Weclome to Harperrig Fisheries

Harperrig reservoir is one of the Lothians' oldest-established and most popular brown trout fisheries. At 220 acres it lies adjacent to the A70 at the foot of the Cauldstane Slap, a feature of the Pentlands lying between the two prominent hills of East and West Cairn and well-known to hillwalkers as the old cattle drovers' route to the markets of the south. Generally shallow, much of the reservoir is less than ten feet deep, making it ideal for bank, boat and float tube angling. It fishes well right from opening day, bank anglers finding fish well within casting distance and areas of offshore shallows producing early sport for boat anglers.

The reservoir was constructed in the 1840's to provide compensation water for the mills on the Water of Leith, the headwaters of which enter Harperrig at Cairns Farm and which, along with the Ba'ad Burn at the eastern corner provide good, accessible spawning grounds for the trout. The reservoir has a substantial population of self-sustaining trout and supplementary stocking with high quality fish is carried out each year.

Traditional flies and tactics are the order of the day here with patterns such as Kate McLaren, Blae & Black and Butcher serving the angler well throughout the season. Other favourites here include the Zulus, both blue and black, Clan Chief, Golden Olive Bumble, Bibio and Alexandra. Hoppers in ginger, black, claret or olive will prove their worth once the water warms and wind-blown terrestrial insects begin to feature prominently in the trout's diet.

As everywhere, flat calms in summer are testing conditions but more and more anglers are turning to modern emerger patterns such as Klinkhammers, Parachutes and CdC dressings and getting good results on those days when the wind drops to nothing.