Loch Ailsh

Loch Ailsh is no longer available from the Assynt Angling Group.

Any enquiries regarding this loch should be to the Oykel Bridge Hotel: http://www.oykelbridgehotel.com/lochs/guide/

Details

OS Grid: NC315110

Decimal: 58.055961, -4.857234

Degrees: 58° 3' 21.4596'' N, 4° 51' 26.0424'' W

Fishing details: -

Permit details: Contact Oykel Bridge Hotel from Oykel Bridge Hotel

Comments

Please tell us about your experience of fishing at this loch. This will help other anglers as well as local angling groups.

Your feedback is important so please tell us:

Where you fished, when, what conditions were like.
What you caught, when and on what (be a little vague if you don't want to give it all away!)
Anything other anglers should be aware of - access, reeded up waters, difficulties etc.

Got photos? Email them to us: anglingresearch@substance.net

One of my favourite lochs. I have over the years had many good fishing days here for brown and sea trout. Never had a problem with the boat but then I use a drogue. I am very grateful to Assynt Angers that this fishing venue is made available at such a very reasonable cost. In autumn twilight I have heard the stags bellowing from the surrounding hills. I once saw a red kite but my best pub yarn is the retelling of the salmon (returned) that once leapt into the boat. Alas although the loch is often alive with leaping salmon I have never yet caught one here on the fly.

Mr John Roffe-Smith (North Wales)

Inchnadamph Hotel is now the only vendor for Loch Ailsh.
Does this mean an angler staying in Lairg has to drive to the Hotel to get a key for the boat,drive back the way he has just travelled to get to Loch Ailsh,then drive back to the Hotel to return the key,then drive in the opposite direction to get back to Lairg.
With petrol prices at what they are that is a lot of miles to cover going back and forth in opposite directions.
Assynt Angling Group are keen to provide excellent fishing to visiting anglers but they need to provide a much nearer vendor for the Eastern zone lochs.
Please comment.

reply (1)

Hi, thanks for your comments. This was raised last year and we posted a response based on discussions we had with the Assynt Angling Association. I'll re-post those notes below. I need to stress that we are not speaking on behalf of the AAA but reflecting on what we have found during the research.

The bottom line is that to have more than one outlet would be both logisitcally difficult and would mean more expensive fishing for anglers (and costs haven't increased in well over a decade).

In addition to what we said last year I would also like to point out that from our research, *most* anglers using the boats stay in Assynt (visitors and locals) and as such for the majority of anglers, the Inchnadamph is actually a more convenient location than the Alt was.

Thanks for all comments on this and the fishing - keep them coming!

Adam

Last year's comments were:

With regard to availability, The Alt Hotel did the AAG boat permits and engines for the East Zone up until 2010. However, the AAG had to switch this as the Alt could no longer do them. The Inchnadamph is about the nearest place they have who could take them on.

There are also a number of issues that need to be balanced here in terms of boat suppliers specifically as it's not just a case of creating more outlets. These include:
*Selling the permits isn't really an 'earner' for those doing it and it is an added extra to the workload of people who have their own businesses to run.
*People who do take it on need to be available most of the time and certainly all morning (to give keys/engines out) and evenings (to take them back in). As such getting people to do this can be difficult. This is partly why hotels tend to be key outlets - and there aren't that many.
* Coordinating more than one outlet and to guard against double booking requires effort and organisation, which would make it harder still for the outlets that do exist. In the case of engines, it would almost certainly require angling groups to have more engines (+maintenance etc.).
* It needs to be remembered that nobody is employed to organise angling in Assynt, certainly in relation to the trout fishing. There's a hell of a lot of voluntary input just to keep it all going (not just permits but getting boats out and in; engine maintenance; doing the publicity and info leaflets; providing loads of free ad hoc advice; doing the books etc.). Commercial rainbow trout fisheries usually have someone employed on site (and sites tend to be a little less dispersed than Assynt!).

More boat outlets, engines etc. are potentially achievable, but they would cost money and that would mean much steeper charges and permits. Although permit prices haven't increased in years, would anglers want that? Do let us know your thoughts...

Agree with the comments about the boat's drifting characteristics but am amazed at the comments about the £10. On our local rainbow water, paying £10 for a boat would get you just under two hours fishing for stockies with ne'er a chance of meeting a sea trout or salmon!

To clarify this point,the boat hire prices throughout the Assynt Angling Group Area are, and have always been since the formation of the Group, £10.00. It does not include the outboard motor hire which is charged at a seperate rate, and reviewed annually.

Where this angler saw boat hire at £5.00 for Loch Ailsh, beats me, but it certainly was not in any documentation produced by the Group!!

Cathel MacLeod,
Treasurer of Assynt Angling Club.
1st June, 2010.

great days on Loch Ailsh in 2008and 2009 but the boat leaves a lot to be desired.sits like a bath tub hard to get a good drift as boat has a flat bottom

The 2008 price for a boat on Ailsh wasn't the £5 mentioned in the piece on the loch but was at least double that figure with an additional cost for the engine. I fished it in 2009 but since my boat partner had booked and paid for it, I didn't ask the cost!

reply (1)

This guy must be from another planet! Complaining about paying £10 for a boat AND an engine! Unbelievable. That is fantastic value. He should look around at the prices on other lochs, typically at least three times that price!

Loch Ailsh

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