where to fish
An Experience Not To Be Missed
Where To Fish In The Stunning Outer Hebrides
Most of the salmon fishing in the Outer Hebrides is to be found in Lewis and Harris but with salmon fishing also being available in the Uist’s. The Outer Hebrides have wonderful sea trout fishing with most fisheries having good runs of fish. The Uist’s come into their own when fishing for sea trout, here the sea trout fishing can be exceptional with larger than average fish caught annually. The wild brown trout fishing in the Outer Hebrides is excellent, here the fish are as wild and spectacular as the surrounding you find yourself in. The shallow machair lochs of South Uist offer some of the best fishing for brown trout in the UK where catches of fish in the 2lb – 5lb class are regularly caught with one of 9lb+ caught during 2022.
Lewis & Harris
Lewis offers the best salmon fishing in the Outer Hebrides and is also regarded as having some of the best summer salmon fishing in Europe. Lewis has an abundance of fisheries that are sure to excite and satisfy even the most demanding of anglers. From Grimersta in the West to the Creed in the east, the choice of fishing is staggering and often makes it difficult for one to decide where to cast a line. There are approximately 30 fisheries offering salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing from about June to October, with some fisheries starting as early as April. The fisheries are all unique in their own way and all have their own individual attractions, from loch and river fishing in remote locations in some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, to easily accessible fishing within walking distance of Stornoway, the main town of the Outer Hebrides.
Harris is better known for the lochs and rivers of the Amhuinnsuidhe Castle Estate. Amhuinnsuidhe is however only one of many excellent salmon and trout fisheries in Harris with fisheries scattered from just outside Tarbert in the north to Leverburgh in the south and each offering their own piece of Hebridean magic. Harris is picture postcard country, with stunning landscapes and miles of golden sandy beaches and all of which surrounds some of the best summer salmon and sea trout fishing available today.
Uist’s, Benbecula & Barra
When you look at the Uist’s, Benbecula and Barra on an ordnance survey map, they look as much water as they do land and a large percentage of this is freshwater. The islands are littered with freshwater lochs. The Uist’s and Benbecula have two large sporting estates, North Uist Estate and South Uist Estate, and almost all the lochs and rivers are under their management. Both estates offer exceptional sea trout fishing, with a lot of this taking place in estuaries, and later in the season in lochs and rivers. The sea trout fishing in the Uist’s is regarded as being some of the best in the country. Although it’s for sea trout the Uist are better known, they also have good salmon fishing available, and this is via both estates.
In the Uist’s and Benbecula most lochs hold good stocks of wild brown trout and the angling opportunities are huge. The machair lochs of South Uist offer the best brown trout fishing of all the Hebridean islands and some of the best in the UK. There are two angling clubs active in the Uist’s and both have access to a great selection of lochs.
The island of Barra has no salmon or sea trout fishing but has some good brown trout fishing, with Loch St. Clair (Tangasdail on the O/S map) being regarded as the best on the island.