"Fishing Reports"
Report date
March 4th 2000
An encouraging start
| Most ‘early’
rivers have already seen fish caught
WITH a couple of fishing days left in February at the time of writing, there have been encouraging reports of a spring salmon in almost all the ‘early’ rivers. Water levels have been pretty erratic throughout the month but that hasn’t detracted from the angling efforts, which the catches bear witness to. On the Ness system all of the top end rivers produced salmon, as did Loch Oich. Russell MacKay was the man in action on the Moriston, taking both of their salmon this week on Wednesday. At 9lb and 7lb, both sealiced, they were taken on a two inch black Waddington and a four inch black/red Devon. A brace was also taken from the Glendoe beat of the River Oich. John Cathcart notched up his first of the year in the Estuary Beat with his first cast, fishing a Cathcart special which I believe is a cross between a spoon, a Toby and a spinner. It worked and produced a fine 7lb salmon. Jimmy Shaw, a ghillie on the Conon’ s Brahan beat, grassed a cracker of 13lb fishing a two inch Willie Gunn in fairly high water in Kytra on the River Oich. Some good conditioned well mended kelts were also in evidence. They can easily be mistaken for a fresh fish by the inexperienced eye, so if in doubt release it anyway. If it's covered in sea lice and takes nearly an hour to land, there’s no doubt. The Estuary Beat on the River Garry saw Inverness Angling Club member George Hamilton take a 11lb salmon on a Gold Toby and the fish was released. On the 17th of the month, Mr Hurst took one of 9lb on Loch Oich and last Saturday Andy Donaldson from Caol tempted a solid 14lb salmon from there. Rods are still available for the Garry and Loch Oich. Contact the Invergarry Hotel on (01809) 501206 for bookings. |
ON MONDAY 21st the
Halladale River’s only angler was Mike MacKenzie, who is a bailiff on the River Naver. It turned out to be a red letter day for Mike with a brace at 10lb and one at 11lb. The day’s first came from Ashills on Beat 3. He moved upstream to fish the Run Out and got the second and then decided to ‘back it up’ and got the third. A gold bodied black/yellow Waddington took the first fish and a 1.5 Willie Gunn the other two. As is the practice on the Halladale, Mike’s second salmon was released. What a way to start a new miflennium - not only his first of the year but the River Halladale’s first, second and third all in the same morning. THE River Nairn got off the mark on Saturday
February 26, with Sandy Ord landing a salmon of 6.75lb on worm in Firhall
on the Town section.
THE Findhorn also recorded its first of 2000 with a salmon of 7.5lb being taken from the Stoney Pool on the Association Water. It was caught by Jim McNaughton. |
 ON
MONDAY February 21, Phil Gilbert brought the Brora’s total to eight with
a 6.5lb salmon from The Well on a Willie Gunn.
The river was running fairly high all week. Two salmon were caught late on the 19th on Salscraggie on Beat 1 below and Upper Torrish on Beat 3 below. Last week a further two were caught, one of 10.5lb in Little Rock on Beat 1 below and one of 9lb in Park Pool on Beat 2 below, which brings their total to 10 so far. IN THE far north, the River Naver also
got under way with head keeper Bob McBain taking their season’s first salmon.
ON THE Kyle of Sutherland, the Oykel produced
another five last week, bringing their spring total to seven.
THE Federation of Highland Angling Clubs and Associations’ Annual Brown Trout Competition is to be held on Saturday May 27. Loch Watten is the venue and Jack Fraser will co-ordinate the event. |
These reports are written and compiled by
Kenny
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.
