Scottish fishing - Revision history

Blairp91 at 15:45, 28 January 2007

2007-01-28T15:45:17Z

Blairp91 at 15:15, 28 January 2007

2007-01-28T15:15:32Z

Blairp91 at 15:03, 28 January 2007

2007-01-28T15:03:36Z

Blairp91 at 14:17, 28 January 2007

2007-01-28T14:17:04Z

Blairp91 at 23:04, 27 January 2007

2007-01-27T23:04:18Z

Blairp91 at 22:58, 27 January 2007

2007-01-27T22:58:13Z

Blairp91 at 21:46, 27 January 2007

2007-01-27T21:46:56Z

Blairp91 at 19:11, 27 January 2007

2007-01-27T19:11:16Z

Blairp91 at 19:01, 27 January 2007

2007-01-27T19:01:51Z

Blairp91 at 18:40, 27 January 2007

2007-01-27T18:40:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:45, 28 January 2007
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	'''A Scottish spate river: the River Nairn at Clava near Inverness.'''		'''A Scottish spate river: the River Nairn at Clava near Inverness.'''
		+
		+	'''Links:'''
		+
		+	[http://www.riverspeyanglers.org.uk/] River Spey Anglers Association.
		+
		+	[[http://www.fishspey.co.uk/]] Fishspey web site allows online booking of fishing on the Spey.
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		+	[http://www.speyside.moray.org/Aberlour/aberlourangling/ABERLOURANGLINGHOME.htm] Aberlour Angling Association - day and weekly permits on the Spey.
		+
		+	[http://www.clavalodge.co.uk/] Clava Lodge which holds the fishing on the River Nairn pictured above.
		+
		+	[http://www.anglingintayside.co.uk/fishingcentres.asp] Angling on Tayside - lots of links to fishing available to visitors.
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		+	[http://www.flyfish-scotland.com/stormont.htm] Stormont Angling Club - Small membership fee gives access to some excellent angling on the Tay and Almond
		+
		+	[http://www.fishtweed.co.uk/pages/abouttheriver.asp?dom=FishTweed] Fishing on the River Tweed.
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		+	[http://www.riverfindhorn.org.uk/] River Findhorn information.
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		+	[http://www.invernessanglingclub.co.uk/] Inverness Angling Club waters with permits available to fish right in the centre of town.
		+
		+	[http://www.beauly-angling-club.co.uk/index.htm] Beauly Angling Club - permits for visitors on the Beauly.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:15, 28 January 2007
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	The larger Scottish rivers, such as the Tay shown above, are sufficiently large to almost always have enough flow to make fishing possible but, as with any river, they do depend upon the salmon being in the river and being willing to take and so weather and water levels can still be important factors. Many of these larger waters have private beats, which may be booked through estates, agents or hotels, and also a selection of public fishings which may be accessed through the purchase of a permit. It is likely, therefore, that the visiting angler will be able to gain access to such a water should he so wish and it may even be possible to just turn up, buy a day permit and start fishing.		The larger Scottish rivers, such as the Tay shown above, are sufficiently large to almost always have enough flow to make fishing possible but, as with any river, they do depend upon the salmon being in the river and being willing to take and so weather and water levels can still be important factors. Many of these larger waters have private beats, which may be booked through estates, agents or hotels, and also a selection of public fishings which may be accessed through the purchase of a permit. It is likely, therefore, that the visiting angler will be able to gain access to such a water should he so wish and it may even be possible to just turn up, buy a day permit and start fishing.
		+
		+	Due to the diversity of fishing available to the angler it would be impossible to suggest specific requirements in terms of tackle. In spring or autumn on the larger rivers anglers will often be fishing 15 foot double handed rods with sinking lines and heavy flies while on the smaller spate rivers in summer a single handed rod of about 11 feet with a floating line and small flies tied on a double hook would be more than up to the job. In general the single handed setup is also suitable for fishing for salmon, either from the bank or from a boat, in the lochs.
		+
		+	[[Image:nairn.jpg]]
		+
		+	'''A Scottish spate river: the River Nairn at Clava near Inverness.'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 28 January 2007
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	Perhaps the majority of Scottish rivers are small "spate" rivers which decline to little more than a trickle when the weather is dry and the sun beats upon the stones. Given rain these little rivers rise quickly and the salmon start moving upstream. The run of salmon will continue while there is sufficient water in the river but as the level falls back the salmon will stop moving and the river will once more return to its low water level rendering fishing useless or impossible. It is important to bear these points in mind as a visitor booking a week of fishing on a spate river such as this may find that for the whole duration of their visit there is insufficient water in the river to make it worthwhile fishing, no refunds are given under such circumstances.		Perhaps the majority of Scottish rivers are small "spate" rivers which decline to little more than a trickle when the weather is dry and the sun beats upon the stones. Given rain these little rivers rise quickly and the salmon start moving upstream. The run of salmon will continue while there is sufficient water in the river but as the level falls back the salmon will stop moving and the river will once more return to its low water level rendering fishing useless or impossible. It is important to bear these points in mind as a visitor booking a week of fishing on a spate river such as this may find that for the whole duration of their visit there is insufficient water in the river to make it worthwhile fishing, no refunds are given under such circumstances.
		+
		+	The larger Scottish rivers, such as the Tay shown above, are sufficiently large to almost always have enough flow to make fishing possible but, as with any river, they do depend upon the salmon being in the river and being willing to take and so weather and water levels can still be important factors. Many of these larger waters have private beats, which may be booked through estates, agents or hotels, and also a selection of public fishings which may be accessed through the purchase of a permit. It is likely, therefore, that the visiting angler will be able to gain access to such a water should he so wish and it may even be possible to just turn up, buy a day permit and start fishing.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:17, 28 January 2007
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	'''The River Tay at Dunkeld.'''		'''The River Tay at Dunkeld.'''
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		+
		+
		+	== Scottish Salmon Fishing. ==
		+
		+	It is for the salmon fishing that Scotland is perhaps best known with rivers such as the Tweed, Tay, or Spey being recognised by anglers across the world. Indeed anglers from around the globe travel to Scotland to cast a fly for Atlantic Salmon and it is estimated that each salmon caught in Scotland puts about £7,000 into the economy so salmon fishing is important for many rural communities. The catch with salmon fishing is that salmon don't feed in freshwater and so no one appears to be really sure why they take the angler's fly, for some anglers this challenge and the possibility of a titanic struggle with a large fish have a strange appeal which drives them to fish for salmon. Even when a very large number of fish are in the water the angler may fish for days without a take while on other occasions the fish may take quite freely, the Scottish record catch for a week came from Grimersta No. 1 where 333 fish were taken for one rod week.
		+
		+	[[Image:grimersta.jpg]]
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		+	'''Loch Faoghail Charrasen on the Grimersta system.'''
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		+	The eagle eyed among you will note that, despite the discussion of rivers, the Grimersta system illustrated above consists of a string of lochs and it is true that salmon fishing also takes place in the still water lochs despite the river fishing being what Scotland is famous for. The angler wishing to fish for Scottish salmon has, therefore, the choice of fishing in a river or a loch.
		+
		+	Perhaps the majority of Scottish rivers are small "spate" rivers which decline to little more than a trickle when the weather is dry and the sun beats upon the stones. Given rain these little rivers rise quickly and the salmon start moving upstream. The run of salmon will continue while there is sufficient water in the river but as the level falls back the salmon will stop moving and the river will once more return to its low water level rendering fishing useless or impossible. It is important to bear these points in mind as a visitor booking a week of fishing on a spate river such as this may find that for the whole duration of their visit there is insufficient water in the river to make it worthwhile fishing, no refunds are given under such circumstances.

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 [http://www.scaliscro.co.uk/] Scaliscro Estate offering accommodation, fishing and more.
+[http://www.sovalestate.co.uk/] Soval Estate just south of Stornoway.
 == The Cost of Scottish Fishing. ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:58, 27 January 2007
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	In summary there is a lot of great fishing available in Scotland at little or no cost but it is also possible to pay considerable sums to gain access to salmon fishing. However, no matter how wealthy you are you may find it impossible to gain access to some beats which are booked out well in advance. Under such circumstances a tactful and polite approach to the keeper might net you the offer of a day or an evening at very little cost or perhaps even the offer of other fishing nearby and in most areas there are a range of alternatives.		In summary there is a lot of great fishing available in Scotland at little or no cost but it is also possible to pay considerable sums to gain access to salmon fishing. However, no matter how wealthy you are you may find it impossible to gain access to some beats which are booked out well in advance. Under such circumstances a tactful and polite approach to the keeper might net you the offer of a day or an evening at very little cost or perhaps even the offer of other fishing nearby and in most areas there are a range of alternatives.
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		+	[[Image:Tay.jpg]]
		+
		+	'''The River Tay at Dunkeld.'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:46, 27 January 2007
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	[http://www.scaliscro.co.uk/] Scaliscro Estate offering accommodation, fishing and more.		[http://www.scaliscro.co.uk/] Scaliscro Estate offering accommodation, fishing and more.
		+
		+
		+
		+	== The Cost of Scottish Fishing. ==
		+
		+	Many anglers, especially those who believe they pay little or nothing for their fishing, have concerns about the cost of Scottish fishing. There is no question that you can, and people do, pay considerable sums for a day or week of fishing but it is also the case that there is a lot of great fishing available at little or no cost. In general terms salmon fishing must be paid for and can be extremely expensive indeed depending upon the time of year and the location, the same also applies to sea trout fishing. Brown trout fishing is generally less expensive and more readily available and it may actually be free in some areas. As a rule you need permission to fish no matter where you are fishing and even if the fishing is free though in some areas, the Isle of Lewis is one example previously discussed, permission to fish for brown trout is taken for granted on the majority of the lochs. The angler must always be aware that almost all of the land will be privately owned and the same will apply to the fishing.
		+
		+	It is possible to book your fishing through agents and estate offices and, for the most part, when doing so you will pay the full rate. When booking in such a way you will have the advantages of being able to select the dates you wish to fish and you may also be able to arrange ghillies and boatmen to assist you. It is also often possible to get access to fishing by paying a visit to the keeper or head ghillie on any particular estate and enquiring if any fishing is available. This approach can often prove less expensive than going through the more "official" channels but has the disadvantage that there may be no fishing available, you may have no choice over dates or beats offered and you may not be able to book a ghillie. On the other hand most keepers are keen to see their fishing used by suitable anglers and so a polite approach in the right quarter may put you onto some top quality fishing at a reasonable cost.
		+
		+	There are quite a number of hotels in Scotland which hold fishing and make it available to guests either at no extra charge or for a premium over and above the accommodation charge. Such fishing is often reasonably priced and gives anglers the opportunity to meet others who are like minded and who may even have considerable experience of fishing the water available. Many such hotels have regular customers who return for the same week every year and have been doing so for a very many years, getting access to one of these weeks may literally mean waiting to step into dead man's shoes. These hotels may also make beats available to non-residents but, as would be expected, the requirements of residents are met before those of non-residents.
		+
		+	In summary there is a lot of great fishing available in Scotland at little or no cost but it is also possible to pay considerable sums to gain access to salmon fishing. However, no matter how wealthy you are you may find it impossible to gain access to some beats which are booked out well in advance. Under such circumstances a tactful and polite approach to the keeper might net you the offer of a day or an evening at very little cost or perhaps even the offer of other fishing nearby and in most areas there are a range of alternatives.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 27 January 2007
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	[http://www.amhuinnsuidhe.com/] Amhuinnsuidhe Castle holds some wonderful salmon, sea trout and trout fishing on North Harris.		[http://www.amhuinnsuidhe.com/] Amhuinnsuidhe Castle holds some wonderful salmon, sea trout and trout fishing on North Harris.
		+
		+	[http://www.scaliscro.co.uk/] Scaliscro Estate offering accommodation, fishing and more.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:01, 27 January 2007
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	I hope that this little summary gives someone the motivation to get out there and chase a few wild fish on the moorland of Scotland, while I use the Isle of Lewis as a specific example there are many other areas in the Highlands where similar opportunities present themselves to the angler who enjoys both walking and fishing.		I hope that this little summary gives someone the motivation to get out there and chase a few wild fish on the moorland of Scotland, while I use the Isle of Lewis as a specific example there are many other areas in the Highlands where similar opportunities present themselves to the angler who enjoys both walking and fishing.
		+
		+	'''Links:'''
		+
		+	[http://www.fishhebrides.com/] Fish Hebrides web site with lots of useful info for the angler heading to the Hebrides.
		+
		+	[http://www.amhuinnsuidhe.com/] Amhuinnsuidhe Castle holds some wonderful salmon, sea trout and trout fishing on North Harris.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:40, 27 January 2007
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	'''Lewis loch on a September day.'''		'''Lewis loch on a September day.'''
		+
		+	The most common method of fly fishing moorland lochs, such as those found on Lewis, is with the wet fly. Fish are only rarely seen to rise and the angler who wishes to cast over rising fish might only cast a few times per year depending upon the lochs he might visit and the conditions. Dry fly fishing is a method that is not much used but there are certain lochs and certain days when it can come into its own, however in generaly the angler could save weight and space by not carrying a selection of dry flies and be at no real disadvantage. Traditionally fishing the wet fly involved fishing 3 flies on a cast, a point fly tied to the end of the leader and two other flies attached to droppers spaced between the connection to the fly line and the point. This method of fishing is still very common but in recent years I have tended to fish only 2, rather than 3, flies and have not noticed any great reduction in my catch as a result. Casting 2 flies is, I suspect, less likely to result in tangles especially when longer casts are being made.
		+
		+	Wet fly fishing is very much a technique of fishing the water rather than fishing over rising fish and so the angler is well advised to keep on the move in practise I tend to operate in two ways. In one situation where all of the bank looks equally attractive for fishing I would tend to make several casts from one position and then move a few steps along the bank however where the bank has a number of "points" or other features then I would tend to fish each point, covering all the water I could, for a period before moving to the next point.
		+
		+	I hope that this little summary gives someone the motivation to get out there and chase a few wild fish on the moorland of Scotland, while I use the Isle of Lewis as a specific example there are many other areas in the Highlands where similar opportunities present themselves to the angler who enjoys both walking and fishing.