Items filtered by date: July 2020

IAC member Murray Richardson has chalked up his first fish of the season from the club water with a fly-caught grilse of four pounds from the top of the Little Isle. As the week progresses, more fish are being seen on the river. Chris Bruce and Andy Massari both hooked but lost fish off the afternoon tide.

Members of Inverness Angling Club, and holders of visitor and free day permits for the club fishings, are reminded of the need to report all salmon or grilse caches. These reports must be made within 24 hours of the catches, whether kept or returned. They are part of club rules and are necessary to meet government requirements.

The club provides an easy way to report catches through its web site. On the home page of the web site, scroll down and click on Report Catch. This will access the report form. Complete the form as appropriate, add a picture if available, select the starred* icon (suitcase, flag etc) and click Send.

Pictures are always welcome but the welfare of fish being released is paramount. It’s best to keep it in the water and to minimise handling. Lifting the fish ONLY by the tail can cause irreparable damage.

Salmon and grilse are still few and far between on the club water of the River Ness - not for the want of trying as most days see plenty of anglers on the beats. Melvin Smith’s persistence paid off, however, delivering a 5.5lb grilse from the Weir Pool on Monday morning.

Juvenile salmon surveys of the River Ness have shown encouraging results, reports the Ness District Salmon Fishery Board. The surveys, carried out on July 18 at Dochfour and at Inverness Angling Club’s Holm Mills pool, indicated fry levels of 223/224 per 100 square metres. Parr levels were recorded at 65/66. A survey at the top of the Little Isle Pool today (July 20) showed similar results.

Fishery board CEO Chris Conroy explained: “The older salmon parr, greater than one year old, are always found in lower numbers than fry due to natural mortality and the fact that they are more widely distributed. But they are generally a better indicator of the health of the salmon population. These were not the highest densities on record but would still be classed as excellent.”

Survey: Chris Conroy (left) and fishery officer Chris Daphne at the Little Isle

Result: A good sample of fry and parr

Sorting: The juveniles are sized and recorded

If you’ve missed it on Facebook, this is what faced River Ness anglers as they turned up on Monday morning to fish the Little Isle Pool. Highland Council had advised Inverness Angling Club that test bores for the My Ness artwork would be taking place, giving the club the chance to warn members through its web site. The club appreciates being kept in touch.

Unfortunately, no warning was given about the works taking place on the riverside path from the Fishermen’s car park down to the small roundabout above the infirmary. As a result, pedestrians - including anglers - had to use the adjacent narrow road, posing dangers from traffic. And a section of the car park was restricted to contractors’ vehicles. The work continues.

Boring: Tests begin at Little Isle

Donnie Urquhart made a successful return to the River Ness this morning. Fishing the Weir Pool with a two-inch Devon minnow, he landed and released a fresh run grilse of some three pounds - his first of the season.

Canadian Anik Sachdeva, who works for the NHS, had a great introduction to Ness salmon fishing today. Joining the club on the £100 introductory membership, he headed for the Weir Pool and landed a 16lb salmon on a Devon minnow.

NHS colleague Kevin Greig-Elliott had encouraged Anik to take to the river but didn’t quite expect the result. At home above Holm Mains, Kevin got an urgent call for help and dashed down to the Weir to help Anik land his spectacular fish!

Downstream, the Mill Stream produced a fresh grilse for Andrew Coghill - his first salmon form the Ness for six years. And he sends a big ‘thank-you’ to new member Bobby Cunningham for his help in landing it.

Big fish: Anik with his spectacular catch

Delighted: Andrew with his long-sought fish

Continuing effort was rewarded again today for Davie Dyce. Fishing the Little Isle Pool, Davie hooked and landed a feisty grilse of 4.5lbs - his second of the season and the third from the club waters.

Hopefully, this is a sign that catches will begin to rise. But fish are only caught if there are plenty of flies, or lures, in the water. The club beats are still short of the usual number of anglers on the water at this time of the year. More effort will mean more fish - so dust off your rods and reels and have a cast; the fish are there to be caught!

And just to confirm that fish are running the river, Peter Gardner landed a 7.5lb cock fish near the top of the Red Braes this afternoon. He was fishing an 8gm orange and silver toby style lure.

Number two: A grilse for Davie

Resurfacing works on the B851 will affect one of the access routes to the Loch Ruthven trout fishery this week. Part of the road, between the Inverarnie junction and the junction with the Brin-Dunlichity-Loch Ashie road, will be closed from 9 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday (July 13 to 17).

The alternative route to Loch Ruthven, which will be well known to many, is via the Essich road past Loch Ashie to the junction with the B862 up from Dores. A short distance along this road, take the first left which runs along the west end of Loch Duntelchaig to Loch Ruthven.

It’s finally happened. After numerous tugs and pulls, and a couple of dramatic losses, Davie Dyce landed his first salmon of the season today. Fishing the left bank of the Mill Stream, he landed a fly-caught grilse of 5.5lbs at the tail of the pool. Well done Davie - due reward for hours of effort and, hopefully, the first of many.