Contains details of all the fishing available on the river
Produced with the kind cooperation of the owners and angling clubs on the River Annan in Dumfriesshire, Southern Scotland
Is the Annan the best big wild Brown Trout river in Britain?
Probably.
and since most of the beats have gone over to catch and release for Brown Trout it's likely to remain so
IMPORTANT PUBLIC NOTICES
The Scottish Government has brought in legislation to help salmon numbers in some rivers. Rivers have been classified as Categories 1, 2, and 3. Categories 1 and 2 may kill some salmon, Category 3 which applies to the Annan and 85 other Scottish rivers are entirely catch and release for this year. The present no kill legislation for salmon and grilse to protect Springers still applies until 1st June, but will be amended before April to apply to the whole river for the whole of 2017. To be reviewed yearly. Also the estuary nets will not be licensed this year.
It looks like the hooks part of the legislation will be roughly this:- Fly anglers after salmon or grilse can fish one hook though the fly can be tied on a single, double or treble hook.
Spinners etc can have a single treble hook.
Bait anglers can have one hook and it must be a single no larger than size 4
Latest information on the subject is updated on the Scottish Government website here Government website
The GOOD NEWS is that the proposed legislation on Sea Trout is now firmly on the back burner until further notice so you may take a couple occasionally but PLEASE return any over 3 pounds as valuable breeding stock. They seem to be recovering but numbers are still well down
PROSPECTS
Annan is not a huge river, only 35 miles long top to bottom. You can drive from source to sea on about 45 minutes
There are 2 1/2 mile stretches which will take a dozen anglers comfortably. There are private stretches you and a couple of companions can book for a week and there's Association water which is surprisingly under fished. It's becoming an excellent sea trout river again after a slump.
There are dozens of B & B's; Lots of nice hotels; There are holiday cottages to let; Award winning Caravan and Camping sites with the river a couple of hundred yards away.
Grayling and Coarse Fishing
is available on some beats during some part of the salmon close season (15th November to 25th February) Of course you can fish for coarse fish or grayling during the salmon season as well if you wish.
Contact Upper Annandale AA, Annandale Estates, Kirkwood, Hoddom, or contact Fishery Manager at Newbie, Tel. 01461 202608)
Grayling, 21 inches, approx 4 pounds, would be Scottish record but no witnesses so returned Applegarth Beat 17th May, 2006 Tony Donnely
Oh and by the way a NUMBER of Scottish record size Grayling have been caught in the Annan in recent years. Non of them are official because the fish was either killed or not enough evidence, just the angler and his camera etc etc but the fish are there - literally in most cases since they were returned!!!
The current Scottish record Chub was caught on the Annan in 1999, see
Scottish Federation
for Coarse Angling and only a couple of miles away Scottish record Carp, Tench and Bream, have all come from Scotland's Premier Coarse Fishery, Castle Loch, Lochmaben. It is the only fishery in Britain to hold three records. To put it into perspective that's FOUR Scottish record fish from an area about 3, maybe 4 miles across.
Scotlands Premier Coarse Fishery, Castle Loch, Lochmaben. Now holding three Scottish records.
The only fishery in Britain to hold three records.
Dormont
Lake Coarse fishery between Lockerbie and Annan, map on their page. Run by the guys at
Scottishproanglers
who are deeply involved in angling for special needs, angling for kids, fishing in schools programmes, and special teaching days. They are all about professional qualifications and caring and deserve support
Other Annan websites
FishAnnan.co.uk
Main difference from this site is you can book your fishing etc online with a credit card and its DONE.
You can also get messages sent to your mobile about river heights, fish catches etc etc.
It's kinda advanced!! Check it out. They also take 'phone bookings on 01573 470612
Annan and Borders Flyfishing
Keith Snow is a fishing instructor/guide based in Annan. Can arrange a fishing holiday package with instruction,
guiding, tackle and safety equipment or whatever combination you require. Seems he's an ex cop - there's a lot of us about!!
Contact Webmaster for further information.
Andy Dickson, 01683 300592. Mobile 07971 764022.
E-mail andy.dickson1@btinternet.com
for updates on conditions or where to get permits, or just for a chat about the Annan -
afternoons or evenings are best. NOT a morning person
SEPA site on here is metric and basic, for more detail or feet and inches
go to fishpal.com (formerly Fishannan) and click on River Levels
But DO check the time since this is updated at ROUGHLY 12 hour intervals (somewhere between 6am and 8am and again 6pm and 8pm usually) BE AWARE the its sometimes updated at 7am with a reading taken at 1am for some reason and that can make a big difference. I'm told the update is now every two hours. If this is correct thats a very good thing. If you are travelling any distance and in any doubt PHONE me for an eyeball check IN DAYLIGHT ONLY!! Further down there is a camera pointed at Hoddom Bridge
Webcam watching the Annan at Hoddom. See the height of the bottom half of Annan for yourself
Hoddom Bridge Web Cam
WEBCAM watching the Annan at Hoddom. See the height of the bottom half of Annan for yourself (ONLY in daylight!!)
Hoddom Bridge Web Cam
Contact
Andy Dickson, Webmaster. 01683 300592. Mobile 07971 764022.
E-mail andy.dickson1@btinternet.com
for updates on conditions or where to get permits, or just for a chat about the Annan -
afternoons or evenings are best. NOT a morning person in the Sea Trout season (or any other time some would say)
RIVER REPORT LATEST CATCHES
This will gradually populate with 2021 fish as more anglers hit the river
Dave Dick, Upper Beat,Plum on dry, 9th March 2021, 17in 2lb1oz
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Adam Harvey-Kelly, Newbie Beat, small pheasant tail nymph, 2 pound Brown trout and 7 pound Salmon, 20th May 2021,
Adam Harvey-Kelly, Applegarth Beat, small Olive Emerger, 25 to 26 inches, 5 or 6 pounds, 13th May 2021,
He's done it again, George Littler, Applegarth Beat, Saturday, 10th June, 2020, Sea Trout this time
George Littler, Applegarth Beat, Monday, 5th June, 20, 3 pounds plus fat as butter
Tim Wood, Applegarth Beat, Wednesday, 24th May, 2020,
Dave Dick, Applegarth Beat, Monday, 22nd May, 2020, 4 pound 23 inch on a dry Wickham
Gareth Davies, Applegarth Beat, Thursday, 18th May, 2017, another nice one
Mike France, Applegarth Beat, Wednesday, 17th May, 2017, another nice one
Don Brown, Applegarth Beat, Wednesday, 17th May, 2017, on a dry sedge
Dave Dick, Applegarth Beat, Wednesday, 17th May, 2017, 17 inch, 1.5 pound Sea Trout, Dry Wickhams fancy
Dave Dick, Upper Beat, Wednesday, 17th May, 2017, 17 inch, 2 pounds, Iron Blue Dun
Border Reivers are back from Wales - pillaging at least - and catching some crackers
Eric Woodward, Applegarth Beat, Monday, 15th May, 2017, 55 cms, (21.5 inches in real money) estimated 5 pounds
Dave Dick, UAAA Upper Beat, Saturday, 6th May, 2017, 3 pounds 11 ozs, and 21 inches, blue quill
Upper river 1 inch below dead summer low
First Springer of the year on Newbie Beat, Saturday, 5th March, 2016, 14 pounds, Black and red devon, Local angler Iain Graham
CATCH
RELEASE
Dave Dick, 19 inch, 3 pounds 2 ounces, Kill Pool, Applegarth, 13th January, 2016, gold head pink nymph
Fishingtackle2u Harry Mckee. Belfast Angling Centre and Mckees Angling Centre. Belfast Tackle business, specially useful if you're thinking of heading across the sea - or even if you're not
Don't you love it. Steve Gold takes his wife Margaret fishing for Grayling on Royal Four Towns
and guess who catches a 4 pound 1 oz Grayling!!
With independent witnesses, good scales etc that would be a pound over the present Scottish record, and only a couple of ounces short of the previous British record.
Well done Margaret
RULES etc for the whole River Annan
Legislation requires that NO Sea Trout be killed on the River Annan before the 1st June each year
Salmon will be catch and release all season in 2016. This will apply to nets and rods
After the 1st June for the season 2016, the Annan District Salmon Fishery Board has decided that anglers may retain a MAXIMUM of two Sea Trout
in any 24 hour period BUT that all Sea Trout over 3 pounds must be returned to the river unharmed
Of course not all the fish catchers in the river abide by the rules!!!
Davie with a 22lb hen salmon from the Kinnel on the Applegarth Beat. The fish was returned
Joan Shuttleworth, from Carlisle, 20lb caught on a Toby on river Annan, at Royal Four Towns
5 pound brown, Upper Annan, dry fly, about to be returned
Very Nice. Peter Wagner, Target Pool, Applegarth Beat, 16 lbs+
Tony Croft from Holt, North Wales reports having caught and returned a 12 pound salmon at Lochbrow, on Applegarth Beat. Fish took a size 10 "wee double"Silver Doctor
Ross Wardrope, Dryfeholm.
The fish took a small orange pot belly pig copper tube fly fished on a fast sinking tip on a spey line.
20 pounds 4 ozs
E &OE Any errors are mine and no fault of the people or organisations
shown on these pages.
Copyright (c) 1999/2020 all rights reserved.
Contact Webmaster for further information.
Andy Dickson, 01683 300592. Mobile 07971 764022.
E-mail andy.dickson1@btinternet.com
Most recent revision, 3rd July, 2020
5 pound brown, Upper Annan, dry fly, about to be returned
