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!!

Still no fresh fish off. last free days fishing today - Sat 25th January

We have launched a Spring 3 + 1 on all of our world renowned salmon flies so grab a few when you have the chance. Simply place an order of more than £30 and you receive a free fly for every 3 you purchase.

The river has not produced a fresh fish yet and conditions are very good. With one more week of the free fishing to go there should be every chance of a lucky angler hooking up with the most prized fish of the season, a January springer.

I have fished the river since I was strong enough to launch a fly across the water and have caught many spring salmon. My earlest was ofcourse on opening day in the Little Rock pool on beat 6 in the days when fish could be retained. The set up was full sinking line, 25lbs maxima nylon and a 2" copper gold bodied Willie Gunn, classic spring tackle to present the fly deep as spring salmon are not very interested in moving far to take a fly, yes, they will hit large Monkey tubes fished square etc when the water warms up a little but to maximise your chances do not be afraid to fish slowly with large flies fished as deep as you dare....

Mix things up and be prepared to change tactics from pool to pool sometimes, sometimes even from top to bottom of the same pool. a 2" Copper tube fished off a fast sinking tip may be fine for the middle of the pool you are fishing but as you approach the shallower tail of the same pool which may have another good taking spot you should change your tip to a medium sink and aluminium tube possibly to cover the right depth without snagging the bottom all the time.... in general concentrate in the deepest areas as thats where early fish prefer to rest, they want to expend as little energy as possible in the cold water so be patient and methodical in the best known salmon lies, fish slowly step by step giving a fish every chance of seeing your fly and you may just get a surprise! Early spring fishing is all about grinding a fish out and not flying around having a flick here and there.

My top pools for the weeks ahead if the river is around 9"- 1ft would be Little Rock and Manse pools on beat 6 just below the Kildonan falls or Lower Caen, Salscraggie Boils on beat 1 below. If the river is much higher then Upper Caen beat 1 and Kilphedir pool beat 2.

We have all the lines, sinking tips , nylon and flies you need to present your fly at any depth in any pool anywhere. Have a good look through our website and grab some gear to maximise your chances at the click of a button right here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

Ron with a few thumping springers from rivers where he has caught them all over Scotland.

Lower Caen pool just above the village on beat 1, one of the top hot spot for a spring salmon

Tight lines

The rods are out and the river has dropped to a great height, unfortunately the first 3 days have provided no action apart from kelts. Its just a matter of time and you can bet that Andy (Torrish) Sutherland will sniff out a springer befor long!

Don't forget to order your flies right here as we have everything you need to catch & return that priceless spring salmon. We also have a great new range of Gaelforce sinking tips which are now even stronger and come in new 30lbs sizes in 10 & 15ft and up to 8ips. These will get your fly right down to the fish in the cold spring water. Grab them here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/gaelforce-equalizer-sink-tips.html

Unfortunately the opening day was a washout. The river started rising very early in the morning and only settled in the afternoon at around 5ft. No fish were reported apart from a few kelts. Hopefully the weather will settle and give anglers a chance from Monday 13th.

Dont forget that the fishing is free and open to the public for the next 2 weeks.

Our best spring fly - the RS Mylar Willie Gunn tube, unbeatable but we only tie them special order.

RS Silver Wilkinson, another one of Rons great designs and you won't be too surprised to hear that it has accounted for many spring salmon from all over the Northern hemisphere, not just UK. Grab some here when you have the chance - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-silver-wilkinson-copper-tube.html

The free fishing at the opening of the Helmsdale salmon season has once again been extended. For the first time, the river will be open to the public for two weeks beginning on Saturday 11th through to Saturday the 26th. The mild weather conditions recently is sure draw in one or two of the fabled early Helmsdale runners so its a great chance to hook up and win the Bridge Hotel trophy. To get on the water you just need to register at Glencoast on the Main St who will also be running their popular opening day Gin tasting event from 3 - 5pm hosted by Ice & Fire distillery.

The Sutherland schools pipe band will be on the march as usual from 9.30am to entertain and local junior angler Findlay Adams will have the honour of launching the traditional first cast of the season a few yards above the Telford bridge around 10am.

The long range weather forecast is looking very good for a completely ice free river which should have plenty water after good spells of rain.

For past opening day reports and loads of interesting archive info please check out our archive fishing reports on the left of the page.

You will ofcourse need the right killer flies and we have them all right here, proven tubes which have already caught January springers. Rons recommendations are RS Solar Monkey conehead, Morangie, Willie Gunn and Alistair TigerTail. Buying them is easy, just click here and get stuck in! http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

RS Solar Monkey, buy it here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/solar-monkey-black-yellow-pro-choice.html

RS Willie Gunn Special yellow, buy here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-willie-gunn-special-yellow-rons-favourite.html

Torrish Morangie, buy it here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/torrish-morangie-copper-tube.html

Salmon anglers love their flies and usually can't have enough of them....especially ours! So we have some perfect double leaf boxed selections made up for him and her especially for Christmas with our best selling patterns.

You have the choice of a half or full selection on either selection, either way they are great stocking fillers....check them out, anglers love them and these are very exclusive, you cannot get them anywhere else!

Check them out below and grab them right here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

His two leafs

Her 2 leafs

Last week we emailed our huge customer database and sign ups to our fishing report to inform of our annual fly "bogof" deal. Your email may or may not have been received by you for any number of reasons as some bounce back to us and do not get delivered occasionally. To qualify you must put "bogof" in the comments section when ordering and purchase over £30 worth of flies excluding selections and brooches.
Simply put, our bogof means "buy one get one free" and that means lots of free flies! whatever you buy, we add another the same or similar. but don't waste time as this deal can clean us out of many of your favourite patterns.

You can start benefiting from our deal and receiving your free flies right here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

Believe it or not, Christmas is only around 9 weeks away as I write so this is a great time to grab some of our hugely popular flies for prezzies, we also have superb boxed selections and if you would like you can simply contact us an we can make them up with flies of your choice for gifts, tailored for certain rivers etc.

One of the many anglers who always have success on our flies is Guy Hemsley and recently he proved this again on the Brora with some clonking fish during his annual October week ( 9 to his own rod ) on the lower Brora. His party finished with 26 for the week fishing mainly large tubes in Willie Gunn and Red Frances patterns.

One of Guys thumping fish from the very picturesque Beech Tree pool estimated at around 20lbs

Its fly-tying season and we have some amazing very long Chinese goat in stock along with many other materials you need to create all sorts of deadly new salmon flies. This Goat hair is the closest material you will see to the fabled tapered monkey hair used in many of our favourite long winged flies. This is as good as it gets for Sunray Shadow, Collie and Monkey patterns - its over a foot long! and you can buy it here right now - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/long-chinese-goat-hair.html