THE only action on the River Ness, apart from a few kelts at the Laggan and Ness Castle, was a clean run salmon being lost on the Dochfour Beat.
Fish were seen going over the Weir and this was borne out with six springers coming off the River Moriston.
On Tuesday, April 10 Duncan MacKenzie, Maryburgh, tempted one of 8lb to a Willie Gunn and
John Kenyon one of 9lb to an
Editor tube fly.
Wednesday saw Digby Hodgson take a 9lb salmon on a black/orange Devon, Russell MacKay from Inverness one of 10lb on an Ally's Shrimp fly and Jim MacDonald from Aberdeen a fine specimen of 13lb to a Black Shrimp fly.
Gordie Kerr from Inverness rounded off the week, once again, with a solid fish of 11lb which came to a Toby lure.
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LOCH Ness saw Angus McGruar ond Jimmy Cameron boat another fine salmon of 8.5lb off the 'Spa ke' which is on the Invermoriston side.
They were trolling an 'Office Boy' which is a mounted sprate of Foyers origin.
On the Kyle of Sutherland, the Garron is fishing well with one of the middle beats producing nine salmon, five of which were returned.
The Findhorn Club water was not heavily fished although it was in excellent condition.
It did however produce a couple of salmon to Wilbur Cruickshank who had one at Red Craig (his third in a fortnight) and a visitor accounted for the other.
The beats above also produced reasonable catches with about fifty so far coming off the river, a dozen or so of those coming from the Club water.
That is about half the number taken by this time last year.
Still it's early days yet and as I said last week springers may well be running a week or two later than usual.
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THE River Thurso enjoyed some good sport despite the river dropping eight inches after Loch More lost a lot of water over the dam due to the high winds of last week.
The waves generated crashed over the wall and the loch lost about two feet as a result.
Not being a big loch, it can ill afford to lose that amount of water virtually overnight.
However sixteen salmon were caught, again mostly from the upper beats with the best of those a fish of 11lb.
Brian Marshall and Ian Bain, up from Edinburgh, equally shared four from Beats 13, 11 and 9 and Alex Willoughby also grassed a brace on Loch Beg on Beat 12.
| IT seems strange at this time of year to be concerned about water quantity but the Helmsdale also suffered a bit due to lack of water.
At four inches it is pretty low and only twelve salmon were caught there last week, with one being caught on the Club section.
With Beat 1 Below still restricted due to its proximity with livestock, it is sorely missed as it does tend to hold salmon in low water conditions.
The Halladale re-opened on April 16 and like the afore-mentioned rivers requires topping up before it will fish effectively.
However there should be a fish or two in the river by now, only time will tell!
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THE Royal British Legion (Scotland) Thurso Angling Section have postponed all their competitions and the only loch available to it's members is Loch Meadie.
This loch can be fished using the FMD precautions and a foot bath has been supplied by the Thurso Fisheries Ltd.
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GEDDES Fishery held their Trout Masters Final at the weekend with Alec Elliot, Inverness, taking first place with four rainbows for 9lb.
In second spot was Charlie Clark with four for 7lb, 12oz. Barry Kaka from Graham's Tackle Shop presented the prizes for the winners of the Masterline Winter League which has been fished over the last six months.
Colin Carroll had the best bag over the winter with 44lb, 2oz.
Second was Tom Brack with
37lb, 15oz; third was Roddie
Young from Forres with 28lb,
14oz and fourth was Gordon
Grant with 21lb 8oz.
Fish size for this competition was capped at 5lb but there were specimens at 6.5lb, 7lb, 9lb and 19lb taken over the six months period.
Their next monthly competition is on Sunday, April 29 and there are places still available,
Contact is Robbie MacLennan.
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THE story of the week belongs to Fraser Campbell, an angling instructor from Tain.
Along with his wife Linda they found themselves at a wee loch of just over an acre in size on the Sutherland Estate near Brora.
Only out for a run in the car, Fraser hadn't really intended fishing until he spotted a fish feeding in the middle of the loch, it was sipping away sub-surface and forming small dimples' on the surface.
He set up his rod and climbed into his float tube and headed for the spot and after only a few casts he hooked the trout on a gold ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph on 4lb b/s nylon and the fun and games really started.
Without a landing net and after being towed all over the loch Linda managed, despite the overhanging trees and scrub, to beached both Fraser and the trout!
It weighed in at an impressive 5.25lb and was caught in brilliant sunshine and an east wind which is contrary to all the experts who know when not to expect to catch fish.
Nice one Fraser!
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