The river slowed right down last week as low water and more Easterly winds set in. Around 7 fish were reported including a 12 pounder from the Association water for Alistair Jappy on a Temple Dog Achentoul rods had the second fish in 4 days out of the Black Hole pool beat 4 for the Nutting party. Badanloch had a fish in Clays beat 1 and one came from beat 5. Serious rain is now desperately required and as luck would have it the weather is changing and winds are backing Westerly for the next week threatening bands of rain.

Alistair Jappy returns his fine Association water 12 pounder from the Sewerage pool.

The deadly Willie Gunn Temple Dog designed by Ron, buy it now here - http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=12

 It's been a tough week but not as tough as the season on the lower Brora which blanked for the whole of Feb & March! This is unprecedented form and is quite baffling for a river with a renowned early spring run and the upper river has only hit double figures this week. I'm sure the situation will change very soon but it is worrying none the less. (stop press!) I have just received some information and pics from David Raper of the Lochaill Guest House on the banks of the river Brora, the situation has changed to the tune of 5 off the Lower river in the last few days with 2 North bank fish for Duncan Stewart and another 3 South bank fish for Ian Reynolds and Les Cope. Les is pictured below with a stunner at 19.5lbs from Upper Stoney pool which was returned. The fish was caught on a Gold Bodied Willie Gunn double size 9 ( what else on the Brora!! )

Les Cope shows off his stunning Brora fish with Upper Stoney pool in the background.

In the net, peak condition.

The picturesque Lower Brora above the Ford bridge

Looking up to the lovely Well pool on the lower section.

People have a habit of absorbing negative stats too easily nowadays, the spring run is in marked decline but the slow burn effect of this seems to make it acceptable to many. You only need to listen in to conversations with some of the old ghillies to realise that the early fishing sport has dropped off the scale. Great catches on the fly in February and March constantly crop up,(some of my own included ) those days are long gone but is it completely mortality at sea that has caused the car crash? Maybe a large part is indeed to do with commercial netting but I think the current Freshwater Fisheries Review must address fishery protection on a wider scale. Everything in nature which has salmon on its menu is heavily protected, this imbalance must be redressed. There are seals (population increasing annually) living way up the river Tay, a seal was reported above loch Brora this week, they are patrolling the Helmsdale estuary for most of the season, this is not on and makes a mockery of meaningful fishery management, fishery managers should not have to jump through hoops to control obvious threats like this. Salmon farm production is on the increase, more costal netting stations are cropping up, the problems for salmon are well versed and growing, make no bones about it, the king of fish is up against it!

And now we hear from the big conference last week that all along hatcheries have been doing the exact opposite of what we had thought. A monumental statement from the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards and Rivers and Fisheries Trusts Scotland, the advisory lights in Scottish fishery management have specified that due to the degeneration and weakening of each hatchery reared fish, we must cease all artificial stocking and pour all resources into habitat restoration. A huge statement indeed but one carefully based on many years of scientific evidence. There is no doubt that “natural selection” in nature produces the strongest and fittest, it is as simple as that, Charles Darwin has long proven that theory. Give nature the best chance to go forth and multiply and abundance will probably return. We know salmon are swimming further to access adequate feeding grounds nowadays therefore smolts must be in better condition for their perilous and exhausting voyage - a hatchery tank is not best preparation.

This situation needs to be eradicated asap. Sheep with full trample access to the river banks and silting up of the best spawning grounds, fences required!

Severe riverbank livestock damage which will openly aid the silting of the river when it rains. This is completely unacceptable in this day and age.

Sheep running riot, both banks with full access to the river.

A perfect riparian "buffer zone" with fenced off graze free river banks regenerating and strengthening the watercourse.

Discussion must begin, habitat restoration is on the Agenda for the next River Board meeting, it is time to make some grownup decisions and I for one as proprietor of the Helmsdale Company am willing to donate hard cash towards this important cause and I will call on all who fish this superb river to follow suit. We need to launch a Fund and fastrack a radical habitat project which prioritises the river and all its tributaries. Every inch of spawning gravel must be protected from livestock and other threats. A catchement survey is required and critical spawning zones identified and fenced off. This won’t happen overnight but the campaign begins here right now! If anyone has views on this matter, please feel free to comment in the Club Helmsdale Forum "Habitat restoration" thread and don't forget to check out all the latest news on our facebook page Helmsdale anglers.