| Cold snap at
weekend brings good fishing conditions to a halt
THE early part of last week had a real
spring feel to it and most of the north rivers were looking for an injection
of fresh water.
Atmospherics generally depressed catches,
as if the salmon sensed a change coming.
How right they were, as by the weekend
we were ankle deep in snow.
The heavens opened as winter, hopefully,
gave us its last blast,
On Wednesday, March 29, the River Ness’s
first salmon of the year was grassed on the Dochfour Beat at the top end
of the river.
Innes Rankin was the man of the moment
with a sea-liced fish of 9.5lb.
It was tempted to a big Tube Fly above
Burnmouth, with the river sitting at plus six inches on their gauge.
By Saturday the river had settled back
to plus four inches and the prospects for the Ness were looking good.
Then back came winter and the river rose
again.
The River Moriston was less productive
than of late with four in the book.
On Tuesday Andy Massari landed a bonnie
8lb salmon while spinning a black/gold Devon.
The next came on Saturday to Cohn Wood
from Abriachan.
Fourteen year old Colin’s salmon matched
his age at 14lb.
Gordon Kerr had one at 12th on a Toby
and local dentist John Purnell took one of 12lb in the evening to finish
off their week.
A fair number of salmon were seen, but
as I said earlier, just weren't co-operating.
The River Garry produced the only other
salmon from the Ness system that I know off.
Mr Lyon took a 7lb salmon from up river
in the Little Crooked Pool on a Willie Gunn fly.
There are still some day rods available
on the Garry at £17.50. Contact Invergarry Hotel on (01809) 501206.
ON THE Kyle of Sutherland rivers, water
was at a premium, which reflected in the catches.
The Carron just got into double figures,
the Oykel had one salmon of 12lb and the Cassley was blank.
Again the salmon in the rivers were just
not in a ‘taking’ frame of mind.
Similarly the Brora with only plus four
inches on its gauge produced just one salmon.
Strangely, a couple of kelts
were caught, the first in about two months.
They just won’t budge until they are good
and ready and I imagine those were making their way down river from the
loch (Brora). |
ON THE Helmsdale, the story
was much the same with plus five inches on their gauge and no covering
wind to speak of.
Against all the odds, 14 salmon, all sea-liced,
made the net and demonstrated that there is sometimes no rhyme or reason
to salmon angling.
Their best of the week was 17lb.
One of the Torrish rods was in fact a
single-handed one and the angler using it had never fished on the Helmsdale
before. But he made his presence felt by taking five of 14 salmon taken
over the week.
A salmon was seen right at the top of
the river at the dam wait (Badanloch) which is indicative of the milder
weather which has just gone.
It proves just how far and fast they will
run given the right conditions.
ALTHOUGH there were no shortage of springers
in the Thurso river, conditions contrived to frustrate anglers there. The
east/northeast wind was the main non-contributing factor.
In saying that, five did make the net
with a couple being lost in the process.
Bryan Luxton from Inverness
grassed his first ever Thurso salmon at
11lb on a Fast Eddie brass Tube fly in the upper Bridge Pool on Beat 13.
Earlier he saw one come off just as he
was about to tail it.
David Ross-Stewart had a brace at 6lb
and 11lb on Beats 12 and 8.
Luca Montanan took one of 9lb on Beat
13 and John Bojda had one of 10lb on Beat 12.
Hopefully the fresh snow melt will induce
some good sport as the river settles back to normal, leaving a good head
of water behind Loch More dam. |
 ALAN
Bell is now managing three beats on the River Findhorn in the Tomatin area.
Day rods are available in April when salmon should arrive in the upper
parts of the river.
Glenkirk is about two miles in length
and is a three-rod beat; Corrybrough at 1.5 miles and also three rods and
East Clunie one mile and two rods. All of them are on the right bank.
Costs are £20-£25 per rod
day. Contact Alan Bell on (01808) 511439.
TARVIE Lochs have produced some excellent
rainbows during March.
These came from Dave Skinner (Avoch) at
9lb; Gregor Hay (Inverness) 9lb; Gerald
MacDonald (Inverness) 8lb; Alfie Sinclair
(Kiltarlity) 7lb 9oz and Willie Cassells
(Inverness) 5lb 8oz.
Tom Redmond, who was out with a friend,
saw 18 for their visit.
The following day Tom went out on his
own and took 16, with the best of those at 4lb.
Bob Matheson (Inverness) had 20 on a six
hour session, including a rainbow of 5lb 3oz and a charmon of 5.5lb.
A charmon, I believe, is a char-salmon
hybrid.
Bob then connected with another charmon
of 4lb, catching two of the 10 which were put into the loch back in August
of last year, with neither hide nor scale of them has been seen since.
A gold head Damsel tempted them from the depths.
Excellent quality triploids into double
figures have been stocked out recently and are
‘bars of silver’.
SOME Inverness Angling Club permits are
available for the season and there are also a few associate membership
places still available.
With the season’s first salmon caught,
perhaps now is the time to join.
Forms can be obtained from either Graham’s
or Ormiston’s of tackle shops in Inverness.
Further information can be had from the
club secretary on (01463) 240095.
IT WAS good to hear the other day that
Billy Grant from Benula Road, Inverness had been out fishing recently and
caught a fine trout.
Billy, who was badly injured on the A9
two years ago this month, was in a coma for many weeks.
His trout was just over half a pound.
Let’s hope there are many more to come. |
