunches of red carnations and tiddlers. If you are in the area it's worth considering a day there. Easy out of the car fishing in lovely surroundings. Who knows? Perhaps you may even tempt a Haddy from the depths in which they lurk!
Fred Carrie started fishing in the mid 1960's, hillwalking in the 1970's and has been combining the two on and off ever since.
Fred runs the successful Wild Fishing Scotland web site and enjoys the hike up to the wild hill lochs as much as the fishing itself. The more uncharitable members of his family and friends say that is perhaps just as well.
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