Westmill Fish Farm
Cloan Hatcheries Ltd
Key reasons why you should choose Westmill as your supplier
The highest fish quality and condition
The farming methods used by our experienced staff and our stringent biosecurity standards, coupled with our unique water flows and low stocking densities ensures that Westmill produces strong, fully finned, hard fighting fish.
Excellent customer service
Cloan aims to deliver the very best customer service through our highly trained staff who are expected to conduct themselves to the very highest professional standards.
High quality fish diet
All our fish are fed a high quality, high energy diet.
Striving to exceed industry standards
In addition to routine veterinary inspections, Cloan prides itself on traceability and vigorous auditing and sampling, as per the Marine Scotland guidelines.
Fish we supply
Availability: All year round
Fish source: all our juvenile trout are sourced from disease free Spring fed Hatcheries which ensures that the fish are acquired from a biosecure spring water site, coupled with almost constant water temperature throughout the year to ensure that growth rates are consistent and reliable arrival dates at Westmill are achieved.
Stock
• Rainbow (including fish through to ‘double figures’ i.e. 10lb+)
• Brown
• Blue
Rainbow Trout
The Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a species of Salmonid native to North America. Rainbow Trout were first introduced to Scotland in 1885. They were noted for being aggressive feeders and as a result grew at more than double the speed of our native Brown Trout.
Rainbow Trout has become a very popular sport fish for put and take fisheries with fish up to 30lb’s in weight caught around the UK every year.
Westmill Rainbows are renowned for their fighting ability. This is due to the quality and volume of water (one cubic metre per second i.e. one tonne of water per second) we have flowing through the farm year round and the space we are able to give our fish.
Blue Trout
The blue trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a naturally occurring colour variant of a rainbow trout. The Hatchery selectively breeds two or more trout with blue characteristics together, which results in the majority of the offspring taking on the blue and silver colours.
Blue trout have become a very popular sport fish as a result of their unique appearance.
Westmill blue trout are renowned for their fighting ability and pure blue colouring. This is due to the quality and volume of water (one cubic metre per second i.e. one tonne of water per second) we have flowing through the farm year round and the space we are able to give our fish.
Brown Trout
The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is the native Freshwater Trout to Scotland. It can be found throughout the UK in rivers, loch’s and lake’s.
Brown Trout thrive in cool, clean, well oxygenated water, although they are a slow growing species. A wild Brown Trout may take up to 6 years to reach 1lb (c.500g) in weight if the natural feeding is poor, although it can reach this size in 12-18 months on the farm.
All our juvenile trout spend their first few months in our raceways before being transferred to the earth ponds which run the length of the farm. This ensures the fish have maximum space, oxygen and water flow which results in fully finned hard fighting fish.
To get a fish to 2lb (c.1kg) takes around 18 months to 2 years, and during that time period the fish are fed up to six times a day, using a high quality feed product. In addition, we have our own laboratory on site and employ the services of a Fish Vet should they ever be required. All of this is essential in maintaining healthy fish.
Our fish are graded several times during their time at Westmill and are moved around the farm using special fish friendly pumps. Prior to being loaded onto a lorry or pick-up for delivery the fish are given a final hand grade to ensure the size and quality meets the customers’ requirements.
When Cloan resumed farming control of Westmill Farm in July 2013, we undertook a full site fallow and major disinfection programme. All of the ponds were excavated to remove silt followed by extensive liming of the entire farm to ensure complete disinfection and a completely disease free basis from which to recommence farming.
We only source our fingerlings from UK based, disease free hatcheries in order to preserve the biosecurity of the farm status and all of our fish are inspected prior to delivery to ensure their quality and health status. The farm is surrounded by a 2m high specialist otter fence and electric fencing. The farm is also covered with 3” netting to prevent predation from birds. The farm is closed to the public and any customers visiting the farm by appointment are provided with site specific wellingtons and have to follow disinfection procedures prior to entry in order to maintain our strict biosecurity standards.
After each delivery of fish, our pick ups and trailers are firstly pressure washed, then heat treated and then thoroughly disinfected with a market leading disinfectant to ensure the vehicles are sterilised.
Westmill can deliver fish the length and breadth of Scotland, and further afield by prior arrangement. Our pick ups with tank can hold up to 300lb (136kg) in weight of fish. We also have a trailer which will allow us to carry up to another 400lb (181kg) of fish. This gives us a combined delivery capability with pick up, tank and trailer of 700lb (317Kg). For larger loads a lorry can be arranged which will deliver between 1,000Kg and 3,000Kg. All of our fish must be fasted for three days prior to transport to meet Government recommendations. This also reduces the stress for the fish.
Address
Westmill Fish Farm
Haugh Road, Rattray,
Blairgowrie, PH10 7HG
