Salmon fishing can be a great leveler! Just when you think you have pretty much nailed it, it can come back to bite you.
Saturday on the lovely little river Shin, dawned with a heavy mist lifting off the loch and the inevitable midge hatch. But they were soon blown away along with the clouds to land us with another hot sunny day, always a death nell to clear water salmon fishing.
But by 5pm in the wooded glades the sun was off the water and we got down to some serious fishing, encouraged by some new fish moving through in the morning.
At about 5.20pm I hooked a fish in cottage 4 pool. Hooray! Only not hooray a few minutes later. The fish then dragged the leader over a weed covered rock and, whilst holding the rod as high as I could, I could see a big lump of weed attach itself to the leader and start sliding down to the fish. The moment it hit it on the nose the fish went berserk. Thrashing and cartwheeling all over the rocky neck of the pool and at one point even jumping over an overhanging branch. To my amazement it didn’t snag on the tree and I was still in with a chance until about ten seconds later when the fish rocketed through the shallows, the leader broke. A clean cut about half way down – Bugger!
I have not been broken for over 20 years – On Yokanga in Russia was the last time I can recall. Then of course I remembered the date, The 7th. I have always hated the number 7. Not sure why but bad things always happen with a 7 in the date or year.
About 20 minutes later Alec the ghillie appeared and I told him my sorry tale and my superstition about the date. I carried on casting and promptly hooked another chunky fish in the very tail of the pool. It motored about for a couple of minutes until I started pulling it towards me and away from the rocks there… and jag, jag, jag… and the leader broke again!!!
We checked the remaining leader. A neat cut. No knot problem, leader the passed the pull test as hard as I could (23.5lb Seaguar) so nothing wrong with that.
A broken man (literally) it was time to leave this wonderful river. Alec then said “That was astonishing, I looked at the time on my watch, Michael, at the moment the fish broke off it was 17.47!”
But, happy to put it down to that, I reflected on a happy four days fishing with two off the Tay and six fish off the shin with another four lost. That’s great fishing by any measure.
Massive thanks to Desmond and Vicky my hosts, Alec the ghillie and all the staff at Lairg Lodge.
Those interested should note that the Lodge and fishing are currently for sale through Savills. If you buy it please can I come again!
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