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Little is known about the fishing on the River Allan prior to the late 19th century although it would seem reasonable to assume that fishing  was practised. It would also seem reasonable to assume that there were few if any rules attached. As workers began to get more time off   angling  which had hitherto been the province of the rich became more and more the sport of the working man. Angling Clubs began to spring up all over the central belt and at weekends members of these clubs would descend on the rivers   to pursue their sport. There was a natural reaction from landowners against this sudden influx of anglers and     rivers and lochs to the north of of the central belt  were closed  to anglers. The River Allan being close at hand for most people was  a prime target for anglers and concerns were raised   that, due to this fishing pressure, fisheries would be closed in the same way as the rivers further north.   It was in the face of this trend and a chance conversation between two Bridge of Allan men, a Captain Frank Pullar and a Mr. A. Morrison, that the idea and eventual formation of an angling improvement association came to pass.

The first recorded meeting of anglers met in the Music Hall Bridge of Allan on 25th April 1899. There were 28 anglers present at that first meeting  and, on the motion of Provost Philp,  Captain Pullar was proposed as chairman and Mr. A. Morrison was appointed as clerk. These two were to perform a significant role in the Association for many years to come. From all accounts this was a long meeting and the following resolution which had been moved by a Mr. McDonald was unanimously agreed to:- “That those present and those from whom letters have been received, or who have intimated the willingness to join, should  form themselves into an Association for the improvement of the trout fishing of the River  Allan and that others willing to join the Association be admitted on payment of the subscription to be agreed on”.  The annual subscription was fixed at two shillings and it was agreed that the Committee should consider as to the best methods of procedure and  to take the necessary steps forward. For the first time the River Allan had an Association   dedicated to the improvement of the fishery, and it was agreed that this Association should be called the Bridge of Allan Angling Improvement Association.

500 small trout were stocked and notice boards were erected asking anglers to fish fairly and to return to the river all trout less than six inches in length. It can only be wondered what went home in fishermen’s bags prior to the imposition of this minimum  size limit.  

In 1903 Bridge of Allan Angling Association asked the Dunblane Angling Club to form themselves into an Association similar to theirs but the Dunblane Angling Club at that time appears to have been unwilling to do so and the Bridge of Allan Association to get leases themselves and  Mr Hay Drummond of Cromlix  agreed to let the Association  fish  Cromlix waters.  In September 1905 Thomas Peebles was appointed as the first Association Water bailiff at a salary of £1.2/-  per week.  The Bridge of Allan Association continued  negotiations with proprietors   and by 1908 had secured leases to fish most of the river from Blackford to Dunblane and from  Keir and to the mouth of the River Allan and Lossburn Reservoir.  With fishing  available to them diminishing the Dunblane Angling Club approached the Association for six tickets to fish their Association’s waters. The Association declined their request and once again called on them to form themselves into an Association whereby the two organizations might enter into some form of agreement. The Dunblane Angling Club refused to do so, a matter which caused some disagreement among their members.  In  February 1909 approaches were again made to  Dunblane Angling Club and, seeing that this was the only practical option now open to them if they wanted to continue fishing, negotiations began to form an association for the whole river. These negotiations were successful and   it was unanimously agreed to  revise the constitution and rules so that they could form a new Association and widen membership to those persons who lived in the parishes Blackford, Ardoch, Dunblane and Lecropt, Bridge of Allan, and Logie.