Bus Clyde!
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 02 December 2007 14:01
- Written by Bob Graham
The first river I’m looking at in this small series is the Clyde; specifically the upper Clyde above Lanark although much of the river below Lanark is easily accessible by ’bus. My first memories of the Clyde go back to 1947 when, as a family, we camped for a week at Coulter Bridge, now popularly known as Wolfclyde.
The Clyde is a very easy river to fish. Easy in the sense that the are no access problems, wading is generally comfortable and the banks are level and clear. In recent years the trout and grayling population has been increasing both in numbers and in average size. Three pound (and better) trout are reported every year and grayling under a pound are unusual. Water quality is first class and insect life is abundant. Minnows are everywhere and probably help to keep the trout active and growing. I’m not going to tell you what and how to fish - where do you think Clyde style flies come from?
The websites you want to bookmark are: Google Maps, www.travelinescotland.com, www.rcfmt.org and www.lamingtonfishing.co.uk Have a visit to the last two to familiarise yourself with the river, the rules and regulations, permit prices and permit outlets. Prices, given the quality of the fishing, verge on the ridiculous, £30 a season for Lamington’s 14 miles of water. UCAPA probably has about forty miles of water for about the same price and, if you save your last three season tickets up till you’re 65, you then get lifetime membership for free.
Right, enough waffle, let’s get on the ‘bus. A wee aside here; you might have noticed that I always type ‘bus with an apostrophe at the start. That’s because I’m a pedant and ’bus is an abbreviation of omnibus - so there. And ’phone is the correct usage - telephone, so there again. If you live near the centre of Edinburgh get yourself to the St Andrew Square ’bus station and look for a MacEwans Coaches 100, 101 or 102. Around eighty minutes later you’ll be passing Coulter on your way to Lamington, the Bower of Wandel, Abington and Crawford; the river is never more than half a mile from the road. From Glasgow get the 240X to Lanark and, if you live in between the two big toons get the 77 from Livingston, again to Lanark. From Lanark take the number 30 to Sanquhar although if you want to fish Wolfclyde take the Biggar ’bus that also passes the Sandy’s Ford road end. If you’re leaving from Lanark you might want to get off after a mile or so at Hyndford Bridge or take another ’bus downstream towards Hazelbank.
Always check the timetables for the last ’bus to either home or Lanark. Fish your way downstream to the next bus-stop if you want - although they are not often clearly marked. Usually the drivers will stop if you make sure you’re standing at a farm road end or on a clear stretch of road. Remember that this isn’t the big city and the drivers are locals and used to stopping at odd places.
That’s about it except for those poor troot catchers who don’t qualify for a ‘bus pass. When I was waiting for a ‘bus at Abington the other week I noticed that the maximum fares were shown on the timetable notice. Edinburgh to Abington - £5.15 return. That’s just a gallon and a bit of petrol. How economical is your car?