THE River Ness rose about eighteen inches last week, encouraging salmon entering the river to run straight through thus greatly reducing the chances of tempting one to take.
In fact the Ness-side beat recorded the only fish taken on the river. John Kaka landed a sea-liced nine pound salmon on a black/orange Devon in the Holm Pool.
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FURTHER up the Ness system the River Moriston really took off with eighteen in the book.
Martin Smith, a regular visitor to the Moriston, accounted for six on a Willie Gunn (Ballinluig tied) fly.
He grassed a cracker of 17.5lb on Monday, two at
10.5lb and 13lb on Tuesday, one of 10b on Wednesday and a further brace at 10lb and 10.5lb on Thursday.
His wife, Jane, unfortunately saw both the salmon she hooked come off.
Charles MacDonald, also a regular visitor to the river, grassed three - one of 8lb on Monday to a red/black Devon, one of 9lb to a Zebra Toby on
Friday and one of 8lb on Saturday also on a Toby.
His brother Alex also landed a very solid 14lb salmon on Saturday, once again a Toby providing the temptation.
Ted Pemberton, also favouring Toby lures, accounted for fish of 12lb and 9.5lb on Monday/Tuesday.
On Friday, Gordon Armstrong landed four at 9, 9.5, 10 and 11lb.
Saturday saw Colin Wood take one of 13lb on a Devon and Gordie Kerr finished off an excellent week for the Moriston with a 9lb salmon to a Tosh tube fly.
Four of the salmon caught were seal attack marked, one particularly badly damaged.
There is a 'two salmon per day' limit on the river and Ms Girvin, the Estate Manager, would like to have this reiterated; failure to comply with this request will jeopardise anglers who don't conform being allowed permits in the future.
| WATER on the River Oich was at a premium and on the Glendoe Beat only one salmon was contacted by Jan MacRae but unfortunately it didn't make the net.
Canal gates, left open at Abercalder would appear to be contributing to the lack of water diverting into the river.
The Kyle of Sutherland has certainly picked up last week with two anglers on the lower Carron catching fourteen aud releasing eleven of them. The four rods accounted for twenty two on that beat with a total of sixteen being returned. The river as a whole produced about 50 for the week.
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ON THE Helmsdale 20 were caught with the tally being split evenly between the beats and the association water.
With salmon now showing in the Falls Pool, the upper beats should shorty be seeing fish. The river was fairly low at five inches.
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ON THE Lower Brora eight were taken up until Thursday but with a dramatic rise in temperature to 44 degrees Fahrenheit the fish were running freely for the loch.
The Thurso re-opened on Monday (April 2) after a five week lay-off and enjoyed an encouraging week with twenty springers, nineteen of which were sealiced.
Pat Nicol had four with his best 13lb, they came from beats 13,9,5 and 3.
John Long had three with one on Beat 13 and two on Beat 9. Mr Mathers also took three from Beats 8, 12 and 13.
Nigel Griffiths grassed a brace at 10lb and 13lb on Beats 9 and 7 and his fishing companion, Geoff Badland, had one on Beat 8.
The majority of salmon, although still carrying sea lice, were taken from the top half of the river which was sitting at about 11" and obviously encouraging the fish to run straight through the lower beats.
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THE Findhorn enjoyed its first good runs of the season with three coming off the Association Water and a dozen or so from the beats immediately above.
There is a feeling in the north generally that the spring salmon are running two or three weeks later than normally expected, this is perhaps due to the particularly cold spring.
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THE Loch Ruthven Angling Association has suspended fishing on Loch Ruthven until ihe end of April when the situation with Foot and Mouth Disease will be reviewed.
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