Some of our local waters hold some really big brown trout.

These fish are pretty rare and the capture of one will often be the absolute pinnacle of any angler’s career.

So where are they and how do we go about catching them, I hear you say?

They are in Harelaw, Lawfield and New Howwood but they are not the easiest of fish to tempt. Up at Harelaw, near Neilston, the shallow fertile water holds good numbers of brown trout over 4lb.

I once hooked one of these big browns in water no deeper than 12 inches. Twice this fish took me into the backing before finally coming off just as I drew it to the net.

That fish took a small doobry wet fly fished on a floating line. At Lawfield fishery, Billy McFerren has recently stocked a good number of brown trout around the 7lb size.

So if you are looking to add a specimen brown trout to your list of trophy fish, look no further.

Please remember to email me your photographs of you and your fish catches to john.milne53@gmail.com Fishery Tales: New Howwood near Paisley. The water fished really well last week. Notable catches included: William Young 21, Derek Hood 17, Martin Daly 12 and Wullie Provan 10. A further 150-plus fish were caught and returned by anglers on 5s, 4s, 3s , 2s and 1s. The Vale AC had a great day keeping 60 fish for 161lb 8oz and returning a further 80-plus fish. Under tuition from John Milne, Sir Graham Teasdale had one and Hugh Evans returned seven. Following his lesson, Hugh retuned another three. The best flies were buzzers, suspender buzzers, damsels, fabs and bugs. Contact Colin on 0777 1690 585.

Harelaw Trout Fishery, near Neilston. I do not have exact reports but by all accounts the water has been fishing very well. Anglers on the bank and the boats have had more than 20 trout per session. Contact Bobby on 07890082494.

Middleton near Largs. Notable catches included: W Halliday from Johnstone three for 8lb 10oz, J Wright from Johnstone three for 7lb 12oz, S Cairney 20, B Torley 8, A Kennedy 11 and S Milne 8. The best flies were CDCs, buzzers, hares ear, blobs and yellow owls. Call 01475 689692.