Loch Belivat

The cost is still £30 for the boat for the day.

To book a session or for more information please Contact the Estate Office.

Brown Trout fishing is available on the beautiful Loch Belivat from April to September.

All fishing is by fly only.

The loch is served by a single rowing boat so you will be the only ones fishing during your session. The average catch per outing was 3 fish in 2023 with an average weight of about 2 lbs.  Catch and release is encouraged and we do ask for all fish under 12" long to be put back. The bag limit is 2 fish per rod per session.  Surrounded by mature woodland, the loch feels secluded and peaceful despite being located just off the A939.

2023 Season:

Trout caught:  146                                         

Average catch per outing:  3                                 

Average weight:  2lbs                                                   

Percentage of fish released:  79%

Largest fish caught:  3lbs

Best bag:  Sunday 14th May:  15 fish

General Info, Flies & Advice:

Loch Belivat, being approximately 25 acres in size, is a loch formed by a terminal moraine.  It is spring fed and this means that fish are unable to breed in it because there is no flowing water.  It is stocked with fingerling brown trout.

The water in the Loch has a low pH value.  This means that the trout grow slowly and scale readings of 2 lb trout have indicated that they can be up to 8 years old, so it is not a put and take Loch and just about as natural as you can get.

It is not possible to fish the Loch from the bank because of all the bushes, apart from deterring poaching it is very beneficial for insect life.  This means that trout can lurk around the bushes feeding on these insects.  It is an odd fact that when you are fishing from a bank you want to cast out as far as you can but from a boat you want to fish under the bushes!

There is a basic drogue in the form of a rope and a weighted brick, but you are just as well to control the boat with the oars and that it seldom drifts too fast.  If you have a proper drogue then bring it with you.

From an old fashioned trout fisherman’s view, use a floating or a sinking line depending on conditions and traditional wet flies.  These include:

Grouse & Claret, Teal & Green, Blue & Black Zulus, Butchers, Silver Butchers, Invictas, Wickham’s Fancy, Double Soldier Palmers, Kate McLarens, March Browns etc.

The dry fly can work well and dapping can give some excitements too.

The following are flies used by previous fishers on the Loch:

Montana & Black Nymph, Blu Bottle, Green Peter, Grhe, Sedge, White Snatcher, Dry Damsel

Helpful note if out in an evening:

Start at the boat house end of the loch.  Work your way round Boozers Bay (that is where the gentlemen in days gone by spent the evening drinking whilst the ladies were fishing at the top end of the loch).  Then work your way down the south side. You will then be at the head of the loch close to the reeds.  As dusk is settling in head for the water lilies.  The bay at the top is known to be a hot spot and a final drift down the side can be an exciting experience.  They say that is where the big trout appear and if you hook one he makes a dash back to the lilies where he will attempt to break the cast, so if you hook one here you have to be tough on him and stop him doing that.

A Grouse and Claret seems to be favoured by these big trout but some people say the brighter the light the brighter the fly, but then a Grouse and Claret is a fairly subdued fly and suitable for the late evening.  The other saying is the bigger the wave then the bigger the fly should be.

Rob Hoskin, Estate Office, Lethen, Nairn, Scotland IV12 5PR Tel: 01667 452247 Email: info@lethenestate.com