Fantastic 23lb salmon for River & Green client

Italian client Sig. Marco Boldrini had much to celebrate while visiting Scotland as part of the Babini group’s fishing break last week. Of all the members of this terrific group of 10 gentlemen, mostly from Milan, Marco was the first to predict that he would catch nothing. How wrong can you be… during the morning of the group’s only day of salmon fishing on the Dalmarnock and Dalguise beats of the Tay, Marco managed to land this perfect 23lb bar of silver.

Many thanks to all the guys for making the weekend such a great experience. Thanks also to ghillies Stan (Dalguise) and Colin and Stuart (Dalmarnock) for their outstanding contribution to the day.

Congratulations also go to Paolo Frova for saving the day with two decent pike on Loch Venacher on the Sunday.

Sea trout in April!!!

Last week we returned to Nirvana… the Kinchurdy beat on the Upper Spey, near Boat of Garten. This special place is for me the most beautiful and possibly underrated beat in Scotland. First and foremost it’s a sea trout beat, but the salmon fishing from mid-April to the end of July and in September is also excellent. It was fantastic to back on the beat.

I arrived at about 5pm on the Thursday. My pal had been fishing all day and although he hadn’t had a fish, several had been seen in most of the likely pools. On arrival, given that I wasn’t fishing until the Friday, my task was to get the barbeque going and open the wine. While we turned the sausages and excitedly considered the prospects of returning for our sea trout week in July, a few fish began to show off the famous Kinchurdy Stones. To my surprise and my pal Stuart’s disbelief, I was sure that the first of these fish to actually come fully out of the water, was in fact a sea trout. Now I don’t blame Stuart for his lack of confidence in my fish identifying skills. In the 25 years I’ve been fishing the beat I have never seen the sea trout arrive before mid-May at the earliest.

As the sunshine weakened and dusk approached, we commented on how we would gladly take these conditions in July. It was flat calm, about 14-16 degrees and the river was at summer level. Then, again we started to see movement, not only at the Stones but also at the tail of the huge Kinchurdy pool – the classic place for sea trout to show. I was by this time absolutely convinced and managed to persuade Stuart to give it a go on the single-handed rod for an hour at least.

Fishing a 1 inch stoat’s tail Waddington on a sink-tip, Stuart gradually covered the water at the tail of the pool, while I sat above him on the bank, wine glass in hand. After 10 minutes of expert casting (half a bottle of wine can have that effect), a spanking fresh sea trout crashed out of the water just below where he was standing. Two casts later, as the fly was slowly worked approaching the dangle, a savage take almost pulled the rod from Stuart’s hand. There was no longer any scope for dispute. The first of the sea trout were there. As is often the case with these early fish, although their intent is ferocious, their mouths are soft and the fish failed to hang on.

As the air temperature began to plummet, we knew that the window of opportunity was open only briefly. On fishing through for a second time, another pull produced another rush of adrenalin, but no prize. Soon it was agreed that the window had now closed and the best course of action was to head for the Boat Hotel and to savour the anticipation of what lies ahead of us in July.

Could it be that this very early arrival means that the fish have wintered well on a better than average supply of sand eels? Could it be that the restrictions on the sand eel harvest have produced heavier, fitter sea trout that feel ready to head for fresh water early? I suppose we’ll just have to wait a few more weeks before we find out. I for one can’t wait!

Great fishing on Carron Valley Reservoir

I had a great day on Carron Valley Reservoir on Saturday. If you’ve never fished it you should certainly give it a go.

I was accompanied by two experienced trout fishermen from Milan. When we arrived, things didn’t look too promising. The level of the water is still high and there was a strong and gusty wind blowing white horses onto the surface of the loch. Despite the temperature being around the seasonal norm of 12-14 degrees, the wind made it feel very much colder.

Although the reservoir is, by definition man-made, it is nevertheless set in a truly wild and dramatic landscape, lodged as it is between the Campsie Fells to the south and the Trossachs to the north. We decided to get the motoring out of the way and head into the wind, all the way up to the western dam wall.

Absolutely nothing was showing on the surface for the first hour or so and it looked like we were in for a dour day. But as the morning progressed, the wind started to drop and the clouds gave way to intermittent sunshine and that brought the air temperature up by a couple of degrees. Soon we started to see the swallows working and fish began to take tiny black gnats from just below the surface.

Changing over from tin-headed lure patterns fished on sink-tip and intermediate lines to small diawl bachs fished on floating lines, it wasn’t long before we started to hook up. Fishing about three or four rod lengths out from the shore, the first fish was a superb fully-finned rainbow of about 2.5lbs. We then alternated throughout the day between catching small brownies and really excellently conditioned rainbows in weights ranging from about 2-4lbs. We ended the day with an even balance of 6 brownies and 6 rainbows to the boat.

Now the competition fishers would be moaning about such a modest tally. But for us, Carron Valley provided yet again, stunning scenery, uncrowded water and steady sport. The guys that run the fishery should be commended. They run a superbly well managed operation – clean and tidy boats (with landing nets), engines that start every time, friendly and helpful service and, most importantly, a healthy population of rainbows living in perfect balance with the native population of brownies. If you’re looking for huge bags of flabby stockies and boats fishing yards apart, then go elsewhere. For all the reasons mentioned above, Carron Valley will always be my pick of the best fisheries in Central Scotland.

Fly-fishing combined with cycling in Scotland

Spring has finally arrived in Scotland. The weather in Edinburgh today is beautiful – sunny and warm. I have just come back to the office after going out for a coffee in in a nearby café. This is my favourite time to sit and enjoy a small cigar and think out River & Green and how I can continue to improve the service we offer.

I have had an idea and I would love to know what people think about it. The idea is to combine cycling tours of Scotland with fly-fishing. This could be a completely new and exciting type of holiday which no other company could offer.

Guests would be collected from Edinburgh airport and taken to their first hotel or B&B. We would provide top quality bicycles and a detailed rote map and, if requested, we could also provide a full-time guide. Guests would also be equipped with a compact set of high quality fly-fishing gear – like a Hardy Smuggler rod, reel and selection of flies. Then, the guests set off on their tour and rest from the cycling at chosen places to fish for Scotland’s beautiful wild brown trout. Each day you would spend the night at pre-arranged accommodation.

We could tailor any tour to suit the particular requirements of any client group. You would really experience the natural beauty of Scotland and have the opportunity to fish in wild and remote parts of the country.

What do you think? Is this something which you think would appeal to people? I would be most grateful to receive any comments; ian@river-green.com

What makes a great ghillie?

I was fishing on the beautiful Dalguise beat of the River Tay on Friday. We didn’t get any fresh fish, but nevertheless it was a superb day on the river. The water was falling back and running clear, but at about 2ft 6in on the gauge, it was still quite high. I saw a couple of fish which I think were fresh springers, but most of what I saw throughout the day were certainly kelts.

Now, as I say, none of the rods produced a fish. In fact, nobody so much as touched a kelt all day, and yet, every rod there on Friday had a hugely enjoyable day. Certainly, the bright spring weather was a bonus, but I think what really made the day was the atmosphere of friendliness and conviviality that existed in the hut. And, in my experience, that atmosphere can only be engendered through the personality of the ghillie.

In Stan Pelc, Dalguise has one of the very best ghillies in the whole of Scotland. So what makes a great ghillie? As well as the aforementioned natural ability to bring rods together in a spirit of bon amie, I think that there are 4 other key assets;

Knowledge of his water
Paramount, above all other attributes, a good ghillie must know every inch of his beat. He knows where the lies are, he knows where the wading is safe and where its dodgy and he knows at what height to fish which pools. Norman Stone (dec.) of Kinchurdy fame epitomised this attribute. His knowledge of that fabulous beat was absolute.

Authority
A ghillie often has to make potentially controversial decisions; most commonly – who should fish where? The best of their kind will exercise their authority in an almost invisible manner, maintaining the harmony but ensuring that fairness prevails.

Personality
It takes a very special sort of person to be able to “read” clients. The good ghillie knows when to be formal and when to be more relaxed. He knows how to encourage anglers without being unrealistically optimistic. In short, he knows how to be pleasant, fun, interesting and a pleasure to be around.

Discretion
This is probably the least well possessed of my list of key attributes. Ghillies can be the most terrible of gossips. However, the really good ones know that this can be a dangerous flaw and instead they exercise a high degree of integrity – what is said on the river stays on the river! The ghillie with a fine-tuned sense of discretion knows that there is no such thing as a bad fisherman or a bad cast – there may be difficult conditions, tricky winds, awkward back eddies, etc, etc, but never a bad fisherman!

5 good reasons why to use River & Green to plan your fishing vacation

This is my list of good reasons to explain how it is that we can bring quality and value to our clients when planning a fishing trip to Scotland…

Experience and local knowledge

In my capacity as Managing Director of River & Green I am able to call on over 25 years personal experience of fishing for salmon, sea trout, brown trout and rainbow trout in Scotland. In order to know where, how and when to fish, it is imperative that you have an extremely good knowledge base.

Professionalism

My background is not in travel and tourism. My experience lies in the fields of environmental consultancy, land diversification and property development. As such, I have a long history of business development through attending to the needs of clients in a thoroughly professional manner.

Value

River & Green is a life-style business. We operate on low margins with the prime target being to develop a strong base of repeat clientele. We are a small, dedicated team, focused on that one clear objective. First and foremost we are motivated by client satisfaction. We have no bank borrowing, shareholders or burdensome overheads.

Standards of service

We know what our clients expect because we too have travelled extensively and have used agents to deliver personalised itineraries. Whatever the budget, we recognise that there is a minimum standard of acceptable service and we are absolutely dedicated to exceeding that standard. It is because of our uncompromising dedication to high levels of client care that we were selected to partner with Hilton Hotels.

Approach

The perfect custom-built vacation can only be designed through listening to the needs of our clients and entering into a constructive dialogue. We understand this and so we positively welcome client input at every stage of the planning process. Our aim is give the client exactly what they want, not to have the client conform to itineraries which are easy for us to deliver. The client is always king!

New website for Caledonian Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh and River & Green

Fantastic news! Our relationship with Hilton Hotels goes from strength to strength. Their brand new, greatly improved website has gone live and River & Green features very prominently.

What’s really exciting about the new site is that it incorporates our own “drop-down” questionnaire; so now, clients booking with the Caledonian can, at the same time, tell us exactly what sort of sporting program they would like. Whereas before, the only exposure hotel clients had to our vacations was through the Sporting Breaks Packages, now they have direct access to our tailor-made service.

I think that this is a major step forward for River & Green. Not only is it a resounding endorsement of the strength and mutual benefit of our relationship, but it also gives us a brand association with one of the most prestigious names in the entire global travel and hospitality sector.

Please check out the new Caledonian Hilton site and let us know what you think?

Explaining the cost of salmon fishing in Scotland

In Scotland, all of the salmon fishing rivers are privately owned. This circumstance relates directly to the feudal history of land ownership in Scotland, going back over the centuries. The rivers are all divided up into sections of varying length, according to ownership. Each part of the river is referred to as a "beat". The capital value of each beat, and therefore the cost per day to fish each beat, is loosely determined by the 10-year average number of fish that are caught. Consequently, the beats which historically produce the greatest numbers of salmon are those which are the most expensive.

For example, to fish the most productive week of the year on the very best beat on the Tweed (Junction Pool in November) it will cost you £1,400 per day! However, it might cost you only £50 to fish the same water during June, when there are very few fish in this part of the river.

The "art" is to know which rivers and which beats are fishing better than their 10-year average and which therefore offer the best value. This is where local knowledge and experience come into play.

However, the great uncertainty when booking in advance is what will the weather and river conditions be like when you are fishing? In an ideal world, we would wait until a couple of days before committing to any particular beat. Unfortunately however, this is not possible. Such is the demand for Scottish salmon fishing that it is imperative to book well in advance.

Visiting fishermen also need to be aware that even if the river is unfishable on the day you have booked, it is never possible to receive a refund. It might not seem fair, but that is just the way that it is!

A beginner’s guide to the Scottish terms describing the various “stages” of salmon you can catch when fishing in Scotland

Every day we receive enquiries from European and other overseas visitors for tailor-made salmon fishing holidays in Scotland. These enquiries can be from complete beginners to very experienced trout fishermen. Probably only one in ten enquiries is from an experienced salmon fisherman. This presents us with a problem when we prepare our proposals. As well as the normal difficulties with translation, we have the added complication which arises due to the very specific vocabulary which is used to refer to the different “stages” of salmon which may be caught when fishing in Scotland. So here is a brief beginner’s guide to the main terms that are used;

Fresh fish

This is what we all want to catch. Just in from the sea, these glorious fish are firm, well proportioned and bright silver with a “petrol blue” sheen. They fight extremely hard and, if they are very fresh (less than 48 hours in freshwater) they may have sea lice still attached. Subject to the conservation rules applying to the particular river, it may be possible to retain a fresh fish.

Coloured fish

As a fresh fish becomes more ready to spawn, its silver colour is replaced by a darker, rust-coloured. The bottom jaw of cock fish develops a pronounced hook (known as a kype) and, having used up some of its body fat reserves, the fish looses some of its firmness. All of these fish must be returned quickly and safely to the river.

Grilse

A young salmon returning to the freshwater for the first time. These beautiful, hard fighting fish normally arrive in the mid to late summer and are usually in the 1-2.5kg range.

Kelt

A salmon which has spawned and is returning to sea. These fish are encountered in the early weeks of the new season, when they will readily take any fly that comes into range. They are in poor condition, having used up almost all of their fat reserves. They are silver in colour, skinny, the fins are usually torn and they almost always have maggots in the gills. By law, these fish must be quickly and carefully returned to the river.

Baggot

A hen salmon which has failed to spawn. They can have an appearance of being “fresh”, but the belly of the fish is soft and flabby. It is more common that they will have a pinkish hue rather than the “petrol blue” sheen of a fresh fish. Like kelts, these fish must be returned.

Three of the best fishing hotels in Scotland

If you are coming to Scotland to fish and you really want to get the best out of the experience, you need to stay in a proper fisherman’s hotel – a place filled with the atmosphere and conversation of the sport. So, here are my top tips…

If you’re fishing for wild brown trout;

The Merkister on the banks of the Harray Loch on Orkney

This place is all about fishing, if you are not a fisherman, you’re in the wrong place. Excellent resident ghillie (John), stunning views onto the loch, very well maintained traditional boats, comfortable rooms and no-nonsense meals.

Inchnadamph Hotel in Assynt

Truly wild and remote setting. Great bar, open fire and hearty food. Classic Highland views over Loch Assynt and relatively easy access to some of the best and most remote limestone lochs.

Cape Wrath Hotel by Durness in the far north west of Scotland

Probably the most dramatic setting in Scotland – simply stunning views. All of the famous limestone lochs are within about 1km.

If you’re fishing for rainbow trout;

The Lake of Menteith Hotel

Doesn’t get more convenient than this – the boats are about 50m from the hotel. Great food in very smart, contemporary surroundings, but it still manages to retain an atmosphere that’s comfortable for the fisherman.

The Tormaukin Inn

Quite convenient to a couple of the less well-known fisheries (Loch Frandy and Glensherup), but absolutely fantastic food, first-class service and comfortable rooms.

If your salmon fishing;

Ballathie House Hotel

Right on the banks of the River Tay near Stanley. In my opinion the best Country House Hotel in Scotland – elegant, supremely comfortable and the best food in the country!

Potarch Hotel

This is a true fisherman’s lodge, right on the banks of the middle Dee. Hotel rooms that are impeccably clean, large and comfy. A proper rod safe, wonderful food (brilliant breakfast) and the most friendly and professional staff anywhere.

Moorfield Guest House

This elegant little Victorian B&B has been a favorite for over 20 years! Very convenient for one of the best sea trout beats on the Spey, always very friendly and superb breakfast.

The fundamental guide to the essential salmon & sea trout flies

I am always being asked by clients and other fishing friends, “what flies should I bring with me to Scotland?” Well, there are two aspects to my response. In the first place, I would always recommend that you buy some flies locally, following the advice of your guide or the shopkeeper. There are always local variations or patterns that might fish on one river, but not on another. For example, on the Spey we tend to prefer very sparsely dressed flies, whereas on the Tweed, I would always use a more heavily dressed fly – the pattern might be the same for both rivers, but the way in which it is tied is very different. If you are paying £100 or more for a day on one of the best rivers it is false economy to deny yourself the best possible chance of taking a salmon, all for the sake of the cost of a few flies! And, if you are like me and you want that added pleasure of taking a fish on one of your own flies, then use the shop-bought fly as a model and tie some up for yourself.

The second part of my response would follow the principal of “keep it simple!” I now maintain three large boxes of flies; one for sea trout and two for salmon. I used to have a vast array of every pattern under the sun, but not now. Instead, I have a full range of sizes and a range of slight variations of just 3 sea trout flies and 7 salmon flies. Most are tied on both tubes and doubles – I very rarely use trebles any more. Depending on the season and the prevailing conditions of light, water height, air temperature and water temperature, I will select a restricted selection of flies to carry in one or two small boxes – leaving in the car the big boxes and the temptation to change flies every ten minutes. So, here are the patterns from which I will choose;

Sea Trout

Silver Stoat (especially this variation tied with a fluorescent green,silver-ribbed body)
Teal Blue & Silver
Dark Mackerel

Salmon
(Although I list these flies according to the season during which I use them most, they are generally good for any time of the year)

For the spring

Tosh (or anything black and yellow!)

For the summer

Ally’s Shrimp
Silver Stoat
Sunray Shadow

For the autumn

Cascade
Red and Black Francis
Temple Dog


Tight lines!

Cormorant crisis on the Earn!

The first day of the new salmon season coincided with the first rapid thaw of the winter snow and the first heavy rain of the new year. As a consequence, the Tay was in full flood and the Environment Agency (SEPA) warned all fishermen to stay away. So, with the opening day well and truly scuppered, I decided that instead I would fish the river Earn for grayling.

Now normally, this part of the river at Kinkell Bridge will produce between 2 and 3,000 grayling in a season. For good reason and for many years it has been accepted that this part of the river is probably the best in all of Scotland for the grayling.

When I arrived, the river was a little high (0.8m), but the water was running pretty clear. On the basis of conditions, hopes were moderately high. That was, until Sandy the ghillie showed up…. It seems that the winter had seen a huge increase in the number of cormorants on the river and that these greedy black b*****ds have eaten nearly every grayling and trout in the river – disaster!

The river still has a very large number of salmon, but I fear for the survival of the young fish in the spring. Something must be done to reduce the numbers of these birds but SEPA will not allow them to be culled. Quite frankly, the situation is ridiculous. It is only because the RSPB is so rich and powerful that nothing is done. In the meantime, the natural balance is being broken and our populations of fish are being critically damaged.

Anyway, I began fishing at about 09:30 and within one hour the river had risen in height to 1.4m and was now the colour of chocolate! By 11:30 I gave up – the river was up to nearly 2m and water was starting to enter the fields.

Let’s hope that this disappointing start to the season only means that we have all our bad luck on day one!

The Classic Scottish Fieldsports Break

Experience a true taste of Scotland’s finest country sports while staying at one of the grandest Country Hotels in Perthshire. During your three-night break you will hunt game using Harris hawks in the stunning surroundings of Glen Isla, visit one of the oldest whisky distillery in Scotland, fish for salmon on the mighty River Tay and shoot clay pigeons in Fife.

For groups of 2 to 8 persons, we offer;

3 nights accommodation at Ballathie House Hotel near Perth (Based on double occupancy standard rooms with breakfast and dinner)

The full-time services of a professional River & Green guide

1 session of clay pigeon shooting with instruction

1 day of salmon fishing (spinning or fly) on the River Tay, with riverside lunch & wine and including all fishing equipment

1 half day of hunting with hawks in Glen Isla, with packed lunch

All transport within Scotland

There is limited availability, so please check out our website and give us a call or drop us an email today!

Preparing for the new salmon fishing season in Scotland

This is a difficult time of the year for the fisherman. The trout season is more than two months away and we can't begin fishing for salmon until the middle of January and even then only on the Tay – for most rivers we must wait at least another 3 to 5 weeks!

So what are we to do during these miserable weeks of fishing inactivity? For me, this is the time to make an inventory of all my equipment and to take the time to think about which flies brought me success and which flies let me down during the previous season.

Here is my list of the 6 top tasks for the winter;

1. Carefully inspect all fishing lines – some faults can be repaired with a carefully applied drop of Aquasure, but in most cases, if a line is damaged, there is only one option; it must be binned

2. Reorganize all of your flies by pattern and size - get tidy. You should inspect every one of the flies in your box. If any fly is not perfect, take it out of the box and decide if it can be repaired. If it can't be repaired, perhaps you can strip off the dressing and reuse the hook. If not, then it must be discarded.

3. Carry out a service on all of your reels. They should be cleaned thoroughly, inspected and graphite grease should be applied to all working parts.

4. Repair any leaks in your waders. I use a specialist company to do this; DiverDave. Waders are expensive, so it is worthwhile to ensure that repairs are done properly - Dave and his team to a fantastic job and I will guarantee that your waders will come back better than new.

5. Prepare a list of all the equipment you need – either to replace what has been lost or to enhance your inventory. Then take out your wallet and start spending money!

6. Get busy making copies of all your best flies. I will make at least 5 copies in perhaps 4 different sizes of my 5 or 6 favorite flies – that equates to more than 100 flies! It is a big job, but when you consider that each fly would cost perhaps £2, that represents a big cost saving.

If you, like me, are fanatical about your fishing, all this work is actually a pleasure and doing it will fill you with excitement and anticipation for the season ahead.