Fly fishing at Loch of Benston, Mainland, Shetland

Loch of Benston lies close to the Shetland coast, in low-lying ground where the land barely rises before meeting the sea. It is a loch of roughly 28 hectares, shallow to moderate in depth, with a moderately irregular shoreline of bays and points that give the bank angler plenty of varied water to explore. The fetch is short and the surrounding catchment is largely peat, though the water itself is reasonably productive, with moderate alkalinity.

This is one of Shetland's better-known trout lochs, owned by the SAA, and it has a strong reputation built over many years. The trout average better than a pound, and fish exceeding six pounds have been taken here. Wading is safe across much of the loch, and it fishes well from a boat — the Association keeps a hire boat at the north-east corner, where there is a parking area. As the season advances the loch becomes increasingly weedy, which shapes where and how the fish are best approached. A size limit of twelve inches applies, and any trout below this must be returned.

Rules

Permitted methods

Fly only

Fly fishing only.

Fishery-wide rules

Fish limits & sizes

Minimum sizes

Brown trout 10 inches (254 mm); sea trout 12 inches (305 mm).
Undersized fish must be returned.

Protected fish

All wild salmon and grilse, and all Arctic char, must be returned alive.

Permitted methods

Methods

Fly fishing and spinning are allowed on most association lochs.
Worm fishing is discouraged for adults (due to the risk of deep-hooking) but accepted for juniors.

Byelaws

One rod per angler

Only one rod may be used at a time per angler.

No Sunday fishing

Sunday fishing for sea trout and salmon is prohibited across all waters, regardless of land ownership or permit.

All salmon must be released

Under the Salmon Conservation Regulations (in force since 1 April 2016), Shetland is a Grade 3 area — it is a criminal offence to kill any salmon caught here. All salmon must be released by law, regardless of condition. The exception is fish clearly of farmed origin.

Protected wildlife

Nesting birds

It is a criminal offence to disturb nesting wild birds, including Schedule 1 species. Many nest beside lochs. Avoid any loch holding Red-throated Divers. Several lochs are SSSIs with legally binding conditions of use.

Club rules

Report salmon caught

All salmon caught and released must be reported to the Shetland Anglers Association via the contact page.