In 2023 The Heriot Angling Club had 24 club outings to fish the following fisheries / venues:

  • Lake of Menteith
  • Harelaw
  • Linlithgow Loch
  • Coldingham Loch
  • Frandy Reservoir
  • Glencorse Reservoir
  • Black Loch
  • Watchwater

To enquire about joining the Angling Club email our Secretary Mel Mitchell on melmit62@gmail.com.

Note: The club also manages its own fishery (brown trout and rainbows), on a superb loch in West Perthshire.

For details about booking a public permit on our loch, send an email to lochrusky@gmail.com or phone 07599 137 466.

George Heriots and its sister clubs

A brief history of the club

Back in the mists of time George Heriot School had a fishing club. This fell by the wayside in 1929.

The club lay dormant until 1948 when Mr Tom Mackenzie decided to reform the Club. He had discovered that some of his near neighbours were keen fishers – and were also former pupils of the school. The Heriot FP Angling Club was then reborn. It restarted with about eight members – Tom, John Thompson, Jock Ogilvie, Bill Stone, Robbie Mackenzie, Alan Clements, Dave Falconer and Jim McNair. The intention was that a few friends would go out together and have a pleasant day fishing the rivers. This happy band would get a service bus down to Melrose, Sprouston or Stobo on the Tweed.

This plan worked well until the membership increased, then “competition” reared its head – so competitive outings had then to be arranged, and the hire of a bus was required to take the competitors to the selected venues. They would fish all day and on the long way home, stop at some hostelry for dinner and a chat about the day, and no doubt they made arrangements for the next outing.

After a few members acquired motor cars, they started to branch out to venues like Leven, Venachar, Gladhouse and Harperrigg Loch.

After about 1962 fishing was more popular and most waters were by then overcrowded and overfished. The Club took the decision to find their own water, and the search was on.

Eventually in 1964, a loch was located that could, with some hard work, be transformed into a gem of a place. The work took the form of changing the pH of the water which required the feeder burns being lined with limestone, then waiting for the change to happen. During this time the dam and sluices were rebuilt, raising the water level by about 600 mm. A boathouse and a comfortable cabin were also built and some boats were acquired. Finally the loch was stocked with both rainbow and brown trout.

We have a DVD that shows our loch being born – copies can be obtained by contacting Stewart Mackenzie, our enthusiastic and dedicated Fishing Convener.

At the end of 2010, the club took the decision to become an open Club as this recognised the contribution that associate members had made to the Club over the years – the name was then changed from The Heriot F.P. Angling Club to The Heriot Angling Club.