ALNESS ANGLING CLUB

Charity No CASC 04999

Beat Limits Rules as of 2023

Alness River Pools
The water available to Alness Angling Club members and visitors contains 22 named, and
several additional unnamed, pools organised into 5 beats along 2 miles of the river. All of the beats are available to anglers. Beat maps are available from the Alness Angling Club website.
No spinning is allowed on any of the Club waters and no spinning reels are to be used at anytime.

Worm fishing is permitted only on specific stretches and from specified banks indicated
on the beat maps and a fly reel only may be used for this. Circle hooks should be used when worm fishing and these can be purchased from the Sport and Model Shop in Dingwall High Street. Worm fishing is not permitted after 15th September.

The pools on the upper beats (Upper Beat 2 Novar, Crown Beat and Beat 2 Novar) are less frequently fished than the Angling Club Beat 3 and the Estuary Beat. However, all of the pools of the upper beats hold fish and the average catch per day fished is similar, and occasionally better, than the average for the more frequently fished lower beats.
Wading is generally not required for fishing and almost all of the pools can be fished from the bank or with a little, relatively easy wading. For most of the pools on the upper beats wading is not required and should be avoided. The Alness is a spate river and in high water extra care should be taken.
When fishing it is always worth trying any pools or pots as they may hold a fish.
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Upper Beats
Fishing from the left (east) bank of the upper beats from the unnamed top pool to the Cruive Pool is by fly only. Fishing from the right (west) bank from the upper marker of the Novar Beat 2 down to the Town bridge is by fly or worm. Both banks require a walk for access.
Access to the right bank of the upper beats is via a good path that leads from River Lane
located immediately before the Town Bridge when coming from the west. A small amount of parking, also used by the residents, is available in River Lane, but more parking is available in the Crawl Park car park on the left bank immediately beside the east end of the Town Bridge.
Both parking areas are marked on the beat maps.
With the exception of the Bridge Pool, the left bank of the upper beats is accessed from the golf course. Please do not park in the golf course car park as this is for golfers only. Park beside the electricity substation which is located before the golf club and just off the Ardross Road that leads from Alness High Street as indicated on the beat maps. Please park carefully and do not block access to the substation at any time. From here a short walk brings you to the edge of the golf course that bounds the river. The river is fenced off but stiles are located at key points to give access to the pools from this bank. The first part of the golf course that is reached is the green for the 17th hole. Please keep close to the boundary fence beside the river and give way to golfers playing shots.
The unnamed top pool of the Club waters is located approximately 100 metres upstream of a pipe bridge near the tee for the 14th hole on the golf course. The pipe bridge allows access to both banks. The top pool is approached from the path along the right bank. The pool is recognisable from the cliff face that runs along the left bank and fish hold on this side. A second unnamed pool that is always worth a visit runs under the pipe bridge and is fished from the left bank. A further set of unnamed pools, found by the presence of a large holly bush on the right bank from which they are fished, follow these two and the general advice is to explore any pot or pool of any size throughout the river as there may be a fish lingering there.

Douglas pool
The Douglas Pool is the first named pool of the Club waters and is best fished from the left (fly only) or right banks (fly and worm). It is a long pool with a good flow. It is a favourite of many anglers and is always worth a visit.

Falls Pool
The Falls Pool can be fished from either bank but access from the right bank is currently closed due to erosion on the bank immediately above it. Access from the left bank (fly only) is over a stile and down a steep bank where care is required especially after rain when it can be slippery.

Long Pool
As suggested by its name this is a long pool and there are two stiles on the left bank that
provide access for fishing (fly only) at the top and near the middle of the pool. The top of the pool can also be fished from the right bank (fly and worm).

Gollans Pool
Gollans Pool can be fished from both banks although is generally fished from the right bank (fly and worm).

Sawmills Pool
The Sawmills Pool is located upstream of a pipe that crosses the river. It is easily recognised by the remains of the metal supports for an old fishing platform that was located on rocks of the left bank. This is a good deep pool that is usually fished from the right bank (fly and worm).

Dump Pool
Despite its name that comes from the use of the bankside area in the past, the Dump pool is an attractive pool that is easily fished but only from the right bank (fly and worm).

Step Pool
The Step Pool can be reached from the left (fly only) or right (fly and worm) banks. As with all of the banks, care must be taken when wet as they can become very slippery.

Wires Pool
As the name suggests, the Wires Pool runs underneath some electricity wires that cross the river. The river is some way below these wires but anglers should be careful when fishing this nice pool. The left bank (fly only) is difficult to access and not recommended and the pool is best fished from the right bank (fly and worm).

Cruive Pool
A cruive is an old Scottish name for a cabin or animal pen but is also a form of fish trap. It is likely that the location one of the two fish traps referred to as cruives on the Alness River in records from the early 1800s gave the name to the Cruive Pool. This pool can be fished from either the right (fly and worm) or left (fly only) banks.

Jakies Pool
Jakies Pool is a local favourite and is easily reached from River Lane or the Crawl Park car
parks. It is fished (fly and worm) from the right bank. Also on the right bank and downstream of Jakies Pool there is an unnamed pool on the river bend above the Bridge Pool that is worth some time.

Bridge Pool
The Bridge Pool is located beside the Alness town bridge behind the Averon Leisure Centre
and Library. Parking is in the Crawl Park car park or the Averon Centre car park. The pool is reached by going behind the Centre where steps lead down to the river. The pool can be fished with fly or worm and has produced some good fish over the years.
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Lower Beats
Fishing from the Town Bridge to the A9 bridge is from the left bank only and is fly only until approximately 200 metres below the A9 bridge. A good path runs along the river providing very easy access. For the lower part of Beat 3 and the Estuary Beat, access is either by parking in the Crawl Park car park and walking through the park or by parking the A9 layby indicated in the beat maps and walking upstream along the path beside the river. If fishing the lowest pools south of the A9 bridge only, access is best from the A9 layby or from a small area for parking on the right bank south of the A9 bridge which gives easy access to the lower pools on the right bank. This area is shown on the beat maps and is reached by entering the Alness Point Business Park from the A9 west of the Alness River. Take the first left into Sunderland Place and drive to the turning circle at the end where the remains of an old icehouse can be seen. There is a very narrow roadway on the left that leads to a small area for parking immediately beside the river near the bottom of the Swing Bridge Pool. Please be aware that walkers use this path so please park on the grassed area and not the pathway.

Distillery Pool
The Crawl Park car park is closest for access to the Distillery Pool. This pool is fished only
from the left bank and, as with all this stretch of the river, is fly only. Wading is easy but not usually necessary, with fish found towards the opposite bank. This pool almost always contains fish.

Exciseman’s Pool
The Exciseman’s Pool is immediately above the weir. Fished only from the left (fly only) bank, it often holds fish that have just come over the weir. While it fishes best with higher water it is always worth attention.

Weir Pool
Strictly NO fishing in the Weir Pool. Fishing is NOT permitted in the 15 metres immediately
above and below the weir.

Grinners Pool
Grinners Pool is the first pool below the weir pool where fishing is permitted. This pool is fished only from the left bank (fly only). There is no need to wade as the pool can be covered easily from the bank. A good holding pool for fish waiting to go over the weir.

Lady Pool
The Lady Pool, as with Grinners Pool holds fish waiting to go over the weir. This pool is fished only form the left bank (fly only) and should be tried whenever passing.

Two Stones Pool
The Two Stones Pool is immediately above the Stick Pool and requires getting down to the bank and usually a little fairly easy wading. Fished from the left bank (fly only), fish in the pool hold mainly near the opposite bank and are often seen when running upstream.

Stick Pool
The Stick Pool is the most popular on the river and is fished only from the left bank (fly only). This is the first substantial holding pool that fish encounter after entering the river and it is usual to see fish moving in the pool at almost any time. Fish close to the right bank from the top of the pool, allowing the fly to swing round, especially towards the bottom of the pool where fish can be sitting from close to the far bank to the middle of the river.

A9 Bridge Pool
Immediately above the A9 bridge there is a good run with a pool on the opposite bank that regularly holds fish. This pool is fished only from the left bank (fly only) and is always worth covering with a few casts.
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EstuaryBeat
The lowest stretch of the river leading into the estuary can be fished by fly (both the left and right bank) or worm (right bank only). Paths from the left and right banks run underneath A9 bridge to access the lowest pools of the river and there are good paths on both sides of the river beside the lower pools. It is possible to walk over the A9 bridge that crosses the river to get access to each bank. The bottom part of the Estuary beat is tidal and all three pools are good locations for sea trout. Fishing from both banks is by fly or worm.

Swing Bridge Pool
The Swing Bridge Pool extends from the south side of the A9 bridge for approximately 200 metres to an old pipe that crosses the river. The remains of one of two old swing bridges that used to cross the river can be seen on the banks. The top of the pool can be fished from either side but most of the Swing Bridge Pool is fished from the right bank. Fish are found against the left bank.

Three Posts Pool
The Three Posts Pool is immediately below the old pipe. The pool is usually fished from the right bank and fish are mainly found against the left bank under the canopy of trees.

Kingfisher Pool
The Kingfisher Pool can be fished from either bank and it is possible to cross the river at the head of the pool if the water level is suitable.

Estuary
The lowest stretch of the river leading into the estuary can be fished from either the left bank or right bank. As with the Swing Bridge, Three Posts and Kingfisher pools this is a particularly good location for sea trout.

documents/alness-beats-2-and-3-2023.pdf