| ...equals a very
good week for the River Moriston
APRIL certainly had its fair share of showers,
but by and large it wasn’t a bad month for salmon anglers.
With all the north rivers producing springers
in varying numbers throughout April, there would still generally speaking
appear to be reasonable stocks of early running salmon.
With conservation measures now in place
in most of the rivers, perhaps their fragile future has been suitably strengthened.
Anglers, to varying degrees, are accepting
guidelines set out and are going along with the constraints.
If the Scottish Executive is seeing sensible
conservation measures set up at local levels, then it might let us continue
the good work already being done without intervention.
But if the Executive does decide to intervene,
then wide-sweeping and drastic conservation mandates could well be our
lot.
Let’s keep up the good work.
THE Ness system’s top end rivers again
produced spring salmon with the Oich, Garry and Moriston all on the score
sheet once again.
Gary Goddard from Inverness grassed a
sea-liced beauty of 13lb on an Ally’s Shrimp on the Oich’s Camelon Pool.
Ten minutes later, a second was unfortunately
lost.
The Garry had three in the book, with
Donnie Urquhart taking fish of 7lb and 14lb on a Toby in the Estuary into
Loch Oich and Mr Tasasiz one of 8lb further up river in the Dog Pool.
The River Moriston enjoyed a good week
with three anglers taking 14 salmon between them.
Tommy MacDonald grassed a brace on Wednesday
on a copper Toby and a brace on Thursday on a three inch black/red Devon,
which weighed in at 12, 8, 11 and 13lb.
Saturday witnessed 10 on the bank, with
six of them being duly released as a brace is the day limit on the Moriston.
Kevin MacDonald’s fish weighed 8, 8, 10,
7 and 9lb and all came to a Tube Fly.
A similar number fell to Gary Lyness’s
rod using a similar fly and those were 13, 7, 10,9 and 7lbs.
Six salmon were also lost prior to lunch.
Now that’s the Moriston at its best!
On Loch Ness, boats have been few and
far between but with seals working the loch, I don’t suppose it’s much
of an incentive for anyone to bother to launch one. |
THE River Nairn was pretty
much of a washout last week but by Friday night was just fishable and no
more.
About half a dozen sea trout were taken
by a good turnout of anglers on the river on Saturday.
All of those fish were caught on the worm,
with the best of them at a cracking 4.5lb.
The Helmsdale was only fishable for three
out of the six days and still managed to produce over 35 salmon for the
week.
One salmon which came off as it rolled
towards the net was well in excess of 20lb.
I like to call it short line release,
it sounds better.
Believe it or not, as of May compensation
water is available from Badenloch. Who needs it —yet?
THE Thurso was reduced to two days effective
angling as the river was up in the fields for almost the duration.
In spite of this, 14 made the net.
June Walker showed the men folk a clean
pair of heels by getting five of them.
On Beat 13 she had salmon of 10, 11 and
13lb and on Beat 11 salmon of 10lb and 12lb.
David Sutherland of Wick accounted for
three at 10, 12 and 13lb on Beat 12 and David Forbes, also from Wick, grassed
his first ever Thurso salmon of 12.5lb on Beat 8’s Cupboard Pool.
FURTHER along the north coast, the Halladale
brought its total to 18 with the help of
Auchintoul keeper Angus Ross.
He caught four on beat 1 on Monday, losing
two in the process.
He had one of 8.5lb in Hugh’s Pool, one
of 12lb in Jetty’s, one of 11lb in Bridge and one of 12lb in Cemetery.
Caught in that order, both the 12 pounders
were released as every second fish has to be returned.
Mr Miller from Helmsdale caught one of
8lb in Bridge on an orange Tube fly and Bill Richardson had one of 7lb
from Munro’s on Beat 3 on an Ally’s Shrimp.
Two of those six salmon were seal attack
marked.
LOCH Brora has enjoyed its best April for
several years with half a dozen or so salmon being caught.
Tickets for the loch are readily available
through Loch Brora Angling Club’s outlet at Rods and Guns, Main Street,
Brora. The loch is of course fly only.
|
 THE
Findhorn has seen a good run of salmon enter the river and about 10 were
caught on the Forres Angling Club water last week bringing their total
to the twenty mark so far this season.
INVERNESS Angling Club casting classes
at the Little Isle Pool will start on Wednesday May 24 and continue for
four weeks until June 14.
Those interested should assemble at the
car park at the Little Isle and be tacked up for a 7pm start.
Juniors, beginners and more experienced
anglers are all welcome.
STONEYFIELD Lochs (Invergordon) held their
monthly Singles Competition on Saturday, with 16 anglers on the water.
The winner was Gerry Rattray, based locally
with the Black Watch at Fort George and weighed in at four rainbows for
14lb 5oz, with his and the competition’s best at 5lb 5oz.
In second place was Geddes fishery manager
Robert MacLennan with four for 9lb 8oz and Bert Loades from Dornie was
third with four for 9lb 3oz.
David MacCabe from Alness took a fine
rainbow of 6lb 5oz early in the day but didn’t manage to get a full basket.
TWENTY-EIGHT anglers from all over Scotland
and as far as the south of England fished the Tarvie Lochs Troutmaster
Final on Saturday.
Being one of the very few bright days
enjoyed during April, it didn’t lend itself to productive angling.
Tom Redmond from Drumnadrochit battled
on to win the event with three rainbows weighing 5lb 4oz.
Doctor Bissett from Inverness then showed
how to make 28 anglers sick by going out and taking an excellent rainbow
of 6lb 12oz on Sunday.
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