Fishing

The construction of the Gryffe Reservoir was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1866 following a Typhus epidemic that killed thousands in the local area. Improved drinking water quality as a result of the construction was available to the areas inhabitants on completion of the construction in 1872.

This upland Reservoir was created by damming the head waters of the Gryffe River, which now flows from the Reservoir’s outflow to its confluence with the Clyde. The land around the Reservoir is a mixture of rough grazing and pasture, in the past an area of forest once existed parallel to one of the Gryffe’s main feeder streams the Garshangan Burn but this plantation was harvested several years back. The Gryffe’s other feeder stream, the Corlic Burn, runs off the south slope of Corlic Hill into the Gryffe on its northern bank, known as the ‘Clay Bank’.

The areas around these two burn mouths are favourite areas with anglers and fish can be taken at these points consistently throughout the season. Most areas around the Gryffe fish fairly consistently throughout the season but like most waters anglers always have there favourite spots.

As with all Upland Reservoirs fishing at the start of the season can be slow. This is not helped by its exposed location and fishing can some years be slow until mid May. However this is not always the case. As a rule of thumb fly fishing is not the most productive method for the first few months of the season as spinning will almost always be more productive. Favoured lures can vary greatly however Mepps and Droppens are always consistent and spinning ‘the minnow’ is also very effective. When the water starts to warm fly fishing will start to become the dominant method especially through the summer months.

Traditionally favoured patterns are usually black, i.e. Black and Peacock Spider, Kate McClaren and Bibio. As always there are surprise patterns that make the difference on the day. Over the last few years this has seen good bags of fish taken on Yellow Eyed Damsel, Sedgehogs and a dry Pink Emerger.
The water is stocked by the club once a season. The stocking consist of Brown Trout averaging around three quarters of a pound. This supplements the large head of wild Brown Trout in the water however these fish rarely exceed eight ounces but can provide great sport.