As you can now see, the fishing report has been upgraded to a slightly different format, hopefully for the better, eventually!. Once I get to grips with how to use all the new icons I have in front of me the content should be fine with a few pictures.

We have added more new fly designs to our web-site this week for summer fishing in the UK and abroad. The secretive Dee Crathie fly and another unasuming but deadly low water summer favourite, the Logie. These are both tied on modern Salar doubles. We have also introduced new International Green Butt Loop doubles, Green & Red Butt Scandi Cascades, and Chartreuse into our range of feeler flies which have been a huge success since we introduced them to the market last year. However, don't forget just how good the old favourites are, like the Willie Dog & Ally Dog, Baby TDs, Silver Stoats tail, Alistair & Sunray Shadow. These flies and many more old favourites just keep catching fish after fish - discard them at your peril!

The Russian season is soon to get under way so we will be taking a hit on large Snaelda, Temple Dogs & Monkey's which proved so successful in recent seasons on the rivers of the Atlantic Salmon Reserve - Kharlovka & Eastern Litza etc. The new extra strong and super sharp Guideline doubles work great with these tubes as do the popular ever present Loop doubles, stocks are limited on these at the moment so snap them up when you can. Some of our new flies are displayed below but you can view the others on our homepage.

RS Dee Crathie fly

 

RS Cascade Green Butt Loop double

 

Flaming Temple Dog

Tweed Posh Tosh

 

The deadly Alistair Conehead - a big Helmsdale favourite.

The River Helmsdale has remained a little on the dormant side for the last two weeks. High pressure has dished out beautiful weather, but not for fishing! We do however have the luxury of compensation water and this has been a lifeline for anglers. While rivers all around the Highlands evaporate, the Helmsdale enjoys a reliable flow and this draws in a scattering of fish, mostly under the cover of darkness. 

Local angler William Jappy is keeping the numbers up on the Association water with early morning and evening sessions doing the damage but only 2 fish have been landed recently from this beat. The upper beats have produced reasonable sport for those who put in the hours and avoid the sun. The latest highlight would be a thumping sea-liced 24 pounder from Red Brae on beat 3 above. Ian Muir was the lucky angler fishing the Borrobol rods (pic below) Glen Macdonald was ghillie and the fish was released. Apart from that, there are encouraging numbers of fish being caught by some rods on flies ranging from micro tubes to large Sunray Shadows. Kildonan rods had the best of it for the week with a well earned 7 fish up to 17lbs from Caithness team Ross Mackay and Graham Robertson, the best fish came from the "Pot" on 2 above. They had fish on an array of flies including 3 to the trusty Alistair conehead, Frances flies, Sunrays and Tds nailed the rest. There are certainly fish around the coast now and most are waiting patiently for the next deluge - keep a sharp eye on the forecast, the next rise in river levels anywhere in Scotland should produce some good fishing.

Ian's Muir's big sea-liced fish being released.

Latest news from the Helmsdale Angling club Brora week - The Brora river is down to it's absolute bare bones. There are fish around, but tempting them is another story. However, Andy Sutherland had an evening on the water midweek and managed to hook one on a 12cm Sunray Shadow tube in the middle Stoney pool, unfortunately we both watched in dismay as the fish jumped and spat the hook after 3-4 mins. We saw several fish that evening, if only there were a few more inches of fresh water we may have had a great week! William Jappy did save the blank on Saturday Morning, again fishing middle Stoney, and using a baby Temple Dog he landed a sea-liced 12 pounder - I have no idea how this fish got up the river!!

Tickets are available for the Association water at £26 per rod per day. The loch is still feeding water so the Helmsdale offers a batter than average chance of a fish if we could at least get some cloud cover or a West/Northwest wind.