Dams to Darnley Angling Club


FOR GENERATIONS THE BARRHEAD DAMS HAVE been a popular area for a spot of fishing. Recently Dams to Darnley Angling Club has formed to support local anglers. The objectives of the club are; to improve angling,


promote best practice in the sport and provide the opportunity for youth coaching. In June there was an event to promote membership at


Waulkmill Glen Reservoir. Anglers had demonstration set ups for catching different types of fish and there was free youth coaching available. Another event is planned in August (see event calendar on the back page) so come along for some free coaching and get some fishing tips from our angling experts. There are several types of fish in the Barrhead dams.


The most popular for anglers are pike, perch, roach and brown trout. Pike can grow very large and are ferocious predators, so special kit is needed to catch and land them. Perch are a smaller predatory fish which form schools, so if you catch one there is a good chance you will get another! Roach are even smaller, but are shy fish making them a challenge to hook. Brown trout can grow to a large size, but many fall prey to pike before they get that chance. The reservoirs are not stocked so if you are fishing at


the Barrhead dams please practice catch and release so that another angler can enjoy the sport.


Coaching for budding anglers. To be successful the club needs the support of local and


budding anglers. If you would like more information on the angling club or up coming event please get in touch using the contact details on the back page.


Spotlight on pipistrelle bat


THERE ARE 17 SPECIES of bat in the UK, nine of these species are resident in Scotland. Pipistrelle bats are the most


common and widespread species across Britain. There are two very similar


species of pipistrelle bat; the common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and the soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus). Both species are very small, usually four centimetres long,


and weigh three to eight grams. They are medium to dark brown in colour and have a wing-span of 20 centimetres. The easiest way to tell


the species apart is by the frequency of their calls, or echolocation, using a bat detector. Pipistrelles live in a variety of


habitats, including woodland and grassland, as well as around rivers, ponds and lochs, where there is an abundance of their insect prey.


Pipistrelle bat facts


• A pipistrelle bat can catch and eat over 3000 midges in one night.


• An eight gram mother pipistrelle bat may produce a two gram baby which is 25% of her body weight.


Pipistrelles emerge from


their day roosts around dusk. They fly very fast, using quick twists and dives to catch insects, which they find using echolocation. Once they have caught their prey, they eat it on the go as a ‘fast-food’ meal. Within the country park see


them hunting around the Brock Burn, Darnley Mill pond and beside the reservoirs, or come along to our bat and moth night on the 9 August, 8.30–10.30pm.


Pipistrelle bat.


• In Scotland bats and their roosts are protected by law under The Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended).


• A pipistrelle bat weighs less than a 2p coin.


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