Caol is one of our flagship lochs and in recent years has been in absolutely cracking form. It lies up in the hills north of Altnabreac and is once more regaining its character since the felling of the nearby forestry. Caol means ‘long and thin’ and this is exactly what Caol is – running north to south. To the south the Mountains of Morven and the Scarabens provide an excellent panorama to a day’s fishing on Caol.
Both boat and bank fishing are available here but results over the years have shown that Boat fishing provides the best catches. A boat also allows you to explore the best spots of this loch (and to allow any sort of fishing in either northerly or southerly winds). The main features are a large reed bed in the northern part of the loch and two bays, roughly opposite each other half way down both east and west banks. The southern end, towards the boat house, becomes shallow and weedy and is the least productive area on the loch.
The best areas to fish are around the reed bed in the north and into both of the bays (especially their points) depending on the wind. One interesting (or frustrating) point to note is that fishing appears much less productive off the lee shore and that most good fish appear to take some 40-60m from the windward shore.
Caol has some of the most attractive golden fish of any of our lochs and their average size is well up to the pound mark. A basket in 2004 included 11 fish, all over a pound, with the best going over two. They give fantastic sport but this is not as easy a loch to fish as it may appear. Fish often lie very deep and in any sort of brightness can be extremely reluctant to take, even with leaded flies fished deep. Dry fly is virtually useless. Although the Mayfly hatch here is superb the fish appear to feed on the nymphs rather than adults and once the hatch is fully established easily reach ‘glut’ stages and are reluctant to take. Mayfly patterns are rarely successful here in any of their stages. Black is a good colour on Caol on the Kate McLaren and Black Pennel have taken more fish than most with the Loch Ordy succeeding on the windier days (of which Caol has many)!
Don’t be put off – Caol is a must fish loch for any visiting Forsinard angler.