WITH a full moon on Sunday and big tides around the north and east coasts, the first of the 1999 spring runs started to enter the rivers last week.
Six salmon were taken from five rivers that I know of and that is the best January news in many a long day. The biggest of them fell to the rod of Mrs Eve Roberts from Basingstoke, who fished the River Moriston last Monday. She normally fishes there in May but decided on a January visit — and how. At 211b this fabulous salmon fell to a brown/gold minnow in the Estuary Beat.
It’s a safe bet that she will be back next January.
 
 

FURTHER up the Ness system, the River Garry was not to be outdone with two coming off from there in the early part of the week.
Messrs Robertson and MacDonald from Inverness accounted for a brace at 1O.51b and 91b.
Both came from the estuary into Loch Ness and both fell to 2.5 inch Rapalas.
 
 
 

THE River Conon opened on January 26 and local angler Alisdair Butters took an 11 pounder from the Ferry Pool on the Brahan Beat fishing a Toby lure. It was the first opening day fish in the 13 years since accurate records have been kept.

MOVING further up the coast, the Helmsdale also produced its first Springer of the season to the rod of retired ghillie William MacKay.
Despite having fished the river for many decades, he had never actually caught a season‘s first.
Fishing a Badanloch rod in Kelphedir on Beat 2, he had just caught and released a kelt when
he felt a ‘good knock,’ retraced a few steps and covered the same spot.
A beautifully shaped 10 pound bar of silver covered in sea lice was his reward for this astute move.
A lovely mild day, the river at two foot three inches on the gauge and a three inch Willie Gunn was the perfect combination

ON THE north coast the River Naver had its first of the season on the bank, courtesy of Peter MacGrepor of the Borgie Hotel. That one at II lb came off Beat 2 to a big spring fly.

TARVIE Lochs suffered with ice over the winter but a pair of hardy anglers, both called
Patience, proved that patience is the name of the game.
In November and unable to fish early in the day, they returned to fish separately as the day had warmed up a bit and the south-westerly breeze had thawed the loch a little. However they still had to break the boats out of the shore line ice.
Louis Patience from Avoch had a fish of 6lb lloz on his return and the other Mr Patience from Inverness one of 7lb 4oz.
December rainbows of lllb loz and 101b 3oz fell to Willie Cassells and Jack Lawton respec-tively.
Hugh MacCorquodale had a fine pair at lOlb 6oz and 9lb 8oz.
As recently as last Wednesday, Mr Watson, who is working at Ardersier, made his first ever trip to Tarvie and was rewarded with a cracker at IOlb 6.Soz.
Fishing almost on the bottom is the tactic until a little warmth gets into the water and Boobies, Cat’s Whiskers and Fritzes are the order of the day.