About Us

---

The Assynt Angling Group was formed in the year 2000. It is a unique partnership of local anglers (The Assynt Angling Club) and various local landowners who have come together to administer some of the finest wild brown trout fishing in Europe, which is covered by a Protection Order. A permit is required to fish.

The area includes some of the best scenery in the North West Highlands, encompassing the summits of Ben More Assynt, Canisp, Conival, Cul Beag, Cul Mor, Suilven and Quinag. Assynt and its surrounding area has been popular with anglers since Victorian times, and the fishing has been well documented in angling literature spanning more than a century. For ease of administration and due to the size of our area, the fishing has been divided into three separate zones (South, East and West). There is a choice of over 150 lochs, ranging from easily accessed roadside waters to very remote high altitude lochans. These cater for all levels of physical ability. Boats are available on 20 of the larger lochs. Outboard engines can be hired on three of these.

All of the lochs contain wild brown trout and no stocking takes place. Some of the larger waters also have ferox trout and char, and four lochs have runs of salmon and sea trout. The Group recognises the fragile environment in which these fish populations exist and aims to manage the fishings in a sustainable manner for the long term benefit of anglers and the local economy. For this reason, most of the lochs are restricted to fly fishing only. However, trolling is permitted from boats on several lochs and spinning is permitted from the bank on a stretch of Loch Assynt. While many anglers practice 100% catch and release, a few trout can be taken for personal consumption. However, we would strongly encourage anglers to return all trout in the smaller, more remote lochs where spawning and annual recruitment of juveniles is limited. All sea trout should be returned.