Dave Stewart got things off to a start on Monday when he landed a 5lb grilse on a minnow at the Little Isle.

On Tuesday, Steven Graham caught his first ever salmon, a 6lb specimen on fly at the Trenches and very sportingly returned it. A big well done to him.

Wednesday saw Neil Urquhart take a fine 15lb fish from the MacIntyre on a minnow, and on Friday Louis Lisle got off the mark with a 4lb grilse from the Mill Stream.

Two fish were taken on Saturday with Brian “LaLa” Findlay taking a 4lb grilse from the Mill and Willie Clark catching one of the same size and at the same pool which he returned.

Fish of the week, and possibly fish of the season, goes to Dave Kirkham, fishing from Aldourie on Loch Ness who caught a monster 37lb salmon while trolling a Kynoch Killer on the loch.

Dave hooked the fish, which was slightly coloured, at about mid-day and eventually got it into the boat after a mammoth tussle at 4.20pm, and it took the help of two fellow anglers to hold the scales while the brute was weighed.

Elsewhere on the loch the catches were more run of the mill, with Bob Matheson taking one grilse of 4lb, as did Angus MacGruer when fishing with his sister Elaine.

Sandy Gray had one of 3lb and Sandy Steel and Angus MacGruer went one pound heavier. Dave Stewart and Neil Porter had a 5lb grilse, and on the River Oich Bill Maddison had a grilse of 4lb.

Another fish in the “thumper” class was taken at the tailrace of the River Loch earlier this month when Paul McHugh landed a clean run fish which was estimated at 36lb plus.

Paul was fishing a home made tube fly with a 12lb Maxima cast when he caught the fish.

Paul, an experienced fisher who last year caught a 27lb fish which this one “dwarfed”, had a one-hour tussle before successfully landing it.

It was witnessed and given an estimated weight by Paul and other anglers, including John Gibb, the head bailiff and hatchery manager.

The fish was returned unharmed and apparently none the worse for the experience.

On Dochfour, four fish were taken with Neil Cameron and Derek MacKenzie accounting for two grilse on Wednesday, weighing 3.5lb and 4lb respectively from the Burn Mouth on a Pot Bellied Pig and Yellow Ally’s flies.

Dave Kirkham with the impressive 37lb salmon he caught on Loch Ness.

On Saturday, John Purnell doubled the tally when he took two fish of 8lb and 6lb from the Weir on a PBP.

Both Ness-side and Ness Castle had blanks, which for them at this time of year is most unusual.

On the Laggan stretch, however, two fish were taken with Iain “Flukie” MacLennan landing a 10lb specimen last week, and Graham MacKenzie one of 8lb the previous week on a Cascade.

The River Nairn had healthy water levels all week and as a result the catches were good with some quite nice salmon caught.

Jimmy Mackenzie had a 4lb grilse from Hanger, and Dougie Macarthur a similar sized grilse from the same pool.

Chris Cook had his week’s limit of six fish, all over 10lb and all on fly, retaining one and returning the rest.

Sandy Wallace had a 10lb fish from Rosefield, Gordie Milne caught a 5lb sea trout at Kildrummie, Michael Hannah landed a 12lb salmon from Gate, David Wilson a 4lb grilse from Hut, Alex Robertson a 3lb grilse from Spindrift and Charlie Black had a 4lb grilse from Gate.

Gordon Rennie had two fish which he returned, and was also broken twice on fly by large salmon at Castle.

Charlie Walker had a 4lb grilse from Sluice, Sandy Ord had a salmon of 16lb from Granites, Kevan Mackay had a fine 14lb fish from Howford, Adrian Ormerod had two from Rosefield and, to round the week off, James Fraser (snr) had a 4lb grilse from Hut.

The Alness River is enjoying some fine sport with quite a few fish taken, including several good sized fish for that river of around the 9lb mark.

Martin Jarvis caught a salmon of 9.5lb on an Ally’s Shrimp from Beat One, and Gordie Sutherland had one of 9lb from the Falls Pool.

Gordon Hinds had a hold of four fish, losing three, before landing one which tipped the scales at just over 9lb.

Mark Ogilvie had a fish of 9lb on his own Kinkeltie Killer fly and John Longbotham was in the action yet again with a fish of 8.5lb.

Young Zak Keil (11), caught his first salmon on Beat 1, which weighed 5lb, and also a had nice sea trout of 1.5lb the same day. LAF

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