MONDAY May 31 effectively brought our quest for springers to a close, at least for this year.
Now we eagerly await the arrival of the summer salmon and in particular the grilse with their inimitably high jinx. Would it he too much to ask for a repeat of last season when they arrived in abundance? 
One but can hope! 

I CAN confirm that a salmon of 13lb which came off the Laggan Beat the week before last was caught by Hendry Dalgetty. Fishing an Ally’s Shrimp. He was the man who took the season’s first fish from the Laggan Beat, which was also the first salmon of 1999 from the Ness.
 

RETURNING to this week, there was a fair bit of activity throughout the Ness system.
On the River Ness, the Ness-side beat produced its second and third salmon of the year with Mr J Glendinning taking a nine pounder from the Hoim Pool on a 2.5 inch black/gold Devon with only his sixth cast. Nigel Kaka got the other at 6lb from the same pool about 10 minutes later. Both fish had been in the river or the estuary for a couple of weeks and the recent high water must have pulled them up river.
 

THE Helmsdale had a hectic week with the river up. down and up again. When conditions were right the fish were there and a total of 39 were landed. On Tuesday the Suisgill rods had a brilliant day with nine, while there hardly any elsewhere on the river. The very recent spates have cleared away most of the loose top soil debris, so Saturday morning’s spate which rose to three feet eight inches had run comparatively clear by Saturday afternoon/evening when a good number were taken. Their first grilse of the season came off the river on May 24. The week’s best by far was taken by an Achintoul rod on Beat 3 above and came ashore eventually, at 21.5Ib. This salmon was well rested, having been in the river for about a week and took off down through two other pools before slowing down. On his own and without a net or tailer he was in real trouble as he could not get his hand round its massive tail to hand-tail it. But eventually it was successfully landed.  Meanwhile, the first Kyle Of Sutherland grilse of the season have been caught on the Carron and Oykel Rivers.

THE Averon at Alness was in fine trim prior to Friday’s huge spate and three lovely springers made the net. David Shepherd had a lOlb salmon worming up on Beat 3. John Longbotham, worming the Falls Pool on Beat 2, had a very solid 12 pounder on Tuesday. Then on Thursday a visitor grassed a cracker of 14lb up on Beat 3. That’s four in the book before June, which is encouraging news so perhaps spring runs are reviving,

THE Halladale improved its total by six last week, which is good going as the spates ruined the end of the week. Achintoul keeper Angus Ross had three of them, which included the season’s first grilse at a surprisingly heavy 6lb. Mr McSkimming had a salmon of 9lb from Victoria on Beat 3 and Mr Hunter a brace from the Lodge Beat late on Saturday as the spate settled and cleared.

THE Loch Morar Inter C Competition which was fished for on Saturday May 22 was won by C Angling Club with a total basket
16 trout. The day’s best trout at 1.5Ib caught by the local river superintendent Vivian Defreshnes. Twenty teams braved the wind and rain of a typical west Highland day, finishing off with the now mandatory Mallaig fish supper and something suitable to wash it down.
A good day was enjoyed by everyone taking part and thanks are a due to Alex Duncan of Corpach his unstinting efforts in organising the event, as well as the sponsors Ben Nevis Distillers, who entered into the ‘spirit’ of the day.

ON STONEYFIELD Lochs a competition was held last Sunday with 27 anglers taking part. Their new Loch Struic was the venue for the event and 66 rainbows were caught, 18 of which were returned. The winner was Marie Chalmers with 4 for 17lb 2oz. her best and the day’s best weighed in at 12lb 1oz. Mark Hill from Tain was in second place with three for 10lb 7oz and Jim Gibb (Embo) third with four for 7lb 13.5oz.