The Helmsdale limped to a total of around 12 last week. including one fish from the Association water. The river was down to compensation level and grilse are few and far between as yet. It looks like we are heading for another late summer run which has been the norm over recent years. The second week in July was the top week for decades but apart from a reasonably early show of grilse last year the run will probably peak towards the end of the month or early August.

After a strong late spring salmon run, lets hope the grilse do appear in numbers soon, check out my selection of the proven killer flies you need for success over the summer for salmon & sea-trout. These flies work well all over the UK but dig around the web-site as we have many more killers. Don't forget we can also provide all the latest equipment to catch salmon & sea-trout from 6lbs maxima nylon to a superb 13ft summer Mackenzie DTX fly rod.

Baby Temple Dog (salmon). These tiny tubes are absolutely deadly as a tail fly if you are fishing a dropper set up.

Silver Stoats Tail (salmon & sea-trout). Arguably the most successful low water fly of all time.

Black Boar Shrimp Sunburst (salmon). The Boar Shrimp series has many colours and sizes in doubles and trebles. Deadly for running grilse.

Cascade Alistair tube (salmon). One of our greatest inventions. A mix of the super deadly local Alistair tube with the popular Cascade fly.

Silver Blue (sea-trout). A huge killer from our specialist jungle cock sea-trout series.

Silver Stoat single JC series (sea-trout/salmon). A fabulous dual purpose summer fly best fished on the point when using a dropper.

Bloody Butcher single JC series (sea-trout). This traditional fly catches so many sea-trout it is simply a must have for your flybox.

Tight lines.