The rain had eased off by the time we got to the loch but the chop was massive. Fishing is by fly only from boat or bank. Salmon and trout fly fishing in the Highlands of Scotland. No ice fishing is allowed. Teddy missed tea and was sent to sleep in the jeep after noising up some locals, Del Boy was knocking glasses over left right and centre while Sam had forgotten he was in a restaurant and was using language that would get me removed from Google if I put it in this blog! During 2018 and 2019 Marine Scotland Science fitted migrating salmon and sea trout with acoustic transmitters to track them through a grid of 80 acoustic receivers across Upper Loch Torridon, Loch Shieldaig and most of Outer Loch Torridon. Ten lochs across Scotland have been polluted by a toxic pesticide used by fish farms to control fungus, parasites and disease. Home for a last tea and final session before the holiday was over. With Ben Alligin in the West, An Teallach to the North, the Fannichs in the East and Ben Wyvis to the South we were in no hurry to get off the hill. Its combination of rock and water, changing seasons and moods make this an awe-inspiring place to visit. Entitled Happiness is…Torridon Trout it is the fishy tale of a day spent on … Fish were rising all around the boat I was in heaven! fishing a barbless size 14 CDC Elk hair on a 16ft 5x tapered leader and a 4 weight 9ft Hardy demon rod. Throw in some Harris shenanigans, Stockley mischief, excellent food, gallons and gallons of wine and a seriously wet forecast – it was shaping up to be another top week. To provide options the other rod was a 9.6ft 5wt greys/hardy streamflex plus with a hardy ultra light reel with cortland platinum floating line, a 15ft leader with 2 droppers about 6ft between them. Taking sound advice from a couple of mates, I persuaded Eleanor that the best way was over the top, avoiding the eroded paths either side. This year the Harris clan were heading to Torridon in the north west of Scotland. With a small spate river on the doorstep, a fantastic trout loch 10 minutes away, the pub a five minute cycle down the road and all overlooked by Liathach, one of the most famous mountain ridges in … Whether you’re looking for freshwater or sea fishing there’s plenty of choice to suit all ages and abilities, from catching mackerel in the Minch to fishing for the sea trout … Frustratingly, there was nothing we could do to connect with them, so Alistair took us on the final drift of the morning over to the Straits. Today we know this amazing fishing vein as The American River. Loch Clair sits in the mouth of a spur glen leading due South for Glen Torridon where mixed native woodland of scots pines and silver birch surround the Loch and give way to steep rolling heather that clings to the rugged stepped slops of Torridonian sandstone and quartzite from the Lochs western shore. Sgurr Dhubh looms in the mist, to the North Beinn Eighe menaces in the descending mist and cloud and to the North-West hidden from view waits the razor like ridge of Liathach. Derrick and the girls took the more comfortable option, fishing the Thrail which was now at a good height. Looking East down loch Torridon, and the Glen, Liathach and beinn Eighe behind taken from the Applecross peninsula. Trophy trout of 40 lbs and more are common in these top fly fishing areas. Only a few hours’ drive from New York, Connecticut is the ideal weekend trout fishing destination for city folk. i have been fishing NW Scotland for about 15 years and i rearly have fished the … With some encouragement from me we had soon traversed the fairly easy but very exposed scramble over the three tops. Friday, 1 June 2012 Torridon … Soon enough Del Boy was in. Fishing is allowed from the shore only. Wild Torridon Brownie show its Beautiful markings and colours. Row out and around where you want to drift, otherwise the fish are spooked and you are wasting your time! Taking the boat to within inches of the bank I began a first drift of many for the day, almost immediately I was into a trout falling to a size 14 quill ,emerger- hopper with a Cdc wing, the fly retrieved in quick short bursts seem to enduce hard splashy takes as the fly came to a stop brilliantly visual and exciting fishing. We soon headed down a badly eroded corrie to the path and were back at the house in no time. It jumped clean out of the water and made a run for the far side. ... Broom, Dundonell, Gruinard & Little Gruinard, Kerry, Badachro, Torridon, Balgy, Applecross & Carron, as well as the larger River Ewe, which flows out from Loch Maree. It was off like a rocket, stripping line and jumping several times. Sands Caravan and Camping is the ideal base to discover the fishing of Wester Ross. What a chap Alistair is, we will definitely be returning to fish with him again. The River Torridon is an attractive Wester Ross spate river, only four miles long, flowing from Lochan an Iasgair to Loch Torridon, with easy access from the adjacent road. We all headed for a final pint with Alistair in the pub and he told us about the glory days of huge sea trout in Loch Damph and Loch Maree where he had worked for a season. Regularly stocked with trout, catfish and small mouthed bass, the weather is always incredible, too. Working the land was an important way of life and crops were carefully tended on crofts. Location: Angus. In addition to the staking there is great trout fishing on the River Halladale and some walked up rough shooting. Casting out and letting the gold-headed nymph sink and carry the cast downwards in to the peaty dark water and beginning a slow jerky retrieve produced four fish in quick succession, three of which were on the peacock and black spider all from quite deep and a fit as a fiddle, one noticeably drawing the boat across the water, brilliant sport! They also have salmon fishing. I was lucky enough to be invited along by my old pal Sam on his family’s annual fishing holiday. However, I couldn’t complain too much as the Liathach ridge was now covered with cloud and the first drops of rain had started falling. The river had risen a bit but was by no means in spate and after an hour or two we headed back for breakfast fishless. Salmon River. The four-bedroom lodge has recently been refurbished and is beautifully positioned to enjoy the views across the river to Loch Damph, and the mountains beyond. I row out of the bay and in to the main loch, but before I start the engine I cast a long line out the back of the boat with a classic bloody butcher on point. Within 10 minutes we were all soaked and I think the three of us spent the first hour of the morning in a tangle. At work on the home farm. Liathach veiled in could and rain looming over the Head of the Loch. With a small spate river on the doorstep, a fantastic trout loch 10 minutes away, the pub a five minute cycle down the road and all overlooked by Liathach, one of the most famous mountain ridges in Scotland – it’s fair to say I was excited. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Clair and Coulin are joined by tempting looking wee river. Bringing yet another Beautiful Torrid0n Brownie to the net. Even if you do not know your Kate Maclaren* from your Gold Head Nymph, there is something infectious about The Unemployable Fly Fisher’s latest post which makes some of us yearn to cast a line into the Torridon lochs. Historical data will be updated each April with the publication of the following year's data. By fishing on light tackle the excitement and challenge is ever-present with every fish hooked. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. But remember donât row straight back over them! With smolt farms at either end of the loch the trout grow big and it wasn’t long before we started to see huge fish leaping around. ( Log Out / Connecticut. The following day’s weather was even better, and with a sea boat booked, we headed to Gairloch for a couple of hours fishing. 8. ( Log Out / Brown Trout caught in Sands Loch .  A quick chat is all we manage as the midges are wild in a cloud as thick as the mist hanging on the hills above us, the little buggers cloud round us and begin their banquet. We had lined up three days fishing on Loch Damph, the glen over. From the second top we waved to Jane and Derrick who were sitting in the house having lunch and could clearly see us through a pair of binos! We drove five minutes east, parking at the path end, and headed straight up the well built track onto the ridge leading to the first Munro – Spidean a’ Choire Lèith. I spent the afternoon chucking everything I had at the river Thrail. Fishing with corn is now allowed as per DEEP regulations. As we passed the bothy on the north bank the loch opened out, and only then did we appreciate just how vast it was. Unbelievable. Torridon Behind Liathach Scotland Fly Fishing for Wild Brown Trout Trip Report Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. A blog about Fishing in Scotland, fly fishing, fishing, trout, salmon, current events, activities, bushcraft, survival techniques, accommodation and holidays. This distance does little to dissuade the once plentiful sea-trout and the still decent numbers of salmon that fight up-stream to reach the waters of the Coulin estate. View theunemployableflyfisher’s profile on Facebook, Follow theunemployableflyfisher on WordPress.com. As quickly as the fish were taking the dry, the rise had died! The view from the A896 running east along Upper Loch Torridon and looking north to the fantastically worn ridges of Beinn Alligin, Beinn Dearg and Liathach is especially humbling. I can’t thank Jane, Derrick and the rest of the Harris crew enough. Del boy, Will and I fished the loch in the morning while everyone else hit the river. A some what circuritise route considering the sea sit only 7 mile westward down Glen Torridon and I am sure it would have once flowed this way, if it hadnât been for a twist of geological or glacial action that force these peat waters to take the long way to the coast. I begin my slow wade across to the seam, the awkward lie of the trout meant I had a short window to present the fly before the current would induce drag and effect the flies movement. Having fished the Loch before I knew my destination and I motored North to the head of the Loch which sits in an almost amphitheatre as the wooded banks on the West and South banks shelter you from the now gusty wind bring incessant rain that varied between light drizzle to fat drops of rain that poured down, drumming on the hood of my Gore-tex jacket. It had taken a size 10 black Pennell with a green tail and was certainly not foul hooked! Figures released under freedom of information law reveal that more than 22 tonnes of formaldehyde, which causes cancer and is used as an embalming fluid, have been poured into cages to disinfect salmon over nine months in 2019. A two-year project has helped to track the movement of salmon and sea trout smolts in the Loch Torridon system, Wester Ross. July 21, 2015. Starting small I fished the pools hard, eventually giving up when the riffled hitch that had worked for Derrick didn’t produce any action. These fish are strong! A Family Membership limit is 6 trout per day, 20 trout per week, and 80 trout per season. CDFW is temporarily closing its high public use areas, including visitor centers and license counters, to help slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).Before heading to a CDFW facility, contact the regional headquarters office to determine if that facility is open. Beautiful four bedroom barn conversion with stunning views. By fishing on light tackle the excitement and challenge is ever-present with every fish hooked. The initial swirl was small and as Derrick sped up his retrieve the fish took the middle fly making him think it was foul hooked. i usually fish a bit north of toriddon in the scourie area fishing hill lochs for wild browneys usaly 1/2 lb but every now and then i pull out a bigger one last spring a 5lb and a 7lb both returned fish small black flys on a floating line. Heading North West into the Highlands of Scotland with the ultimate destination being Torridon.  This a pilgrimage I make several times a year but to be honest that still is not often enough for my liking. Wind your way through the glen to the shores of Loch Torridon, arrive in 58 acres of parkland estate and the fairytale-like turrets will soon come into view. Loch na h-Oidhche (Loch of the night) is a remote hill loch which offers excellent fishing for wild brown trout amid the majestic scenery of the Torridon mountains. 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