Hi there,

We hope you are safe and well in these testing times.

As we cannot fish maybe it is an opportunity to sort out our fishing tackle and replenish our flyboxes for better times ahead.

We have launched our annual "Buy 2 get 1 free" fly deal......to take advantage of this special offer please just order the flies you want ( orders over £40 ) and we simply top up your order with your free flies. Please put "2 + 1" in the comments section so we know you want our special offer.

If we run out of stock of any of your flies we will try to replace with another size of the same pattern or a similar fly.

Here is the link to our website where you can start ordering your flies - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

Kind regards & stay safe

It’s been a tough week on the Helmsdale despite settled conditions. Only 4 fish were reported. Corrie Cormack got his week off to a flier with a fish from Little Rock beat 6, William and Alistair Jappy had a great day with 2 from Kilphedir pool beat 2 and John Hardy struck again with a fish from the Manse pool beat 6. Surprisingly there were no sea-lice on the fish so not many entering the system yet but next week is another week and hopefully the fishing will pick up.

We have added some of Rons very special "one off" flies to the website in the Prestige category so if you want something very cool and a little different, they are the flies for you especially if you have an overseas fishing trip coming up ( eventually ) snap them up if you fancy as you will not see them again...

Special fly sets below, more details on the website links provided below.

RS SuperSnaelda Specials. Buy quickly right here now - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-supersnaelda-specials.html

RS Cascade Fox 1" tungsten tubes, buy quickly right here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-tungsten-fox-pbps.html

RS Green Highlander Elits set, buy now quickly here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-green-highlander-elite-set.html

John Hardy Sutherland has landed his first and Association water first fish of the season. The 10 - 12 lbs fish was caught on the Flat pool at the top end of the beat on one of his home tied new conehead tubes. Another 4 have been taken from the beats, 2 from beat 3 and 2 from beat 1. If conditions hold out then the week ahead is sure to offer an increase in sport.

Make sure you have a good selection of sinking tips and tubes of varied density, we have everything you need in our superb fly selections or individually, have a good look through the website and get organised for your fishing trips at home or abroad. Email me if you want a fly deal, as always, the more you buy, the cheaper they get...

John chunky fish

Johns fly

Another 2 fish were recorded last week to take the tally to 5 for the week and 8 for the season. One from beat 3 Upper Torrish ( Suisgil rods) and another from Kilphedir (Badanloch rods).Things are slowly waking up so get the rods out!

A number of spingers have recently been taken on single hooks and more and more anglers are turning towards these traditional flies as they have a slim profile and are perfect for catch and release and, dont forget how well they grip!. We have added more to our offering here on Helmsdale Co as demand grows, check out what we have here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/helmsdale-co-flies/salmon-singles.html

Our Nordic singles (seen 3rd below on a Cascade) are tied on super strong Partridge Nordic single hooks which which hold the biggest fish. Only in size 14s for low water and perfect for summer fishing at home or abroad.

We also have these best sellers back in stock!

Rs Cascade SuperSquid tungsten conehead

Posh Tosh

Collie Dog

Nordic Cascade

Classic Cascade

The fish are starting to arrive at last on the Helmsdale with another 3 off this week so far including a thumping sea-liced 25 pounder for Jock Miller. Jock was fishing Achentoul rods with Ghillie George Hardy when they bumped into the stunning fish in the Tail of the Marrel pool beat 1, its the first cast beyond the Association water just above the village. Its a difficult spot to access (left bank) and fish but the tail of the pool itself gathers into a very fishy wide "draw" as we call it which swings the fly beautifully providing you can punch out a decent Speycast. Jock obviously covered the water perfectly and his Green Highlander tube was duly seized by the stunning springer. (pic below courtesy of George Hardy )

The Green Highlander is a very underestimated fly. A classic traditional scottish pattern which has caught many very large salmon over the years especially on the classic big single hooks which it was first tied on. The great Sir John Ashely-Cooper has listed numerous huge fish taken on it in his book " A Salmon Fishers Odyssey". A 2" copper tube version actually took the first fish on the Helmsdale a couple of years ago in the Viaduct pool. Pop one or two in your box....we have them in 1" and 1/2" copper tubes right here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-green-highlander-copper-tube.html

We also have a new version based on the deadly Firetiger spinning lure which Ron designed recently for a client, a gorgeous green theme tube which is very popular in the Uk and abroad

RS FireTiger copper tube, grab some right here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-firetiger-tube.html

Another 2 fish have been taken this week, one from beat 3 and John Hardy had a 10 pounder from the Foam pool beat 5 fishing from the right bank. The tally is now 6 fish so things are on the move. The Association water is a great chance now so grab a day ticket from Glencoast on the Main St and get out on the water, the river is in perfect condition.

http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-green-highlander-copper-tube.html

Its been another tough week on the Helmsdale compounded by a washout on Saturday. Hopefully the 6ft of fresh water thundering down the glen will start lure in a few fresh fish. The only action to report was Andy Sutherland hooking a springer on beat 5 which almost spooled his reel chasing the fish from the Foam pool to Clay bank where it unfortunately came off.

We have some of our best selling flies back in stock now which include our Flagshop RS SuperSquid Cascade tungsten conehead, RS Tungsten feeler Willie Gunn tube, Posh Tosh 1" copper tube, and SuperSquid Kinermony tungsten conehead but donr forget our Solar Monkey conehead tubes which always score in the spring.....our best selling spring tube by far.

RS SuperSquid Willie Gunn tubgsten conehead

RS SuperSquid Cascade tungsten Conehead

RS Tungsten Willie Gunn Feeler

Stop press - No 2 off the Helmsdale - Tail of the bay beat 3, 8lbs And No 3 off, Andy Sutherland 9lbs Kilphedir pool beat 2 - 21st Feb.

The latest headlines would be a reasonable opening 2 weeks on the Dee with 28 off and a cracking opening day springer off the Findhorn Association water Stoney pool at 18lbs for Peter Green, Huntly. Peter is a very experienced angler and decided that the river conditions called for one of my RS Solar Monkey flies on a Patriot size 6 silver double. The rest of the set up was classic Hardy, Sintrix rod, Marquis reel and Mach floating line + 10ft sink tip. It certainly produced the goods and provided Peter with the best possible start to any season with the most highly prized fish of the year, an opening day springer.

The Deadly Rs Solar Monkey which you can purchase right now by clicking right here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-solar-monkey-double.html

You can also buy our conehead tube versions here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/solar-monkey-black-yellow-pro-choice.html

Peter shows off his priceless opening day fish

Safely in the net

Check out these stunning Tungsten Willie Gunns/monkey style. Perfect for Spring everywhere atlantic salmon swim! Tungsten being more dense than copper means it will get down to the fish faster and deeper. They don't just bounce off the bottom, you can fish them off floating lines or sink tips and just wait for that big tighten up! Its as close to the perfect spring fly as you will get so grab some asap and get them in the water.

Buy them right here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/willie-dog-tungsten-tube-pro-choice.html

Things have gone a little quiet on the Helmsdale after the dust has settled from the free opening weeks and Addies first fish. A few kelts are coming off but not that many anglers are on the water, par for the course on the river in early spring. Im hearing that there is one off the Oykel and a couple off the Carron so its all to happen. it looks like there will be a battle against big water and high winds for most of next week but dont let that put you off getting out.

We are already getting fly enquiries for Russia, Norway and Iceland, we have all the killers sink tips and lines you need and have neen kitting out many anglers for the last 20 years.

Check out the first fish off the Rynda Russian ASR in 2006 - I hooked it in the sea pool last cast last day wading as far as I dared on the right bank and paying out line so the fly could drift over a big boil a long way out of reach from a normal cast, a great result for perseverance. The fly was a 1.5" RS Allys copper TD and the fish 22lbs

The first fish of the season was landed yesterday Jan 31st by Addie Sutherland, Brora. I predicted beat 6 Little Rock pool in an earlier report and it duly produced the goods once again. Addie was accompanied by the legendary Johnny Hardy who verified a fine 13.5 sea-liced springer taken on an Alistair tube fly.

The river Carron also recorded their first fish at 12lbs

Dont forget we still have our 3 + 1 deal on salmon fly orders over £30. Simply place your order and we add the free flies (one free) for every 3 you purchase. (Deal now closed) 15/2/20

Tight lines - the Springers are in!!