Loch of Winyadepla

About

It's only a 40 minute walk to Winyadepla from the parking at the end of the reservoir access road.
You'll find links to the walking and driving routes at the top of this page.
The driving route takes you to the start of the walking route and the place you can park.

On the way to Winyadepla you can fish around Skutes Water or, if you are itching to get to Winyadepla, on the way back. Either way, it's well worth a cast.

Winyadepla is small, shallow, alkaline and has limited spawning. All the indicators of a big fish water. Sitting high up on the sea cliff is a lovely place to blank, and that's what will happen. But don't let that put you off. If you hook a fish here, it'll be a good one.

Please remember to use barbless hooks and return all fish. Each fish in this water has the potential to be a fish of a lifetime. Let them go and let them grow.

We caught numerous very small fish in the pointed southern bay, and because we fished barbless, we could lower the rod tip, which helped them shake the flies without needing to be handled.

Another reason to fish barbless. These little guys are the future fish of a lifetime.

The water is small, and fishing pressure will affect your success. Our group was three, but I think two would have been better.

Pick a side, fish as meticulously as you can, lunch, then swap sides.

The fish will feed on the surface, and you will see them rising and crashing about. We fished hogs in and on the surface, and the 3lb fish took an Orkney Peach hog.

Wading can be tricky, but I'd approach it carefully and fish the margins thoroughly before stepping into the water. There are deep pockets of water in the margins formed by large boulders. The fish lie in the deep pocket of water, waiting for food to pass them by. The water clarity means you can easily see these underwater features and target them methodically.

Hold on tight!

Location