Stillwater · Mixed · Angus, GB-SCT

Rescobie Loch

Rescobie Loch venue image

Rescobie sits a few miles east of Forfar, a broad low-ground loch that has been a stalwart of Angus fly fishing for as long as anyone can remember.

Closed season · Rainbow
Minkie · 6–10
Closed season
Season reopens 2026-04-01. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.

Rescobie Loch is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 20 km/hGentle breeze · Gusts to 35 km/h
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6–10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Gentle breeze · Gusts to 35 km/h
SW 20 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp7.4°C
Air temp4°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Head to
Wind driftSW wind
South-western end

A southwesterly has held for 9 hours, running colder than the water (4°C air against 7°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered south-western end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
No strong hatch signals at the moment — general searching tactics should work best. Drift conditions look good — cover the wind lanes.
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Minkie on the bob and Booby on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Minkie on the bob and Booby on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Buzzer team todayfor the conditions now
Point
Black buzzer, orange thorax
Not in this water's box
#10
How to fish it
Slow-sink line · slow figure-of-eight, pausing to let the flies hang

Fly recommendations

Point fly shown — supporters see the whole team, sizes and why.

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Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
71%
Cloud50%
Wind65%
Temp100%

A good match for Rescobie Loch — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Crombie Reservoir
11 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Monikie Reservoir
14 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Monikie Reservoir
14 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Forbes of Kingennie
17 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Loch of Lintrathen
23 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Stocked with rainbows and the occasional brown, boat-fished the loch-style way along the drifts, it has quietly hosted more club competitions than most venues twice its size. The setting is unremarkable — flat Angus farmland, a line of trees along the southern shore — but the fishing is consistent and the fish are honest. The kind of venue that doesn't make the glossy magazines but has been working quietly for decades. Worth the drive from Dundee for a traditional Scottish stillwater experience without the trip west into Perthshire.

Surface area
59 ha (146 acres)
Max depth
6.0 m (20 ft)
Length
2.0 km (1.2 mi)
Width
550 m (601 yd)
Area, max depth, length and width: Wikipedia, Rescobie Loch
  • Loch
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for winter fishing.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2026-04-01 → 2026-10-06
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingSmall Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsFly Fishing for Beginnersnew to fly fishing? start here
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Rescobie Loch is a loch in Angus, Scotland. It sits at about 139 m above sea level. Species listed for this water: rainbow trout and brown trout. The trout season is recorded as running from 1 April to 6 October. Best window recorded for anglers: April to September. Core methods listed: loch style; buzzer; nymph. Nearby waters in our listings include Crombie Reservoir at 11 km, Monikie Reservoir at 14 km and Monikie Reservoir at 14 km.