Latest News
9th January 2012- Committee Meeting & Loch News
There will be a Committee Meeting on Tuesday 31st January 2012 at 7.30pm. Contact George Black to confirm venue.
The recent high winds haven't left the loch entirely unscathed, with a few trees down at the west end of the loch. It's also worth remembering that the weather may have affected the area to the north of the loch which has been affected by rockfall, care should be taken in this area. The club would recommend avoiding the area directly below the rockfall, which can be bypassed using the path along the top of the hill.
20th December 2011- Pike Fishing
The loch is now closed until February (date TBC). There is no fishing apart from pike fishing which is for members only. Much of the loch is now frozen, particularly at the west end.
Have a great Christmas and we will see you in the new year.
8th December 2011- 2012 Season Tickets now on sale.
2012 season tickets are now on sale, and you can have yours in time for Christmas, ideal as a Christmas treat for a friend or family member, or even just for yourself! Contact Sam Armstrong on 01236 769221 for details. Prices are: Adult Season Ticket- £50 + £5 per day Junior Season Ticket- £30 + £4 per day
14th November 2011- Eddie Clarke RIP
Eddie Clarke passed away on Sunday 13th November 2011. Eddie was a founding member of the club and a former Club President, and will be sadly missed by all at the club. His funeral will take place at Holytown Crematorium on Friday 18th November at 1115hrs.
The clubs thoughts are with the family at this time.
9th November2011- Membership Cards
All members are asked that if they have not already done so, to bring a passport sized photograph to the next members meeting, to allow membership/bailiff cards to be made up for next season.
8th November 2011- Trophy Presentation
The loch closed to the public on 30th October, and opened for one day for a members only competition. The weather held out, but the cold meant that the fish were hard to find, and few were caught. Jim Cassidy won the days sweepstake competition, with Robert Deacons coming a close second. After the days competition everyone returned to the Owl & Trout for a meal and the presentation of the prizes for the 2011 season. Paul Blades was a standout winner, taking four trophies home with him.
More photos of the presentation can be viewed HERE.
20th October- The end of the season approaches
The Lilly Loch will close for the 2011 season on 30th October. All anglers are reminded that fishing is now from dawn until dusk only, there is no night fishing at present. Please be off the water by dusk.
The brown trout season has closed, and any brown trout landed must be returned to the water. That's exactly what Tommy Currie did when he caught this beauty on a toby:
6th October 2011- Ticket prices for 2012/ 2011 Competition Winners
2012 will see a slight rise in ticket prices, with adult day tickets rising by two pounds, to ten pounds. Season ticket prices have also changed, a full list is on the Prices, Rules and Membership page. The bag limit will remain at 4 fish per session.
With all the club competitions out of the way it was time to add up bag limits and calculate the winner of the championship for season 2011. This years winner was Paul Blades, taking his tally of trophies for the season to four. The runner up was Gavin Paton. This years Junior champion was Derek Armstrong, with Aaron Armstrong as runner up, Derek taking an impessive three trophies, including the Loch Cup and the heaviest fish.
Today sees the end of the brown trout season. From now until the end of our rainbow trout season on 30th October you cannot use live bait. Powerbait IS permitted. Getting in just before the end of the season was 6 year old Abbie McCorquondale from Airdrie, who landed a cracking 2lb 8oz brown trout.
23rd September 2011- Meetings, Night Fishing, Stocking.
There will be an additional members meeting on Tuesday 4th October 2011 at 7.30pm in Springfield Community Centre.
A pair of prescription spectacles and two jackets were found last Sunday, these can be collected from the container. The loch continues to be stocked regularly. The latest stocking took place earlier this week, with rainbow trout in the 1.5lb to 3lb range being stocked. If you come away empty handed it's not for a lack of fish!
Finally a reminder that night fishing on the loch ended a few weeks ago. Your permit is valid from dawn until dusk. Bailiffs have been on the loch during the hours of darkness and anglers have been caught fishing outside permitted hours and without permits. Anyone doing so runs the risk of being banned from the Lilly Loch AND Hillend Reservoir.
19th September 2011- Tankard
Congratulations to Paul Blades, who took the Tankard yesterday, with a rainbow trout of 2lb 2oz, caught on brown powerbait. This is Pauls second trophy of the year, having won the pike trophy back in April.
Otherwise the loch has been fishing well, with decent fish being taken around the loch, on various baits, powerbait and fly doing very well, as the photos below illustrate.
Well done also to Olivia Cassidy, a junior member, who took a full four fish bag limit yesterday, all caught on brown powerbait.
15th September 2011-Photos
The loch was fishing well this evening, with both powerbait and fly taking fish. Glasgow angler Steven Docherty took a fine 4 fish bag, while local man Muhammad Zubair, a recent convert from sea fishing, took a pair of rainbow trout and a jack pike, all on the fly.
The club would like to remind all anglers that when bait fishing you cannot catch and release. All fish caught count to your bag limit, it is not acceptable to return fish which are takeable, to simply take large fish only. Anyone seen doing so will be liable to have their day permit cancelled and to be suspended from fishing the loch.
If you have any concerns about the behaviour of groups or individuals fishing on the loch, please advise the bailiffs on the day. We have had one or two complaints about some anglers behaviour, but if the bailiffs aren't made aware at the time then there is little we can do. All anglers should be aware of the full rules of the loch, which are printed on your ticket.
The first of the two September competitions was held on Sunday 4th September. The winner of the George Rae trophy was Mark Armstrong with a fish of 2.2 lbs. Jack Blades won the George Rae junior trophy with a nice rainbow of 2.5lbs, runner up was Aaron Armstrong with a 2 lb fish.
Jack Blades and his winning fish.
The loch has changed the way it has been stocked in the past, with less specimen size fish being included, and it is paying off, with fish in the 1.5lbs to 3lbs range now the average, meaning more fish per stocking. Local angler Tommy Ellis had a great day last Thursday, catching 7 fish on the fly, all of which were returned. The following day the bailiff reported that all anglers on the loch had fish, Stephen Docherty taking his full bag limit with fish ranging from 1.5lbs to 2.5lbs.
Stephen Docherty and a full bag limit.
It's always good to see newcomers to the loch. Jim Gregory brought youngster Scott Winchester from Livingston on his first ever fishing trip, and the term beginners luck was certainly apt, as he landed a cracking Rainbow Trout weighing 4lb 10oz.
Scott Winchester from Livingston with his first ever fish- all 4lbs 10oz!
An additional members meeting has been called for the 4th October, time and venue to be confirmed.
22nd August 2011- Latest News
31st August sees the end of overnight fishing on the loch for the year, and from 1st September onwards fishing is from dawn until dusk only.
September also sees the last two club members competitions of the year. On Sunday 4th the G&J Rae trophy will be fished for, and two weeks later on Sunday 18th, the Tankard is up for grabs.
There have been some reports of anglers killing pike at the loch. We would ask that anyone catching pike return them to the water, rather than killing them. The trout being stocked are generally larger than what the predators take, so they aren't considered a nuisance, and they also provide sport for pike anglers in the winter.
27th July 2011- Yorkhill Fishathon
There were 26 entries for the charity fishathon in aid of Yorkhill Hospital. Like many other venues recently the fishing was poor, however the lads were delighted to receive a cheque for £200 donated by Johnny Armstrong on behalf of Clarkston Angling Club.
16th July 2011- Congratulations Jim
Well done to local angler Jim Reid, who landed this rainbow weighing in at just over 10lbs, using powerbait.
17th June 2011- Jim Armstrong Open Memorial Trophy
The loch is closed tonight ahead of tomorrows open competition. The main prize is £100, and there are additional prizes of tackle, as well as a sweepstake. Competition entry is your ticket fee plus £2 sweep.
17th June 2011- Junior Competition
Last Sunday saw 8 junior members contest their annual competition. Despite being stocked a few days before the fish were playing hard to get. Come the weigh in the clear winner was Aaron Armstrong, with a 3.77lbs rainbow trout.
7th June 2011- NO FISHING AT THE LOCH NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT (17th).
The Jim Armstrong Open Memorial Trophy will be held on Saturday 18th June. There will be NO FISHING from 1900hrs on Friday 17th until 0730hrs on Saturday morning when the competition begins. Bailliffs will be present at the loch on Friday night to ensure that no fishing takes place before the competition.
The competition is an open competition and is therefore open to members and non-members alike.
20th May 2011- Competition results
Sunday 7th May saw the Honorary Presidents Cup and the Boys Cup competed for. The weather was stunning, with a lot of fish activity on and around the surface. There were no monster fish caught, but a number of good size bags were taken. The Honorary Presidents Cup was won by Craig Armstrong with a 3lb 8oz rainbow trout, while the boys trophy was taken with another 3lb 8oz fish by a clearly very pleased Derek Armstrong.
Bailiff Johnny Armstrong recently landed this 5lb rainbow trout, using powerbait:
5th May 2011- Pike Competition 12 members turned up on cold and sunny Sunday 17th April for the pike competition. There were 12 pike caught in total. Runner up was Mark Armstrong with an 8lb 7oz fish, but he was beaten by winner Paul Blades, with a cracking fish weighing in at 9lb 8oz. Well done Paul.
4th March 2011 - Rules of the loch
Recently a few anglers were caught fishing with two rods. Please note that our rules are clear on this, one rod per angler can be used at any one time. It is permissable to have a second rod set up (for example a fly rod) but it cannot be used at the same time. All anglers should be aware of the rules of the loch, which are printed on your ticket.
Also, if you have any concerns about the behaviour of groups or individuals fishing on the loch, please advise the bailiffs on the day. If the bailiffs aren't made aware at the time then there is little we can do.
After a very poor opening weekend there were a number of complaints from anglers that the loch had not been stocked prior to opening day. To clarify, the loch was stocked in October 2010 just before the loch closed, and these fish were overwintered in the loch for the start of this season.
Since opening day the loch has now been stocked and will continue to be stocked regularly throughout the season. Dates and times of stockings will not be advertised for obvious reasons and days will be varied throughout the week.
We welcome comments about your time on the loch in our guestbook, good or bad. However what is not acceptable is for individuals to post a number of messages pretending to be from many 'disgruntled anglers' to make it appear that there is a large amount of unhappy customers. I am provided with email addresses and IP addresses of those posting messages. All messages are approved before posting, and anyone posting multiple messages will have their messages blocked/removed from the guestbook.
26th February 2011- Loch Open.
The loch opens today for rainbow trout fishing only. See HEREfor more details.
8th February 2011- Ticket prices for 2011 season.
The loch opens on Saturday 26th February for rainbow trout only and for brown trout on 15th March.
Ticket prices for the new season are now on the website. They have been held for the third year running and can be found HERE.
Could anyone who held a season ticket last season please contact Tom Lang on 07596 505 242 to let him know whether you intend to renew your ticket. Season tickets must be renewed by 31st March at the very latest. Season tickets are limited, and those tickets not renewed by this date may then be allocated to someone else.
Older News
The club AGM will take place at 7pm on Tuesday 1st February, in Springfield Community Centre.
6th December 2010- Members Meeting Cancelled
Due to the winter weather Springfield Community Centre will be closed tomorrow night, the planned members meeting is now cancelled. Please let as many members know about this as possible. Those members who were due to pay membership fees should contact Tom Lang on 07596 505242.
6th December- Nether Bracco Wind Farm Application
Members may be interested to know that the amended application for a windfarm on the South side of the loch has been resubmitted to North Lanarkshire Council. The Club Committee support the construction of the windfarm. Some members may be interested in viewing the plans, and these can be seen online at: https://eplanning.northlan.gov.uk/Online/caseFile.do?category=application&caseNo=08/00462/FUL The plans may also be viewed at Airdrie Library, Plains Community Centre, Caldercruix Community Centre, or at the Planning Department, Kildonan Street, Coatbridge.
9th November 2010- Pike Fishing
The club has been contacted by a few people asking about pike fishing in the close season. Pike fishing is permitted for club members, and is free of charge. Should a non-member wish to fish for pike they must be accompanied by a club member.
1st November 2010- Loch Closed
The Loch is now closed until 2011. Dates and prices for the new season will be posted when they are available.
29th October 2010- Rights of Way walk
Jim Cassidy will be leading a walk on and around the Blackhill area on Saturday 6th November, using local rights of way. Some of these may be known to you, others may not. If you want to join Jim or find out more about the walk, visit: http://airdrierambler.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/hello-world/
26th October 2010- Seasons end approaches
The loch will close at dusk on Sunday 31st October and will not reopen until 2011. The loch is still fishing well, and congratulations are in order to 9 year old Mhairi Weir who caught a fine 3 and 3/4lb rainbow trout on green powerbait on the 17th October (see the picture gallery for photos). Well done Mhairi!
6th October 2010- Brown trout season closes
The fishing season for brown trout closes today. We will remain open for fishing for rainbow trout (by fly, spinner and powerbait only)until 31st October. We'd also like to remind you that overnight fishing on the loch has now ceased for this year.
26th September 2010- Caldercruix Railway Station
December 12th 2010 will see Caldercruix Railway Station reopen, too late for this season, but in plenty of time for the 2011 season. The station will be served by two trains an hour each way from Glasgow and Edinburgh. The station itself will be in Station Road, Caldercruix, which is about 1.5km away from the loch.
17th September 2010- Members meeting
There will be an additional members meeting on Tuesday 5th October at 7.30pm in Springfield Community Centre.
14th September 2010- Loch news
The loch has been recently stocked and is fishing well. Below is a photo of Ian Stewart of the Black Bull Fishing Club, from Glasgow, with a smashing 7lb 4oz rainbow trout, caught on their club trip of 28th August.

Can we remind all those who fish the loch that you may only fish one rod at a time. Should you wish to fly fish/spin you must take your bait rod out of the water. Anyone found fishing with more than one rod may be asked to leave the loch, and may be barred from fishing there in future.
13th August- Anti Social Behaviour
If you have any concerns about the behaviour of groups or individuals fishing on the loch, please advise the bailiffs on the day. We have had one or two complaints about some anglers behaviour, but if the bailiffs aren't made aware at the time then there is little we can do. All anglers should be aware of the rules of the loch, which are printed on your ticket.
7th July 2010- Competition results
The Lilly loch has seen some big money prizes up for grabs in recent weeks. First up was the annual Jim Armstrong Memorial Open Competition which saw over 60 anglers from far and wide using all their skill (and considerable amounts of hope) in an attempt to net the biggest trout and the large amounts of prize money and tackle on offer, not to mention further cash, courtesy of the £2 per angler sweepstake collection. When the final horn blew Stephen Frame stepped up to be presented with £100 cash, a new spinning rod and a bonus of £50 sweepstake money as a reward for a magnificent Rainbow Trout of 7lbs 8oz. Second prize of £50, a spinning reel and £36 sweep money went to John Graham for his 3lbs 12oz trout. Pat Thomson had a trout of the same size but was relegated to 3rd place because his 2nd fish was a few ounces smaller than Johns but £25 and £18 sweep money brought his usual smile back very quickly. P.Callaghan took 4th place, £15 plus £12 sweep money and 7 year old Peter Higgins beat most adults with a 3lbs 3oz fish which earned the youngster £10 and £6 sweep money. Grateful thanks are due to Airdrie Taxis, Airdrie Angling Centre and Clarkston Angling Club themselves all of whom contributed to the tremendous prize pot which helped make Jims memorial such a success.
The following Friday saw yet more big cash prizes on offer at the Lilly when 25 anglers tried their skill with the big rod in the Open Fly Competition with a £2 per angler sweepstake to add some spice to things. Just 2 weeks earlier Derek Gunn won the clubs Fly Shield with a fish caught with virtually the last cast of the night, and would you believe he repeated the trick by catching a trout of 3lbs 4oz wich he netted just as the horn sounded for the end of the contest . The last gasp fish won Derek £100 plus a fly rod and £20 sweep money while 2nd place went to John Richardson who also took his 3lbs 1oz trout just before the horn ended the competition. John took away £50,a new fly rod and £15 sweepstake cash. Last years winner Alan Hughes finished 3rd this time which earned him £30, a £30 meal voucher from the Owl and Trout Hotel and £7.50 sweep. Tom Currie was in 4th place taking away £20, a litre of malt whisky and £5 sweep money. In 5th place Gary Brogan took away a fly reel and £2.50 sweepstake. As the angler who caught the smallest takeable trout ( a monster of 1lb 4oz ) Keith Skinner took the final prize of a £15 voucher from Lochside Tackle Armadale completing an impressive prize list.
Many thanks are due to John Cunningham Financial Adviser and Airdrie Angling Centre who's generosity made the prize list so worthwhile.
4th June 2010- COMPETITION TIME AT LILLY LOCH
Competitions have been coming thick and fast at Clarkston Angling Club's Lilly Loch in recent weeks. The club's Honorary President's Cup was won by Alex McArthur with a Rainbow Trout of 2lbs 4oz, and the Junior version saw Kyle Black triumph with an admirable 2lbs 3oz fish. The Fly Shield was won by Derek Gunn with an excellent Rainbow of 5lbs 8oz, caught just 15 minutes from the end of the competition to prove the necessity of perseverance to the end of any competition in any sport. Future weeks however will see the Lilly hosting the big money competitions, which are the highlight of the season for many anglers. First up is the Jim Armstrong Memorial Open Competition to be fished by any legal method on Saturday 12th June from 9am till 3pm. Competitors can register from 8am at the Bailiff's Hut on the Loch. The entry fee is normal permit price plus £2 sweeptake. Permits are £8 for adults, and £6 for juniors and concessions. The winner of that one will walk away with £100 plus a fishing rod plus 40% of the sweepstake. Second prize is £50 plus a reel and 25% of the sweep, and third place carries with it a £25 prize plus 20% of the sweep. Fourth prize is £15 plus 10% of the sweep, while 5th takes £10 plus 5% of the sweep. Sponsors for that competition include Airdrie Taxi's, Airdrie Angling Centre, and Clarkston Angling Club themselves, all of whom have made possible the fabulous prizes on offer in this popular competition. The following week on Friday 18th June the Lilly is again the venue for the Open Fly Competition which takes place from 7pm to midnight and more generous sponsorship from John Cunningham Financial Advice, Airdrie Angling Centre, the Owl and Trout Hotel, and Lochside Tackle means more fantastic prizes in this one too. For just the normal £8 permit (£6 concession/juniors) plus £2 sweepstake, anglers are in the running for prizes of £100 plus 40% of the sweep for 1st, £50 plus fly reel, plus 25% of sweep for 2nd place and £25 plus a meal voucher for the Owl and Trout and 20% of the sweep money for 3rd. Fourth prize is £15 plus 10% of the sweep and a tackle voucher for Lochside tackle, while 5th takes £10 plus 5% of the sweep. Registration for this one will be at the Bailiff's hut from 6pm onwards. All in all some exciting competitions with serious prize funds are available to anglers, so make sure you have both of these in your diary.
2nd May 2010-COMPETITIONS AND MONSTERS AT THE LILLY
The last few weeks have been hectic on Clarkston Angling Clubs Lilly Loch, with some huge fish of several different species caught and a variety of competitions fished. Season ticket holder Charlie Brown had a cracking Brown Trout of 4lbs 8oz on fly ,while Derek Inglis had a 10lb Rainbow on powerbait., Competitions too are coming thick and fast and producing top class fish like the 5lb Rainbow Trout that won the clubs Loch Cup for member and bailiff Johnny Armstrong. Large numbers of members turned out for this one and enjoyed a great days sport. Johnnys fish took ledgered powerbait just out from the jetty. The following week saw the Lilly hosting the return leg of the Inter Club Bait Competition between the Clarkston team and Airdrie and District A C. Clarkston were ahead by a healthy 21lbs from the first leg on Hillend,so the Airdrie team had a veritable mountain to climb and made a valiant effort to do just that on the day.They weighed in 5 trout for 20lbs 8oz and over half that weight was in the form of a magnificent Rainbow of 11lbs 8oz landed after a long fight by Alan Tripney,who walked away with a £25 tackle voucher for the heaviest fish. The Clarkston team however were not to be outdone weighing in a creditable 6 fish for 13lbs 6oz to retain the trophy for a second year.Both teams paid tribute to the sporting and good natured manner in which the whole competition was fished,and the excellent hospitality provided by each club to their visitors.
The other competition on the loch was the clubs Bill Mc Arthur Memorial Pike Competition and an excellent Pike of 13lbs 8oz secured the handsome trophy for Robert Deacons. All of these fish,however,big as they are ,were overshadowed by 10 year old Ross Stevenson who was the proud captor of a monster pike estimated to be over 20lbs !!!! Young Scott sportingly returned it unharmed to the water.
The loch continues to fish well to a variety of methods.Powerbait is,as usual,taking its fair share of fish,as is spinning,while killing flies include Damsel Nymph Orange Fritz,Yellow Dancer,Zulu,Wickhams Fancy,and Montana Nymph.
27th April 2010- CONGRATULATIONS
Well done to Coatbridge angler Martin Hanlon, who landed a 10.5lb rainbow trout on the 17th April. Martin was fishing on the south side of the loch, using yellow powerbait.

27th April 2010- NLC Access Forum
Jim Cassidy is the walkers and anglers representative on the North Lanarkshire Council Access Forum. This group deals with access issues, some of which may affect club members. If you have any problems with an access issue (at the loch or elsewhere), such as blocked footpaths, missing signs, etc, contact Jim at admin@lillyloch.co.uk.
The AGM of the access forum takes place on Thursday 13th May at Motherwell Civic Centre at 6pm. All are welcome to attend, and new members are welcome.
21st March 2010- FALSE START AT LILY
The magic date for trout anglers is the 15th March when the Brown Trout season opens, but for the last few years Clarkston Angling Club have given anglers a little "extra time" by opening the Lily Loch at the end of February, for Rainbow Trout fishing only. This year the loch was due to open on Saturday 27th February, but that day dawned with the loch completely frozen over to a depth of several inches. This ice persisted until close to the official season start date, with only the keenest (or craziest!!!) anglers fishing the few small areas of clear water. The ice also prevented the club from stocking the loch until well into March, but by the 15th it was mercifully ice free, and a large number of anglers took advantage to set out on their first outing of the season. A few hardy fly fishermen even braved the elements and, despite the long cold spell, had some success, mainly on damsels, black fritz lures, and small traditionals. More success than most was enjoyed by Cumbernauld angler Steven Sutherland. Whilst fishing in the burn area of the loch, with a small damsel nymph, he had an arm wrenching take which dispelled any discomfort from the cold. Steven found himself connected to an obviously large fish, which made several long unstoppable runs before finally coming to the net. It turned out to be a beautiful overwintered Rainbow, estimated at 12lbs, fin perfect, and in excellent condition, which was carefully returned to the water after an impromptu photo shoot. The fish of a lifetime indeed for Steven and the smile on his face illustrates his excitement with his catch. Club Treasurer Tom Lang explained that only one stocking had been possible this year because of the weather, and all the fish introduced to the loch had been between 2 and 3lbs, so this perfect specimen had been in the loch since last year at least, and judging by its condition, possibly much longer. Hillend Loch opened for angling on 15th March, and the 1st leg of the Inter Club Bait competition took place on the water a few days later. The Airdrie and District team managed a commendable 14lbs, but were well beaten by their Clarkston counterparts who landed 35lbs. The Airdrie team will now have to hope for revenge in the second leg on the Lilly Loch in April.Some of the loch still remains frozen, from the East dam back to the jetty, and both west bays. Otherwise the majority of the loch is open. Rising temperatures and rain mean that this may change, and the ice may well break up soon. The loch has been stocked recently, prior to the opening of the brown trout season. The fish farm has informed us that the fish have not been eating much during this cold weather, so patience will be required over the next few weeks.
11th March- Tom Lang contact details
Anyone wishing to contact Tom should do so on his mobile: 07596 505242. Tom works nightshifts, so please try and call him at a reasonable time (late afternoons are best).
26th February 2010-Loch update
Winter conditions are very much in force at the loch today. The loch remains frozen from the East dam back to where the burn comes in at the container. Beyond the burn is clear of ice, although there may be small patches remaining in the West bays. Although much of the north shore is clear of ice, we would like to remind anyone fishing that side to be aware of the landslip in this area.
22nd February 2010- Loch conditions and stocking
A quick update on the loch for those of you planning on an early start to the season. Much of the loch is still frozen, and we would advise that you keep a close eye on the weather over the next few days. We will update this page on Friday 26th February with a report on the condition of the loch.
Preparations for the new season are continuing, and the loch will be stocked twice later this week.
3rd February 2010- Season ticket prices & Loch opening date
This year the loch will open for fishing for rainbow trout on Saturday 27th February. Fishing will be by fly, spinner or powerbait only, until the commencement of the brown trout season on 15th March.
Much like the loch in recent weeks, ticket prices have been frozen for the 2010 season, and will remain the same as for 2009. Full details are on the Prices and Restrictions page.
3rd February 2010- Rockfall on north side of the Loch.
We would like to draw your attention to the safety notices which have been placed on access routes to the loch. The landowner will be carrying out clearance work on this area in the near future.
In the meantime please exercise caution when in this area.
11th January- Message from Iain Sloan
To the board and members of Clarkston Angling Club. My family and I would like to express my thanks for the kind thoughts to you all after the recent passing of my father, John Sloan. As has been noted elsewhere my father was a founding member of the club and was very proud of that fact. He was an avid fisherman, there was a time when he would be gone 4 nights and a Saturday fishing. It was his passion in life, he was happiest with a fly rod in his hand. It didn’t matter where he was, just as long as he was fishing. In later years I too enjoyed going with my dad and having him pass just a little of his knowledge and skill onto me. Those of you who know him will also know that his absence from the water in recent years wasn’t like him. My father suffered from Alzheimer’s and that took his confidence away, he was always worried that something would happen. He would still talk about fishing and watch fishing Videos and DVDs at home. The passion never left him. He may not have been fishing, but he was still tying flies. This was made evident to me when I found his little tying setup in my old bedroom. In front of the window where he had natural light and the ability to watch people come and go while he worked. 
I’d also like to thank the club for the donation to Alzheimer’s Scotland, in my dad’s last year’s people from this organization would assist my Dad in getting the services he needed to live at home, and they’d take him on outings. My Dad loved the outings, he talked most about two. One to Hampden where he got to take a penalty into a set of the old Hampden goals and to Duck Bay at Loch Lomond. I’d been told by workers from Alzheimer’s Scotland that he’d spent time on a little dock there pointing out fish to the other people that were on the trip. That was typical of my Dad, put him near water and he’d start scouting out places to fish. I know that Alzheimer’s Scotland will put the money to good use for future trips for other sufferers. I’d also like to personally thank Peter Gunn for the help and friendship he gave my Father while he was alive, and the help he gave me with the arrangements and breaking up my Father’s house both while I was there and after I had to come back home. Sincerely, Iain & Angie Sloan and family 11th January- Your Photos
New Photos of the loch in winter are now on our Photobucket site at:
http://s725.photobucket.com/home/ClarkstonAnglingClub
You can send your photos to admin@lillyloch.co.uk
18th December- John Sloan - RIP
John Sloane, a founder member of the club, passed away on Tuesday 15th December, aged 79.
His funeral will take place on Tuesday 22nd December at McLarens Funeral Parlour, at 2pm.
The clubs thoughts are with his family.
18th December- Landslide
A landslide on the north side of the loch is causing some concern, and we would point out to you that you should exercise caution in this area, as it has caused some major rockfall onto the path. The club would like to point out that it is not the landowner, and has no responsibility for the path or the adjacent land.
3rd November 2009- The Loch is now closed for the winter.
12th October 2009- Club Presentation Dance
This will take place on Friday 6th November 2009 at Clarkston Miners Welfare Club. Contact the committee for tickets.
7th October 2009- Brown Trout season is now closed
Fishing for rainbow trout continues until 31st October, using fly, powerbait or spinner only.
17th September 2009- Night fishing continues!
A misprint on the terms and conditions on the back of the permits state that night fishing/ overnight camping finishes at the end of August. This is not the case and to clarify, night fishing/overnight camping is allowed until 30th September. This means that there are two sessions available, 0700-1900hrs and 1900-0700hrs.
15th September 2009-NEW SPORTS FOR CLARKSTON ANGLING CLUB MEMBERS? 

You would be forgiven for thinking that Tom Currie was practising Rainbow-wrestling or Troot tossing! In fact Clarkston Angling Club member Tom is helping to stock the club's Lilly Loch, and the monster he is holding is a 12lb specimen Rainbow Trout.
The club continues to stock weekly with fish from 2lbs up to double figures, and this is reflected in recent catches. Season ticket holders Hugh Bettley and Sverre Haugene both took fish of 9lbs 7oz, while an unnamed Armadale angler took a 12lb Rainbow on the North shore but left without leaving his details.
The Lilly continues to fish well particularly with ledgered Powerbait, while killing flies include Olive Fritz, Orange Fritz, Yellow Dancer, and Cats Whisker. Those who prefer more traditional flies are finding success with Loch Ordie, Bibio, Greenwells Glory, Blae and Black, Whickhams Fancy,and Soldier Palmer.
The Brown Trout season finishes on 6th October, but the Lilly Loch will remain open until the end of October for Fly fishing, Spinning and Powerbait fishing only.
18th July 2009- MAKE MINE A DOUBLE SAYS ALAN
The Competition scene continued on the Lilly Loch with Clarkston Angling Club's ever popular Open Fly Competitiion. The promise of big money prizes brought anglers from all over Central Scotland to the Lilly despite horrendous weather conditions with high winds and rain. On a night more reminiscent of November than June, some very good fly fishermen stuck to their task and brought some excellent catches to the net. Just a week previously Coatbridge angler Alan Hughes won the Jim Armstrong Memorial Trophy £140, and a spinning rod. He completed the double in the Fly Competition winning another trophy, £110 prize money, and a Daiwa Fly Rod by catching a Rainbow of 4lbs 7oz. Second place, £60 prize money, and a fly reel went to club member John Richardson, while season ticket holder Arthur Graham's third place landed him £35 plus a £50 meal voucher. Fourth place, £10 and a £25 tackle voucher went to Derek Gunn. Clarkston Angling Club offers sincere thanks to Airdrie Angling Centre for the rod and reel, to the Owl and Trout Hotel for the meal voucher, and to Lochside Tackle Armadale for the tackle voucher.
Inter Club Challenge Fly Shield
The competition theme continued a week later with the first leg of the Inter Club Challenge Fly Shield, between Clarkston Angling Club and Airdrie and District Angling Club.
The 8 top Fly Fishers from the two local clubs clashed on the Lilly loch first, and a strong Easterly wind failed to hamper the Clarkston team who landed a total of 11 trout for 26lbs 14.5oz. Airdrie and District had only 2 fish for 4lbs 0.5oz. Heaviest fish of the night went to Clarkston's Paul Blades with a Rainbow Trout of 4lbs 1oz, which earned him a £25 tackle voucher. The return leg on Hillend the following week, saw a complete reversal. Airdrie and District weighed in trout for 11lbs 7.5 oz, while Clarkston could only manage one fish for 2lbs 8oz. That single fish won the £25 voucher for Craig Cummings of Clarkston. The final tally was Clarkston Angling Club 29lb 6oz, Airdrie and District Angling Club 15lbs 7oz - a resounding victory for the Clarkston men who took the handsome trophy after a 2 year tenure by the Airdrie Club, to add to the Bait Competition trophy which they also won. Team Captains Peter Gunn of Clarkston, and Jack Carson of Airdrie and District, paid tribute to the hospitality provided by each club, and to the sporting manner in which the whole competition was fished. Both promised to have their respective teams on top form for next year, with Airdrie and District looking to reverse this year's Clarkston double.
Current conditions Both the Lilly and Hillend are proving dour at present despite heavy stocking by both clubs, and this is a situation being duplicated at many fisheries around Scotland. There are many possible causes, the most likely being extremely high water temperatures, which cause the fish to hold in the deeper, cooler water, rather than coming up to take the surface flies. Hopefully the recent rains and fresher winds will bring the temperatures back to nearer normal and restore fishing to what is expected.
16th June 2009- JIM ARMSTRONG MEMORIAL OPEN ANGLING COMPETITION
The Lilly Loch was a busy place on Saturday as over 80 anglers turned up to honour the memory of Jim (Bogle) Armstrong. There were some fantastic prizes on offer in the Jim Armstrong Memorial Trophy, thanks to sponsorship from Airdrie Angling Centre, Airdrie Taxis and Clarkston Angling Club.
Fish were being caught all over the loch, mainly on ledgered Powerbait,but the winning fish and the runner up were both taken on flies. The lucky winner was Coatbridge bricklayer Alan Hughes whose magnificent 5lbs 10oz Rainbow Trout netted him the handsome trophy, £100 prize money a Shimano Spinning Rod and £40 sweepstake cash. Second place went to Mark Hotchkiss, with a Rainbow of 4lbs 8oz. Mark took home £50, a Spinning Reel and £36 sweep money, while third placed Pat Thompson won £25 plus £30 sweep money. Jim Cassidy and Alex McArthur received £20 sweep money each for 4th and 5th places.

Afeminine touch provided the winning formula in the Junior Competition,which was won by Monica Braiden whose 4lbs 4oz Rainbow put most adults to shame. Monica took home £25 plus £8 Junior sweepstake and a Telescopic Spinning Rod. Mark Adams received a Spinning Reel and £7 sweep money for his 2nd place. Colin Smith's 3rd place earned him a jumbo spool of line and £7 cash from the sweepstake. It was an excellent day, in fine weather, with plenty of fish caught in a relaxed and sporting atmosphere. All in all a fitting tribute that Jim himself would have thoroughly enjoyed.
You can view photos of all the winners at our Photobucket site. Click on the link below:
Upcoming Competition!
The big money competition theme continues on the Lilly next Friday 19th June, with the Open Fly Competition. Sponsorship from Edward Jones Investments, Airdrie Angling Centre, The Owl and Trout Hotel, and Lochside Tackle Armadale, means cash prizes of £100, £50, and £25, for the the three biggest fish, with rods, reels, meal vouchers, and tackle vouchers, as well as a sweepstake, all boosting the prize pot. The competition is for fly only (long rod) and starts at 7pm with the weigh in at 12 midnight. You can register from 6pm at the Bailiff's Hut,(which is also the venue for the weigh in) and the largest fish will win. Entrance is the cost of your ticket (£8 day ticket, £6 concessions) plus £2 sweepstake. This competition usually produces some great fish, and the prizes are second to none, so if you think you can "fish the flee", come up to theLilly Loch on Friday 19th June and see how good you really are.
2nd June 2009 - What's hot (apart from the weather)...
The Lilly continues to fish well with an 11lb Blue Trout caught by William Reilly of Craigneuk Airdrie, on ledgered Powerbait, while a 10lb Rainbow Trout was taken by Greg Russell. Best method continues to be ledgered Powerbait, but the fly is coming more into its' own as water temperatures rise. Lures continue to dominate withYellow Dancers, Olive Fritz, Black Fritz and Black Cats all taking fish,on floating, or intermediate, lines. The second leg of the Inter Club Bait Competition between Clarkston Angling Club and Airdrie and District Angling Club took place recently. Airdrie and District won the first leg on Hillend by just one pound, but Clarkston took revenge in the second leg on the Lilly, winning by 15lbs to take the competition comfortably overall. The Airdrie men must now hope that they can turn the tables in the upcoming fly fishing competition between the clubs. Other competition results include the Loch Cup won by Paul Blades with a3lb Rainbow Trout. Bill McArthur Memorial Pike Competition won by JohnGardner with a Pike of 6lbs 13oz while Paul Blades made it a double taking the Fly Shield with a 2lb Rainbow Trout.
1st June 2009
Wulli Reilly of Craigneuk Airdrie, shows off the 11lb Blue Trout he caught from the Lilly Loch with the help of his friend C Tonner.
Blue Trout are Rainbow Trout specially bred to create a sort of albino effect, which gives them their beautiful silvery blue colouring. They tend not to grow much above 4 or 5lbs, so Wullies' fish is a real specimen, and very much the fish of a lifetime. Congratulations are definitely in order.
1st June 2009- ANOTHER DOUBLE FIGURE TROUT FROM THE LILLY LOCH
Greg Russell is pictured proudly displaying the 10.5lb Rainbow Trout he recently caught from the Lilly Loch.
31st May 2009- Members Meeting
The next members meeting is on Tuesday 2nd June 2009, at 1930hrs in the Springfield community Centre.
30th May 2009- Photos of the Loch
Photos from the loch, including some recent big catches of Blue Trout are on the Club photo website at: http://s725.photobucket.com/albums/ww252/ClarkstonAnglingClub/
These images can be saved onto your own computer by opening the image, right click on the mouse, then select SAVE. You will then be able to print off any pictures that you require.
If you have any photos of the loch, big catches, or items of interest, email them to admin@lillyloch.co.uk. Please include names, dates, fish weights, etc.
9th April 2009- Prizegiving
Prizes for the 2008/09 season were awarded at the Owl and Trout last weekend. You can see pictures at:
http://s725.photobucket.com/albums/ww252/ClarkstonAnglingClub/Prizegiving%20April%202009/
15th March 2009- Season Open
The loch is now open for fishing.
4th February 2009- Ticket Prices
The Lilly Loch will open for fishing for rainbow trout on Saturday 28th February 2009.
At the 2009 Club AGM, it was decided NOT to increase the ticket prices for the 2009 season. Check out the Prices and Restrictions page for full details.
1st January 2009- Happy New Year
Happy New Year! Details of prices for the 2009 fishing season will be posted as soon as possible.
4th March 2008
We have added a number of links to local angling shops who are offering a 10% discount on production of a current club membership card. See the Useful Links page for details.
1st March 2008
The loch is NOW OPEN for fishing for rainbow trout. The Loch was stocked yesterday in preparation for the new season, and a busy opening day is expected.
February 2008
The club is proud to announce the launch of it's new website, www.lillyloch.co.uk. Contributions from club members are welcome, be they photos or articles.
Due to access restrictions outwith the club’s control, disabled anglers will only be allowed access to the loch as part of an accredited disabled anglers club or group, and only by prior arrangement. Individuals are requested not to ask any local landowners for access as this will be refused.