We have launched a "Buy one get one free" on all our flies on-line
Please order on-line by stating "BOGOF" in the comments section and we will double up on all flies. We have added some new crackers recently .
All flies are subject to availability but we have good stocks of Icelandic, Norwegian, Russian and UK killers from tiny wee Hitch flies to massive Temple Dogs and Sunrays etc
You can also call the shop to order on 01431821372 from Monday Morning. The offer is open for one week only from now.
This is an amazing chance to get stocked up for that fishing trip you are looking forward to - the right fly might just make all the difference!!

Happy hunting, get stuck in!

We have around 55 fish off now. The highlights from the last two weeks would be 2 cracking 20lbs fish to the rod of Glen Macdonald and a spectacular 28 pounder from the Little rock pool on beat 6 for the lucky Mr Temple fishing Suisgill rods.

Locally Alistair Jappy took the 3rd fish from the Association water in the Flat pool, a sea-liced fish of 5.75lbs. With temperatures in the mid 40s fish are now up hitting Sunray Shadow tubes. These amazing flies tempt salmon when the usual killers are ignored, better get some in your flybox fast as they save the blank on many a day. With no rain forecast for the next week the river will drop so Sunrays and small tubes fished on floating lines will do the trick. The Association water usually produces a few fish in lower water so it will be well worth a cast. Permits are available from the Tackle Shop as usual.

We are extending this great tube fly offer below for another week...get your box ordered on-line right here  its as easy as that! http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=923  chose from 3 deadly hook options in our "Destination boxes" category - these flies are perfect for late spring or when the water level is up.

On the fishing front we have had a poor week. Adam Macdonald got out of the blocks early with a nice 7lbs fish from the little Rock on beat 6 Monday on a Temple Dog. After a decent start with 6 on Monday & Tuesday things slowed right down as the water disappeared. Low water conditions are ideal for the Association water and the first fish was duly caught there by local early bird William Jappy on Wednesday morning 7lbs, The fly was a 1" Willie Gunn and the Top stream was the hot spot. Achentoul rods had a good day with 2 on Friday ( 6 & 16lbs ) and Mia Macdonald got even with her other half by landing a second for Badanloch rods in Johns pool beat 1 on Saturday.

William Jappy displays the first fish off the Assocation water.

21/3/10

The week opened with almost 4ft on the gauge rendering the river almost un-fishable but conditions improved by Tuesday and fish were on the move. Andy Sutherland fishing the Torrish Rods had an early 10 pounder on the banks of Little Rock pool beat 6, an orange & black conehead Monkey did the trick. Another 3 fish were caught on Tuesday, Suisgill rods had 2 fish off beat 4 and one came off beat 2 for regular visitor Rik Marr fishing Kildonan rods.
Wednesday provided another 2 fresh fish and water temps were on the rise. Thursday and Friday offered one each day which increased the seasonal tally to 16. By close of play on Saturday the water temperature had risen to 44 degrees with a fresh North westerly wind (excellent fishing conditions you would think?) correct, Saturday was going to be a day to remember.
Torrish rods got off to a great start on beat 2 with a solid 14 pounder from the Private pool for Andy Sutherland on an Alistair tube, he improved his score soon after by landing a super 16 pounder from the Park pool on the same fly after loosing another fish minutes before. Corrie Cormack fishing the other Torrish rod then couldn’t believe his luck as he also hooked and landed a sea-liced 15 pounder from the Private pool. (All were safely returned).

Andy Sutherland returns a cracker from the park Pool

Bill Baxter landed a fish on beat 1 from the Viaduct pool fishing Badanloch rods and Borrobol Rods had one on beat 5. Just upstream on beat 6 things were disappointingly quiet for Suisgill rods until late in the day so William Jappy decided to take a hike above the falls of Kildonan to pass time in the Porters pool. With the water temp so high and the beat so quiet this was a sign that fish were beginning to ascend the falls and this was proved right when William landed an 8 pounder. Back below the falls to fish the best pools again and he landed another sea-liced fish in the Little Rock pool. A great day to be on the river if you were on the right beat and there are now 23 off after 15 this week.

The Helmsdale Tackle Co has a great fly offer on until the end of the month and you can purchase easily here on-line! 1 dozen Deadly Coneheads, Monkey, Mozzy & Temple Dog tubes at real discount prices and with a selection of doubles or trebles, please view this Special offer on http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=4 at the bottom of the page.
These tubes are perfect for late Spring, Summer & Autumn so stock up soon if you have a fishing trip planned. This superb offer runs until the end of March so get stuck in!

14/3/10

The last three weeks on the Helmsdale have produced the following scores - 2, 3, 2 a grand total of 7 springers for the season so far. William Jappy rounded off his week on Badanloch rods with an 8.5lbs fish from Salscraggie and I had the pleasure of hooking one in the Clay bank pool on beat 5 on Wednesday. The sea-liced fish weighed in at 8lbs and one of Helmsdale Co's new Flaming Temple Dog conehead tubes was the deadly fly! http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=872 The set up I now use is an absolute pleasure to fish also - Scott Mackenzie DTX 15ft, Carron Jetstream 65ft 10/11 head sinking Spey line. I have fished for many years with various tackle combo's and I have had much enjoyment watching my line shoot accross the river but fishing with the new DTX teamed up with either a Carron Jetstream or DTX Multi-tip line is amazing and takes fishing to a whole new level, casting technology at the very cutting edge and with a rod almost half the price of some of the more established brand names.

Nowadays with so few spring salmon around I get most of my pleasure on the river out of casting well and returning salmon – if I am lucky enough to land one!
Personally I would like to see ALL Helmsdale springers returned until we see an upturn in numbers again. If she aint swimming she aint spawning!!!

My first springer of 2010 below safely in the net ( New Lightweight Gye by Fastnet ).

Perfection - hooked in the scissors.

The deadly 1.25" Flaming Temple Dog tungsten conehead

The Clay Bank hot spot down at the overhanging bush.

Returning the fish to fight another day.

6/2/10

Another 3 fish were taken on the Helmsdale this week. Achentoul rods had the first on beat one with Welshman Andrew Thomas hooking a 7lbs fish in the Marrel pool. This was followed the next day by Kildonan rods with a 7.5lbs fish from Salscraggie for Don Mackay ( who had the first fish on the Thurso ). Andrew's mate Allan had another fish for Achentoul on beat 5 from the Bridge pool at 5.5lbs and that was it for the week.

Conditions were not great and we could have done with a little more water but as I write today we have a big thaw on and the river is up to 3ft. There are sure to be more fish off next week as the weather forecast is settled and the water will be perfect - watch this space! 5 off the river now.

Keep up to date with me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/Helsalmo

26/2/10

Alan stone landed the first fish on the Helmsdale today, a fresh run 8 pounder from the big Rock pool on beat 6. Alan was fishing his trusty old wetcel 2 line and a 2.5" black & yellow gold bodied tube with jungle cock from the south bank. Alan wins the Bridge Hotel trophy, a bottle of Clynelish and a selection of Tackle shop spring flies. The water temp was 35 degrees with lots of snow still on the ground.

21/2/10

Almost one month has passed since my last report - nothing has changed! The river Helmsdale is still deep in hibernation and now sitting at a bone chilling 34 degrees once again. From the last week in January we had a spell of reasonable conditions when the river was very fishable but with only kelts to show for it. There have been reports of 3 good fish lost and one or two spotted on their travels but as yet the Bridge Hotel trophy remains safely on the tackle shop counter for all to admire.

The river is very quiet for the time of year and this season has been no different from the last few years. Either there are no spring salmon around or their arrival is simply getting later just like the Helmsdale grilse run. Recently June has been a very good month for msw salmon and August has seen the main grilse run arrive in the first two weeks. All things being equal it would be fair to say that the early springers that the river was once renowned for are now arriving later like everything else.

This phenomenon is happening all over the UK and many rivers are now in the midst of fishing trials beyond their traditional closing day. Early results from these experimental fishings indicate that fresh salmon are indeed entering rivers later. Many river boards are seriously thinking about seasonal adjustment in an effort to maximise catch returns and provide better value.

On the Tackle Shop/web-site front it is business as usual as all the main Scottish rivers are now open and many anglers are out in search of that prized spring salmon. Weighted tubes are still the norm for the month up to at least 2" in size and fished off sink tip, intermediate or sinking line depending on where you are fishing. It is also good to carry a range of sinking poly-tips to make sure you can adapt quickly to any change in depth or water temperature etc - always be prepared.

Our big deal for the next few weeks is on the new Scott Mackenzie DTX salmon rods + DTX Multi-Tip lines + floating lines which will turnover any poly tips no problem. I had the luxury of spending 3 days on the river Dee testing the whole system where I used the DTX 15ft and a 10/11 Multi-tip system; these are a match made in heaven. The line is perfectly balanced to the rod and an obvious 6" black marker defines the head clearly from the ridge running line. Spey-casting from the bottom croy of the famous Mill pool on Lower Crathes I was able to shoot the full DTX line + running line and that doesn't happen with many other lines. I would rate the DTX rods in the same box as G-Loomis & Sage easily. One more point regarding the DTX line is the top quality running line, of all the Spey lines I have used the running line is the best at staying out of trouble regarding knots etc and this is a real bonus. The deal we are offering on these rods & lines is buy any rod & line combo and we will throw in a Scot Mackenzie or new Guideline Jan Erik Granbo casting DVD + 2 dozen deadly Helmsdale Co flies. The New Guideline DVD has just been released and is not on our web-site yet, both DVDs offer superb and detailed casting instruction from two of the best casting instructors you will ever see.

Tight lines.

24/1/10

No sign of any fish on the Helmsdale yet but very few rods are fishing unfortunately, the Association water is the only area getting covered well every day. Conditions have been rather high which might explain the lack of interest but things should settle down to a better height this week.

The Tackle shop have a big fly offer this week for one week on-line and in the shop - "Buy one get one free"  please follow this link to read our offer and see some of our latest new fly designs in stock http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16510 This is a great opportunity to stock up on flies for half price. The offer ends on monday 1st Feb at midnight. Happy Shopping!!

We also have a new category on the web-site homepage called NEW FLIES ETC... please check this page out to see our latest cracking new fly designs and products.

The New RS Golden Willie Gunn Feeler Copper tube (below) is an example of what new flies we have on offer

Another super new colour on one of our Dee Monkey Tubes - Chartreuse

17/1/10

SALE SALE SALE....Tackle shop sale this week! Please call ron at the shop on 01431821372 if you need any new kit for the new season. There are big deals on rods & lines especially for January only.

On the fishing front - This week has been a disappointment with lots of ice early in the week leading to lots of water later peaking at around 7-8ft yesterday. Things should settle down and get back to normal this week and there should be a great chance of that first salmon of the season. Now is your chance to stock up on copper/alumin/tungsten tubes + coneheads...just call and ask for a special fly deal. Check out the latest river flood pics on the salmon fishing forum - http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16158

11/1/10

The River Helmsdale opened with a thawing + 4 degrees on the thermometer (today Jan 11^th) but this was not enough to shift the 8” of ice which has built up daily in the river since December 18^th 2009.

After an assortment of up-beat tunes from the Sutherland Schools pipe band, river board manager Sir Michael Wigan welcomed all to the opening ceremony which drew a larger than expected crowd. He warned the few hardy anglers who had tackled up to take great care on the perilous ice and also thanked Clynelish distillery for providing some fine refreshment and a prize bottle for the captor of the first fish caught.

The longest serving ghillie on the Helmsdale River Alex Fraser (Badanloch estate) was then introduced and led down to the river for the traditional honorary first cast of the season, this he managed in fine style and officially opened the new salmon season.

Badanloch ghillie Alex Fraser launching the first cast across the Coach pool on the Association water with Sir Michael Wigan looking on.

 Unfortunately the eagerly anticipated Scott Mackenzie Demo day had to be cancelled earlier in the week due to the lack of casting space on the river. Scott who has won the World Spey casting championship on 3 occasions has recently launched his new range of superb DTX salmon rods and these were to be on show with instruction on the biggest pool on the lower Helmsdale but sadly it was not to be. The weather has frozen most pools solid for the time being apart from the tidal water! This event is to be re-scheduled hopefully at a later date.

Andy Sutherland searching for another first fish in the Association water on the Flat pool...he's on thin ice there!!

Conditions were tough to say the least with large banks of ice on both sides of most pools and a fair run of grue to pop up that copper tube mid-stream. However, to add some extra excitement to the proceedings a few new Spey casts had to be invented to deal with the extreme challenge on hand “ The Ice Flip Roll “ and “ The Ice Lay Drop T “ both became standard practice by the end of the day!

Andy slides his first kelt of the season up on the ice no problem in the Flat pool

The Highlights, only 3 kelts were miraculously landed from Lower Caen (Bt 1) and the Flat pool on the Association water by Andy Sutherland & Robert Flett.

Tomorrow is another day.

River temp 33 - Sea temp 40,5 - Air temp 41 midday. 

2/1/10

Please check out the latest pics from Helmsdale on the lead up to the opening day here - http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15785

28/12/09

The river Helmsdale will open very soon and Badanloch Ghillie Alex Fraser will have the honour of launching the traditional first cast of the season. The long range forecast looks to be very icy but with a slightly warmer blip on the cards a few days before opening day on Jan11th - lets hope this relaxes the ice and opens up the current icy river. A good supply of 1",1.5" & 2" copper and tungsten tubes will be most usefull with medium sinking lines. The other popular Scandi approach is to fish lighter aluminium & plastic tubes on faster sinking lines or shootingheads. Either way you will be presenting your fly close to the salmon who will be lying on or close to the riverbed. The anticipation of that first cast of the season is a magical moment and when you have the whole lower Helmsdale at your mercy it feels even better.  If there is the slightest chance you can get away for a day or two get yourself booked into the last few rooms at the Bridge Hotel for the big opening day buzz. Call Ron at the Helmsdale Tackle Shop for advice on availability tackle & flies.

We had a super sea-liced springer on opening day 2009 caught by Andy Sutherland on a 2" Alistair copper tube. Beat 1 Lower Caen was the hot spot - It can happen! hopefully it will happen again and lets prey for a great spring in 2010.

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THIS DEAL IS NOW CLOSED - Dont miss out on our superb Christmas fly deal for the best selling flies of the 2009 season. We are offering these cracking stocking fillers (below) at stupid prices only until December 20th.

Spring best sellers normally selling at £45 are for sale for on a special Christmas deal of £29 + P & P

Summer best sellers (below) normal price £35 are on a special Christnas deal for £20 + P & P

Please buy on-line or call the shop on 01431821372. We can also offer doubles instead of trebles for a little extra, call the shop to organise.

We have new great self catering accom for the 2010 fishing season in Helmsdale. Please see our Helmsdale Accom category on the homepage for details.

best wishes

Ron

02/11/09

I feel It is my duty to inform you when new items are added to our on-line store ( everyone likes an edge! ) - but it gives me great pleasure to announce the arrival of this special product - The long awaited two tone Carron Jetstream sinking line. The dark blue head length is a more user friendly 65ft blending into a high vis orange runningline and it shoots like a dream! please click on the link ASAP to purchase one of these superb new salmon lines...you won't be dissappointed.

http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=832

We also have a special deal Christmas fly offer running on the Salmon Fishing Forum - please click here to view http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14082

The Helmsdale river opens in 10 weeks

 Tight lines

 3/10/09

The Helmsdale is now closed for business once again. The last two weeks provided good sport for some but generally things started to fizzle out as expected. There was however still fresh run salmon entering the system right up until closing. Local water bailiff Malcolm Bromley had 2 fresh grilse on the last Monday & Tuesday from the Association water and William Jappy had another fresh fish amongst 3 up to 15lbs from beat one below on the last day. Ghillie Donald Sutherland had a sporty late surge on Suisgill rods with 15 fish for the last 3 days on beats 5, 4 & 3.

Water temperatures are now dropping fast and rods fishing for hatchery brood-stock should have a fair chance of good returns as fish should be turning on the aggressive side for spawning.

Overall the season has been disappointing just like last year and it’s the same story in rivers all over the UK . There have been high points and low points and if you were lucky enough to have good timing then you saw the high points! But they were few and far between. We had lots of small underweight grilse but some fine springers.

As for next season? Well let’s hope there will be a marked improvement. Unfortunately until the Scottish Executive realise the priceless value of fresh salmon in abundance in our rivers and that they need free passage at sea and do something about it, then I fear salmon stocks will keep declining no matter how well we manage our rivers.

Opening day is next! And there will be many rods out for the opening 3 days for sure after our big start this season – it would be advisable to book accom ASAP if you are thinking of fishing at the 2010 opening. The Helmsdale river is closed but the Tweed is getting into full swing and many Scottish rivers are open for a few more weeks. We have lots of great copper/tungsten & aluminium tubes for sunk line fishing this backend. Junction Shrimp, Pot Bellied Pigs, Park Shrimp, Ally’s Tungstens, Willie Gunns, Orange Monkey etc will all do great in the coloured cold autumn water so load up and get stuck in! Or perhaps a new shooting head will help propel your flies way across the river much further than before and with ease - That should help hook a few extra fish! Please call me at the shop for any angling advice required, its all part of the service. 01431821372 

Keep an eye on this report for all the latest on our up coming Christmas offers and for all the build up to our 2010 opening.

14/9/09

The Helmsdale is still producing good numbers of fish but few are fresh run now.

A super 25 pounder was hooked and returned on the loch along with another 3 for Badanloch rods on Thursday. Most rods did fairly well with scores in the teens. On a brief encounter with beat 2, I had the pleasure of a few hours and landed 3 on a mixture of Green boar shrimp and Tsunami. The latter fly providing lots of aggressive offers and follows. The pic below shows what happens when a super aggressive 20lbs + fish launches itself at the skating Tsunami and only hits one hook! The Rubbish heap on beat 2 above was the pool and the Willie Gunn Tsunami was skating beautifully at long range right into the draw and bang, a textbook smash on the surface and the brute took off upstream jumping 3 times before throwing the hook – the result is what you see below! A Totally straightened kamasan treble hook!! At this time of the year it very often pays to fish something a little different to the normal orange/black & yellow colours. My few hours on the river proved the point and the Tsunami was an absolute star performer. Fish it like the Sunray shadow and watch it make a bigger wake with less effort – and look out for that big wake on the attack from behind! get some in your box if you want an edge..they really do work well if fished properly! The one below is the 6cm tube http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=618 

After my experience, if you want to maximise your chances of landing a big fish I would recommend using stronger hooks like a Guideline/Salar tube double or treble or a Loop double. http://www.helmsdalecompany.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=14

 The Willie Gunn Tsunami designed by Ron Sutherland showing a not so strong hook!

This week’s prospects are not great as water levels and weather conditions have settled down under a lingering high pressure. There are only 2 weeks of the season to go now so if you still want a cast on the Helmsdale, drop into the tackle shop for a day ticket as there is still a good chance of hooking a fresh fish on the lower river town water.

The Helmsdale may soon be closing but the river Tweed etc are only getting into gear for a big autumn run hopefully. Stock up on Junction shrimp tubes and coneheads if you are lucky enough to have any fishing booked there.

30/8/09

Two cracking weeks on the Helmsdale have given summer numbers a welcome boost. Good water levels have had salmon interested all through the system and quite a few are still fresh run. The Association water is also still scoring steadily and has been providing around a dozen or so per week. Friday saw lots of rainfall and the river was in full spate on Saturday. The river settled by the morning and 6 salmon were accounted for locally, the upper beats also scored well with lots of salmon on the move.

The week ahead should be another good week with great water levels holding up. The Association water will be in grand order with a few late fresh fish moving through and tickets are readily available from the Tackle shop.

Bigger flies are doing the damage in the coloured water so coneheads and copper tubes will be perfect for the week ahead.

16/8/09

A reasonable week on the Helmsdale last week boosted hopes of an extended summer run. The upper river saw some good sport however not the high percentage of fish caught were fresh run and most that were showed signs of starvation. This recent phenomenon affecting grilse especially is common all over the UK and is a worrying trend that needs to be investigated in great detail.

With visitor numbers dropping off the Association water struggled to catch more than 10 salmon last week but a few better quality salmon were landed. We have good water levels as of today (Sunday) after some heavy rain. Prospects for the week ahead are good and anglers should expect to hook up with some better quality fresh fish. Day ticket availability is good for the Helmsdale Association water at the moment so it is well worth a chuck!

The Helmsdale Highland Games open salmon distance casting championship yesterday was won by Helmsdale head water bailiff Peter Quail with a cracking cast of 144ft. The competition rod used was the new DTX 15ft from Scott Mackenzie teamed with a Carron Jetstream 105ft Competition line.

Alistair Jappy lifted first prize for trout distance with 97ft and visitor John Sweetman was best sharp-shooter in the trout accuracy scoring 18 hoops in 2mins.

Don’t forget to stock up on flies if you still have fishing lined up (lots of fishing still to be had!); we are now well on in the season and fast approaching autumn. Cooling waters will start to herald a move towards more sub-surface fly presentation so pop a few coneheads, copper & tungsten tubes into your armoury for best results.

9/8/09

40 fish have been recorded on the Association water over the last two weeks and many more lost. Catches are not near what we are used to and sport has been far from consistent but fish are here and hopefully the coming week will bring the biggest run of the summer. Figures could be higher but visitor numbers have been brought back into control now with just 4 open daily tickets available ( 9am – 12pm ) and 8 x 24hr tickets for visiting anglers staying in Helmsdale accom, this has been welcomed as a fair system and is working well.

The upper river has also reported disappointing sport on the whole apart from the odd big day when conditions have been perfect. The size of most grilse caught has also been poor and many are in the 2 – 3lbs class. The last few seasons have peaked in the first two weeks of August, let’s hope next week is the big one and fish improve in size. As usual you can stock up on here for all your flies. Fish with two flies if you want to maximise your chances of a hook up and get that dropper dibbling in classic Helmsdale style. The deadliest flies on the Helmsdale right now are Alistairs and baby Temple Dog tubes.

The Helmsdale & District Angling Club have had a meeting recently and many interesting topics were discussed with the most popular being the 10% discount at the Tackle Shop for members. The Tackle Shop has also started a fish of the month competition in association with the Northern Times weekly Rag. The comp is open to all who read the paper in Ross-Shire, Sutherland & Caithness. The biggest or best catch can be rod caught in fresh or salt water. For full details please refer to the entry form in the paper. The monthly winner will receive a £100 tackle voucher. I will display the winning fish each month on this report. The Helmsdale Highland games will be here again this weekend (August 15^th) 3 times World Spey casting champion Scott Mackenzie has introduced his new DTX salmon rods to the market and the Games Open Salmon Distance casting competition will be using the 15ft model, I will also have his other rod sizes on show + Scott’s new lines which match the rods perfectly. Please pop along to the casting arena as there are Trout distance & accuracy comps too. The event begins at 12 noon and will run until around 4.30.

26/7/09

Its crunch time on the Helmsdale once again as we are expecting the main grilse run to arrive in the next fortnight. Recent weeks have been poor in general for July with another low dry spell but this is a sign of the times and to be more expected now. This week the river has suffered badly with high unsettled water conditions but in the past week around 75 fish have been recorded in total. The Association water produced the best quality fish and all (14) were fresh run grilse with an occasional 8lbs salmon. The upper river saw few fresh runners however pods of grilse were encountered amongst the persistent but welcome spate water. Most of the fish caught & returned were stale salmon.

Grilse numbers are definitely on the rise now. Hopefully the next month on the river should provide excellent sport.Don’t forget to kit up with the correct tackle here on-line. Give yourself the best chance of a hook up by having a good supply of the right flies for water conditions. All our salmon lines are on offer for the next fortnight so now is the time to get a slick new floating line on the reel to shoot those deadly new flies. The more fish you cover - the more action you will have! We have lots of Spey, double taper & shooting heads in store so call for advice on your best option.

Tight lines.

12/7/09

Its been a tough few weeks on the Helmsdale due to a spell of low water and very high water temperatures hence the lack of news on this report. The spring run has long dwindled out and the summer run has yet to materialise. Sea-trout fishing is producing most sport at the moment supplemented with the odd fresh grilse & salmon. The next few weeks should see an increase in fish arriving – apparently there are encouraging numbers milling around on the North coast waiting for rain.

Recent seasons have seen the main summer run peak in early August so get shopping for grilse flies right here right now as the action is about to start again!

We have introduced many new flies on-line in the last few weeks so have a good look through the site to pick your favourite killer flies. This is the time when Baby Temple Dog plastic tubes really start to score heavily so make sure you get some in your box fast! Silver stoat’s tails, Alistairs, Cascades, Park Shrimps, Pot Bellies Pigs & Coneheads are also big proven summer killers. Also don’t forget just how well the Jeannie, Thunder & lightening, Munro killer & Hairy Mary used to perform in summer, we have them all.

Remember,the most successful anglers can adapt to conditions quickly and always have a range of fly/tube sizes to cover all water heights and clarity.

Tight lines.

20/6/08

Things have slowed down slightly on the salmon front on the Helmsdale at least. The last two weeks have fished quite well and good numbers are still running however fluctuating water levels have made scoring a hit or miss depending on which beat you fish. Two grilse have been reported but generally excellent salmon of between 7 – 16lbs have been the norm.

The Association water has struggled slightly as fish are flying through the lower river but a couple have been picked up by locals, we are now on 25 fish for the season, Tommy Bird & Alexander Cowie catching the latest both at 9lbs.

The sea-trout have arrived in good numbers and I had one of my best sessions on Saturday night before the bells at midnight rudely stopped the bonanza! I had 7 super sea-trout up to 3lbs from 10,30pm – midnight mainly on a silver stoat double size 14. Last week provided another 25 for the week but rising water levels spoiled the fun midweek and the trout are sprinting up the system now.

Heavy rain on Wednesday last week offered long awaited fresh water to most highland rivers and after an e-mail from the Sutherland estate office informing me of available fishing on our neighboring river Brora I was on close alert to the water levels over there. A quick decision was made and I was on the lower Brora by 4am next morning with brother Andy. To cut a long story short we had 6 fish between us and it was one of the most enjoyable few hours fishing I have ever spent on a river, smallest 9lbs biggest 14. All my fish came to a Willie Dog conehead set up with a new Guideline tube double. One fish came out of the Ford, 2 from lower Fannich and one out of lower Madman. Andy had fish from the Lower Stoney and Corner pool.

The Guideline doubles are superb new hooks and the best I have seen for sharpness and style…they are going to be massive!!! Check them out on this site.

Here is the deadly fly below with Guideline double inset, I keep going back to this fly in slightly coloured water and it never fails to produce the goods – you really need some of these in your box!! It is my original and most killer design to date and I highly recommend it to anyone fishing any river for Atlantic salmon. This fly has proven beyond doubt that it works extremely well all season in all sizes.  

7/6/09

Following the spate last reported here we had some excellent fishing and the best week of the season so far. Good sport was had right through the system and 70 fish were reported from the week beginning May 18^th. Since then another two good weeks fishing has ensued and perked up hopes of a revival. The poor figures in March & April were a disappointment but May is way ahead on last year’s weather & performance with what would seem a good consistent run of fish. Last weeks fishing was also fairly steady and one or two grilse were caught and lost.

Sea-trout should be arriving soon in decent numbers hopefully, Alexander Cowie had one last week but few have been seen as yet.

On the salmon scene locally we are up to 20 off now, the latest being landed yesterday ( Saturday ) after a fresh rise in levels. Alistair Jappy had a great morning with a fine brace up to 11lbs and Archie Miller rounded off the weeks fishing by catching a 10 pounder from Roaries pool late in the evening. Salmon are running daily now so chances are good on this water.We have a few more great new flies on-line and the deadly Park Shrimp double would be the most recent along with more sea-trout flies – get stocked up for a busy summer season!

We also have the very latest now rod from Loop on offer with a free Quattro tip multi-tip line. The Loop Opti Power Spey has a unique new adjustable reel seat which you can alter to find the best balance for the rod & line….click on the link and see it in action. At over £500 it is not cheap but at half the price of the best Hardy rod it is an absolute steal! Awesome power/balance and lightness that you will cast out of sight with.

http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10159

Please call me direct at the shop on 01431821372 if you need any assistance or advice before buying any tackle or flies, we are happy to help and it is all part of the service to get you on the water with the correct outfit.

16/5/09

The Helmsdale has semi-bounced into action in the last couple of weeks. The week beginning Monday 4^th May finally gave up a respectable 50 fish. A small rise of only 3ins in the river and good fishing conditions stimulated some action all through the system. The Association water also provided sport and 3 were landed, 2 by P Macmillan and one for Alistair Jappy - all in all a good week and the best this season.

This week was never going to top the previous as bright sunshine and easterly winds were persistent. However fish were caught early and late but only one more was recorded on the Association water by Hector Mackay.

Today Saturday 16^th we have a 3ft spate rushing down the glen so the lucky rods fishing next week are in for some excellent sport one would think, lets hope there are lots of fish in the sea to come in.

Latest news…2 off the Association water this morning ( Mon 18^th ) before breakfast – William Jappy and Ron Sutherland had nice fish on gold Ally & Willie Gunn TD coneheads. The river level is around 10ins this morning and perfect, this water will be well worth a cast this week, call the shop for bookings on 01431821372…we have lots of cracking coneheads on-line so fill your boxes!

6/5/09

Just back from the Trout & Salmon Tweed Angling fair in Kelso at the weekend and its all doom and gloom on the salmon fishing front - all over Scotland . I was staying in the Ednam House Hotel looking over the famous Junction pool on the Tweed and I have yet to see a salmon jump! Many ghillies were milling around the show on Sunday from far and wide and the word was unanimous – the spring run is over and it never really started!

It also looks like the ASFBs ( Association of Salmon Fishery Boards ) in Scotland are about to cry a national call for 100% catch & release for the next 2 months to try and protect what’s left of this years worrying and feeble spring run – please read the attached article link http://www.fishandfly.com/articles/20090501 People may say it won’t make much difference to stocks as the problem is all at sea – well nobody has found out yet what is happening at sea and until they do I think we as anglers need to do our bit for each individual river, “every little helps” as they say!

On a more positive note it was great to meet and discuss all the latest tackle & fly-tying trends with the biggest and most clued up names in Atlantic salmon fishing, Mikael Frodin, Scott Mackenzie & Gordon Sim the list could go on for a long time! A big turnout saw superb fly-casting exhibitions, fascinating fly-tying demos and stands full of all the latest tackle on the market. A superb presentation by the Atlantic salmon reserve also lifted the event on Saturday night by raising funds for the Tweedstart kids angling programme in the Ednam hotel.

We also launched our unique and exciting new Sunray Tsunami tube fly which went down a storm – fistfuls are on their way all over the northern hemisphere with team Guideline & Loop etc and I look forward to the explosive feedback. This cracking new fly invented by yours truly will be for sale for the first time on-line this week; you need one in your flybox along side your Sunray Shadow. I’ll let you into a little secret – the Tsunami has been field tested from the Kola Peninsula to the Helmsdale on loch and river recently and results have been phenomenal.

Onto the fishing on the Helmsdale – The Association water continues to fish fairly well due to the low water conditions and local William Jappy had a super double last week with 2 cracking fresh fish up to 12 lbs within an hour, Tommy Bird also grassed his first, a nice 8 pounder today on one of his new home made Alasdair tubes. The total is now 9 for this water and it is well worth a cast for visitors. The upper river is steadily giving fish but not anywhere near the seasonal average.

One final thought to ponder – course fishing throughout the UK is extremely popular and sustainable and generates millions of pounds worth of income for the economy in many ways – all fish are returned.

Tight lines

26/4/09

Fishing conditions on the Helmsdale this week have been reasonable despite the Summer water levels but numbers of salmon seen and caught have been poor. Once again the spring salmon run has really not materialised and this is not just the case for the Helmsdale, it is the same worrying statistic all round Scotland .

However the Association water provided sport for Alexander Cowie and Alasdair Jappy who had a couple of fine fish up to 11lbs. One fish caught on the Sunray Shadow again and one on a small cotton bud tube.

Prospects for the week ahead are not looking too great as most of the rain forecast is for the South. Small flies will be the order of the day again unless you set up with the Sunray Shadow.

I will be at the Trout & Salmon Tweed Angling Fair in Kelso on Saturday & Sunday this week so if you are in the area why not pop over for a chat. I will be in the Atlantic Salmon Reserve tent with the team tying salmon flies (or at the casting competition!!) I will also have lots of flies on display and for sale – The new Sunray Tsunami is getting its official launch and that is a fly well worth seeing.

By the way, The ASR still have a few amazing slots available for salmon fishing on the Kharlovka/Litza/Rynda rivers in Russia . The full team will be on hand to discuss all the last minute deals and there will be refreshments and a superb slide show of the incredible salmon fishing on offer.

Hope to see you there.

20/4/09

It’s been another dour week on the Helmsdale but weather conditions were partially to blame. An easterly airflow and high pressure offered poor bright and dry fishing conditions all week. However the water temperature did rise sufficiently to coax fish up and over the falls. The first fish was taken on Saturday by Kildonan rods on beat 2 above in the Suisgill pool. Another 2 were to follow today on 2 and 3 above so most of the fishing will be focussed on the upper beats from now on. The Association water provided another fish - William Jappy had a nice 12 pounder from the Horseback pool on that deadly Sunray Shadow again! Prospects look good for rain by the end of the week so hopefully this may raise water levels again and coax in a few fresh fish. The Association water should be well worth a cast again and you can get your day tickets from the Tackle Shop. Members of the Helmsdale Angling club have 4 rods on the Lower Brora next week. Last year we had a super week of sport with 22 salmon up to 14lbs, let’s pray the rain comes!

12/4/09

After a long slow spring the fishing seems to be showing signs of improvement recently. Last week saw the first two fish off the Association water on the Helmsdale. Chris Cook didn’t take long to grass the first one (9.5lbs) in the Style pool after picking up his day ticket only 10 minutes before. The fly used was the Alistair which seems to have a habit of catching firsts! Andy Sutherland added to the total on Friday in the Flat pool landing an 8lbs fish on a black & orange Sunray Shadow.

Tickets are available for £26 per rod per day for this cracking fly water at the Tackle Shop.

The upper river was mediocre by all accounts and no fish have been caught above the falls of Kildonan yet. With water temps hitting the mid 40s it must only be a matter of time before one is found above.

I would get your supplies of Sunray Shadows ordered ASAP as the water temps keep rising, This fly keeps on producing explosive action when all else fails. Remember to fish it pretty fast and square on the surface for best results.

A delighted Chris Cook with the first fish from the Helmsdale Association water

22/3/09

Water temperatures were up as high as 45 degrees on the river Helmsdale last week and 18 salmon were recorded. Sink tips and intermediate lines were the popular choice with a range of fly density.

Make sure you are fully equipped for your fishing trip by having a range of sinking poly-tips and fly sizes available which can be attached easily to your floating line. The weather can be very changeable in the coming weeks and the angler who adapts to conditions best will catch most fish. Personally I wouldn’t fish anywhere without a choice of tungsten, copper, aluminium & conehead tube flies. Sinking tips in fast and slow sinking options between 5 & 15ft should cover most eventualities.

Be prepared and get an edge…tight lines.

15/3/09

Yours truly (Ron) returning a solid 14 pounder last week from Upper Torrish on beat 3 ( full report below )

As predicted the weekly total on the Helmsdale increased again last week from the previous. The river rose constantly on Monday by 13ins so the day was basically washed out apart from an early Achentoul fish from beat 4. Tom Plumbly lured an 8lbs fish from beat 1 on Tuesday, Graham Robertson had a 6 pounder from the Craggie stream on 5 and Tackle shop owner Ron Sutherland returned a gleaming 14 pounder from Upper Torrish on beat 3. On Friday 2 fish were reported, a cracking 16 pounder returned by ghillie Donald Sutherland on beat 1 and George Sutherland returned an 8 pounder in the Vale of tears on beat 6. Suisgil rods had another from the Little Rock pool on beat 6 on Saturday bringing the weekly total to 7 – 17 for the season so far.

All things considered the fishing was not too bad as rods were practically blown off the river on Thursday & Saturday. Most of the fish were returned which is very pleasing and hopefully this will help boost future spring stocks.

Water levels are excellent and running at approx 1ft so the week ahead should produce around 8 – 12 fish if conditions are favourable.

Borrobol ghillie Glen Macdonald with Mike sheply returning a nice 7.5 pounder in the Whinnie (beat 5) 10 days ago.

8/3/09

Ben Jukes signed off last Saturday by returning a super 18 pounder on beat 6 in the Little Rock and this brought our tally to 5 for the week.

With good water, reasonable weather conditions and all ghillies back on parade we were expecting an increase in numbers for the week beginning March 2^nd. However results did not pan out that way. Kildonan rods got off to a good start with a fish on Monday, Ross Mackay landing a sea-liced fish in Upper Caen on beat 1 and Tuesday with Don Mackay returning a good fish over 12lbs in the Flat pool on beat 6. This would indicate that some fish are already over the Kildonan falls.

Suisgill rods had a fish from beat 5, Andrew Thomas (Achentoul rods) christened his new Loop rod with a 10 pounder from the tail of the Marrel on (bt 1) and Mike Sheply fishing Borrobol rods had a 7.5lbs fish from the Whinnie on beat 5. That was it for the week and we are now on 10 for the season.

I would expect 10 springers to be caught by the end of February a few years ago but this seems to be another sign that the salmon seasons seem to be running later now and we simply have to get used to it.

I will be on the river this week fishing the Torrish rods, I am not making any predictions, but water levels should be good all week and I would expect more than 5 salmon to be reported.

On the Helmsdale Co front we have another Forum fly deal up for grabs – please check it out on http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8124

This is a great opportunity to purchase a deadly set of cracking coneheads at a special knockdown price. Coneheads are very popular and the set we have on offer ( for one week only ) will fish all season for atlantic salmon anywhere…I would advise you to snap up a set as they are not nearly this cheap normally!

Tight lines

 1/3/09

At last the river Helmsdale has woken up. After a big thaw and spell of high water last week a few fish have appeared in the river. Things got moving on Monday when Lance Hacker landed the first Achentoul fish - a nice fresh 7lbs fish on Baddy Wood ( bt 4). Thursday saw Alan Stone fishing Borrobol rods land their first, a fine 10 pounder from Pilkingtons Point on beat 5 then the same fellow returned a super 18lbs fish from Lower Torrish on beat 3 on Saturday aided by Johnny Hardy. Johnny commented that he had not seen so many sea-lice on a fish in years.

With 3 springers off this week, predictions should be good for next – lets all keep our fingers crossed. We are now on 4 for the season.

Other Highland rivers are giving a fish or two now also, the Naver had 5 last week, Thurso 1 and Brora 1

All rods will be fished hard this week on the Helmsdale - Paul Young will be here, Andrew Thomas & Local Robert Mackay will also be on the water, if there is a fish about these guys will find them! Let’s hope it is the start of a good spring run and all rods score.

Don’t forget to stock up with flies from our site if you have a fishing trip organised and please place your order in good time.

Once again we have added new patterns so take time to surf through what is on offer.

I will be at the massive Tweed Angling Fair in Kelso again this year ( May 2nd + 3rd ) in the Atlantic Salmon Reserve tent tying Russian killers for the Kharlovka, Litza etc Please pop along and say hello and check out the fabulous fishing and flies on offer. We will have lots of flies for sale, tips on fly-tying and information/films on screen about salmon fishing specialising in Russia.  

Oh….and you can bet I’ll be tying loads of those deadly new Monkey tubes which seem to be catching fish all over the place recently ( pic below ). I had three of my 4 springers on the Dee last week on my version pictured below - 1" Tungstem body with 6.5" hairwing...AWESOME!

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23/2/09

The river Helmsdale is still dead at this time...please click on the link to see what the Helmsdale lads are doing in the meantime http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7837