Lewis is well known as one of the premier salmon destinations in world salmon fishing and in my report on a Lewis stag in the European hunting section I did also report on some salmon. However I thought it might also be fun to do a little photo report on Lewis trout fishing.

Why would anyone go to Lewis and fish for brown trout? Well in part the answer is that I like fishing for brown trout and in part the answer is that I like to walk and explore the moor. I don't think anyone is sure but I've seen estimates that put the number of brown trout lochs on Lewis at between 1200 and 2000. In my view there is nothing more enjoyable than to take my rod and my lunch and head off across the moor in the morning wandering from loch to loch until I decide it is time to turn for home. It is rare these days to have the access or space to simply do as you please, sometimes I even take the tent and camp.

First of all I will start with a loch right at the end of the village and right by the road. This loch can produce some monster trout and is a fantastic spot for a quick cast of an evening:



I love the freedom to walk from loch to loch across the moorland enjoying the walk, and the view, and a few casts:





The moor is a "living" thing in the sense that the moss is growing and spreading all the time and so we get some lochs that are infilling. This loch actually has a name on the map and appears to have suffered considerable infilling since the first maps of the area were made about 1854:



Wandering about in there is a pretty sure way never to be seen again.

This is another infilling area and you can see the old banks of what has once been a large boghole:



When walking to my trout fishing I love to get the stove going for a cup of tea. It is a great excuse to break up the walk, and also to take the time to sit and observe what is going on around me. In this case I was walking the upper reaches of a local salmon river on my way to some trout lochs a considerable distance out the moor:



Even once I reach the loch the first action is usually to get the stove going, as you can see we aren't short of fresh water for making tea:





There is often a perception that Lewis lochs will be black peaty holes but in actual fact quite a few have very clear water. The name of this loch translates to "The Well Loch" as in a place to draw water and as you can see the water is clear:



I've never seen much of a correlation between dark, peaty lochs and lochs with clear water and the size of the trout they produce. I know of some dark peaty holes that will produce cracking trout. In general a good trout from a Lewis loch is about the 1lb mark but there are quite a few lochs that can produce much bigger fish. In my experience the biggest a fish is likely to grow in one of these lochs without additional nutrient input is about 6lb but I have a feeling that most lochs have a very occasional fish of that sort of size in them. Needless to say these big fish are not easy to catch and a 6lb Lewis brown trout is a remarkable achievement.

I like to fish the Lewis moor in the autumn but as we start to head into October the colour is starting to leave the moor and it starts to feel like the trout fishing is coming to an end for another year:



Despite saying this if you are willing to look there is still lots of colour, and lots of interest to see on the moorland:







I know there hasn't been a whole pile of actual "catching" in this little fishing report. I catch enough fish to keep me happy but in the end it is the whole experience that is important and the moorland and lochs are an important part of that for me so it isn't just about fish and fishing but also about the quantifiable things that make a day on the moor a uniquely interesting and satisfying experience:

Thank you for sharing the views looking about the countryside.

Some where there is a quote to the effect that the goal of going fishing is not necessicarly to catch fish (not the one about "to not play golf", but a tryly philisophical statement)

Really neat report and excellent photos, Many Thanks For Sharing.