Видео

Thank you, yes I’m very lucky to get to fish in these places glad you enjoyed it.

Cheers Allan, hope you managed a few casts yourself over the season around work. Have to look towards a pike trip maybe this winter 👍

Thank you, the fly was a Beauly Gunn double size 10. Normally any Gunn variant, Cascade or Ally’s Shrimp won’t put you far wrong in decent water. All the best 👍

What river actually were you fishing? I stay in Aberdeenshire and luckily have The North and South Esks literally on my doorstep, but do love a spate river! Tight lines 🎣👍

@ I try not to mention the name direct as other people that fish it might not appreciate that. Having said that, if you check my previous video descriptions there is usually a link to more info about the angling association, it’s myself that responds to angling questions sent in to us. Cheers.

Many thanks for your reply buddy! I guess I see where you’re coming from 😂

Yeah I love being out on the hill there, it does feel kind of remote and pretty wild even though it is less of a hike than some other beats we have. I feel if the conditions are favourable I’ve got a chance, tbf I feel that way with all our rivers though it doesn’t always work out that way. We are lucky to have access to these places, not that many folk walk up that river other than crofters or anglers, all adds to that feeling of proper remoteness. Cheers Dave 👍

Yeah, despite me having a love/hate relationship with that net, personally I’d rather use it as I feel more confortable doing that and can give the fish a breather and get myself organised, or try to! The banks on our rivers can be steep and undercut so not always easy to get in the water so the net is kind of necessary for these rivers and you can always move a short distance with the fish in the net to a more suitable release spot. It maybe different for other anglers on other rivers. Cheers 👍

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it, I never tire of chasing the salmon, it’s such a thrill to briefly meet such an iconic fish and know they are still there going through their amazing journey. In some ways it’s almost a relief when the season ends because for me you are always on edge looking at the weather and wondering if the stars will align, thankfully they did that final weekend of the season. All the best 👍

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, you feel properly away from it when in these places where probably not too many people go to. To me, that’s as big a part of the experience as the actual fishing itself. All the best & roll on 2025 👍

Thanks Michael, I try my best to keep them in the water. That second fish it’s hard to see on camera but the bank is steep and undercut where i hooked it. Had to go downstream for a safer place to land and unhook it in the water. All the best 👍

Thanks Toby, I thought Sept & Oct were going to just pass by with a whimper due to the lack of rain, thankfully that bit arrived just in time. We’ve since had a steady amount of rain which will hopefully be good for the late runners. All the best, hope you get some more perch & pike to start your autumn/winter fishing, fingers crossed I can get across 👍

Thanks Mike, it’d be great to show you the river one day if time allowed. I think you’d do well if the rain gods smiled on us 👍 really appreciate the kind words, all the best.

Cheers Greg, it was a great couple of hours, the weather certainly changed on a sixpence. on another day i’d have fished on as there are loads of pools i never got to. It didn’t matter though, happy to leave the fish to their own devices after that. Thanks as always 👍

Cheers Terry, was beginning to think the grilse in Aug would be the only fish but the bit of rain was well timed. Hope you had a good season.

@highlandfishingdiary8818 very good end to the season on the estuary thought I'd get a few finnock had 2 in the 3-4lb range and one between 8-10 and another about 2lb on a day I wasn't expecting much next season I'll definitely be giving Skye a go .all the best Matt and enjoy the close season

@@9suuupersonic congratulations on those fish mate, fantastic.

Cheers Joe, I was beginning to think we’d have no meaningful rain sept/oct but thankfully that final weekend lift gave me a chance. Never tire of chasing these fish, all the best 👍

Thanks, I was beginning to get salmon fishing withdrawal, so glad that lift arrived on the final weekend of the season! Lady luck was smiling on me, all the best to you 👍

Cheers David 👍

@highlandfishingdiary8818 What's your reel? Sings a nice tune 😁👌

@@davidolphert6053 it’s the bog standard Airflo cassette reel, great value for money coming with 4 casette spools. I don’t look after it that well but happy with it. Needs a good wash after using it in the sea though don’t think i’d trust any reel to be truly saltwater proof at least in my budget range! Cheers.

@highlandfishingdiary8818 thanks Sir!

Ha 😆 i know, i’m editing it thinking where the hell did ‘pickle’ come from?! Who knows?! Salmon fishing does strange things to us. Wasn’t Peter Perfecf out of Wacky Races?! 😆 used to love that. Cheers 👍

Cheers David 👍

Thank you, so glad we finally got a bit of rain before Oct 15th 👍

Thank you Joe, it’s been another season that’s just flown by, I was glad I finally made it out to a hill loch, albeit so late in the season, and to get a few stunningly marked fish was a real bonus. All the best to you if you are still out fishing a bit in what remains of 2024 👍

Thank you and glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, it’s a really nice loch with beautiful fish, there definitely will be better fish I’m sure of it. It’s one that people say fishes better later in the season but i dare say it is worth a go anytime. When i’ve been there in the middle of the season there are some amount of damsel flies fluttering about. It’s just a lovely place, stunning back drop and that really clear water. All the best 👍

Yeah we’ll definitely have to meet again next season, maybe this time I won’t blank 🤣 but yes, really enjoyed meeting up and it was nice to get those fish on a fly you tied me. Oh yes, I’ll have a salmon video out next and hopefully it’ll whet your appetite for you getting amongst them yourself next time you are over - fingers crossed 🤞 All the best 👍

That sounds like a great session, nightmare you lost the footage! I’ve got totally behind with things I’m subscribed to so will be checking out your stuff. This was the only hill loch I made it to this season which is pretty unforgivable behaviour really 😆 i do normally get out to a few, especially early season but it just didn’t work out. The time I had meant I fished Storr Lochs more as well as trying in the sea for sea trout. We’ve got some good hill lochs though and I’ve been trying a bit more with the dry fly. Often i’m put off by flat calm water as i’m used to fishing wets, so i figured to try this a bit more to maybe give an alternative when conditions are maybe less favourable. It’s great seeing a fish come from nowhere to a surface fly, still love fishing wets in a wave but variety is the spice of life as they say. All the best really appreciate the comment 👍

Thank you 👍

Yes 👍

Yes 👍

Yes, I often put links to our angling association in the video descriptions, who I currently do the secretary role for, rather than outright name specific rivers etc. all the best 👍

Glad you enjoyed it and hope you can make it back to fish. I keep meaning to take my kids there for a go as the fish seemed pretty obliging, well they did that day anyway. Size of the fish doesn’t matter, hopefully I’ll get back next season as it really is a breathtaking spot 👍

Thanks Dave, yes we are lucky to have such a variety, this wee river I love fishing it, normally once or twice a season. I would have loved to get a sea trout in the sea but I’m still a complete novice really at that and it’ll take a while to figure things out a little bit more. There definitely will be fish in the bay at certain times, you need a bit of time and luck, it was always a bit of a punt having a go, very enjoyable though. Thanks as always mate, season getting short now, we’re having our summer at the moment, the Last Cast competition tomorrow on the big Storr Loch, some of the boats get pulled out of the loch afterwards 🥲 might be a tough one if the bright sunshine forecast is correct, need my Factor 50 on 😆👍

No problem - it’s a budget Maxcatch (£60) 3 weight rod with a 3wt floating line that I use on the small river. The sea a 6/7 weight & the loch dry fly at end of video is a 5 weight rod. I add details if you click on the video description. Many thanks 👍

Hi David, glad it brought back some good memories for you, a lot of what you say about the past, rings true from info I’ve been told too. Yes, our runs of migratory fish are pretty small now but you can still encounter fish and fortunately I have had fish from nearby rivers in most seasons. We try to take as much care with the fish as we can due to the stocks being largely on the decline. I hope to get a go for salmon in this area before the season is out, but yes, the wee burn here is gorgeous with pool after pool and run after run, it can throw up the odd 10 inch plus trout and some more ‘seasoned’ club members often talk of good trout hiding in the narrow upper reaches. The lochs at the top of the catchment are decent in their own right. Thanks for sharing your past experiences, much appreciated.

Thanks Don, yes we are lucky that our rivers have such a good stock of wild brown trout in them. They are all wee gems & size doesn’t really matter to me on these small, intimate waters. They are completely absorbing and the time flies by as you go from pool to pool. All the best 👍

You are right, we are very lucky with both scenery and fishing. Just gotta deal with a few midge now and again which is a small price to pay.

Cheers Mike, usually even I can catch fish in these wee burns 😆 it’s a good place to go when you’ve experienced a sequence of gruellers! No, I really enjoy wandering up small streams, this one in particular is really nice, you can practically jump across it in the upper reaches. I agree, if I ever took a young person fishing, a small stream would be a good start. I think the bay there will be a good place to target sea trout in the salt, I think a bit further along than i had time to fish that day, could be good. All the best as always 👍

Thank you 👍 they’re all stunning in their own right, but the ones in that burn I think are wee crackers. Glad you enjoyed it & thanks for watching & commenting.

Oh, shame you couldn’t make it up this week. Forecast is sunny and dry this week, not ideal for salmon if that is any small consolation! I’ve not fished much recently but I hope to fish the Last Cast competition on Loch Leathan this weekend. I’ll then be desperately praying for plenty of rain that leaves the rivers perfect for my usual Friday cast and Saturday. I need to try to get a bit more time after salmon before Oct 15th as I’ve just not had much time in decent conditions. Glad you liked the video thank you as always. I have more footage from the wee burn fishing that day so I may end up rehashing that into its own video, it’ll be one for over those long winter nights 😆 all the best 👍

Hi George, thanks. Yes, that’s a cortland ghost tip 5 weight so it is a WF floating line and then the last 15 feet is a clear intermediate section. I use that and a 7 weight one for 90% of my sea trout and salmon fishing, usually as I’m fishing in extra water and I find it takes the fly/flies down just a touch and a bit deeper depending on how you mend the line. It’s not a cheap line (around £70-80) so next I might try a barrio sink tip line. Yes I tend to work the fly, mostly as i’m impatient and like to think by manipulating the fly i’m doing something to induce a take. Don’t get me wrong, a dead drift or swing will work too, but invariably I cast across and down and work the flies back a bit as they swing across. You’ll find some prefer just swinging the fly but probably mixing it up is the best including just letting them swing sometimes too. I do the same when salmon fishing, for the same reasons. Thanks for watching & good luck in your own fishing.

@@highlandfishingdiary8818 top man thanks for the reply

Thanks John, yes it’s the west coast. I’m sure there will be bigger ones about sneaking through, but that’s been the kind of stamp of most of the sea trout/finnock I’ve caught this season. The best thing is how chunky they’ve been, fingers crossed I manage to get a few more before the season is out. All the best 👍

Ha ha, I wish! Last season I may never beat that number of salmon/grilse again but one never knows! There were some amazing catches here about a month ago alas I couldn’t get out to fish, but it shows what can be possible. If I get one salmon/grilse I am over the moon, anything else is a bonus. I hope to maybe connect with another really good sea trout before the season is out, but that’s me being a bit greedy probably! I will hopefully be learning a few more secrets off Mike this week 😆🤞

Thank you Mike, it was a nice quick session and great to see numbers of fish about. Hope the ferry trip was ok as well as the rest of your journey across to the west. The midges have been about so good idea to pack the deterrants! I’m sure there will be some fish waiting for you and I’ve no doubt you’ll get amongst them! Looking forward to meeting up, hope you have a nice start to your wk 👍

Cheers Dave, yes I’m very lucky this is my ‘home water’ and I love spending time down there. Often see deer down there and of course the midges! This was during big spring tides, that’s as high as it really comes up, seals sometimes swim up nearly into the sea pool but it can be great fun with those wee sea trout plus you never know, I’m sure there wlll be the odd bigger ones too. I’ve another sea trout one to edit, I didn’t film last wk when I went with my eldest. Hope you had a good weekend all the best 👍

Thank you 👍 There have been good numbers of fish about and it’s encouraging how good condition they have been in. Nothing big that I’ve connected with, but it’s great they are there and great sport on a 5 wt on a river like that.

Thanks David, great to hear about you getting your first salmon, I remember mine well too. When I moved here in 2006, this pool took a different route, there used to be another sea pool but eventually the bank burst and the river now follows a different route, the old sea pool only receives water in big floods or high tides. But the pool is now just longer which is great, the start of the pool in the video is still pretty much the same as how it’s been all the time I’ve lived here. I bet that was some experience getting your first there , all the best 👍

Could be, often we’re left to a bit of a guessing game. Hopefully if I’m lucky to connect with and land another, it’ll be in better nick. I was pleased with how strongly it swam away though. Cheers 👍

@@highlandfishingdiary8818 No "could be" about it. That wee grilse only got through a net because of its size. You guys need to be watching, not fishing!

@@gordonmackenzie7523 cheers for your opinion, so you think it was an escapee then? Only the trust biologist didn’t think so.

@@highlandfishingdiary8818 It is a good fish, no farmer genes there. Just one that had a close shave with a gill net. There is still a lot of gill netting going on in the sea around the Hebrides.

@@gordonmackenzie7523 ok I misunderstood. I’ve come across nets in rivers in the past (not recently) and removed them, obviously it goes on same as poaching. As an small angling club we do what we can, at sea though things are harder to police. They’re hard enough to on the rivers, but even when people have been caught in the past the ramifications must not be enough to stop them or act as a deterrent to others. Hope your season is going ok.

Really appreciate that and thanks for the info regarding the redness, fingers crossed despite obviously being in the wars it makes it upstream safely. I only manage to get the takes because my trips this season have usually been short. Like this one I was fishing less than an hour so I can just film the whole thing. It’s obviously more difficult if you are fishing half a day or more. The new camera I got is the DJI osmo one and most reviews said the batteries last really well and they do, I have managed with the 3 it came with so far but if I get a longer trip out it’s not as easy to get the take. I have a battery bank and it has a handy charging case for the 3 batteries I’ll probably end up taking that. All the best, hope you are still getting amongst the fish over there 👍

The Rivers Trust were sure it was a wild fish as no other indications, we had some escapes back end of last season with unusual spotting marks on the gills sadly and it’s just one more thing against our wild stocks. Always going to err on it being wild and return it unless it was really obvious from the info we are told to go off for identifying escapees 👍

Thank you James, I had to edit out me losing it with the wind at one stage as it was getting a bit X rated 😂 but yes, not a lot will keep me away from having a go when a brief window of opportunity presents itself. Really appreciate the kind words all the best.