 WITH snow shoes more the order of the day during last week, it proved to be a bit of a disaster on the angling scene.However the odd hardy angler ventured out looking for a bit of fishable water, one of those being Kildowan ghillie Martin Grant. With the Helmsdale full of grue and ice-melt, he found a clear spot in the viaduct on Beat 1 Below. After about fifteen minutes fishing, he hooked and landed their first salmon of 2001. The fish weighed in at 8lb and had actually been sitting in the river for a week or so having slipped through under the ice and snow. Where there's one there's usually more and with the river not too big at the moment, it will no doubt be fished with a bit more enthusiasm as a thaw sets in. A slow snow-melt is what's required now to keep it at a reasonable height.
Fly tying classes in Inverness have been a miss over the last couple of winters so to rectify the situation Inverness Angling Club are running a class over the next eight weeks.
| If you don't have the necessary bits and pieces, don't worry as I'm sure someone will help you get started and give advice on what's best for the beginner to purchase. Fly tying kits are available in the shops and fairly reasonably priced but you can build up your own a bit at a time and advice is always on hand as to what one actually needs to get started. As angling is fairly restricted at the moment, perhaps tying a fly or two is not a bad idea. The 'Willie Gunn' is probably the most successful and widely used spring fly in the country. There are lots of variations which include, no tag, purple overwing instead of black, the addition of twinkle and also with an entirely gold body. Here's a fairly standard pattern for a 'Willie Gunn' to be going on with: Style - Waddington This pattern can also be tied on tubes and trebles.
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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.