The Hebridean Spring salmon saga continues
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- So far it has been too cold for trout fishing and so I've spent some time chasing the mythical Hebridean Spring salmon a creature of legend and angler's stories over the centuries. This was an entirely new fishing spot for me and as a result I didn't have much clue as to where to cast, or what to do, none the less I gave it a good shot to see if I could bring the mythical creature to the net.
Hope you're better from the Lurgy soon Philip. Always delightful viewing. I'm headed for the Uig area of Lewis with a fly rod at the end of the month - would be grateful for any general pointers/suggestions!
Uig is a lovely place but a bit sparse in trout fishing, the salmon and sea trout is excellent but all held by the estate plus the end of the month will be too early. The estate may offer some access to trout fishing if you ask, I believe they may not consider the trout "free fishing" as on most of Lewis. Unfortunately as Uig is kind of at the end of the road it is a pretty long drive back to decent trout fishing. Loch Scaslabhat near the distillery is said to produce good fish and I believe the owners of the distillery own the fishing on it but are willing to provide access, worth asking. Also the big loch on the way up to Aird, Loch Mheacleit, used to produce decent fishing and was generally assumed to be "free fishing." Great Bernera is, perhaps, the nearest area of decent trout fishing and it is worth exploring. In as far as I know all the trout fishing there is free. Maybe drop the estate a message before you travel and see the lie of the land: www.fishhebrides.co.uk/hamanavay-estate/
@@caorach3354 Really appreciate this Philip, thanks for this valuable information and for taking the time and trouble in providing it. At least I know now not to bother taking salmon tackle, but just my lightweight trout setup, and probably best to hike deep into the more remote backcountry where the map shows lots of promising-looking lochs. My favourite kind of fishing, as it happens.
Thanks- Just back from 3 days unsuccessful springer hunting in Co Durham/Northumberland. Having been brought up in N Wales on a river that falls a thousand feet in ten miles I struggle with these 'lowland' rivers; still, net result the same-Nul Points ! Always enjoy your footage-keep at it !
Bad luck Tom, at least you gave it a go and I hope you enjoyed the trip no matter what. It must be said that although I really enjoy the videos by people like Iain Bain who fishes the bigger rivers such as the Tay, Tweed etc. they are places that I personally have no urge to fish as I can't see past the Lewis rivers. You are probably the same with your Welsh spate rivers!
Another enticing beautiful location. I was sure you’d have some success this time, it looked so promising. But that’s why it’s called ‘fishing’! Can’t wait for our return trip later this year.
At least i saw a fish, with hebridean springers that is an amazing event in itself though I know the image wasn't very clear on CZcams but it was a salmon. I'm ill with COVID so not responding to comments much just now but hopefully up and at it soon.
Ah, it was just teasing you!
Sorry to hear your poorly. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. This little anecdote might raise a smile….
So, I had to re-watch this video and listen to your commentary because of a slight disagreement with Bob y’day. It all stems from my total lack of directional sense as evidenced by an incident some 40 years ago which we still laugh over…. It’s February and we’re coarse fishing. It’s, a you would describe, Baltic. So, I go off to the town to try and find us something warming and return to the river to find Bob sitting on the opposite bank. Bemused, I call across “what are you doing over there?” To which, he looks at the tackle he’s surrounded by and replies “You silly ***, I haven’t moved, you’re on the wrong side of the river! Which way is the water flowing?” Oh !😮😂
Fast forward…. And having watched this video 1st time, we’re discussing it and in particular which way you’d walked to the river. Not knowing the location, our friendly ‘disagreement’ stems from the fact that I thought the river empties into this loch ( I thought you’d walked up it and come back down to return to the loch) and Bob said the loch is at the head of the river. We agreed to disagree and left it at that.😂
On reflection,and having listened again, I think I’ll have to concede, but I won’t tell him just yet.
Incidentally, Bob remarked that having returned to the loch it would be frustrating in a way to then catch something having moved away earlier, cause you’d then be wondering why you did that in the 1st place. He speaks from experience! 😂
Another great video Philip and fantastic scenery too, I was talking to the head keeper where we go to in Sutherland last week, and he was saying there hasn’t been a proper run of fish there yet.
We really don't get a spring run so the fact that I saw a fish (and in a later video hooked and lost one) is really good performance for Lewis spring fishing. If there are going to be Lewis fish caught it tends to be mostly in May so it could be the Sutherland fish are the same?
Great location …I had high hopes for that water …every cast every retrieve I thought any second 😀😀 great day out though
It is a great spot to get a day out and because I'd seen a fish and so knew there was at least one in there I was the same - just waiting for the big pull. The spring fish are hard to find, because we get so few of them, but usually if you put the fly over them they pretty much take it first time.
If your not far from the estuary i would say mullet toping 🎣🎣
That did cross my mind but up there I think it unlikely and I'm pretty certain it was a salmon. It isn't clear on CZcams but i could see the big dorsal fin moving around in the wave and it was looking exactly like the salmon when they are in the sea and just about to head up the river. My best guess is that my line annoyed it and, perhaps, the reason why it did so much swirling about was because it actually came over the groyne/croy to register its annoyance and so had to almost break the surface to get over the groyne. This might explain my initial confusion as to what was going on. This spot is a well known lie for a springer, should there ever be a springer come into the system, so that also tilts the probability in favour of a salmon. So, you could be right but my feeling is that it was a salmon rather than mullet especially as this is a goodly distance up a spate river and it isn't the sort of water I've known mullet come up.
Hi there
I’m enjoying the video and thanks. I spent some happy times on the two lochs above Leverborough on Harris. Are you able to give an indication of where you are? All best.
Those are lochs that I've never fished, as you might imagine I've been to most other spots on Lewis/Harris. I am loath to identify my fishing spots unless they are angling association waters but I don't imagine many people read my comments so it would be worth checking this web site. Please note that this isn't a spring fishery, only a few crazy people fish in the spring for a day out, so my video does not reflect on the fishery once the main grilse runs come: www.sovalestate.co.uk/
Mullet probably 🤔
Interesting piece of a river estuary. Plenty of water but still elusive Springer not to be seen. Any sea trout or must one go further upriver?
If you look carefully I did see one, but that was the height of my success :-) They are so rare with us that even seeing one is a major success. This system does get sea trout as well but it isn't a system I know well so I really don't know where it is best fished for them.
Rightly so Phil , that water looked decidedly ‘fishy’ to me … well worth a throw or two ….!
I was amazed that I saw a fish, those spring fish are just so rare that even seeing one made my day. I know a lot of people wouldn't be happy with that as an outcome, and I understand that as well, but to get such a great day out and spot one of the elusive Lewis springers is a good day out in my book.
A kit kat is a poor substitute for a banana. I trust that this slip in standards doesn't signal an over all shift in tone for the channel?
SOmetimes it is good to have a bit of variety in life :-) I hope the bananas will be back soon.
Hi Philip, can you say which river this is?
Hi Billy, I'm really loath to name the places I fish unless they are angling association waters in part because I don't know how, or if, they'd wish to be represented on the internet. Also Lewis doesn't get a run of spring fish so my lack of catching doesn't reflect on the performance of this fishery once we get to July. However, I'm going to guess that next to no one reads my comments and it doesn't seem unfair to link you to an estate that might provide fishing. I'm in bed with covid hence the lack of replies: www.sovalestate.co.uk/