Registering for the 10 free opening days will take place at Thyme & Plaice and from the Belgrave Arms Hotel from today (Tuesday 10th). Both will be open late to cater for the big influx of anglers.  

I will have a large selection of killer flies onboard this year as the shop is up for sale, look out for the Black Hilux with Loop on the back around the Bridge Hotel car park, but if I'm fishing, I'm fishing! I'll also have maxima 15, 18 & 20lbs + Sinking poly-tips and lines. I look forward to seeing you there But I won't be around for long as I have plans to catch the first fish!!

The river is looking very nice and there will definitely be fresh fish in the system due to the mild winter so far. The water is clear and fairly low so grab a Monkey tube, a Willie Gunn and a sinking tip and get stuck in!

Tight lines to all

The Helmsdale river opens again in 2 weeks (Wed 11th Jan) but the weather forecast looks a little worrying as the wind is set to swing in from the North on new years day. This will obviously herald a cold snap and with high pressure set to dominate, ice could be the presiding factor over fishing conditions. Registration for the Opening 10 free days takes place from both Thyme & Plaice resturant and the Belgrave Arms hotel from the 10th and Thyme & Plaice will also hopefully be dishing out the popular Sponsors dram from Clynelish. As usual, the Sutherland schools pipe band will be there to entertain for the Opening ceremony before the river is officially opened by a local angler.

The Helmsdale Tackle shop remains closed and up for sale but you can stock up on all the killer flies by visiting the online store at www.helmsdalecompany.com where you will see and be able to purchase all your favourites from a large range of copper, tungsten aluminium and conehead tubes. Buy online right now to ensure delivery before Opening day.

Sellers details of the Helmsdale tackle shop can be viewed here - http://www.bruceandco.co.uk/business-for-sale?ref=44588

It's almost that time of the year again! The Helmsdale river will re-open in 4 weeks! (can you believe it!). Not sure of the complete procedure this time around but the tackle shop will be open for a couple of days mornings and afternoons. I will be fishing for a change! on Opening day, the shop will be open from 8.30am to around 10,30 and maybe 4pm to 6 with our usual selection of flies and accessories if Clynelish are sponsoring the event again. Cash will be king as the card machine will not be working ( we have relocated to super Speyside as you may have heard ) and there may be some other big Opening day sponsors around too possibly. Not sure on a first fish prize or first fish sweep yet but Thyme & Plaice may well take that on....and I might sponsor the first fish caught.

We still have our Christmas cracker boxes available amongst many other Christmas gifts, you can personalise your message on the Cracker boxes so they are a neat little stocking fillers or thank you gifts to someone, there are 4 boxes in the range this year. Scott Mackenzie DVDs are also going well along with Loop rods & reels on deals!

So, Come along and have a free cast, I think the free fishing is open for 10 days this time from the Wednesday 11th until the following Saturday, word has it that signing in will be from either Thyme & Plaice resturant or the Belgrave Arms. There will be springers in the river - there always are, trick is to find one before Andy Sutherland does!

Tight lines and see you soon.

OFFER OVER, hope you never missed it as it was our biggest yet, Our new flies were hit vary hard, many thanks to all who took advantage, lets hope there are plenty of fish around next year...

Dear all,

It's time for another famous Helmsdale Co "Buy One Get One Free" (BOGOF) on all flies when you purchase over £30 with us.

Please just order £30 worth of any products on our site including flies/accessories/gifts/maxima/zingers/DVDs etc to qualify for as many free flies as you can buy! It's usual Bogof practice - every fly you buy, we add another of the same it's that simple so long as your order beats £30

Please note that certain Flies/lures with codes ending in (ds) must be purchased in mulitples of 3 this time.

Tungsten tubes for tying on are slashed almost half price to 4.99 per pack, all sizes.

Offer runs until Monday Midnight so snap them up FAST while stocks last for Christmas prezzies.

If we run out of certain flies (inevitable) please accept our nearest similar size or pattern, thank you.

Destination/discount fly selections and Classics not included.

Click here to start selecting your free flies - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

Enjoy your shopping, its approx just 4 weeks to Christmas! We are sure you have fishing friends who would love some of our flies and cool gifts.

Very best wishes.

Hi there, here is a copy of our latest offer and email to customers.....

Free casting lessons and flies...

Yes - when you invest in a rod & line from me, I give you something no other company will. Whether you are living in proximity to Speyside and can pop over for a few hours or whether you have fishing booked in the area, Morayshire or Sutherland, I am offering free casting lessons and free Helmsdale Co flies as a gift on any Loop Cross rod & line purchased in time for Christmas.

It's time to treat yourself to something really special? The man who coined the phrase "money can't buy happiness" never bought himself a decent rod and line!

Now is your chance, firstly, check out this unbelievable footage of line turnover from loop, 2.5 mins of genius - https://vimeo.com/68340715

We also have a very special Christmas deal on just 2 of our superb Loop Lainio jackets in Large (Blue) and medium (Gray) both on a price blitz of £299 each, over £139 off. These are on a first come first serve basis so don't hang around, drop me an email or fb message. See the jackets here http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/new-loop-lainio-jacket.html

Check out also our new Christmas fly selections which we can deliver to any of your fishing friends or treat yourself! we have many NEW flies online... - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

You will ever know what you are missing out on until you use something really special. That very cool present you have always wanted.

We are giving away £50 of our deadly salmon flies this Christmas with every Loop rod, reel or jacket purchased. This offer is open for November only so don't waste too much time ordering some of the coolest and premium quality gear on the market - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/loop-tackle.html

With only a handfull of rivers still open, thoughts are turning towards Christmas and season 2017. We have lots of cracking fly selection boxes which will please many of your fishing friends. The latest is a set of 4 selections in our best selling "perfect tube fly boxes" These can all be purchased individually as gifts which we can personalise as you see from the pic below. You can also custom any fly selection you want, just let me know what flies you would like and I will set up a selection for you, with or without hooks etc. See our latest selections here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

We also have our favourite Scott Mackenzie casting DVDs in stock which are unbeatable on casting instruction...another great gift idea. If you want something really special we can provide Loop rods, Simms jackets etc etc...just let me know and i'll make sure you have everything in good time for Christmas.

You may also notice that some of our flies will now be coming direct from Fulling mill as we have setup a new drop Ship arrangement with them. This means that we (already have) and will be expanding our range of flies hugely not only in salmon but in trout flies and saltwater flies. We will also be offering much more in the way of trout and salmon hooks for tying on.

The Helmsdale season had decent ending with around 70 fish reported for the last 5 day week bringing the estimated total to 1200. Not the best and not the worst but 2016 could have been much better if conditions were onside. There seemed to be no shortage of fish after a slow spring which is encouraging for the future, lets hope the spring picks up and the general trend continues. The cessation of costal netting and continual C & R efforts must help in the longterm.

I did not manage a late cast on the Helmsdale but have been lucky enough to pick up a few days on the Spey. The latest was last week on Lower Wester Elchies testing the latest rod from Loop tackle, the Q 15ft...I can tell you that there will indeed be a que for this rod which is astonishingly priced at under £300 in 15 and 13'2. The medium fast action handled a Loop GDC 10/11 S1/S2 no problem, infact it was casting it almost right across the river which is not exactly narrow at Aberlour. For the short time I had with the rod it hooked and landed a hefty powerful cock fish of around 18 - 20 lbs and handled everything very well indeed, I was really bending into the fish and pushing casting to the limits. These rods should be around by mid December, let me know if you fancy one as I'll be ordering some soon for 2017 season, Along with the best of the best from Loop with SX and S1 this rod will sit well and be very popular.

Returning the Wester Elchies fish.

On the fly scene, we are on RED/ORANGE predominantly from now until end Oct/Nov on the Tweed etc, a pic of one of the absolute best is below, our RS SuperSnaelda red/gold which you can buy right now by clicking here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-super-snaelda-red-gold.html

Also don't forget our superb range of Solar SuperSnaelda which were a big hit when introduced last year - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-solar-supersnaelda-flaming.html

RS Red/Gold SuperSnaelda

Solar SuperSnaelda

We have many more Autumn killers in stock like Tyne Toucan, Red Frances, coneheads and copper tubes. Keep the rods out if you can and grab some autumn action if you can, when temps finally drop there will be some great sport to be had! Tight lines.

Please also check out our new Christmas Cracker fly selections for stocking fillers, We will add a personal message to each box for you if you tell us in the comments section when ordering, click here to view and buy them - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/

New Gold & Red Rival doubles also in stock now - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/new-rival-silver-doubles.html

Don't forget our online shop is open 24/7 you can buy your flies and accessories ( and Christmas presents ) right now using your smartphone or tablet, on the go!

The Helmsdale is drifting towards the end of the season picking away. Great water last week after a dry spell would normally have heralded a killing, but it was not to be. The river topped 3 ft at one point but a drop in temperature is now required to finish the season with a bang. Recent weeks have reported around 40+ fish off so the sport has not exactly switched off but you have had to work for your reward. Locally Gordon Davidson and John "Hardy" Sutherland had fish and a few visitors got in on the act too. As usual its the angler who can best adapt to the conditions who catches the most fish so my recommendation to all is to have the following flies to hand if they want to score.

RS Willie Gunn Feeler tube, one of our deadliest back end fly designs - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/feeler-uv-willie-gunn-copper-tube.html

It is no secret that reds, oranges and black or combinations in all work very well in the Autumn and we have best flies at the ready.

Tungsten tubes - Frances and black boar for cooler conditions and deep presentation.

Coneheads, tungsten or brass, Cascade, Black & Red TD,  Red Alistair, Red & Gold SuperSnaelda, again for deeper presentation in coloured water.

Sunray Shadow,  Laerdal Hot Orange for clear water close to the surface.

Bottle tube Monkey, red or orange for a deep big swing across the fish.

SuperKrill for high coloured water, salmon cannot resist them.

Willie Gunn Feeler and Solar SuperSnaelda for general high water on sinking tips.

Micro Tubes, micro coneheads and tiny doubles for low clear water.

We have all the sinking tips required also and a huge range of hooks.

The season in Scotland is open on some rivers until the end of November, get on the water if you can as there are lots of fish around this season, fish deep when temps drop and stand by for action, big fish are waiting!

Don't forget our online shop is open 24/7 you can buy your flies and accessories ( and Christmas presents ) right now using your smartphone or tablet, on the go!

Helmsdale continues to slow down typically for the time of year. However, a fairly decent spring and summer run has deposited a good head of fish throughout the river, the next spate will give excellent sport and if temps drop soon enough in September the fishing should perk up as per usual. last week reported a hard fought 40 for the week roughly with Frances flies, coneheads, sunrays and wee doubles doing most damage.

With a view to the Autumn we have loads of deadly tubes in stock and ready to deploy. Our new Solar SuperSnaelda are proving to be very popular in coloured water as are our huge variety of coneheads and coppertubes. we also have all the sinking tips to get these flies right down to the fish where you can make it much easier for them to grab your fly.

The deadly RS Solar SuperSnaelda, click here to buy now - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/rs-solar-supersnaelda-black-yellow.html

I was delighted to be part of Loop Europe team testing last week on Lower Wester Elchies (Spey) with some of the top rod, line and reel designers in the world,  These guys really know their stuff and with their combined experience the equipment they produce is second to none. There is no destination on the planet Loop have not fished and they have the equipment to deal with anything that swims. I tested all their new rods and in particular the fast action Cross SX rod. Seamless power do deliver maximum distance and delicate presentation with minimal effort, what more do you need! and all on the space age nano resin blanks that have been taking the world by storm over the last few years.

Incidentally, Lower Wester Elchies will have some great fishing available next season, its one of the most scenic under fished beats on the Spey, that's about to change. The beat sits right opposite the lovely village of Aberlour where you can cross the swing bridge at the top of the beat if you want to eat locally or next season you will have the option of superbly decked out new self catering accom right by the river.

Watch this space as I will have all the new details of availability on this hidden gem of a beat. 6 rods will be up for grabs and pricing will be super reasonable. The Spey is fishing well again and full of fish so demand will be high next year, I for one will definitely be fishing this fine beat, I hope some of you will too. Please contact me if you are interested in any of the fishing throughout the season.

Jaran Gustavson of Team Loop explaining the benefits of another rocket launching Loop salmon rod, call me for best UK prices which always include £50 of free salmon flies.