Around 15 fish were reported from the Helmsdale last week. Achentoul rods topped the chart with 5 as fish were caught right through the system from the Marrel pool beat 1 below to beat 5 above, RS TD coneheads fished on floating lines were catching the fish along with the odd one on a Cascade double hook. Fish will certainly be in the loch now and it is well worth a cast, unfortunately this water will probably not see a fly until June even though beat 6 is the only beat which currently has a 3 rod option - if anyone wants the spare rod fished, give me a call!! It would be fitting if the same 3 rod option was offered on all the beats as there is so much fishing available when the fish are known to have ascended the Kildonan falls. The argument for resting water is a non starter when fish are constantly running hard, you will pick them up anywhere and often second time down a pool.

RS Willie Dog

I had the pleasure of teaching the art of fly-tying to some of our keen young anglers last week in the Tackle shop, Jordan Marshal, Josh Booth and Ewan Gordon all showed great promise at the vice and I have no doubt that they are going to have good times on the river. I will run a few more classes before getting on the water for some casting and tactical instruction.

The boys concentrating hard.

The results

The boys and finished flies

Fly-tying is also making the news this week in the form of the big release of the long awaited Megan Boyd movie DVD "Kiss The Water". As you may have heard, I feature in the film and take part in many of the fly-tying scenes. There are also appearances from other friends and locals who knew Megan well. It's a beautifully made film documentary which is like nothing else out there with its mix of amazing animation and story telling from some of the most iconic names in angling like Orri Vigfusson.

To mark the occasion I have revitalised the "Megan Boyd" classic salmon fly and tied my interpretation of it as a modern hairwing. The Megan fly was for years the most successful fly on the Helmsdale and no ghillie would be seen fishing without it as the pount point fly of a dropper setup, it was best fished as a tube and the dressing was simplicity itself, a plastic tube of around 1/2" in length, a hairwing of black squirrel or stoats tail tied all round topped off with a blue cock hackle and black head, no flash, no frills, just deadly in the summer! we have them for sale in our "Helmsdale Specials" category.

Here is the Megan Boyd 2014 which I have modernised to coincide with the launch of the DVD - we are taking PRE-ORDERS on this DVD right now so please contact me via email, and facebook or call the shop this coming week on 01431821372 to book your copy, due to huge worldwide interest this one is set to sell out...

I have also been tying some interesting flies lately amongst designing new flies for the New Fulling Mill catalogue.
Some feathers and hair are very expensive indeed and tying our new Elver Monkey using the striking Vulturine Guineafowl feathers and vintage Monkey hair is hugely expensive to say the least. So, due to demand for these beautiful flies, I have been forced to create a new category of RS Specials where premium flies can be purchased for the appropriate price whether they are the "all the rage" new fashion brooches for weddings and functions or fishing flies or collectors items - our most expensive fishing flies will be individually numbered and personally signed.

This is the "Lily fly" one of our new brooches which was commissioned as a fashion accessory for a wedding.

Prospects on the river for the week ahead look good as we have had a slight rise in water levels due to a hammering of heavy showers over the weekend. Association water tickets are available and this beat is an excellent height. Fish are running every day and you have a very realistic chance of hooking a solid springer.