River Thurso salmon fishing reports 2011

[Editor]

From Eddie McCarthy
http://www.thursoriver.co.uk

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0EIqqUORKo]YouTube - Thurso River Opening 2011[/ame]

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 2nd Jan 2011

In the week we have had a liittle bit of everything thrown at us-------temperatures - 18 celcius, thaw followed by enormous water------but hey, this is Caithness not London------we just get on with it!!!!!

I would like to put on record that the staff on the Thurso river send their sincere sympathy to the family of local Angling Journalist, Lesley Crawford who died very suddenly over the Holiday period.

Her column in the local press will be greatly missed.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 8th Jan 2011

We have been checking river banks, stiles, walkways etc to assess damage after the recent high water after the thaw. Given the height of the water and the enormous slabs of ice going down we got away remarkably lightly.
Eggs in the Hatchery are looking good with no sign of them eyeing up.
We have our Opening Day Dinner tonight with Guest Speaker Kenny MacDonald and I will report on this more fully next week.

On Tuesday we have our river opening ceremony where OAP Dougie Reid will cast the first fly of the new Season.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso salmon fishing report 16 Jan 2011

The opening ceremony ( video on site) was held on Tuesday. Dougie, along with 40 others, was piped across the Bridge by John MacRae and on to the Comlifoot Pool where former Superintendent David " Dar" Sutherland invited Dougie Reid to throw the first fly of the Season.

The upper river was heavily frozen but a few kelts were taken on the lower beats.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 23 Jan 2011

We have begun to repair damages inflicted on banks, stiles bridges etc inflicted by the recent spate. Rhis will be a lengthy process.

The eggs in the Hatchery are looking well but have yet to eye up.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 6th Feb 2011

The river has been up and down for much of the week and it was good to get another couple of fish in the book.

There is now a new corrugated roof on the Hut on Loch Beg and the Hut on beat seven needed a bit of a Spring clean after the spate had been in it. There are new steps being made presently for the bridge on beat seven and we will soon be making a new bridge for the Braehour burn which spans some 24 feet

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 13th Feb 2011

As I write this on Saturday afternoon the gauge at Halkirk Bridge is reading 40 inches. Overnight rain and sleet produced an overnight two foot rise in levels. We did have hold of a fresh fish but the angler concerned was only using 10 pound breaking strain----silly, silly boy. I promise not to divulge the name of the angler concerned----- OK Dave?

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 20th Feb 2011

The eggs in the Hatchery are eyed up and are looking good.

The Loch Beg boat was put on the water in midweek in preparation for another good season!!

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 27th Feb 2011

The eggs in the Hatchery are looking very good and are now fully eyed up.
It has been another pretty good week fishing wise with a fish per day coming off, which is very good considering the time, of year and amount of fishing effort.

I have arrived at the opinion that the fish have been easier to catch this Spring! After all, if an Old Codger like Pat Nicol can take three fish in a few days--------------------------!!!

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 6th March 2011

It has been a cold dry week with the river dropping away. despite this, we still had a couple of fish from beats four and nine.

The bridge over the Braehour burn which was swept away with the winter spates has now been replaced. This was a big Bridge which spanned thirty feet. A massive "thank you" to Jim Cameron who was our joiner on the job.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 13th March 2011

It has been a fairly slow week fish wise but, with big tides due from late midweek, we would hope to put a few more fish in the book.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 20th March 2011

It has been a very cold week with a bit of snow in the early part. Today is the final day of the Spring Rotations and it ended well with a fish off beat eight, one off beat ten and from beat nine , one of which was a seventeen pounder.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 27th March 2011

As the week went along I felt that, after the huge tides of last weekend, the fishing had been a bit slow. However, having just doen a tally-up. double figures for the end of March is very acceptable.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 3rd April 2011

There have been a lot of quality fish taken this week the best of which weighed in at twenty pounds.

I have just had a call from a `Keeper above Loch More and he taslls me that both main tributaries are substantially up which bodes well for the week ahead.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 10th April 2011

We have suffered with very strong winds for most of the week which made fishing extremely difficult.

We had double figures for the week but the main talking point was the quality of the fish.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 17th April 2011

It has been another slow but steady week on the fishing front with fish being taken throughout the system with the Oughtred Brothers, Christopher and Angus, accounting for three with a couple of other near misses.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 24th April 2011

It has been a very difficult week with bright, sometimes cold, brassy days. With the Loch dropping away the kelts from the upper tributaries are now coming down through the main sluice gates.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 1st May 2011

It has been another very difficult week with very bright, brassy days. Despite this, Steven Lynch did a couple of early morning visits and was rewarded with a fish on both occassions. Also succesful were Mr & Mrs Howard who both took fish when conditions felt impossible.

Eddie

 

[Editor]

Thurso Weekly Fishing Report 8th May 2011

An Old Geezer called Pat Quinn paid us a visit for a few days. Despite almost impossible conditions Pat took a fish on each visit to the river and had two on one occasion. Not only did he have the luck of the Irish but that of the Welsh and English as well.

It is impossible to say what might have been achieved if he had the knowledge, skill and ability of a Scot!!! Calm down now Nigel. Calm Down Dear!

The much promised rain has not arrived and we will really struggle until it does appear.

On a positive note, we are seeing good numbers of fish in the Estuary already and we are experiencing another wonderful smolt migration.

Eddie McCarthy