Fishing A Highland Stream

[Wildfisher]

John Inglis Hall book about the Truim. First time I  read it I was not overly impressed, but having read it again it has made me want to go and fish the Truim. I?ll do so next season.

It?s noticeable how attitudes have changed since the 1950s and 60s. Back then if a fish was a ?keeper? it was chapped. In the book there is an account of an afternoon on Loch Cuaich where he caught a few fish, among them a 3 and a 5 pounder. Both were chapped to be shown off in the hotel bar later.

It seemed really important to kill back then, perhaps were are lucky to have digital cameras to satisfy our  more base hunter gatherer instincts, although no doubt some would still kill two fish like that in one afternoon.

[Malcolm]

I think attitudes have changed quite rapidly. Fifteen years ago almost everything was chapped - I was as guilty as anyone. Each year the freezer would be half full of salmon, trout and sea trout which were eaten or handed out to people. Now most go back - picture or not.

This year however we had a big run of salmon on the Lomond system in May most of which were chapped. One lad said to me: "I wanted to put this fish back but there was no one around to see it"... 

[Wildfisher]

I think attitudes have changed quite rapidly.

For sure. Like you, in the old days,  chapping was just what I did, same as most others.

[haresear]

Re the Truim. It's a river I want to fish too. Let's go for it.

Chapping fish... I have a photo of 22 trout I killed in a day on the Clyde. Mid 70s. The smallest was over 1lb and the biggest was about 2lb 4oz. There were some grayling too and some quite big dace, all dead. :shock:

Maybe it is looking back at the likes of these photos that has converted me to C&R - guilty conscience?

Strangely enough I had a coarse fishing background and put pretty much everything back, except trout and salmon. I have no idea why I made a distinction, because I don't particularly like eating trout or salmon???
:?

Alex

[Wildfisher]

Re the Truim. It's a river I want to fish too. Let's go for it.

Only problem is that it follows the A9 pretty closely, so it won't  be terribly peaceful.

[Wildfisher]

An important way-point for me  was in the mid 1970s.  Fishing the upper North Esk on a Sunday, on a Dod  permit. Got a nice fish about 1 ?lb   or so and returned it because it was too beautiful to kill. I was not 100% C+R after that of course, but it was the day I started looking  at  brown trout in a slightly different way.

[Part-time]

Only problem is that it follows the A9 pretty closely, so it won't  be terribly peaceful.

I have not fished it but walked the stretch upstram from the Invernavon caravan park south of Newtonmore just of the A9. It was quite peaceful; river heads away from the A9 and you're screened by trees from the road and the railway.

[Wildfisher]

It was quite peaceful; river heads away from the A9 and you're screened by trees from the road and the railway.

That's good news PT. I'll head over there next May  and shack up at the camp site.

I feel a stravaig coming on...............

[Wildfisher]

Allan Liddle did a short  article on this river for the old version of Fish Wild.

It's still there.

http://www.fish-wild.co.uk/old/index.php?setissue=11&database=1&getpage=features&pid=63

Notice he does not give any permit info. though. Dod permits are no good there either;  I'm told they'll earn  you a red card quicker than a Hearts player.

[Wildfisher]

Sadly Sandy Bennett died this year. However, I think an estate keeper sells day tickets for around ?5.