Isle of Mull
The irregularly-shaped Isle of Mull offers many opportunities for both the freshwater and sea angler alike.
Tobermory at the northern end of the Sound of Mull is the largest town on the Island. It has been made famous in recent years by the childrens TV programme Balamory which was set in the town.
There are ferry services from Oban to Craignure, Lochaline to Fishnish, and Kilchoan to Tobermory. See the Caledonian MacBrayne web site (on the links page) for information on ferry times.
Sea Fishing Around Mull
The waters around Mull have produced the current British boat record Common Skate, Grey Gurnard and Plaice. Current Scottish boat record fish from around Mull include Angler Fish, Red Gurnard, Streaked Gurnard, Scale Rayed Wrasse and Turbot.
Large parts of the coastline of Mull are backed by high cliffs, making access to the shore difficult. There are, however, lots of good marks that are easy to get to. The sea lochs and estuaries will produce sea trout from late April onwards.
The deep waters of the Sound of Mull and Forth of Lorn are famous for the huge common skate they produce. Fish of over 200lb are tagged and released on a regular basis and the current British boat record common skate of 227lb was caught off Tobermory in 1986. There are a large number of shipwrecks around the island that attract a good variety of fish.
The waters to the south and west are more open to the Atlantic Ocean which brings in other species. Of most interest to the angler is the presence of sea bass.
Due to Mull's volcanic origin a compass cannot be relied upon in fog or darkness in certain areas, so check Admiralty Charts before planning an outing by boat.
Trout & Salmon Fishing
Loch Frisa is the largest and deepest freshwater loch on Mull. It is 5 miles long, half a mile wide, and drops to a depth of 60m. It holds a good number of brown trout that average 8-10oz, but trout of 5lb+ are not uncommon. Fishing is by all legal methods. There's also the chance of a salmon and sea trout which enter the loch via the River Aros and Ledmore Burn. Access to the loch is by forestry track on the east shore. The River Aros is fly fishing only below the Ledmore junction. Salmon average 6lb and sea trout 1½lb. The largest salmon taken from the river in years gone by weighed 45lb. Permits are reasonably priced at £4/day or £20/week and are available from Tackle & Books in Tobermory.
The land between Loch Frisa and Tobermory has a number of hill lochs that vary in size and quality. Trout ranging from 6oz to 2 or 3 pounds can be encountered.
Loch Ba is the other large body of fresh water on Mull. It is 3 miles long, over half a mile wide, and 40m deep. The loch holds brown trout, salmon and sea trout. Large sea trout are still caught occasionally, the largest to date tipped the scales at 19lb.
There are many other spate streams and good trout lochs to be found, from Lochdon down to Bunessan. Loch Assapol holds brown trout averaging half a pound, but has produced a brownie of 7½lb. Salmon and sea trout can also be caught in the loch. Permits and boat hire are available at Bunessan.