SUMMER SALMON

In the minds of many anglers, salmon fishing in Scotland means wielding a long rod on the Tay in February or casting a 3" tube fly across the mighty November waters of the Tweed. There is no time of the season, however, when northern rivers need be ignored and, water conditions permitting, some splendid sport can be obtained throughout the summer.

I must confess that I much prefer to feel the warmth of the sun on my back when wading and find little appeal in the idea of standing up to my waist in an icy river cursing the fact that the line persists in freezing to the rod rings. Indeed, at the risk of offending some purists, if news of a run of fish does tempt me to the river bank during the colder months of the year, then I am quite content to rely upon my spinning tackle to do the business.

Summer is a different matter altogether. When the air is filled with bird song and the water sparkles with kaleidoscope colours as it tumbles through a rocky pool, then there is a real joy to being out in pursuit of salmon, grilse and sea-trout. Fishing in such conditions is a truly leisurely affair. The days are long, the countryside is welcoming and, a point which should not be discarded lightly, the fishing is inexpensive. There is no need to thrash the water relentlessly from dawn until dusk in order to extract every ounce of value from a costly ticket nor is constant movement necessary to ward off the insidious chill which threatens the early spring or late autumn angler. Relaxation is the name of the game and every fish to be grassed is an exciting bonus.

The fisherman who can arrange his sport at short notice is spoiled for choice when seeking summer salmon fishing in Scotland. The entire west coast from Ayrshire to Sutherland is fed by a myriad variety of rivers which can provide excellent fishing during the late summer. Most of those jewels do, however, require spate conditions to induce a fresh run of fish and some fall back so quickly that the prime time may last for only a day or two after heavy rainfall. The Stinchar, Girvan, Doon, Orchy, Shiel, Torridon and Inver are but a few of the delightful little rivers which are well worth a visit.

In the north-east, there are a number of famous salmon rivers which, water levels permitting, can also provide superb sport throughout the summer. The Brora, Alness and Beauly are but three which can come up trumps for the visiting angler.

The fisher who must book his holiday in advance or who packs his rod when travelling north for grouse shooting or, perhaps, a business trip cannot always guarantee that his visit will coincide with a spate on the smaller rivers. Rather than sit in the bar and bemoan his misfortune, he would be well advised to consider taking a ticket on one of the large waters. The Spey, Dee, Tay and Tweed may be noted for their spring or autumn runs of salmon but they hold fish throughout the season and it is an exceedingly dry summer which renders them totally unfishable. The cost of fishing a beat drops markedly during the warmer months and this factor means that there is little to be lost by having a few casts.

Fortunately, the summer fisherman can travel light. A good quality single-handed fly rod is perfectly adequate for the purpose and I prefer something in the region of 10-11 feet which takes an AFTM 7-9 line.

When I advise anglers to employ a light single-handed rod for summer fishing, the question is often posed, "What will happen if I hook a 30-pounder?" The answer is quite simple - it will take longer to land!

There really is no limit to the size of salmon which can be effectively played using a light but powerful rod. In all honesty, a 4 lb sea-trout or a 6 lb grilse is wasted if it is merely hauled ashore on heavy salmon tackle and the likelihood of encountering fish of this class is high in summer. That, together with the sheer pleasure of casting with lightweight equipment, is the principal reason for using a single-handed rod. The only qualification which must be added to this formula is the addition of at least 100 yards of backing to the flyline.

The late Hugh Falkus once wrote that he did not consider it sporting to fish with a lighter leader than is necessary. He expresses the utmost contempt for the man who boasts that he has been "broken by a big fish". I agree entirely with those sentiments and can do little better than to recommend the excellent Platil tapered salmon leaders for summer sport. The grade which tapers to a 10 lb tip is adequate when using a light rod.

It has often been said that more rubbish has been written about salmon flies than about any other subject. This is probably correct but, when spending an evening with a glass of whisky and an old angling classic, what delightful rubbish it is to read. For that reason I would hesitate to suggest particular fly patterns for specific rivers. My own favourite is a sparsely dressed black stoat's tail with a fairly prominent silver rib and a touch of yellow squirrel tail added at the throat. Much more important than the dressing, however, is the weight in which the fly is fished.

Traditionally, low water flies have been dressed on single hooks but I am afraid that I have much greater confidence in the hooking power of doubles and trebles. Most of my summer salmon flies are dressed on Partridge low-water salmon doubles in size 10 while, if sea-trout are being specifically sought, I now use the innovative Bill Coe's longshank trebles in size 14. If the water is particularly low, it is worth coming down a size in each case.

Finally, do carry a landing net in summer. Like most anglers I am perfectly happy to hand-tail largish salmon but, despite what some writers have suggested, I prefer a net for sea-trout and grilse. It need not be over-large, a 24" frame being perfectly adequate. In the words of the ancient Hebridean toast, "May neither your net nor your throat ever be dry."

USEFUL CONTACTS

Most sporting hotels in Scotland will be able to arrange summer fishing for guests and, particularly in the west, village post offices often sell tickets for the local rivers. A number of books provide comprehensive lists of fishing to let but the following short selection of addresses may be useful to visiting anglers:

River Stinchar - R Dalrymple, Crailoch Farm, Ballantrae (Tel: 0146583 418)

River Doon - Skeldon Estate Office (Tel: 01292 56656)

River Orchy - Croggan Crafts, Dalmally (Tel: 018382 201)

River Torridon - Torridon Hotel (Tel: 0144587 242)

River Brora - Sutherland Estates, Golspie (Tel: 014083 3268)

River Alness - Patterson the Ironmonger, Alness (Tel: 01349882 286)

River Beauly - Lovat Estates (Tel: 01463 782205)

River Deveron - Forbes Arms Hotel, Rothiemay (Tel: 0146681 248)

River Spey - Grant Mortimer, High Street, Grantown (Tel: 01479 2684)

River Ythan - Eddie Forbes, Newburgh (Tel: 013586 297)

River Dee - Sonja Murdoch, Maryculter (Tel: 01224 732266)

River North Esk - Joseph Johnston & Sons, Montrose (Tel: 01674 72666)