PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER HAVE ANY AFFILIATION WITH STIRLING CASTLE AC. PLEASE REFER TO THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

Details

Cocksburn Reservoir is a small, now disused for water supply, reservoir at the back of Bridge of Allan. While its formal name is Cocksburn Reservoir most locals refer to it as Pendreich which is the name of the surrounding Foresty Commission woodland.

Coloured Brown Trout
Gorgeous coloured Brownie of about a pound and a half on the Kate McLaren

It is stocked with Brown Trout and maintained by Stirling Castle Angling Club.
Permits are available from Angling Active and cost £15 for 2019. Permits are Dawn to Dusk. If you are interested in fishing it more than a few times, then consider joining SCAC.

A permit allows you to fish from dawn to dusk and it’s a place you can pretty much have to yourself for most of the day weekdays anyway.

Poachers beware

Cocksburn Reservoir
Remarkably still Pendreich looking along the dam wall

Be aware, though there may be no one on site, Baillifs do monitor the loch remotely and the Police will be called if poaching is suspected.
Fishing for permit holders is from the bank only.

There is a small boat ( soon to be two) but only club members are allowed to hold the keys though Angling Active have a set that can be loaned to permit holders with a deposit.

Fishing from the Dam wall is probably easiest for most anglers, however it is possible to bank fish and wade on both North and South banks though weed does build up in some areas as the season progresses making bank fishing a little tricky at times. Float tubing is permitted only for members who have signed an insurance waiver with the club. Note the loch narrows towards a weedier area where a burn joins the loch. The top half of this weedy area is a designated wildlife sanctuary and fishing is not permitted. If in any doubt do not progess beyond where the loch narrows at the east end into the weedy area.

Rules

Nature reserve at Pendreich
A schematic showing the boundary beyond which no fishing is permitted as it is a designated nature reserve

Fishing is fly only and no Lures.

There is a Two fish take limit for anglers wanting fish for the pot, and all anglers are limited to 10 fish total even when fishing Catch and Release. For C&R observe the usual precautions, don’t return seriously injured fish, try limit handling, handle with wet hands and if the water is very warm as it can be in summer, try rest the fish well and return it to deeper water, When fishing on the dam wall a very long handled net is recommended to recover fish, and returning them. DO NOT throw the fish back into the water from the wall.

As its not my place to hand out peoples private information on a publicly accessible website, anyone wanting information about Stirling Castle Angling Club can look up current details on their website.

Alternatively Angling Active can provide contact details also. I noticed there was no information about the club on the permit.

5-stars

Website:

Currently unmaintained.

2-stars

Facilites:

None accessible to non members as not a commercial fishery. There is a boat house and members can shelter their if needs be, though no mains electricity so bring a flask! Very quiet and a really nice place to spend a (hopefully not too windy) day away from it all. There are boats for the use of members.

At the end of 2018 the reservoir was drained down for maintenance and this aerial view gives you a clear look at the underwater topography that is usually unseen by the angler.

Species: Brown trout and Pike.

4-stars

Opinions

A really nice wee spot and fantastic value for the local angler looking for a place to wet a line now and then. On a bad day can be the dourest place on the planet, on a good day the fish can be chasing and taking everything. With brown Trout you just never know! During 2020 and 2021 it seems to have become more of a watersports centre than a loch for fishing. Part of this is doubtless down to the pandemic, with people staying local , but also the recent uptick in both “wild swimming ” and Paddle Boarding has proven detrimental to anglers wanting a peaceful few hours on the loch. Add to this the pathway installed by SPEN as part of the Denny Power line reparations and its become too accessible to make for a quiet fishing experience.