Forth and Clyde Canal

Location

Lowland Canals

Summary

Across the central belt of Scotland stretches a network of canals whose origins date back over 200 years to the early days of the Industrial Revolution. The largest,the Forth & Clyde canal, runs some 35 miles from Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth to Bowling on the Clyde estuary west of Glasgow. The Union canal, around 4 miles shorter, follows a line inland of the Firth of Forth from Lochrin Basin in the centre of Edinburgh to join the Forth & Clyde at the spectacular Falkirk Wheel, built in 2000 as part of the Millennium Link project which reopened the two canals to boat traffic after nearly forty years of closure. Much of our third canal, the Monkland, is now piped underground, but around a mile remains open at Drumpellier Country park on the outskirts of Coatbridge.

Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting Lowland Canal Angling Partnership - Scotland (LCAPS) at the contact details opposite.

Description

These canals form one of the best, and most accessible, mixed coarse fisheries in Scotland. Roach, perch, pike, eels and tench abound throughout most of their length, with smaller and sometimes localised populations of bream, carp, rudd and gudgeon. Nor are they the shallow featureless waterways that some anglers may associate with canal fishing elsewhere in the country. There is a surprising diversity of habitat and surroundings ranging from stone-sided urban cuts, through twisting reed-lined stretches that hug the contours of quiet wooded hillsides, to open and windswept sections like 'the wides' near Kelvinhead.


Where to fish on the Lowland canals

FORTH & CLYDE CANAL

Bowling to Dalmuir
A pleasant, quiet stretch with good access from Bowling, Old Kilpatrick and at the Dalmuir Drop Lock on Dumbarton Road. This length was largely drained in 1999 and 2000 during the work for the Millennium Link but has quickly been repopulated by roach and perch which are now numerous, though not yet of any great size. Other species are present, but not in significant numbers. It's mostly about 12m - 15m wide with reedbeds and some overhanging tree cover on the far bank. Depths average around 2.1m. There are a couple of gentle bends between Bowling and the lock at Old Kilpatrick which, combined with trees and bushes on the towpath side make this a sheltered stretch, though the length from Old Kilpatrick to Dalmuir is straighter and more exposed.

Clydebank to Westerton
A suburban stretch running through housing estates and a shopping centre. Some parts of this length required extensive dredging or were actually re-dug during the Millennium Link works and they still look a little barren. Again, however, roach and perch are fast repopulating the canal and reasonable catches are to be had. This stretch tends to be narrower, mostly about 12m. There is excellent access at various points. The most popular fishing areas are around the flight of locks at Garscadden just west of where the A82 crosses the canal, and in the area near Westerton Station.

Temple - Lambhill and Glasgow Branch
In this length the Forth & Clyde becomes a true urban canal. Much of the towpath bank is stone-faced although there is still a fair amount of marginal weed, especially on the far side. The best fishing starts above the flight of locks at Maryhill, which marks the beginning of the long summit pound of the canal and has good stocks of all species. Again, most of this area is fairly narrow (11m - 12m) and depths are quite uniform at around 2m. The area close to the junction of the main canal and the 2 mile spur which forms the Glasgow Branch seems to remain a little warmer than the rest of the canal in winter and can be very productive for roach, perch and rudd. There are numerous access points although, as in any urban area, parking is not always totally secure.

Firhill basin
This crescent-shaped former timber basin is around 400m long and up to 60m across with depths to over 4m. It lies immediately adjacent to the Partick Thistle football ground in Maryhill and parking is available close by. The basin is connected to the canal by short channels running under the towpath. It is an excellent year-round fishery and produces particularly good bags of tench. Raking can be necessary in summer as it is densely weeded. This area was stocked with carp in 2002 and is home to some lovely commons running up to low double figures.

Possil Loch to Cadder Bridge (Bishopbriggs)
A fairly open stretch where the canal emerges from Glasgow to cross a tract of marshy countryside along the valley of the River Kelvin. This three-mile length can be productive but is not fished extensively as the only access, aside from the bridges at each end, is at Balmuildy Rd near Bishopbriggs Sports Centre. The canal widens to 12m - 15m for much of this stretch, and is generally 2m - 2.5m deep. There is a fair degree of marginal weed growth and combined with the heavy towpath vegetation this can make it a little tricky to find a swim. Nevertheless it is a good area for tench and roach with a fairly prolific head of pike, largely on the small size.

Cadder to Kirkintilloch
Much of this quiet, sheltered stretch of canal runs along the side of a fairly steep wooded slope, closely following the old Antonine Wall which marked the northern boundary of Roman settlement in Britain. There is some cover on both banks and the Glasgow Bridge end is a popular match length so swims are kept open by regular use. Roach, perch and skimmers are fairly common, with a few tench in the warmer months. Access is excellent, and there is a large secure car park at the Stables pub just next to Glasgow Bridge, which serves good bar meals and all the usual refreshments. As it gets into Kirkintilloch the canal takes on an urban character again. The stretch in the town centre can be good in winter as it appears to retain a slightly higher temperature. Unlike the rest of the canal it can even produce tench in milder weather as late as December.

Tintoch to Dullatur
This is another length with wooded hillsides on much of the far side giving good cover and shade in brighter weather. Trees on both banks and several bends mean it's always possible to find a sheltered spot in this area, even in the wildest weather. However, in autumn the water contains a great deal of decaying leaves and vegetation, and the fishing tends to suffer for a few weeks. It's one of the most prolific stretches for tench in spring and summer, with dense lily beds lining both margins, and as a result you may find it necessary to rake a swim. Although the Kirkintilloch to Kilsyth road runs close to the canal there are few spots for parking apart from small areas near the bridges at Dullatur, Auchinstarry and Twechar, and on the south bank through the tunnel at Tintoch.

Dullatur to Wyndford Lock (Banknock)
Here the canal is up to 3m deep in places and very exposed. It is a largely straight section that follows an elevated line on an embankment running across open marshland for over two miles. Starting at the normal 12m - 15m across, it broadens out quickly to average 20m, and reaches around twice that at its widest point near Kelvinhead. This length offers the best pike fishing on the canal, with a fair sprinkling of double figure fish and odd specimens in excess of 20lbs. It is also noted for tench, roach and bream, all of which tend to reach higher weights than elsewhere on the canal. In addition, it contains a handful of large carp, one of 24lbs was taken by a tench angler in 2004. The main access points are at Dullatur Bridge and Wyndford Lock, but there is also a small car park in Kelvinhead village from where you can walk down a track to the canal in the middle of the stretch.

Castlecary stretch (Wyndford Lock to A80 bridge)
This fairly narrow length of around a mile is sheltered by a large hill on the south bank, and has dense lily beds in both margins. It is an excellent stretch for tench, and also received substantial introductions of quality roach in 2001 and 2002 as part of the LCAPS programme for developing the fishery. In addition, it produces some nice bream and the odd rudd, as well as the ubiquitous perch and pike, both largely on the small side. There is access and car parking at both ends.

Allandale stretch
From the east side of the A80 the canal runs fairly straight across 1mile of open country through three short pounds to Underwood Lock, where there is a car park and restaurant. This length is rather less prolific than Castlecary, and stocks have not yet revived after much of it was drained for engineering works in 2004. However, the stretch immediately above Underwood Lock is very accessible and worthy of attention for roach and the odd tench.

Bonnybridge to Falkirk Wheel
This long pound was dredged extensively during the Millennium Link works, as the silt had become heavily polluted in the vicinity of several old iron foundries and a tar distillery that used to operate on the banks of the canal in this area. Water quality is much better now and there are signs of a healthy population of roach and perch emerging as a result. Access is available at several points.

Falkirk to Grangemouth
At Camelon the canal descends through a flight of locks joined by short pounds, and then runs through a largely urban area to the final lock, which now opens into the Carron River rather than directly into the Firth of Forth. This area is fished very little, although it is know to produce a few roach and perch for local anglers.