| THE River Ness is still desperately
low but some runs of salmon are still being seen entering the river though
it looks as if they are slipping through into the loch.
In saying that, fish were still being picked up throughout the river and catches were not that bad considering the conditions. On the Club water only one was confirmed although there was evidence of one having been beached in the Maclntyre Pool. Ian Maclennan (Flookie) was offered a rod in the Little Isle Pool when he stopped off for a blether with the other anglers; a couple of casts later he hooked a bonnie fish of 6.5lb. The following day he went to the Conon Association Water which has enjoyed its best season for many years and catches to date are into three figures. Dingwall & District Angling Club looks after that section of the River Conon and you do not need to reside in the Conon Bridge area to become an ordinary member. One to remember. On Ness-side two salmon and five grilse
were successfully landed with three fish coming off right at the net and
about ten being lost after brief encounters. Graham Cameron had one of
4.75lb on a size 10 Ally’s at the Birch Trees; Barry Owen with two at 6lb
and 7lb on a similar fly in the Holm Pool.
The Laggan beat recorded three for their week. The Dochfour Beat was sitting at minus
12 inches and the upstream breezes greatly assisted improving fly cover.
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On Loch Ness Roy ‘Mr Toby’
Johnston, who works in
Graham’s Tackle Shop, boated a bonnie 3.5lb grilse from the Dores area — on what else but a Toby. Ala McGruar had a brace at 5lb and 6lb from Pongoes Bay and the Witches Stone; Bob Matheson a salmon of 9lb off Glendoe; Walter Scott a brace of 8lb and 6lb from Tarif and Glendoe; Kevin Stewart, out with Bob Matheson, had one of 5.5lb at the Horseshoe and Angus and Lewis McGruar out together caught a salmon of 7lb from Ann Grants. I believe that a few others were taken but I’ve no confirming reports on them. This is really heartening news from the loch. Tobys were favourite but the odd fish came to a Devon. At the top end of the Ness system a 3lb
grilse was taken from the River Garry by Mr Aebischer and a brace of 4.5lb
and 6lb from the River Oich’s Glendoe Beat by Ally Cameron from Fort Augustus.
Ally took both of those on a Zebra Toby in the early morning at the Island
Pool.
The River Nairn picked up with a mini spate
on Friday and saw a fair number of grilse on the move.
The Averon is still producing the odd fish
with George Pine landing a five pound grilse along with a two pound sea-trout
while worming on Beat 1.
Believe it or not, the Helmsdale was in
spate on Thursday night. A thunder plump over the Loch Choire area had
Badenoch Dam spilling over and the river up to 2’ 2” on the gauge.
|
 The
Halladale, which sources not far from the Helmsdale, was still sitting
with a zero reading which hardly seems fair but not a drop of rain did
they get.
Eighteen salmon and grilse were caught despite all the odds being stacked against it with a real mixture of flies managing to stimulate ‘takes’. On Monday eight were caught with Mike Arnell taking the only salmon of the day from Canal on a Yellow Dolly, that one at 7.5lb. The other seven grilse were caught by Shirley Slowock on a Black Shrimp in Smigel. Mark Thorpe had a brace, returned one, at Forsinain; Colin Howard landed three on a Curry’s red Shrimp in Hugh’s, returning one and Richard Ford had one in Glenagor on a Purple Shrimp. Tuesday saw six more grilse up to 6lbs on the grass with Mike Arnell catching and releasing one in Hugh’s Pool on a Yellow Dolly and Rick Ford taking three, one of which he released, on a Muddler. Colin Howard took one for Forsinain on a white Muddler and Mark Thorpe took another on a wee red and gold Tube with a size 16 treble. Upper Ashills on a red Ally’s; Mark Thorpe returned an 8lb salmon which took a red and gold Tube fly in canal; John Bonerman a fish of 6lbs from Weedies on a Muddler and Colin Howard a 4lb grilse which he returned to Canal. Stoneyfield Lochs held their July Singles
Competition on Sunday last with Geddes Fishery manager Robbie MacLennan
taking first prize.
All roads lead to Moy this week-end. The
Moy Field Sports Fair will be held there on Friday and Saturday August
4 and 5. We hope to see you at Anglers Corner which has once again
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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.