Stillwater · Mixed · Isle of Bute

Loch Fad

Loch Fad venue image

Loch Fad sits in the middle of the Isle of Bute, which is the first thing that makes it unusual — you catch the ferry at Wemyss Bay and fish an hour later, which shouldn't feel as much of an adventure as it does.

Fair · Rainbow
Marabou Damsel · 8-12
Fairlive now
Buzzer expected on Loch Fad
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
58% confidence

Loch Fad is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 6 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
MD
Marabou Damsel8-12
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
SW 6 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp19°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
The daddy longlegs are on. Buzzer may also come into play as the day warms. Drift conditions look good — cover the wind lanes.
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Black Pennell on the bob, Ke-He on the middle dropper, and Marabou Damsel on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Black Pennell on the bob, Ke-He on the middle dropper, and Marabou Damsel on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
73%
Cloud50%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for Loch Fad — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Loch Fad sits in the middle of the Isle of Bute, which is the first thing that makes it unusual — you catch the ferry at Wemyss Bay and fish an hour later, which shouldn't feel as much of an adventure as it does. The loch itself is a long, shallow, fertile stillwater with a reputation for growing very large rainbows and blues, and for hosting more or less every stillwater fly fishing international Scotland has been asked to run. The boats drift the traditional way, the fish come to the right fly presented with the right drift, and the scenery — low hills, Arran in the middle distance, the occasional red deer — is a quiet bonus. It is not a wilderness experience. You are fishing a managed venue. But it is one of the best managed venues in Britain and very much worth the ferry ticket.

  • Loch
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Daddy Longlegs are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout year-roundyear-round
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts