Newmill Trout Fishery is a multi pond, multi-method commercial trout fishery about three miles outside Lanark and about one mile from Carstairs. The fishery boasts six ponds all stocked with Trout. I believe one of the ponds may have operated as a coarse pond for a while but whether this is still the case I am not sure. As far as I could tell all the ponds hold Rainbow Trout. The Fishery also boasts a popular Fishing Tackle store.
Finding Newmill Trout Fishery
Due to the fairly remote, rural nature of Newmill Trout Fishery and because it all depends where you are coming from to get here. I will provide fairly general and localized instructions here. As a general rule, head for Lanark though be aware if coming from the North or east you are better aiming for Carstairs avoiding Lanark altogether.
Access
Pretty easy though it is a bit of a trek around the back roads of South Lanarkshire and when you get there the sign appears all of a sudden. There is a well-surfaced access road right to the car parking areas.
Public Transport
Being as it is in the back roads of South Lanarkshire I would be surprised if there is any bus sservice nearby. though maybe ther eis some service runs by on the nearby A706 which you may be able to walk in from. If it was me I would get to Lanark and try get a local cab to take me the three miles to Newmill Trout Fishery. If I have this wrong please get in touch and I will update these details.
Contact: Telephone: 01555870730 There seem to be plenty staff ( it also has a tackle shop) andso expect to get an answer.
Species: Rainbow Trout
Other Species: I am told one of t ponds used to have Pike in it, but not sure if this is still the case. I am also unsure if other varieties of Trout are stocked.
Size: There are plenty places to fish being that there are 6 ponds, the smallest is 1 acre and the largest 8 acres. They also seem to vary in clarity from gin clear at the top ( big loch) to a bit murky on the C&R pond, I think as it is stream fed. This doesn’t stop you catching though!
Details
One pond, designated the Fly Pond, is the only one allowed for Catch and Release fishing ( though I understand the fishery can be flexible on this if not too busy and you ask in advance). The other five allow both bait and fly fishing, and I beleive spinning and use of soft plastics.
The Catch and Relase pond, just over the bridge from the lodge/shop is a U shaped pond and I would say the second biggest in the complex. It is fringed by a small river, the Mouse Water, which is a tributary of the River Clyde which part of which can be fished under the UCAPA permit though in the area of Newmills I beleive can be fished with a permit from the fishery.
I understand the ponds designated as Put and take ponds can hold fish up to 20lbs.
Personal Opinions
The Newmill Trout Fishery has been established a while now and seems very popular with locals. Certainly with the price of an “as long as you want” Catch and Release ticket at only £12 you can see the attraction, it is exceptional value.
The Catch and Release pond is though surrounded by trees on the outer edge and also rather oddly, has a high voltage power line running down the more open bank. You would think the Electricity Supplier could be persuaded to move it or bury the cable for safety’s sake though it does appear to be an insulated cable not open wires,
One thing I can say is it isn’t short of fish, and all the anglers seemed to be getting fish on my visit. We did try a few of the other ponds ( before we realised the rule about only the C&R pond being allowed- the fishery were OK about our error). The big loch at the top looks particularly appealing though would take a bit time to explore and would need to be a lot less windy than on the day I was there.
It seems a very friendly place, the staff were all cheery and welcoming, there is tea and coffee available plus cold drinks and a small selection of snacks.
There is also an unusually large fishing tackle shop on site. It did seem a little “lived in” but seemed to have a pretty big stock of tackle of all types, and can be contacted online under the name Fishing Mad.
Value for Money
I don’t think you can knock the value of Newmill Trout Fishery at £12 Catch and Release for as long as you like. The take tickets seem comparable in price to most fisheries with tickets for 2 fish or 4 fish.
Catch and Release Policy
Catch and Release is great value and offered on one of the six ponds, though I do understand that if not too busy and you ask at the shop you might be allowed to fish some of the other ponds.
Website:
The website is not exclusively about the Newmill Trout Fishery, but is more of an online tackle store, but is modren and easy to navigate. I don’t see any fishing reports.
Overall
Pretty good. We had a good time when fishing there, though the wind was a problem at times. The trees around the C&R pond while a bit of a nuisance in some ways also provide shelter so I guess it is a trade off. The fish we caught all gave a good account of themselves and seemed lean and not lots of fat. The C&R pond is a bit murky, not unlike Burnhouse, another stream fed lochan and this probably explains the reason. There had been a fair bit rain before my visit.
I would go back and it would be a useful “Plan B” if a trip to the nearby Clyde got washed out. The tackle shop I understand is highly regarded and has some very good offers from time to time. A friendly and worthwhile day out.
Two small things. There were no places to put litter when fishing. I notied this meant there were a few bits of discarded lines and baits ( I lifted and disposed of them myself) anda few empty bottles and cans lying around. I do understand this is more of an issue with the anglers than the fishery but having a few bins would be a help in this regard.
I think I would also like the ability to roam the lochs if I wished on C&R and would have happily paid a few pouns more for a roaming ticket, that did not compell me to take fish I don’t want. Otherwise a godd value, friendly trout fishery.
