Upper Blackwater 
Loch Achonachie Angling Club controls the fishing on the Upper Blackwater from below the outflow of Loch na Croic to above Rogie Falls, a distance of about 1¼ miles (2km). The fishing is double banked, but the best access is from the left bank, which is reached by forestry roads from Contin. The club allows a maximum of 9 rods at any time on the Upper Blackwater beat.
Upper Blackwater - click for larger map
The Upper Blackwater opens on April 1st for trout fishing and fishes through to September 30th. Salmon generally do not arrive in the beat until June, and cannot be fished for prior to June 1st. August and September are historically the prime months. The early season trout fishing can be excellent though, the best brown trout in recent years being a fish of 5½ lbs caught by member Jeffrey Welsh in 2005.
The Ford
The fishing is generally by fly only, but spinning is permitted during spate conditions when water levels are above the red markers on the gauge boards. Best flies can be summarised as the 'usual suspects' - Ally's Shrimp, Cascades, Stoat's Tail and Silver Stoat.
The 5 year average for the Upper Blackwater up to and including 2009 is 61 salmon & grilse, with 60 fish caught in the 2009 season averaging just 5¼ lbs. The best salmon caught in recent years was a fish of 19½ lbs caught in 2005 by Mr Jamie Bell from London - a visitor!
|
))