Patience is rewarded
| As August draws to a close,
catch returns on our northern rivers have not improved and I certainly
don’t think that the grilse runs will materialise now.
However there is always the exception to any rule and last week the River Nairn proved to be the exception with, as near as I can ascertain, 47 salmon/grilse and three good sea trout taken. On Monday August 16 a small spate induced fish from the harbour area to enter the river and 23 between 3lbs and 7lbs were landed, along with one sea trout. Jason McCruden had two on fly at 5.5lbs and 3.5lbs; Willie Hossack 6.5lbs on worm; P Fraser 3.4lbs on worm; Dave Ord a 3lbs sea trout on fly; D Carson 5lbs on fly; and Charlie Black had a brace at 3lbs, together with one of 5lbs and one of 7lbs. Colin Fraser caught one of 4.5lbs on worm; and Jock Schneider grassed three grilse, one spinning and two on worm. Ronnie McCall caught a grilse on worm, as did Gordon Hines with one of 5lbs in the Quarry Pool. Dave Meddle had a brace and Gordon Rennie three, as did one other club member for a total of 23 and one sea trout — not a bad day! Thursday saw a further five on the bank plus two sea trout. Sandy Wallace took three worming and Tony Harwell one on fly. Friday’s tally was 11 with the river in good trim and still rising. Dave Carson caught five, one of which was returned; Gordon Rennie three; Alistair McKellar, Tony Hartwell and Jock Scheider all one apiece. On Saturday the Nairn Highland Games didn’t stop some anglers being out and eight fish were grassed. Sandy Wallace took four on fly, returning one; Charlie Black and Tony Hartwell had one apiece on fly; and Alister McKellar finished off a good week with a fine brace of salmon of 6.5lbs and 8.5lbs. That makes 47 salmon/grilse and three sea trout last week from the Association Water alone. The Nairn anglers have waited patiently for the rain and I’m delighted that when it came, the fish came too. |
THE River Ness anglers are
still picking up fish but they really are few and far between, with only
18 being landed last week.
Bob Kelman had the only fish off the club water — a 5lbs grilse which took a fly off the Weir wall. Ness-side had a better week with the Kinniburgh party landing six and unfortunately losing more than they landed, but there again that’s salmon fishing and at least good sport was enjoyed. Mr M Aitjir grassed their best of the three salmon that were caught — it weighed in at 9lbs. The other three were, of course, grilse. On Ness Castle the results were fairly similar with five being landed and four lost over the week. All but one were sea-liced. Mr Purnell grassed fish of 7lbs, 6lbs and 4.5lbs on fly in the Black Stream and Laggan. Mr Clark had one of 4.5lbs on fly in the Laggan Pot; and Prof Harper had a 6.5lbs fish on fly in the Black Stream. There was one caught on the Laggan Beat but I have no details on it. Up on Dochfour five were taken, none of them grilse. John Barder accounted for three, a sea-Iiced cracker of 16lbs which took a size 10 yellow Ally’s Shrimp at Netting Water and a brace at 7lbs each on a 2.5-inch Devon at Burnmouth. Ghillie Tom Rattray caught a fine brace of 6.5 pounders at the Gullet on a size 10 yellow Ally’s. At the top of the Ness system, Italian visitor Mr Derosa fishing a blue/silver Toby took one of 6lbs from the Estuary Beat on the River Garry. On Loch Ness Jimmy Cameron (ex-Dores) landed a clean run 6.5lbs fish trolling a Devon off Torr Point on Thursday. |
 AT
BONAR Bridge the Kyle of Sutherland Association Water is still enjoying
healthy catches as the salmon wait for water to bring them up into the
system.
The Helmsdale again produced some 35 fish, most of which were returned having been in the river for a number of weeks. There were a few fresh fish caught on Beat 1 below, but there is no real indication of more to come — though who can say for sure? The Halladale, now down to its bare bones, is crying out for rain. A stiff breeze, creating a good wave, assisted Lady Veronica Fitzroy to catch — and release — a fish of 6.5lbs in Smigel on Beat 2. It came to a size 8 black/red shrimp fly. April Falconer grassed the second and final fish of the week on the same day in Glen-a-Gobair on the Lodge Beat — a grilse of 3.5lbs. It’s a case of "when the going gets tough, the ladies get going!" The Thurso, like the Helmsdale, is not seeing the expected number of salmon entering the river. They are coming in small clutches and are providing sport as the resident stocks are a bit lethargic and requiring a good spate to bring them back on the take. Six made the net with J G Campbell taking a brace at 4lbs and 9lbs from Beat 3; Donny MacKenzie likewise with a brace of 5lbs and 6lbs on Beat 6; Mr Morris caught one of 9lbs on Beat 2; and I finished off their week with a bonnie 5lbs grilse which was still carrying sea-lice marks, "backing up" on lower Beat 3. INVERNESS and District Angling League’s
recent results:
ON RAINBOWS, the Kenny Macdonald Cup will
be fished for on Sunday (August 29) at Stoneyfield Lochs, Invergordon.
|
These reports are written and compiled byKenny Macdonald and published every Thursday by,
the Highland News Group, Henderson Road, Inverness IV1 1SP,
in the Highland News, the North Star and the Lochaber News.