Its getting close to opening time again on the salmon rivers in the far North
- Borgie, Naver, Strathy and Halladale As I intend to fish all these rivers in January I will post reports and am happy if anybody wants up to date info on these rivers to pass on anything I can find out
I have fished the rivers in January for the past 3 years and there are usually quite a few kelts about with the odd fresh fish
last January on the Borgie I had 5 kelts in about an hour from the same small pool all on my own Willie Gunn - my first fish on my own flies About lunch time it had warmed up and I was fishing in shirt sleeves andthere was a hatch of flies and some very decent trout were rising.I had not had any takes by then and I was very tempted to go get my trout rod and fish a dry olive fortunately I persevered with the salmon tactics
My Greys 11 ft platinum x; floating line and a size 8 willie gunn tied on a silver eagle claw treble
alistair aka lugg
http://dapping86.proboards91.com/.

I do not wish you to think I am picking on you but you posted and if you stick your head above the parapet expect someone to take a pop at it.

Why when you knew there were a number of kelts on the go did you fish with a treble hook, surely a double or single would have made the release of these fish so much easier for yourself and the fish.

Why did you consider getting a trout outfit set up two months before the season opens?

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Malcolm
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Quot homines tot sententiae

I agree malcom,the idea of fishing for salmon so early,when we know there is
more than a good chance of hooking kelts does'nt go down well,now im not saying lugg,that you are intentionaly targeting these fish,a little more thought
for the kelts required,if these fish get back safely,theyr'e the biggies next time round.

I'm not suggesting Lugg should not be fishing, I will probably have a raid north in January myself I am just questioning whether a treble hook is appropriate.

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Malcolm
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Quot homines tot sententiae

sorry willie g - MY OWN FAULT FOR NOT BEING CLEAR - i SHOULD HAVE ADDED THAT i HAD FLATTENED THE BARBS ON 2/3 OF THE HOOKS ON THE TREBLE IN CASE i HOOKED ANY KELTS AND i WOULD PROBABLY HAVE RELEASED ANY SPRING FISH AS WELL'
I agree with your comments that deliberately fishing fully barbed trebles is not a good way to allow fish to return to sea
.i PREFER THE TREBLE EARLY ON AS IT SINKS THAT LITTLE BIT DEEPER comparedto a single or double
Re setting up the trout rod "mea culpa" - I had forgotten that the season was closed - in the excitment of seeing good trout rising and this was more wishfulness rather than any deliberate attempt to have fished for trout - i was out salmon fishing.
Sorry for my lack of clarity - i hope that explanation meets more with your approval Malcolm and SalmonK
alistair aka Lugg

Hi first report was goin g to be on the Naver - where I had booked a permit for fri 12th but the weather was horendous( a full gale) when I got to the Store at Bettyhill to collect the permit. So I opted for the smaller spate R Strathy( all the other rivers were in spate) which is in a much more sheltered valley.
I started fishing about 10 .30 am andwas using a new 12ft rod that Id bought at House of Hardy in Alnwick on my way north.
I used a floating line and a copper tube -1" with a treble( 2/3 barbs flattened). I was fishing at the wire bridge pool where the beat starts and onmy 5th cast just as I was lengthening the line there was aboil on the surface where the fly had just landed and I was on
I played the fish for about 5 mins and it was soon obvious that the fish was slightly coloured and on landing it was lean with a distended vent - akelt of about 4lbs -which was carefully returned.
I continued down the beat and in some heavy fast water swapped to a 1 1/2" brass tube (willie gunn)
I cast across at about 30 o and put alarge upstream mend to let the tube really sink and had a solid pull and in a hard fight a clean fish of about 8lbs
came off just as it was about to be landed
O Bother
I had a few other pulls but didnt connect
It was an enjoyable day in a fierce wind and the new rod both performed well and awas christened.
I will be trying to get a day on the borgie and naver -- reports will folow in due course
alig aka lugg

well done lugg ,what a great way to start the season,more tight lines for the rest of 07.

jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

AS AN UPDATE
if you are going to fish the R Strathy and start near the wire bridge
BECAREFUL AS YOU CROSS A SMALL FORD
just past the lodge where you turn off the road to get to the river
I bottomed out when I fished on Fri and found that my radiator started leaking like a seive on Wednesday
If youve not got a 4 x4 with high suspension - Leave the car at the lodge parking and walk to the river its only 2 - 300 yds
ali g aka lugg

hi I fished the R Naver - it was finally fishable after a week of very high water and very bad storms. I didnt see a fish move and didnt raaise anything . I suspect that the week with very high water allowed all/any spring fish present to run up. It is still a lovely fly water so I enjoyed the day although thetemperature fell very noticeably as dusk approached. I would have fished the Borgie but it was still unfisheable
alg aka lugg

hi IM driving up to Nscotland thursday - snow allowing and should fish the naver on Fri and the Borgie on Sat
Naver - the bettyhill AC water starts at the bridge as you go into bettyhill(theres a rd signposted Skellpek??? and you follow this to get to the most easily accessible pool ALLYS. Just past the sheep pens and on your right - theres a seat and rod rest there.
The beat is about 1 1/2 miles long finishing at a burn. most people got to the top of allys pool where there is usually a gravell bar in the middle, a shallow stream nearside and a lovely fly fishable section on the far bank.
Then the shallow stream runs in to deeper water there is a long wide glide 30 -40 yds wide- for about 150 -200 yds that always seems to hold fish mostly nr the far bank. the river turns left about 90 o jsut opposite the car park and this is the main pool -2-300yds - I reckon that it should be best fished by wading across the shallow stream and some shallow water above the fishable area past the gravell bar already mentioned - then walking down to the river bend and fishing it from the opposite side to the road.Covering the areas mentioned thoeoughly will take most of the day
3 PERMITS ONLY PER DAY( £20 PER DAY BOOKABLE 3 DAYS IN ADVANCE)
FROM the store at Bettyhill _ RAY is very helpful.
THe naver raely colours in flood(due to the loch) so can be fished at all heights
THe borgie is a much smaller river but has been "tailored" - quite a lot of holding pools have been made using small weirs amd many of these pools have some casting platforms - little need to wade. All tehe river is accessible from the forestry track- a 4 x 4 is an advantage with fairly short walks to the river
BEWARE THERE IS A POWER CABLE PASSING NEAR THE RIVER
permits are £ 25 per day from bailiff Jim Stewart( LIves about a mile past the Borgie Hotel ( difficult to get on after feb as it is mostly let by the week to parties of regular anGLERs
The main fly will be a willie gunn
Jan / feb as a brass tube
mar /april as awaddington
summer? small doubles or trebles or aluminium tubes
ASSUMING no problem with weather I will post areport next week
ali g aka lugg