The Watch Water Fishery

The Watch Water Fishery The Watch Water is the premier Trout Fishery in the Scottish Borders

The Watch Reservoir is set in the beautiful Lammermuir hills adjacent to the Southern Upland Way. The approach road offers stunning views of the surrounding area, which is a haven for wildlife with regular daily visits from Ospreys, which can be seen taking fish from the reservoir. The Watch Water is probably one of the best boat and bank stillwater fly fishing venues in the Scottish Borders, offe

ring excellent sport from free rising, hard fighting Rainbow,Brown andBlue trout, well into double figures. Facilities Include:

•120 acres of fishing with 2 miles of bank fishing.
•13 boats for hire.
•Tackle shop.
•Electric outboards for hire.
•Tackle hire.
•Ladies and gents toilets.
•Outdoor picnic tables.
•Barbeque facilities. There is a fishing lodge on the reservoir which includes an indoor café offering light snacks and refreshments.

Two very different days with large stockings of blues and rainbows at The Watch this week. Lots of winter gnat and the o...
16/03/2018

Two very different days with large stockings of blues and rainbows at The Watch this week. Lots of winter gnat and the occasional resident fish rising on day 1 and some overnight grue to experience for the rainbows on day 2. Examples of two of the bonnie merkit fish with the two bonnie merkit stockers.

The Watch Water Fishery opens a week on Saturday on 17th March. We hope to welcome those of you who are much like myself...
09/03/2018

The Watch Water Fishery opens a week on Saturday on 17th March. We hope to welcome those of you who are much like myself and eagerly looking forward to that first lively take of the 2018 season. Despite the inclement weather there have been a few reports of overwintered fish occasionally rising in the reservoir margins. A significant new stock of rainbows and blue trout with a few specimens up to 7lbs will be there to target on the opening day. Please note that it will be bank angling initially with boats likely to be on the water before April.

22/08/2017

With the fall of flying ants continuing The Watch Water again boiled with rising fish today. This phenomenon occurs for a relatively short time every year around this time when the atmosphere is muggy and the wind is light. Now is that moment! Watch anglers who present small ant patterns delicately are experiencing dry fly fishing for blues, rainbows and wild browns that is quite exceptional.

22/08/2017

In flat calm conditions yesterday The Watch literally boiled with rising fish. Rods fishing the heather fly, black and red hopper and ant patterns had invigorating sport with two boat anglers reporting in excess of 30 fish for the day. Rainbows and Blues were particularly active on the opposite shore to the lodge where heather fly and flying ant were abundant all day.

With some specimens tipping the scales at 7lbs The Watch which is run by Kelso and St Boswells angling clubs continues t...
11/08/2017

With some specimens tipping the scales at 7lbs The Watch which is run by Kelso and St Boswells angling clubs continues to regularly stock rainbow and blue trout of excellent quality. This as near to wild natural water as you can get, is simply a joy to fish from the boat or bank. The upland reservoir is home to a significant head of hard fighting fish with a diversity of fly fishing technique and prowess applied. Recently, good bags of fish have come to midge tip/slow intermediate lines with a fab or b***y suspending buzzers and nymphs and others catch on small traditional flies. For those who really enjoy being tested during a day of fishing, the clued up fish that have been in for some time provide challenging small dry fly fishing.

24/07/2017

Despite the wet weather, the Watch Water has fished very well in the past few days for both boat and bank anglers. Best bags reported recently were 14, 12 and 7. Lots of fish cruising and gently porpoising over rain soacked midge. Fish were nudging and coming short to bigger patterns yesterday but for those anglers fishing more delicately the rewards were significant.

On Saturday 8th July The Watch Water Fishery welcomed 8 teams of 4 anglers to their inaugural Inter-Club Competition. On...
13/07/2017

On Saturday 8th July The Watch Water Fishery welcomed 8 teams of 4 anglers to their inaugural Inter-Club Competition. On a bright sunny day and steady west wind the fishing was testing but the angling and craic was thoroughly enjoyed by all participants. A total of 66 fish were caught during the two-session day with St Boswells getting the runners up position with 10 fish. The All Stars team, Vic Brown, Tam Brown, Jake Harvey and captain Dave Bell aided by a particularly strong morning session won the Inter-Club Cup with 14 fish.

To supplement the already significant head of rainbow and blue trout in The Watch Water another stocking was made yester...
31/05/2017

To supplement the already significant head of rainbow and blue trout in The Watch Water another stocking was made yesterday. The quality and average size of fish in the 2lb-3lb class was impressive. A few leviathans in there also. Hawthorn flies tumbling in the surface film have been attracting slashing takes from our fish in the past few days. Thanks to Jimmy Fairgrieve, Jim Smail and Jimmy Campbell the stocking team.

30/05/2017

The Watch Water is fishing tremendously well at the moment with most anglers enjoying great success with top of the water techniques. Double figure catches of blues and rainbows from both boat and bank appears to be the norm. Hawthorn flies were active at the weekend. Generally, floating lines with dries, hoppers and diawl bach patterns presented a few feet in front of sighted fish is the most effective method of enticing the cruisers.

Despite a day of mixed weather on 13th May, The Watch Water fished exceptionally well for the Earlston Fishing Club who ...
16/05/2017

Despite a day of mixed weather on 13th May, The Watch Water fished exceptionally well for the Earlston Fishing Club who recorded a catch of 47 blue and rainbow trout.The successful patterns were mainly dries, cormorants, fabs and diawl bach patterns fished on floating, midge tip and slow intermediate lines. A further 6 anglers returned 37 fish on the same day.

What a difference a day without cold North East winds makes! In bright sunshine today, The Watch Water literally boiled ...
09/05/2017

What a difference a day without cold North East winds makes! In bright sunshine today, The Watch Water literally boiled with fish rising to hatching buzzers for almost the whole day. A new batch of first class rainbow and blue trout with some specimens up to 7lbs was stocked this afternoon to add to the already significant stock. These Westmill hatchery fish are in prime condition.

18/04/2017

Another quality stocking of 50% Blues and 50% Rainbows with some specimens up to 7lbs were stocked along the road and lodge shores of The Watch Water Fishery today.
For those of us who enjoy The Watch wildlife almost in equal measure to the fishing, our resident Ospreys have now returned and Martins skim the water. Elsewhere, a flock of around 150 Oyster Catchers have been a welcome sight as well as peewit and whaups. Two of our wardens spotted a pair of crossbills in the pine trees next to the lodge last month and our resident Barn Owls are obviously at home as evidenced by the number of owl pellets below the lodge nesting box. Despite the cool Spring, the sunshine appears also to have stimulated adders out of their winter hibernation as several have been spotted sunning themselves around the reservoir margins in the past couple of weeks.

Address

Longformacus, Near Duns
Duns
TD113PG

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 10pm
Tuesday 8am - 10pm
Wednesday 8am - 10pm
Thursday 8am - 10pm
Friday 8am - 10pm
Saturday 8am - 10pm
Sunday 8am - 10pm

Telephone

+441361890331

Website

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