Ness anglers toiling
| RIVER Ness anglers toiled
last week to see only 15 on the bank with the town water blank for the
first time in a number of weeks.
The Ness-side Beat accounted for two and lost one, and on the Ness Castle Beat five fish came off last week, two of which were sea-liced. Mr MacDonald had a 6lb fish from the Laggan and lost another very much larger salmon. And Mr Whalley caught his first ever salmon in the Black Stream on fly — it weighed in at 6.5lbs with Mr Fleming taking three at 12lbs, 7lbs & 6.5lbs, again from the Black Stream on fly. On the Laggan Beat only one fish was taken over the week. Alan Parry landed a 4.5lb salmon on a Silver Stoat. Ghillie Jack Faulkner confirmed that this was most definitely a small salmon and not a grilse. Dochfour was quiet by its own standards this week and only seven were caught with five being released. Graham MacKenzie took four 7.5lbs, 6lbs and two at 5lbs from the Tall of the Island fishing his favoured Silver Stoat. Graham had three salmon on the previous Saturday evening which were omitted from last week’s total. Melvin Smith had one of 6.5lbs on a Shrimp Fly and Jack Christison one of 9lbs from the Tail of Island on a Collie Dog. John Harder’s 8.5lb fish, taken on a No6 GP from Major, completed the story of Dochfour’s week. THE River Oich had a quiet week. Low water
put paid to angling but injections of fresh water may well bring further
sport in the last weeks of the season.
THE River Thurso produced 60 fish for the
week. So far the salmon previously seen in Thurso Bay have yet to run the
river, thus the majority caught this week were residents and were duly
returned.
|
THE River Nairn enjoyed another
good week. Good water levels brought fresh fish into the river and a number
of big salmon were seen moving through the town water. This was confirmed
by local angler Sandy Wallace who was getting a few casts in with his young
son Brian, before dark one evening, when his Mepps Flying C connected with
a salmon which turned out to be the biggest fish taken from the Association
Water for some 10 years. Sandy’s reward was a 21.5lb sea-liced salmon.
Hugh Fraser was also into a couple of big fish but Lady Luck wasn’t with him this week as both came off, one managing to straighten the hooks on his Rapala. Elsewhere on the Nairn Jim Nesbitt had two grilse of 5-6lbs from Rosefield; Alasdair MacKellar also had two, those from Kildrummie on fly; past President Charlie Black had a clean grilse of 5lb; Colin Fraser had a fish of 8lbs on a yellow Flying C and Stuart Wright had a 12.5lb fish from Rosefield and lost two others. A Beauly Angling Club member, fishing the exchange ticket, enjoyed mixed fortunes. He took a 4.5lb grilse from Rosefield on a Rapala — he then hooked his own finger. After a quick, if not painless bank-side operation, he went out and took another fish of 8lbs which he sportingly returned. John Longbotham also visited the Nairn on Alness Angling Club’s exchange permit landing a 6lb salmon. It’s rewarding to see anglers making good use of the transfer arrangements between clubs in the area. The Alness river saw three on the bank last week with John MacGow catching and releasing an 8lb salmon above the Weir on Beat 3. He also landed a fine 2lb sea trout there. In the same spot, Sam Ferguson accounted for another 8lb salmon. One third one was caught and released up on Beat 1 but I don’t have the angler’s name. |
 THE
Halladale has been in good nick following a 4ft spate on Monday which was
topped up on Saturday. Sixteen fish were caught this week, all of which
were returned.
Spanish visitors Snr Blanco and Snr Timotie both had fish of 12lbs; Snr Blanco’s was one of seven to his own rod last week. Susan Fraser had three fish and Jamie MacGregor landed two. Martin Fraser, Simon Lacey and Timothy Giddings had one apiece. On Monday and Tuesday the Helmsdale was unfishable. Once conditions were settled and the river ran clear, 55 fish were caught during the remainder of the week. Again the bulk of the week’s catch was by residents, however among these was a fish of 27lbs taken by a Suisgill rod just below Borrobol Bridge. This fish, like the others, was safely returned to the river. THE Stoneyfield Competition
INVERNESS & District Angling League’s
recent results. In League A Portland B won over the Blacksmiths on Loch
More with only one fish being caught on the day.
TARVIE Lochs is renowned for producing
large rainbows in the back-end and the couple of weeks in September have
been no exception.
|
These reports are written and compiled byKenny 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.