ON the River Ness's town stretch there was a bit of sport with a couple being lost in the Little Isle Pool and four being caught up at the Weir.
Archie Campbell was the man of the moment taking three cracking salmon of 10lb and 12lb on Tuesday and one of 11Ib on Wednesday - all of them on a Yellow Ally's Shrimp. On Thursday Jock MacLeod landed a fish of 6lbs.
All of them straight off the tide.

ON NESS-SIDE the Kinniburgh parly saw eight on the bank with Prof Behan taking their best at 8.5lb from the Holm Pool on Saturday evening. Seeing salmon and being unable to tempt one over the week, the professor decided on what would seem like drastic measures.
He tackled up with a fast sinking line and a 1.5-inch plastic tube fly in the hope of putting his fly right on the fish's nose.
Ten minutes later he was into his fish! It just goes to show that we really can't be too rigid in our approach to salmon angling as it's generally the fish that make the rules anyway and it's up to us to adapt to circumstances and conditions.

ON THE Ness Castle Beat seven salmon and one grilse went in the book despite fluctuating water levels and a clammy atmosphere which does inhibit salmon activity.
lain MacDonald had three excellent salmon of 12, 11.5 and 8lb in the Black Stream and Mr Whalley a fine brace at 8.5 and 9lb.
   Bill Fleming caught a salmon of 19.5lb in the Black Stream and Australian visitor Mr Keen had his first ever salmon of 12.5lb from the same pool.
   Mr Jukes landed a bonnie grilse of 5.5lb at the very tail of the Black Stream and Donnie MacPherson tempted a super 4lb brown trout with a salmon fly in the Laggan Pool.
   Willie Armstrong fished there one day last week and went home with two fine lobsters, but that's another story.

Dochfour anglers accounted for 15 salmon/grilse last week, four of which were sea-liced and the rest mostly silver fish.
There, again, the sultry conditions and fluctuating water levels didn't help matters.
Simon Hashim landed four with his best a sea-liced salmon of 9.5lb at the Black Trees; John Hashim had two with his best at 7lbs from Major; Mike Hasson landed three with his best at 8.5lb also at Major and in the same spot Gordon Menzies had one of 6lb.
Willie Armstrong had one of 10.5lb at the Black Trees; D Cameron one of 9lb at the Weir; Hugo Graesser one of 6lbs at the Gullett and Bill Blackball a fine sea-liced salmon of 10.5lb at Burnmouth.

The two reports I have from Loch Ness this week are of Roy Johnstone (Graham's Tackle Shop) boating an excellent salmon of 10lb on an 18 gram Toby off Torr Point.
   The other is of brothers Scott and Dennis (jnr) Barton boating a 7lb grilse on a red/gold Malloch Devon directly opposite the Clansman Hotel on the Dores side of the loch.
   They also caught a brace of super brown trout at 3lb and 5lb, one on the Malloch Devon and the other on a Rainbow Toby in Dores Bay.

With my usual Loch Ness contact being away this week, I'll no doubt catch up with events on the loch on his return.

The River Garry produced a brace of salmon for Mr Cragg fishing the Estuary Beat on Wednesday and Friday. Both came to a Toby and weighed in at 7lb and 8lb.

The semi-final of the Sunday Post Competition was fished over Sandyknowe (Perthshire) last week and 31 anglers weighed in only four fish caught.
   The result was that only three anglers qualified and with eight anglers required for the final from this event, I can't guess how they will sort this out barring drawing names from a hat. Jack Lawton, George Nicholson and Davie Muir travelled south for the event.
   The next Singles Competition on Geddes Fishery (near Nairn) is on Sunday, September 17 and there are about six places still unallocated.
   Phone Robbie MacLennan on 04031 28631.

Similarly the Averon was running at a fine height, holding up over the week.
Seven salmon/grilse and some fine sea-trout were landed.
   Doug Coulter had a 6lb fish on fly on Beat 1; John McGow Jores had a 7.5lb salmon and a 2lb sea-trout from the Distillery Pool; John Longbotham had fish of 7lb and 5lb from the Douglas Pool and Inchiumpie; Mark Ogilvie had one of 5Ib on fly on Beat 1 and Rikki Golabek one of 5Ib in the run just above the Bridge Pool.
   Simon Jukes had his first ever salmon at 5Ib along with a brace of sea-trout on a Silver Stoat in the Distillery Pool.
   The forthcoming Fly Fishing competition, in support of Macmillan Cancer Relief arrives at Stoneyfield Lochs, Invergordon on Saturday, October 7.
   There is the opportunity to win £1,000 as well as many other prizes.
   For more details call 01368 863593.