Scottish Highlands fishing reports Jan 29th 2000

"Week ending Saturday January 29th 2000"

Angling author takes the first salmon of the year on the Ness system

CATCHING a salmon in January is, I think, the ultimate prize and one that only a select band of anglers ever collect.
Last week two more January salmon were caught.
I’m sure that the anglers in question didn’t feel anything but elation as their rods jumped into action.
James Coutts, author of the comprehensive Fishing Scotland guide books on game angling, successfully landed the Ness system’s first salmon of the 21st century.
He caught it on a three inch Yellow Belly in the Estuary Beat on the River Garry, just below the turbine outflow.
A hen fish of 11lb and still carrying sea lice, it was released after scale sampling.
That was on January 20 at about 4.20pm with the water temperature at a cold four degrees.
He also landed six pike, all of which were returned along with a few salmon kelts.
It’s not unknown to pick up the odd pike there but he actually had three in one day which is a bit surprising.

BACK to salmon with the Helmsdale River also producing its first salmon of the year
2000.
At 11lb it came off Kilphedir on Beat 2 below to Borrobol keeper Charlie Shaw’s rod.
A 1.5 inch Willie Gunn, what else, was the fly and Borrobol ghillie Johnnie Sutherland did the netting honours.
Charlie also received a 14-foot salmon rod and a magnum of champagne to commemorate this very special first.
It was also his first ever salmon from the Helmsdale so it was a very fine double indeed.

THE Oykel on the Kyle of Sutherland system also produced its first salmon of the season with Findlay MacCulloch taking a cracker of 12lb from the Brae Pool.
It was tagged and returned which will be the practice with all spring fish on that river.
Kelts have been the order of the day on all the other north rivers but hopefully springers will be making their way into the various systems.

ON THE River Ness there was still spawning activity last week which is a bit surprising but nevertheless good to see. Presumably these fish were late running salmon in the tail end of last year.

ALNESS Angling Club is to hold its annual general meeting on Monday February 7 in the Perrins Centre and a good turnout is hoped for on the evening.
Committees function that bit better in the knowledge of a solid and supportive membership.

NORMALLY at this time of year I don’t give too much thought to rainbow fishing as the presence of ice on the lochs usually keeps them out of action.
Not so this January. With the milder weather, Stoneyfield Fishery at Invergordon has recorded some unusual catches.
Paddy MacRae and Bert Loades from Dornie caught rainbows at 10lb 13oz and 8lb 12oz respectively and had a total basket of 10 on a visit last week.
John Loghran, working at Nigg, took an excellent over-wintered rainbow from Fyrish (the old loch) at 9lb 2oz.
Gary Ferguson won the David Constable Trophy for the best rainbow of 1999 which weighed in an impressive 14lb 8oz.
The fishery is open Thursday to Sunday during January and February.

TARVIE Lochs are also free from ice and there were 10 boats out last Sunday.
Over January Eddie Harrigan from Newtonmore boated a fine rainbow of 5lb; Murray Balfour from Inverness one of 4lb 6oz and Tom Redmond from Drumnadrochit accounted for 10 on his visit there.
In late December the loch was frozen over but owner Gerry Breau was determined to catch the last fish of the century from the loch.
Armed with an axe he cut a route out to the island area and his efforts were reward by catching three rainbows on Hogmanay.
That’s determination for you.

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.

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