Hints & Tips
Hot Hints & Tips !
Take advantage of valuable hints and tips provided by some of DDAC's most experienced anglers and water convenors.
Loch Tarsan
Loch Tarsan early season can be a cold, bleak place, fish will come to the surface but only on the mildest days. Fishing during this part of the season is best during the day with sinking lines rating DI3 to 7 best. Lures such as viva, montana and black gold head tadpole are all worth a go, as the water warms and fish become more active, smaller more traditional patterns such as Bibio, Kate McLaren and Doobry will take fish on various lines from floater to sink. From June onwards, great evening fishing can be had with fish coming close into shore to feed on sedges, moths and small fry. Sport can be excellent fishing a team of dabblers or mini muddlers on a floating line pulling them through the surface. During late August and September some larger trout turn onto the minnows especially at the shallow north end, fry patterns and muddlers can often be effective at this time. The key to finding fish from the bank at Loch Tarsan is to keep on the move, don't stay in one spot if there is nothing happening. For the boat angler, the tactics and flies are just the same. All the shore lines are worth a drift and don't ignore out in the middle as quite often at Tarsan lots of fish feed well out from the shore. 
Dunoon Reservoir
Dunoon reservoir is stocked on a regular basis, situated behind Dunoon and is surrounded by woodland walks. Fishing during the winter from November to March produces some of the best conditioned fish with full tails which will give you a good fight. The best methods for this time of year would be a fast sinking line with a short leader combined with slowly fished lures and boobies. If however the conditions are calm and fish are rising then you cannot go wrong using a floating line and a team of two or three buzzers. As the weather starts to warm up towards the end of April and on towards June the fish start rising and a well placed dry fly will not go unnoticed and provides some very good fishing. Come the Summer months of July and August lures will work particularly the Cats Whisker or Viva on a slow sinking line. In the later months of September and October the best methods are sinking lines paired with bright nymphs and boobies in yellow and orange. A consistent and useful fly to have in your box throughout the year is a Damsel, especially a red-headed variant.
River Ruel
The Ruel is fly only and for most part the water is very peaty even in low water. Patterns such as the Cascade and Ally's Shrimp can do quite well given good conditions. Patterns of this nature in small doubles or singles will work well in lower water. In higher water similar patterns but in larger sizes should do well. Sea Trout are present from June onwards given rain with August and September optimum months to try for a salmon. Concentrate your efforts on the slower pools, runs and glides and cast down and across to let the fly swing and dangle. This river can be comfortably fished with a single handed rod rated for a #7 or #8.
River Massan
The Massan is a multi method spate river with a variety of features to satisfy various types of angling. There are some nice pools suitable for fly fishing, falls and pots for bait fishing and overgrown areas which lend themselves to fishing a small toby or Mepps. Sea Trout are present in numbers from June onwards following Summer rain. Small shoals of Grilse and Salmon are also present in late Summer and early Autumn. Useful fly patterns for Sea Trout include Stoats Tails, Teal Blue & Silvers and spider patterns dressed on single hooks in steady water with small tubes based on similar colouration recommended for higher water. Consistent salmon patterns include Cascade and Ally's shrimps and gold bodied Willie Gunns in medium sizes of single, double and light tubes. Floating or sink tip lines are suitable and the river can be fished effectively with a single handed fly rod. The river can be dangerous whilst in spate so care must be taken especially near the falls area.
Loch Loskin
Loch Loskin is a 6 acre lochan situated near Dunoon on the A885 Sandbank road. The loch is stocked with high quality brown trout of a good average size. Fly fishing is via boat only and three boats are available. Recommended tactics for this productive loch include slow sinking lines during the early season combined with attractor patterns such as Viva's, Ace of Spades and Black Tadpoles. On milder days small traditionals such as the Kate McLaren, Zulu, Bibio and Black Pennell can do very well. As the water warms up so the fish start looking up and feeding on terrestrials such as buzzers and midges. This is when a floating line teamed with small buzzers, snatchers, small wet flies or lightly dressed spider patterns can pay dividends. In the evenings some good rises will be seen and fish can be targeted with a well placed dry fly. Drifting along weed beds and the road shore can be very productive. Also worth noting is that later in the season, occasional Sea Trout venture into the loch with good sized fish reported most seasons.
River Cur
The River Cur is a slow meandering river running through Glenbranter and into Loch Eck. Access to the east bank of the river is from the roadside pool, with parking in the lay by on the A815 approximately 2 miles north of the Whistlefield Hotel. From this point several nice pools and good fly fishing can be had both up stream and down stream. The river produces mainly Brown Trout with Sea Trout in small numbers and very occasionally Grilse/Salmon in late summer and early autumn. There is an abundance of flora and fauna and if you are fishing in the evening you can expect to be accompanied by the 'wee beasties', so a midge net is a must. Traditional flies work well (Blue/Black Zulu, Kate Maclaren, Invicta etc) together with a floating line. A single handed 7/8 rated rod is more than adequate, if possible go lighter. Spinning and Worming is also allowed on the Cur and good sport can be had using a light spinning rod with a small Mepps. If worming let the worm drift down stream close to the bank or if the flow is too fast put a small weight on and let the worm bounce along the bottom. Catch and release is optional but encouraged, if you do decide to use this method please use barbless hooks as small brownies love worms and getting the hook out can be difficult. Brown Trout are territorial so if you do catch, move on. Finally a word of caution, the Cur in most parts is not a wading river, and in many places especially in the lower reaches it is very deep, care must be taken, as some of the bank is eroded and overhangs the river. Good for the Sand Martins not so good for the Angler!
