MORAY COTTAGES "O' Lord, let me catch a fish so big that even I would have no cause to lie."

Whether you are a serious angler, just want to enjoy a days sport, or perhaps try fishing for the first time while on a self catering holiday, then this part of Scotland offers fishing for all levels. While we do not arrange "fishing holidays" as such, we are happy to help with local information and occassionally loan equipment to guests. There is also shooting and stalking available, in season.

Salmon and Sea Trout

The main river in the area is, of course, The Spey which is one of the classic salmon rivers of Scotland. The Spey rises over 100 miles to the west and by the time it reaches Grantown it is a big river. The river has some great runs of salmon with over 8,000 fish taken each year Advance booking is essential.

Anglers travel from all over the world to have the opportunity of catching a fresh run wild Scottish salmon. There are a number of well known rivers in the North East from where you can cast a fly and try to tempt a Salmon or Sea Trout

1. Findhorn 2. Lossie 3. Spey 4. Avon 5. Isla 6. Deveron

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Trout - Brown & Rainbow

There are 3 good "Still Water", stocked, fisheries within easy reach of Dufftown

Artloch Trout Fishery is about 14 miles from Duftown heading towards Huntley, and offers a peaceful setting with almost 5 acres of bank fishing. The Trout Fishery is stocked with Rainbow trout between 2 and 10 lbs, Brook trout and resident Brown trout. The loch ranges from 5 to 12 feet deep and is fed by the Glen Burn. Open all year.

Glen of Rothes Trout Fishery is about 8 miles from Dufftown heading towards Elgin. Glen of Rothes has 6 acres of water, and provides excellent Stillwater bank fishing for Rainbow trout, as well as for Browns, Steelheads, Blue rainbows and Brook trout. The Lochs are mainly fly-only, but there is also a smaller dedicated bait loch as well. Open all year. Resident Qualified GAIA instructor for tuition on fly casting.

Loch Insch Fishery is about 30 miles from Dufftown, heading towards Aberdeen. The fishery opened in May 1994 with just the one loch and since then many changes and additions have been made, earning it the reputation as one of the premier still water fisheries in Scotland. The 4 lochs and bait pond combined provide a total of around 13 acres of water for bank fly fishing.

Lochindorb
A superb spot to catch truely wild brown trout. They may not be huge but there are lots of them and they take freely which makes it the ideal place for those starting to fish, particularly children, as it is a rare day when nothing is caught and it is not unusual for 5 or 10 fish to be caught by one rod. Boats are available for hire from the 1st May to 30th September

There are also 2 other Lochs within 15 miles of Dufftown offering Brown Trout fishing on a day permit with a closed season between October & March.

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Sea Fishing

Unfortunately the days when the North Sea "heaved" with cod have passed, although they can still be caught from the shore and boat by rod & line.

However there is still loads of fun fishing to be had both from the shore and boat and when the weather is lovely, there's nothing better than being by the sea.

Shore Fishing.

The majority of the fishing along the Moray & North Aberdeen coast is over very rough ground. However there are a number of "marks" and beaches that offer relatively easy fishing.

You can expect to catch Coalies, Codling, maybe a Wrasse or Conger eel from around the harbours and the Mackerel arrive in late June. Estuaries and beaches produce Flounder, Dab, and we have heard of the occasional Turbot being caught.

If you don't have your own tackle we will happily lend you some if you would like to have a go. We are still exploring the Moray coast to find good places to fish from.

Boat Fishing

Putting to sea usually offers a greater opportunity to target more varieties of fish and larger ones!

At sea you can expect to catch Cod, Coalies, Ling, and during the summer, loads of Mackerel for the barbeque. As a bonus, while out on a boat you may well see the dolphins, seals or even a Minke whale!

From mid May 2008, we will be operating our own charter boat, "Sue J" out of Banff. Fully licensed and equipped, with heating and plenty of seating, Sue J will take from 1 to 5 guests on a skippered private charter.

It's your booking so you chose what you want to do. Birdwatching, Dolphin spotting, Fishing, a picnic, or any combination!

Further to the west at Lossiemouth, you can also book a place on a fishing trip on "Top Cat"

 

Shooting & Stalking

The North East of Scotland offers the sportsman superb game shooting and stalking for Roe and Red Deer in some of the most breathtaking scenery Scotland has to offer. Tailored packages are available from Colin & Sarah Farrell

However If you just wanted to "get your eye in", why not enjoy a mornings Clay Pigeon shooting locally?

 

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