Little Leny - Drumardoch Estate

The River Leny is a Salmon river primarily, however there are some good Trout and a significant number of Sea Trout hold in the lower river above Callander and up the Eas Gobhain river. The Little Leny Beat incorporates a section of the left bank of the lower Eas Gobhain and this is by far the best Sea Trout specific river on the Teith system. The beat is small, yet it offers optimal positioning on the right bank of the lower Leny and the left bank of the lower Eas Gobhain within 100-200m walk at any time right down to The Meetings Pool, confluence of both of the rivers to form the River Teith. The Stirling Council Water is on the far bank. Known historically as a Spring river, the Leny has changed over recent years to include the Summer and Autumn too, therefore there is a chance at Trout, Sea Trout and Salmon all season from the Little Leny beat.

The section of ground between the Garbh Uisge and Eas Gobhain is called ‘Little Leny’. The convergence of these two rivers form the River Teith. The beat is within 30 minutes of Stirling and approximately an hour of Edinburgh, Perth and Glasgow. The old railway line is now a foot or cycle path, Great Trossachs Path, a National Trail, and is the backbone of this fishery. The Meadows car park in Callander offers convenient access to this pathway via the upstream car park.

The Little Leny fishing begins on the River Leny below the old Weir near Trean on the South bank, true right bank. There is no fishing on the left bank, Upper Leny beat. Below the iron bridge is Stirling Council water on the left bank. The Upper limit of the fishing on the Eas Gobhain within the Little Leny beat is the marker sign at the run off stream. Left bank fishing only on the Eas Gobhain section. The fishing upstream of this boundary is the ‘Eas Gobhain Fishings’ run separately. A different permit is required to fish this.

Ideal for a quick cast, visitors, tourists and locals alike can quickly nip up to the Little Leny Beat for a chance at a fish of a lifetime. The fishing on the Little Leny is fly only unless otherwise specified in the rules. There are some lovely pools especially The Graveyard and The Meetings. Salmon, Sea Trout and Brown Trout are all equally as likely to take here so fish a selection of flies that could tempt all of the above. The section opposite the houses on the lower Leny will hold salmon briefly during higher water so timing is key here. The Meetings hold salmon throughout the year. Be in with a chance of a very good fish on this little beat that offers so much to the local and visiting angler.

The Lower Leny (Right Bank Only)

The lower Leny section of this beat starts below the weir however the fishing is really only possible from the islands down. To access this, park in the upper Meadows car park in Callander and follow the well signposted path up the river, longer route but you get to see the Meetings, or round the back of the play park, faster route. Cross the iron bridge and follow the path for 50m approximately to turn right at an old kissing gate and into the field. There is a trodden path through the grass to the river, where to fish is pretty obvious here and downstream. This section is shallow and swift, but the pool downstream opposite the first house is deep and can hold running fish. Be careful of the gravel sloping underfoot here, it is very deep and can be dangerous. Fish this inside bend as far down as the trees allow and it is advisable to take a wading stick and a life jacket because below the bend again is very deep and the river bed is thick mud as it slows. This is an excellent place to try for a salmon. The pool above the bridge is very difficult to fish, however it does hold Sea Trout and will hold running Salmon. Below the bridge is the best Sea Trout pool on the Leny. The bend is best fished from the inside on your bank and access to this is down the field from the bridge. Drop down off the high bank and start with a short cast. There are submerged roots and all sorts of great habitat for Sea Trout here. It is dark too under the canopy, so this is worth visiting first on a Sea Trout night and then revisiting later. The rest of the Leny to the Meetings is high sided and logs jam up the pools. Although ideal habitat for Trout and Sea Trout, the fishing is almost impossible. The Meetings pool is the confluence of the Leny and the Eas Gobhain. This pool offers a chance at a very good salmon in all but very low conditions. There is a gravel bar that is easily covered from your bank downstream of the ‘V’ which holds salmon, Sea Trout and Trout.

Lower Eas Gobhain (Left Bank Only)

The top of the fishing here is a gorgeous section of water where the stream comes in despite the high grass and submerged trees. To get to here directly, use the same directions above to get to the Leny, however at the kissing gate, take a left off of the main path through the field towards the walled graveyard. Please stick to the path here, there are very rare flaura and fauna in the marshland. Walk upstream through the high grass to the boundary. A few casts focusing on the pockets between the submerged trees can bring very large Brown Trout to the surface with dries and often a Sea Trout too during the day. Night and day fishing is very enjoyable in The Graveyard Pool. Waders are required for this pool as the access is deep, but you come up onto a gravel bar and you can fish down for some 50m in the right height. In spate this pool is not advised. Again, carry a wading stick to feel around in front of you. There are no sheer drop offs that we know of as it is all nice easy gravel, but the sedimentary mud under the surface at the tail and near the bank of the pool can be deep and your feet can get stuck. This pool has a gorgeous neck flowing over weed that holds very good Sea Trout and Brown Trout especially in the tail. The run above the meetings is worth a cast at night. The Bull Rushes stop at the edge of the bank and you can drop in to the river depending on the height. New anglers to this section will feel more confident with a wading stick. Fish this run right down to The Meetings pool.

There is ‘The Cabin’ on Loch Lubnaig for a take-away coffee, with the best burgers in the area, the meat is from the local estate. Bakeries, cafes, restaurants and hotels line the main street of Callander. Drumardoch Estate offer self catering accommodation. Parking is in the Callander Meadows car park only. Gates and paths give you easy access to the main fishing stretches. Please leave gates as you find them.