Under Scottish law, trout fishing rights are inseparable from the land upon which the loch or river lies. These rights, unlike salmon fishing rights, cannot be sold separately from the land.

All fishing in Scotland is therefore the legal property of riparian owners, and, as such, all fishing in Scotland is private. You will be committing either a civil or criminal offence if you so much as wet a line without permission to do so from the relevant fishery owner. It is a civil offence to fish for brown trout in Scotland without the written permission of the owner of the fishing rights concerned. In areas covered by a Protection Order, fishing without the permission of the owner is a criminal offence.

The right of fishing remains solely with the owner of the fishing concerned and it is the responsibility of all anglers, prior to fishing, to ensure that they have proper permission to do so from the owner of the fishery in question.

Brown trout fishing in Scotland begins on 15th March and ends on 5th October. However, some fisheries delay the start of the season until 1st April and, in a few cases, until the 1st May.

There is no close season for fishing for rainbow trout and most put-and-take rainbow fisheries remain open all year round. However, some do close in October. Check specific dates with the owner of the fishery when making a booking.

All rod and line fishing in Scotland must be done with a handheld rod. It is a statutory offence to fish with set rods or lines (i.e. with rods set up on rests on the bank akin to coarse fishing methods).