Why Shetland is a bucket list destination for fly fishing

For anyone who loves chasing brown trout in the wilder and more dramatic parts of Scotland, or sea trout in the salt for that matter, Shetland should be very high on the bucket list . . . a rite of passage almost.

The first time photographer Euan Myles and I fished here, a long-overdue trip in 2021, we were blown away by the sheer abundance of fishing available and the outstanding quality of the trout in so many of the lochs. It’s why we had to come back.

The landscape is as stark, though intriguingly varied, as it is arresting. It makes for a potent, dizzying mix and, back then, in only half a week we managed to cram a huge amount of fishing in, targeting specimens on the likes of Loch of Cliff in Unst (the most northerly loch in the British Isles), the pristine waters of green and fertile Fetlar (the Garden of Shetland) and some of the Eshaness lochs.

But we knew we’d barely scratched the surface, and were delighted to finally make it back to immerse ourselves further in trout fishing heaven. This time, not only did we catch more memorable fish, we also met some incredible Shetlanders.

After, arriving on the morning ferry, we unpacked into self-catering accommodation in Voe, an ideal central base for all the fishing we had planned. For starters, we’d targeted some lochs north of Braewick before dropping back down and further west to revisit some of the Eshaness lochs.

En route was the obligatory stop at Frankie’s Fish & Chips in Brae, purveyor of, without doubt, the best battered haddock and chips in the land. This we devoured while taking in the views at Mavis Grind where only the narrowest strip of land separates the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Of the Eshaness waters, Houlland is a particular favourite of mine and produces some real specimens. The ruins of an ancient broch are clearly visible on a western peninsula, north of the island, and there can be few more enigmatic places to catch wild trout. Closer to the lighthouse, Framgord and Gerdie are also worthy of attention, as are Loch of Breckon and West Loch. These waters are perched on a plateau formed by volcanic eruptions between 350 and 400 million years ago, and the coastline of this northwestern peninsula is quite simply jaw-dropping. The cliffs are sheer and peppered by geos – deep gashes riven through weaker lines in the rock from the constant battering of the ocean. There are sea stacks, arches, subterranean passages and sea caves, the persistent cry of sea birds, and breathtaking views in every direction

Names like Blackhead of Breigeo and Villians of Ure jump out at you from the Ordnance Survey map. A little to the north is a storm beach at the aptly named Grind o’ da Navir, also created by the ferocity of the North Atlantic throwing thousands of tons of red ignimbrite rocks, formed in Devonian times, more than 15m above sea level.

Eshaness remains one of the highest energy coastlines in the world.

Yet just back from all this violent history and the relentless pounding of waves on rock, sit these surprisingly gentle lochs, dotting the undulating and fertile green of the plateau; a stone’s throw from the cliffs but a whole other, self-contained world unto themselves.

On day two we headed out to Papa Stour, one of Shetland’s smaller outer lying islands, north west of Sandness on the mainland and a 40-minute ferry hop from West Burrafirth. The lochs on Papa Stour have gained a reputation over the years, like the Fetlar lochs, for producing big trout.

Some Shetland lochs don’t hold self-sustaining populations of fish, so rely on juvenile trout being stocked from elsewhere to grow on. This can, of course, mean certain lochs may be hit or miss in terms of numbers and quality of fish from season to season, but these are also the waters that can produce real specimens.

There’s only one way to find out, and that is to fish these lochs. This is a large part of the fun, especially in such a remote and rarified setting as Papa Stour.

We targeted two lochs, Gorda and Dutch,

The former is incredibly deep in the middle and is thought to be fed by underground springs. It provides a water supply for the island.

Dutch Loch is stunning, with an old hand-built stone dam above a building where previous inhabitants channelled the freshwater to wash the huge amount of cod and other sea fish caught around the coast here.

We also fished a few small satellite lochans and spent some time on the fabulously named Loch that Ebbs and Flows. No self-respecting fly angler can visit a far-flung island and not make time for a cast on a loch with a name like that.

Conditions were against us, due to prolonged high temperatures, lack of rain and subsequent hiking up of the water temperature in all the lochs, but we did still manage to catch a trout worth shouting about.

Fishing into the dark Euan pulled out a stunningly marked fish comfortably over the 4lb mark on literally his last cast of the night.

Incidentally, fishing late meant camping out in the tents as there are only one or two ferries a day to Papa Stour, which has a small population.

For any fans of geology, spectacular coastal walks and birdlife, and of course wild trout, this is an amazing place to visit.

Our next island hop was to Whalsay, this time a 40-minute ferry crossing east of the Mainland. Whalsay also has a history of big trout, and in 1981, Symbister man George Irvine caught a 9lb 4oz trout in Loch of Huxter.

Whalsay also boasts an incredibly vibrant and thriving community of about 1,100. When we visited, the weather was more Mediterranean than North Sea, and admittedly, it was the island’s gala week with sailing regattas and general shindigs adding to the general bustle of island life. But there’s no getting away from the fact that Whalsay has plenty going for it.

It has been inhabited for over 4,000 years after all, was a centre for the export of dried and salted fish to northern Europe between the 14th and 17^th centuries, and nowadays is home to huge, state-of-the-art pelagic trawlers.

We were lucky enough to have made contact with Gilbert Williamson, born and bred on Whalsay and a passionate fly fisherman who knows the lochs here better than most.

Gilbert was unbelievably generous with his help and tips for getting the most out of our time here. We fished as many of the Whalsay lochs as we could, prioritising Gilbert’s recommendations, and caught, or at least connected, on all of them but one.

Houll Loch is probably the most prolific of the Whalsay lochs. It’s very accessible, easy to fish and there were trout rising occasionally despite the heat wave and lack of cloud cover.

The first fish I hooked there, a solid and aggressive trout around the 2lb mark, took me by surprise and subsequently threw the hook. However, there is no shortage of more modest trout here to keep you occupied and fish can be picked up all round this lovely water.

On West Loch of Skaw I also hooked into a solid fish, despite the blazing afternoon sun, though this one didn’t stick. Further along East Loch of Skaw holds a good stamp of trout too, though it was pretty weeded up at the end of July. Right next to it is the clubhouse for the most northerly golf course in the British Isles.

In the evening, as Gilbert had suggested, we fished Steenfield a lovely little hill loch in between Houll and Nuckro Water. Surrounded by heather-clad peat banks it proved to be a hot spot for the midges with the lack of wind but we persevered and were rewarded with hard-fighting and beautifully marked trout around the 2lb mark.

The breeze then picked up, the midges went, and we enjoyed sensational views as we came back down off the hill.

Keen to make the most of Whalsay we pitched the tents again, by Huxter, and fished into the dark in hope of connecting with one or more of its elusive big trout. We failed on this occasion, though not through lack of trying and despite Huxter’s reputation for being dour it is a beguiling water to fish and without doubt has that ‘big fish feel’.

I spooked a sizeable trout lying in incredibly shallow water just as darkness fell. Without doubt, this is a loch worthy of some serious attention.

We fished it early in the morning too but only caught a few small trout, before striking camp and nipping up to fish Isbister.

Already the sun was unrelenting. We did catch some smaller trout but the better stamp of fish to be had here were playing hard to get. I also had a 15-minute cast on Nuckro Water, a notoriously dour big fish water, but early morning or late evening is when lochs such as this should be fished and ideally in much more favourable weather.

All too soon, our Whalsay adventure was over. We said our farewells to Gilbert, who was busy with the regatta he and his kids were taking part in, and left feeling we had unfinished business on several of those fine lochs.

On our penultimate day, thanks again to Gilbert, we’d managed to arrange meet a fishing legend, Shetland’s very own David Pottinger.

David is known far and wide in the fishing world, not least because of one of his famous trout fly patterns, Potty’s Palmer.

This is a fly that has accounted for more than its fair share of specimen wild brown trout, and Euan and I both have used it to good effect over the years.

So it was an absolute privilege to finally meet the man himself. An incredibly sprightly 81, David’s energy and enthusiasm belies his years. He’s got a real twinkle in his eye, is a true people person and still as passionate as ever about all aspects of fishing; techniques, approach and applying his unique way of thinking to any given situation.

With the sun splitting the sky it was hardly trout fishing weather so instead David treated us to a tour round some of his favourite fishing spots, particularly in North Roe.

It was like being handed the keys to the kingdom.

This is a man who, with the Shetland Angling Association, oversaw the stocking of countless Shetland lochs with wild trout from water to water and played a leading role in making the fishing here as good as it is today. His knowledge and experience is unparalleled and represents a whole lifetime of commitment. David is also a highly accomplished sea angler and still regularly catches specimen skate and ray amongst many other species in the rich waters around Shetland.

We did end up, inevitably, having a cast with him – at a couple of his favourite marks for sea trout.

At the first place, which will forever remain secret, I was lucky enough to connect with a stunning fish of 3 ¼lb, a good size for these parts.

Caught in bright sunshine whilst wading in a ridiculously picturesque sandy cove, casting my flies between the bladderwrack, this silver ghost of a fish represented all that is special about fishing in Shetland.

We also cast a line into Sullom Voe and all caught feisty wee sea trout in the salt.

And we drove up to the signal tower at Collafirth Hill to survey some of the many fine trout lochs north of Ronas Hill, yet another rich seam of fishing to mine.

All too soon, our time was once again running out. But we were still intent on cramming in as much fishing as possible. After bidding a fond farewell to David we made a beeline to Loch of Benston for the late evening shift.

This is another loch that produces its fair share of better trout, though it can weed up in high summer. We skirted the northern shore, round the back of the island (on which the remains of another ancient broch lie) and waited until the light faded. A mist descended after the heat of the day giving Benston an eerie air, but fish did start to show.

We had about a half-hour window when the trout were active and, fishing patterns of flies that David told us worked well on Benston, we managed to catch. Euan again landed a real stunner, just over the 3lb mark. Given the conditions, this had to be considered a major triumph.

On the final day, before reluctantly catching the early evening sailing back to Aberdeen, we drove up to Sullom Voe and caught more bright little sea trout in the shadow of the oil and gas terminal. We then zipped down to fish another spectacularly scenic loch next to the dramatic cliff edges of West Burra, yet another little hidden gem of a place and the perhaps the perfect place to end another epic Shetland adventure.

We also cast a line into Sullom Voe and all caught feisty wee sea trout in the salt.

And we drove up to the signal tower at Collafirth Hill to survey some of the many fine trout lochs north of Ronas Hill, yet another rich seam of fishing to mine.

All too soon, our time was once again running out. But we were still intent on cramming in as much fishing as possible. After bidding a fond farewell to David we made a beeline to Loch of Benston for the late evening shift.

This is another loch that produces its fair share of better trout, though it can weed up in high summer. We skirted the northern shore, round the back of the island (on which the remains of another ancient broch lie) and waited until the light faded. A mist descended after the heat of the day giving Benston an eerie air, but fish did start to show.

We had about a half-hour window when the trout were active and, fishing patterns of flies that David told us worked well on Benston, we managed to catch. Euan again landed a real stunner, just over the 3lb mark. Given the conditions, this had to be considered a major triumph.

On the final day, before reluctantly catching the early evening sailing back to Aberdeen, we drove up to Sullom Voe and caught more bright little sea trout in the shadow of the oil and gas terminal. We then zipped down to fish another spectacularly scenic loch next to the dramatic cliff edges of West Burra, yet another little hidden gem of a place and the perhaps the perfect place to end another epic Shetland adventure.

Despite incredibly difficult fishing conditions, we still managed to catch some spectacular trout in both fresh and saltwater. The people we met along the way made it extra special and witnessing Shetland in such fine weather was a pure joy.

We will, of course, be hoping for more typical conditions next time, and we’re already counting down the days until then. To tide us over, a week of intensive fishing here provided some very special memories indeed and reinforced the fact that Shetland offers some of the finest and most varied wild trout fishing in the British Isles. A warm welcome awaits.