TALES FROM THE RIVERBANK It also seems to be a general truism that the Hope springs
Join the ranks of the optimistic spring angler and go out in search of the new season Scottish salmon
WORDS JON GIBB
kick off the new season than landing a fresh run Scottish spring salmon? Even though I am champing at the bit to get
T
going after the long winter, I am nevertheless very particular about my spring salmon fishing. I’ve learnt through bitter experience (and more blank days than I care to remember) that a very targeted approach is necessary to get the most enjoyment out of this rather specialised branch of the sport. For a start, I no longer fish whole weeks. A
single day’s fishing is more than enough for me on a river in early spring where tempera- tures can sometimes barely rise above zero and finding a fish some days can be like searching for the proverbial polar bear in a snow storm. Secondly, and perhaps surprisingly, I shun
the most well-known spring rivers. While many of my friends head off to the grand early beats of the middle Dee and lower Spey (where I can’t help feeling that they are charged a small fortune for remarkably meagre returns), I favour the lesser-known day ticket waters where the average spring rod catch over the years indi- cates a reasonable chance of a fish. The day ticket angler also has some signif-
icant advantage over the weekly fisher at this time of year: a booking can be made at the very last minute, dependent on weather and river heights, offering by far the best chance of scoring. More so than at any other time in the season, conditions are critical for success. Also springers have a nasty habit of being unpredict- able in their run timing – what was a prime spring week the previous year can be a dead loss the following season. You need to stay flexible.
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here can be few days more anticipated in the fishing calendar than the first day out on river or loch. And what better way to
‘Finding a fish some days can be like searching for the proverbial polar bear in a snow storm’
further north you go in Scotland the better the spring fishing. But that is not to say that some good inexpensive sport can’t be had further south. Take the humble River Teith, which joins the Forth near Stirling. Stirling Council has a beat at Callander with 11 named pools and a solid spring record. While not the most private of fishing – at £30 per day and within an hour of Edinburgh and Glasgow, what do you expect? – this beat is often where springers will congregate having run through the more ‘exclusive’ downstream beats. James Bayne’s tackle shop in Callander will sell you a permit (01877 330218). Moving further north, the North Esk is an
accessible spring river of some note. While the beats downstream of Morphie Dyke are the most productive (and popular), if
the early
spring has been mild then the weir at Morphie doesn’t hold the run and fresh fish push right through the river. The Strathcaro beat has some lovely fly water just seven miles up from the sea. Located at the junction with the major West Water tributary and just below the Edzell Loups, it is a natural stopping place for spring fish. Search
www.fishpal.com for this and other middle river beats. The Ness system has been through the
doldrums recently but its spring fishing record has remained intact. The upper tributaries are the place to be, where average weights are some of the best in Scotland. The Moriston has the best of the fishing (try Gordie Kerr on 01320 351300) but the secretive little River Oich that connects Lochs Oich and Ness is a very under-fished and pretty river that can throw up some real surprises at this time of year (contact ghillie Ala MacGruer on 07763 108125). Caithness and Sutherland are a spring
fishing mecca for those that make the trip to the far north. While most of the exclusive beats are taken by the week year in year out by the same parties, some cheap and reasonable fishing can be found. Both the Brora and Helmsdale have association water in their lower reaches and while not offering the world class fishing of the beats above they do offer a good chance of connecting with a fresh fish straight off the tide (contact Ron Sutherland at Helmsdale Tackle 01431 821372). Finally up in the very far North, is probably
Thurso the best of the
the lot.
With the estuary nets mothballed recently, this river is breaking all records. It is often woefully under-fished early in the season but still records 50 springers in both March and April. Contact the River Superintendent Eddie McCarthy (01847 831591).
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 107
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