Fishing Loch Tallant in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

• Overview

  In Scotland, Loch Tallant falls inside Argyll and Bute. The water sits 3 feet up. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Argyll and Bute are larger. Isle of Islay is the closest place, 10 miles off. Glasgow sits 71 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Loch Tallant

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Being tidal, the water moves twice a day, and the fishing moves with it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name brown trout, European eel, Atlantic salmon and pollack. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Work Loch Tallant in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 14°C; by February the average is down near 5°C. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. That is the shape of the year on Loch Tallant.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Loch Carn a' Mhaoil sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Loch Tallant is worth confirming on the day.