Best sport in the world Gareth :-) I love the back end fishing as there is nothing better than being out there right at the end of the season but last year I had a 32 inch sea liced Lewis Springer on the same rod, that was a whole lot of fun as well!
Wind is your friend out there - it keeps the midges away! Interesting to see a single-hander being used, which I'm told is traditional on the west coast. I use one in British Columbia (Canada's west coast), which is where I go for my salmon fishing, and it's traditional there too, although an increasing number of two-handers are appearing. Enjoyed your video very much thanks - I've only caught trout in the Western Isles!
Thank you for your comment David, you are right in that the wind keeps the midges down but it is also the case that on this particular river it only really fishes well with a decent wind on it. I was fishing it when it was very high indeed but at summer levels it runs pretty flat and canal like so a good wave on the surface is as important as a wave when loch fishing. On the plus side this means that if you have wind it is possible to catch salmon in all but the very lowest water levels which is great, you aren't dependent on water height as on many of the smaller rivers across Scotland. You should make the effort to come back for a mixed week (a fortnight or month is even better!) of trout, salmon, and sea trout as on Lewis you can have the whole lot, even in the one day if you choose. Really your fishing is only limited by how far you can walk, and how long you can fish without needing to sleep :-)
@@caorach3354 That's a whole lot of useful information - thanks for taking the time to share it with me. I tend to 'do' the Highlands and Islands in May. Would you say that's a good time for the fishing you're describing?
@@davids9549 May is said to be the best month on Lewis for brown trout, though to be honest I much prefer September, but if you get decent weather in May then the brown trout should fish well. However, May is basically too early for salmon or sea trout as, speaking very generally, our run of fish come in July. There is one fishery, the Fideach club, that have estuary fishing for sea trout and they get some sea trout in May but it isn't a lot - it might make a nice day out but being honest the chances of success would be very low indeed. Lewis doesn't really have a spring salmon run, I think there were 3 caught last season, and they are mostly caught by people living close to the rivers who nip out for half an hour most evenings and run the fly quickly through a few of the most likely places. I love fishing right at the back end of the season as that just has some sort of strange appeal for me, and you can see that the fish in this video is very coloured indeed, but if you were thinking of Lewis as a destination then I would usually suggest not coming before the last two weeks in July if salmon and sea trout are on your menu. The Hebrides have an "Angling Promotion Officer" called Donnie Maciver who is an excellent angler and knows all the waters on the island well, he's fished them since he was a kid, so it is well worth dropping him an email and asking for advice as he may give a different perspective to me and it is well worth getting a second opinion. Donnie's email is donnie@ohft.org.uk and part of his job is to help visitors get fishing so he is knowledgeable and extremely helpful. You can tell Donnie you were watching my videos as he has seen many of them himself as I would sometimes drop in with him to get suggestions for a fishing spot myself so once he knows you've seen the videos he will have some idea of what you've been watching and what might take your fancy.
Thank you Linda, I'm glad you are enjoying them. We are very lucky with the places we get to fish on Lewis and many are remote though on a day like the one in the video you don't always appreciate the wind across the countryside :-)
Gwynedd = nice scenery yes but no Salmon! I heard of one getting caught in the Glaslyn by a very efficient fisher I know well but it would have had to be put back! The UK rule as I heard it was all Salmon must be returned. There are sea trout there and I wonder if the shoal of fish filmed are indeed Sea Trout not salmon?
@@robertjones-yo4ql I used to fish the Llyfni and loved it. A farmer I know was same as me we buy tatws from him.... he said last year I loved fishing the river but your wasting your time now there's nowt in it! things must have changed this year but the virus stopped everything...... He lives a field away and I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't got water on the Lyfni...... Surely he would know if there's fish running. I said to him if they are please give me a ring but this year we didn't even buy any tatws from him cause we only went there three weeks in total. The last week I was on the bed -couldn't walk with a tick bite on the foot. 16th Oct! bugger my luck!
@@michaelhall7921 Numbers have declined i agree, but there were fish in the Dwyryd , the Dwyfor and plenty in Afon LLedr in the conwy valley, hope this helps
Glad you enjoyed those reports Simon - I'm just giving the video a go mostly for my own entertainment but maybe I'll migrate back to the still photos in due course. The video simply doesn't work for deer as the action all happens too far away and, in my case, in dark forestry at very last light.
Thank you Richard, to be honest I only fish on Lewis now as the freedom to simply walk and fish is amazing but I started out on the Six Mile and had the occasional Autumn day up at Glenwherry up until maybe 20 years ago. Lewis is a long way, but it's worth the drive :-)
Thanks for that Robert....... I rang my pal in Portmadoc......... we are looking forward to having a go next season after this years total disaster re no fishing mainly by order! When I could go and the weather was reasonable I was lying on my caravan bed with having been bitten by a tick at home behind my shed...... I could have croaked it! I've caught ample migratory fish but the odd one to eat would be a nice bonus if that doesn't harm the stocks. We've all got to maintain common sense and conservation so that the stock is always sound for the future. I noticed on the Livet a few years ago when I was looking that the stones were covered in a brown sediment.....=Distilleries= are they adversely affecting the health of the small fish?????
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. I love the late season fishing and think you can't beat it, though it does mean the fish tend to be coloured but I put them all back anyhow :-)
Hi Roger, Unless it is a club water then I won't name the rivers I'm fishing on as I don't claim to represent them and have no idea how they would like to represent their fishing. If you are interested in fishing in the area then I would suggest that you contact the Fishing Promotion Officer and he can give you all the info you will need, you'll not be stuck for fishing that is for sure. He does a lot of survey work and the like so it sometimes takes him a little while to reply but drop him an email: donnie@ohft.org.uk
Your videos are brilliant, I fish the river Kelvin in Glasgow, i was catching half pound brown trout every day for my first few days on my new permit, the rain came down heavy and flood water seems to have ruined the fishing, some people are catching grilse on worms but I can't even catch trout now, I only fly fish, what am I doing wrong, can you suggest a team of flies or will I fish with just one now, please could you help as you have mastered the craft , from your fan in Scotland thank you 🤣🤣🏴✌️🐟
Hi Aaron, great to hear from you and that you enjoy my videos though I think you must be my only fan. I'm not getting fishing just now with the lockdown thing, my life is a bit complicated, but if I get out again this year I will do some more video hopefully. I don't know the Kelvin at all and so it is hard to say what you should do to get fish plus, as you can see, the only thing I know anything much about is making tea so I'm not a very skilled angler. I like to fish wet fly but find that different flies work well in different places, often for trout you can't beat a Blue Zulu and a Black Pennell but perhaps the fish in the Kelvin prefer brighter flies? Also it is the case that with the water warming up and so on then the trout often become harder to get in July and August and it may be that fishing really early in the morning or late in the evening is best. Often if the water is high and coloured such that the worm is the favoured method then it is not ideal for fly fishing and it is best to wait for a day or two before getting back on the fly, in high water a sink tip line can also help in some places. Probably the best thing you can do is find someone in the Kelvin club (a local angling shop might be a good place to start) and ask if they have any advice specifically for the Kelvin as there may be areas or techniques that do work well in high water. Sorry not to be more helpful but with not knowing the river it is impossible to say what might work and I'd be sure you already know far more about the river, and what works, than I do.
Thank you Alex, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I enjoy the fishing right at the end of the season when the weather is getting more unpredictable and the moor is taking on its winter colours, though it isn't to the taste of everyone.
Hi there, am fisjing on borve estate for a week end of September. What flies can you recommend for the sea trout and salmon for up there. Keep the videos coming 🎣
Hi Gavin, I'm sure the estate will offer you some advice but for a lot of people up here then an orange muddler on the top and a stoat or silver stoat on the point are pretty much standard. However at this time of year something with some red or orange is also worth a punt, as with anywhere. Good luck on Borve.
Recently I was trying to work out how long it was since Malcolm moved on, I only ever met him twice and it must be 25+ years ago. He's been at Morsgail since and is now down at Soval.
Great fishing and great video. What fly rod do you use, it shows that it casts like a dream even with high winds, what fly rod is it and what length and weight? Tight lines
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video. To be honest the rod doesn't much matter as most people can adapt to most things given a few minutes. I've decided to standardise on 7 weight and 4 weight rods with the 7 weights getting most use in view of the wind. I like 11 foot rods so all the rods in my videos are 11 foot and this particular one is a Leeda Volare IV. I've a feeling they don't make them any more but they are an ideal loch and small river grilse/salmon rod and as a bonus they were only about £60. This one has had everything from sizeable Springers to tiny browns and is pretty much my "go-to" rod at the minute. Some people fishing these waters are going to slightly shorter rods at present and there are always trends so maybe next year everyone will be wanting longer rods but I can't be bothered messing about and so will stick with the 11 foot rods while I can get them.
@@caorach3354 brilliant, thanks a million for the reply, I do think longer rods, like 11 foot makes a difference when casting distance, I fish myself a 10ft 7 weight on most loughs but will look to invest in a 11ft. Thank you for taking the time and reply and for a great video. Tight lines.
Glad you enjoyed it Frank, unfortunately there might not be many opportunities this season be we will keep our fingers crossed and keep cheering ourselves up with the memories of last year.
How would I go about getting on that river?! I normally fish the foyle system and I e never wet a line in Scotland as I believe it’s very expensive. Great vid
A lot of the "old" books etc. about fishing simply say that you can't get fishing on Lewis. It is true that many of the waters are on estates and that they are often booked by the week by estate guests, we do have some of the most exclusive salmon fishing on earth. However, sometimes if there are no guests estates may make fishing available. Costs vary, I have a few videos shot on association water, that you can fish for between £10 and £25 per day (or you can get a yearly ticket on the River Creed for about £100 if you were staying for a few weeks - that gives two lochs and about 4 miles of relatively lightly fished river) or the river in this video usually charges about £60 per day for visitors if they have no guests. There are also hundreds of brown trout lochs plus the sea trout fishing in my other videos is also available on day tickets. If you are willing to "mix and match" your fishing and take opportunities when you get them than you could have a great fortnight of fishing for £200 or less and a good fortnight for around £100. In part it depends on what you enjoy but your problem isn't finding fishing, the problem is deciding where to fish next. If you are interested the the islands have an angling promotion officer, Donnie Maciver, who is a great angler and a really nice chap so it is well worth dropping him an email: donnie@ohft.org.uk
It is a good breeze for fishing, especially for salmon, though perhaps not in an ideal direction for that particular river as a good wave on the pools does help a lot.
It is the same setup as I use pretty much for everything with a 7 weight and whatever leader I last tied on, salmon don't much care that I can see. From what I remember I had the sink tip on, it was one of those Rio versatip lines, and I'm going to guess I was fishing two flies on stout yozuri leader, maybe 15lb as it isn't sporting to leave a hook in a fish, plus you could use blue rope for salmon and they wouldn't care. With it being a few years back it is hard to be sure of the details but as that is my setup pretty much everyday that will be close.
@@caorach3354 thank you for the reply, I'm relatively new to fishing for them on the fly and I am unsure about how deep my fly is fishing and the river/s i fish are similar width/depth to this one so thanks
@@FeversMcGraw my advice would be not to get too worked up providing the fly isn't skating about on the surface. There can be a big weight of water come through the channels on wee rivers so a sink tip is useful but in similar water to this I've seen the fish come to a fly only an inch or two down. In the end it's what the salmon thinks that matters and that's why you see so many theories as the truth is no one knows🙂 I honestly don't think there is a right answer until the fish decides to grab the fly and only the fish knows when that will be. So my advice is to ignore me completely, get the fly in the water whatever way suits you, and enjoy yourself.
The rod is an 11 foot 7 weight Leeda, it works really well for our fishing and I've had decent spring fish on it as well. I use the same rod for most of my brown trout, sea trout, and salmon fishing but sometimes also use an 11 foot 4 weight and it is great sport for sea trout and brown trout.
Thanks for the sub, it was perfect weather for salmon fishing but the rising river didn't help me and that was the drawback :-) This river is great in the sense that even in low water it can still fish well with a wave on the pools so that really increases your chances especially in summer when many spate rivers would be out of business.
@@FinLineFly I don't think it was actually hail, just very heavy rain showers. It was a wonderful day out though and I'm well provided for in the clothing department :-)
I thought it was legal to take a couple or so sea trout I must ring my pal in Portmadoc. I heard a guy I know very well had a salmon in the pass but he must have returned it. I cannot bother to fish if they all have to go back. My pal bought a licence and permit this year. We go sea fishing on my boat but not all this year due to the virus. I hope the inoculation allows us to go next season time's getting short for us lot at 80!
We don't have to put them back but I've caught enough fish for my lifetime so now I don't get too worked up about the catching, or the taking home for the pot. If I want one for the pot then I will keep it, but I won't set out to catch it in October when the grilse run comes in July.
Perfect situation.......... I never thought 20 years ago I'd have to ask my wife to buy me a piece of salmon! About that time I caught a little grilse on the Saturday lunchtime when I got there. I'd payed for that days 's fishing. I gave that fish to my farmer pal & he was a brilliant chap to me over the years. I said you eat it Willy there plenty more where that came from...... All the following week it rained and although I knew that water like the back of my hand I never saw a fin for 4 days so I went home & vowed never to waste £300 quid on a rod for a week again. I saw him a couple of years ago & he says the fishing is a disaster and has been for 4 years at least. Did you see a Welsh chap who says there was a good run of Salmon in Gwynedd????? Things might just might look brighter for the future & instead of eating Welsh Pollock & Mackerel my Portmadoc pal and me might just be able to get a bit of the fish we loved so much because there's nothing better than a bit of sea trout in the oven and especially one you've caught yourself.
This river, and some of the others on Lewis, are usually only let along with the lodge to weekly guests. However, it is sometimes possible to get a day and charges have been in the region of £60 per day. There are also some excellent association waters for both salmon and sea trout and they tend to charge somewhere between £10 and £25 per day with a lot of really good and uncrowded fishing on offer.
@@aldomcgowan6561 Yes indeed it really is a great privilege to get to fish in such amazing places. Lewis fishing can be quite accessible to visitors and it can make for a great holiday. It is worth dropping the Fishing Promotion Officer an email to get some idea of what is available. His name is Donnie and his email address is: donnie@ohft.org.uk The only advice I can give about visiting is don't come for anything less than a fortnight and if you can come for a whole season that is even better and gives you time to arrange to come back for the next season :-)
It is a fly rod, an 11 foot 7 weight Leeda rod. I use it for trout, sea trout, and salmon. I've had everything from good spring salmon to tiny brown trout on it.
So glad you enjoyed it - Lewis is said to be the most windy inhabited place on earth so a 71mph gust is nothing of note but a good breeze does help the fishing so it makes for good conditions.
Keep in mind it isn't about catching fish, it is about having fun :-) Just as well too as I've gone fishing and forgotten to actually fish I've been that busy with drinking tea and doing other stuff.
Almost unbearable to watch. Got all my gear prepared for the new season. New lines and backing and plenty of flies tied up and now we're locked in our homes... Magical place - desolate and beautiful.
I hear you Laurie, and I really don't know what to say. However we have to be positive that we might manage a cast towards the end of the season, and luckily I really enjoy the back end fishing as you can see. This night last year I was putting the gear together for heading out in the morning, and I managed a cracking Springer and the first Hebridean fish of the year. This year I'm in the middle of 3 weeks "fishing leave" and will spend it all sitting in the house with vulnerable family members. However, there are others in a worse place than I am and I'm lucky to have vulnerable family members to sit with so we just have to sit it out and hope for the best. I hope that you and all yours keep safe through this and that you'll be out towards the back end and have a cracking season.
I enjoyed every second of this wonderful vid - thanks so much!
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Brings back happy memories. Those Lewis fish fight really well especially on a single-handed rod.
Best sport in the world Gareth :-) I love the back end fishing as there is nothing better than being out there right at the end of the season but last year I had a 32 inch sea
liced Lewis Springer on the same rod, that was a whole lot of fun as well!
Wind is your friend out there - it keeps the midges away! Interesting to see a single-hander being used, which I'm told is traditional on the west coast. I use one in British Columbia (Canada's west coast), which is where I go for my salmon fishing, and it's traditional there too, although an increasing number of two-handers are appearing. Enjoyed your video very much thanks - I've only caught trout in the Western Isles!
Thank you for your comment David, you are right in that the wind keeps the midges down but it is also the case that on this particular river it only really fishes well with a decent wind on it. I was fishing it when it was very high indeed but at summer levels it runs pretty flat and canal like so a good wave on the surface is as important as a wave when loch fishing. On the plus side this means that if you have wind it is possible to catch salmon in all but the very lowest water levels which is great, you aren't dependent on water height as on many of the smaller rivers across Scotland. You should make the effort to come back for a mixed week (a fortnight or month is even better!) of trout, salmon, and sea trout as on Lewis you can have the whole lot, even in the one day if you choose. Really your fishing is only limited by how far you can walk, and how long you can fish without needing to sleep :-)
@@caorach3354 That's a whole lot of useful information - thanks for taking the time to share it with me. I tend to 'do' the Highlands and Islands in May. Would you say that's a good time for the fishing you're describing?
@@davids9549 May is said to be the best month on Lewis for brown trout, though to be honest I much prefer September, but if you get decent weather in May then the brown trout should fish well. However, May is basically too early for salmon or sea trout as, speaking very generally, our run of fish come in July. There is one fishery, the Fideach club, that have estuary fishing for sea trout and they get some sea trout in May but it isn't a lot - it might make a nice day out but being honest the chances of success would be very low indeed. Lewis doesn't really have a spring salmon run, I think there were 3 caught last season, and they are mostly caught by people living close to the rivers who nip out for half an hour most evenings and run the fly quickly through a few of the most likely places. I love fishing right at the back end of the season as that just has some sort of strange appeal for me, and you can see that the fish in this video is very coloured indeed, but if you were thinking of Lewis as a destination then I would usually suggest not coming before the last two weeks in July if salmon and sea trout are on your menu. The Hebrides have an "Angling Promotion Officer" called Donnie Maciver who is an excellent angler and knows all the waters on the island well, he's fished them since he was a kid, so it is well worth dropping him an email and asking for advice as he may give a different perspective to me and it is well worth getting a second opinion. Donnie's email is donnie@ohft.org.uk and part of his job is to help visitors get fishing so he is knowledgeable and extremely helpful. You can tell Donnie you were watching my videos as he has seen many of them himself as I would sometimes drop in with him to get suggestions for a fishing spot myself so once he knows you've seen the videos he will have some idea of what you've been watching and what might take your fancy.
@@caorach3354 That's really helpful - thanks again!
These are class wee videos. Scenery superb.
Thank you Linda, I'm glad you are enjoying them. We are very lucky with the places we get to fish on Lewis and many are remote though on a day like the one in the video you don't always appreciate the wind across the countryside :-)
Wonderful country there my friend, like the mountain region of my home here in North Wales, alone with nature
Gwynedd = nice scenery yes but no Salmon! I heard of one getting caught in the Glaslyn by a very efficient fisher I know well but it would have had to be put back! The UK rule as I heard it was all Salmon must be returned. There are sea trout there and I wonder if the shoal of fish filmed are indeed Sea Trout not salmon?
@@michaelhall7921 We had a good run of Salmon here in Gwynedd this year.all have to be returned, plus seatrout
@@robertjones-yo4ql I used to fish the Llyfni and loved it. A farmer I know was same as me we buy tatws from him.... he said last year I loved fishing the river but your wasting your time now there's nowt in it! things must have changed this year but the virus stopped everything...... He lives a field away and I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't got water on the Lyfni...... Surely he would know if there's fish running. I said to him if they are please give me a ring but this year we didn't even buy any tatws from him cause we only went there three weeks in total. The last week I was on the bed -couldn't walk with a tick bite on the foot. 16th Oct! bugger my luck!
@@michaelhall7921 Numbers have declined i agree, but there were fish in the Dwyryd , the Dwyfor and plenty in Afon LLedr in the conwy valley, hope this helps
How nice to have found you on youtube, always enjoyed the photographs and stories on the Directory!
Glad you enjoyed those reports Simon - I'm just giving the video a go mostly for my own entertainment but maybe I'll migrate back to the still photos in due course. The video simply doesn't work for deer as the action all happens too far away and, in my case, in dark forestry at very last light.
Lovely N Irish accent! Great video. Looks like Donegal on a good day, subscribed!
Thank you Richard, to be honest I only fish on Lewis now as the freedom to simply walk and fish is amazing but I started out on the Six Mile and had the occasional Autumn day up at Glenwherry up until maybe 20 years ago. Lewis is a long way, but it's worth the drive :-)
Thanks for that Robert....... I rang my pal in Portmadoc......... we are looking forward to having a go next season after this years total disaster re no fishing mainly by order!
When I could go and the weather was reasonable I was lying on my caravan bed with having been bitten by a tick at home behind my shed...... I could have croaked it!
I've caught ample migratory fish but the odd one to eat would be a nice bonus if that doesn't harm the stocks. We've all got to maintain common sense and conservation so that the stock is always sound for the future.
I noticed on the Livet a few years ago when I was looking that the stones were covered in a brown sediment.....=Distilleries= are they adversely affecting the health of the small fish?????
Nicely done! Beautiful landscape.
Thank you James, glad you liked it.
Fair play out in that weather! Stunning place
It is fantastic fishing, and a fantastic place Ryan and ideal weather for chasing the fish though the fast rising river wasn't helpful.
Another great video. Proper fishing!!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. I love the late season fishing and think you can't beat it, though it does mean the fish tend to be coloured but I put them all back anyhow :-)
Great video, how much do it cost to fish that river, what’s the name of the river.
Hi Roger, Unless it is a club water then I won't name the rivers I'm fishing on as I don't claim to represent them and have no idea how they would like to represent their fishing. If you are interested in fishing in the area then I would suggest that you contact the Fishing Promotion Officer and he can give you all the info you will need, you'll not be stuck for fishing that is for sure. He does a lot of survey work and the like so it sometimes takes him a little while to reply but drop him an email: donnie@ohft.org.uk
Your videos are brilliant, I fish the river Kelvin in Glasgow, i was catching half pound brown trout every day for my first few days on my new permit, the rain came down heavy and flood water seems to have ruined the fishing, some people are catching grilse on worms but I can't even catch trout now, I only fly fish, what am I doing wrong, can you suggest a team of flies or will I fish with just one now, please could you help as you have mastered the craft , from your fan in Scotland thank you 🤣🤣🏴✌️🐟
Hi Aaron, great to hear from you and that you enjoy my videos though I think you must be my only fan. I'm not getting fishing just now with the lockdown thing, my life is a bit complicated, but if I get out again this year I will do some more video hopefully. I don't know the Kelvin at all and so it is hard to say what you should do to get fish plus, as you can see, the only thing I know anything much about is making tea so I'm not a very skilled angler. I like to fish wet fly but find that different flies work well in different places, often for trout you can't beat a Blue Zulu and a Black Pennell but perhaps the fish in the Kelvin prefer brighter flies? Also it is the case that with the water warming up and so on then the trout often become harder to get in July and August and it may be that fishing really early in the morning or late in the evening is best. Often if the water is high and coloured such that the worm is the favoured method then it is not ideal for fly fishing and it is best to wait for a day or two before getting back on the fly, in high water a sink tip line can also help in some places. Probably the best thing you can do is find someone in the Kelvin club (a local angling shop might be a good place to start) and ask if they have any advice specifically for the Kelvin as there may be areas or techniques that do work well in high water. Sorry not to be more helpful but with not knowing the river it is impossible to say what might work and I'd be sure you already know far more about the river, and what works, than I do.
Hiya - can I suggest you join the River Kelvin Fishers Group - facebook.com/groups/RiverKelvinFishers/
@@caorach3354 that's very helpful, thanks so much, really happy thankyou ✌️🏴🐟
Beautiful. Love the solitude. Well done.
Thank you Alex, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I enjoy the fishing right at the end of the season when the weather is getting more unpredictable and the moor is taking on its winter colours, though it isn't to the taste of everyone.
@@caorach3354 THis is my dream fishing. Just me and nature. Weather does not matter.
Hi there, am fisjing on borve estate for a week end of September. What flies can you recommend for the sea trout and salmon for up there. Keep the videos coming 🎣
Hi Gavin, I'm sure the estate will offer you some advice but for a lot of people up here then an orange muddler on the top and a stoat or silver stoat on the point are pretty much standard. However at this time of year something with some red or orange is also worth a punt, as with anywhere. Good luck on Borve.
I've fished this river many times back when Malc was the keeper. Nice to see it again.
Recently I was trying to work out how long it was since Malcolm moved on, I only ever met him twice and it must be 25+ years ago. He's been at Morsgail since and is now down at Soval.
Great fishing and great video. What fly rod do you use, it shows that it casts like a dream even with high winds, what fly rod is it and what length and weight? Tight lines
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video. To be honest the rod doesn't much matter as most people can adapt to most things given a few minutes. I've decided to standardise on 7 weight and 4 weight rods with the 7 weights getting most use in view of the wind. I like 11 foot rods so all the rods in my videos are 11 foot and this particular one is a Leeda Volare IV. I've a feeling they don't make them any more but they are an ideal loch and small river grilse/salmon rod and as a bonus they were only about £60. This one has had everything from sizeable Springers to tiny browns and is pretty much my "go-to" rod at the minute. Some people fishing these waters are going to slightly shorter rods at present and there are always trends so maybe next year everyone will be wanting longer rods but I can't be bothered messing about and so will stick with the 11 foot rods while I can get them.
@@caorach3354 brilliant, thanks a million for the reply, I do think longer rods, like 11 foot makes a difference when casting distance, I fish myself a 10ft 7 weight on most loughs but will look to invest in a 11ft. Thank you for taking the time and reply and for a great video. Tight lines.
Great video - thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it Frank, unfortunately there might not be many opportunities this season be we will keep our fingers crossed and keep cheering ourselves up with the memories of last year.
How would I go about getting on that river?! I normally fish the foyle system and I e never wet a line in Scotland as I believe it’s very expensive. Great vid
A lot of the "old" books etc. about fishing simply say that you can't get fishing on Lewis. It is true that many of the waters are on estates and that they are often booked by the week by estate guests, we do have some of the most exclusive salmon fishing on earth. However, sometimes if there are no guests estates may make fishing available. Costs vary, I have a few videos shot on association water, that you can fish for between £10 and £25 per day (or you can get a yearly ticket on the River Creed for about £100 if you were staying for a few weeks - that gives two lochs and about 4 miles of relatively lightly fished river) or the river in this video usually charges about £60 per day for visitors if they have no guests. There are also hundreds of brown trout lochs plus the sea trout fishing in my other videos is also available on day tickets. If you are willing to "mix and match" your fishing and take opportunities when you get them than you could have a great fortnight of fishing for £200 or less and a good fortnight for around £100. In part it depends on what you enjoy but your problem isn't finding fishing, the problem is deciding where to fish next. If you are interested the the islands have an angling promotion officer, Donnie Maciver, who is a great angler and a really nice chap so it is well worth dropping him an email: donnie@ohft.org.uk
caorach 😊 thanks great video hope to see more
A light breeze for Stornaway?
It is a good breeze for fishing, especially for salmon, though perhaps not in an ideal direction for that particular river as a good wave on the pools does help a lot.
would love to go there. Which river is it?
what line/leadersetup are you using for these conditions? cheers
It is the same setup as I use pretty much for everything with a 7 weight and whatever leader I last tied on, salmon don't much care that I can see. From what I remember I had the sink tip on, it was one of those Rio versatip lines, and I'm going to guess I was fishing two flies on stout yozuri leader, maybe 15lb as it isn't sporting to leave a hook in a fish, plus you could use blue rope for salmon and they wouldn't care. With it being a few years back it is hard to be sure of the details but as that is my setup pretty much everyday that will be close.
@@caorach3354 thank you for the reply, I'm relatively new to fishing for them on the fly and I am unsure about how deep my fly is fishing and the river/s i fish are similar width/depth to this one so thanks
@@FeversMcGraw my advice would be not to get too worked up providing the fly isn't skating about on the surface. There can be a big weight of water come through the channels on wee rivers so a sink tip is useful but in similar water to this I've seen the fish come to a fly only an inch or two down. In the end it's what the salmon thinks that matters and that's why you see so many theories as the truth is no one knows🙂 I honestly don't think there is a right answer until the fish decides to grab the fly and only the fish knows when that will be. So my advice is to ignore me completely, get the fly in the water whatever way suits you, and enjoy yourself.
Nice, I love it up there. What length/weight rod are you using
The rod is an 11 foot 7 weight Leeda, it works really well for our fishing and I've had decent spring fish on it as well. I use the same rod for most of my brown trout, sea trout, and salmon fishing but sometimes also use an 11 foot 4 weight and it is great sport for sea trout and brown trout.
Brutal weather! Well done! New sub!!!
Thanks for the sub, it was perfect weather for salmon fishing but the rising river didn't help me and that was the drawback :-) This river is great in the sense that even in low water it can still fish well with a wave on the pools so that really increases your chances especially in summer when many spate rivers would be out of business.
@@caorach3354 perfect but brutal. Was that hailstones at one point?
@@FinLineFly I don't think it was actually hail, just very heavy rain showers. It was a wonderful day out though and I'm well provided for in the clothing department :-)
I thought it was legal to take a couple or so sea trout I must ring my pal in Portmadoc. I heard a guy I know very well had a salmon in the pass but he must have returned it. I cannot bother to fish if they all have to go back. My pal bought a licence and permit this year. We go sea fishing on my boat but not all this year due to the virus. I hope the inoculation allows us to go next season time's getting short for us lot at 80!
We don't have to put them back but I've caught enough fish for my lifetime so now I don't get too worked up about the catching, or the taking home for the pot. If I want one for the pot then I will keep it, but I won't set out to catch it in October when the grilse run comes in July.
Perfect situation.......... I never thought 20 years ago I'd have to ask my wife to buy me a piece of salmon! About that time I caught a little grilse on the Saturday lunchtime when I got there. I'd payed for that days
's fishing. I gave that fish to my farmer pal & he was a brilliant chap to me over the years. I said you eat it Willy there plenty more where that came from...... All the following week it rained and although I knew that water like the back of my hand I never saw a fin for 4 days so I went home & vowed never to waste £300 quid on a rod for a week again. I saw him a couple of years ago & he says the fishing is a disaster and has been for 4 years at least. Did you see a Welsh chap who says there was a good run of Salmon in Gwynedd????? Things might just might look brighter for the future & instead of eating Welsh Pollock & Mackerel my Portmadoc pal and me might just be able to get a bit of the fish we loved so much because there's nothing better than a bit of sea trout in the oven and especially one you've caught yourself.
Best ever time for a 'take' just a few minutes before the flood. You've got to be there at the right time but not dinking tea or anything else!
What is the cost for a days fishing on this river.Is it within the reach of the working mans budget.?
This river, and some of the others on Lewis, are usually only let along with the lodge to weekly guests. However, it is sometimes possible to get a day and charges have been in the region of £60 per day. There are also some excellent association waters for both salmon and sea trout and they tend to charge somewhere between £10 and £25 per day with a lot of really good and uncrowded fishing on offer.
im from scotland but wow that is beautiful !!
Best fishing in the world without question, though sometimes when the rain is horizontal I'm glad to get into one of the huts and get the tea on :-)
@@caorach3354 very lucky guy fishing these parts
@@aldomcgowan6561 Yes indeed it really is a great privilege to get to fish in such amazing places. Lewis fishing can be quite accessible to visitors and it can make for a great holiday. It is worth dropping the Fishing Promotion Officer an email to get some idea of what is available. His name is Donnie and his email address is: donnie@ohft.org.uk The only advice I can give about visiting is don't come for anything less than a fortnight and if you can come for a whole season that is even better and gives you time to arrange to come back for the next season :-)
@@caorach3354 cheers for the response and info tight lines buddy
Is that a fly rod or a Salmon rod?
It is a fly rod, an 11 foot 7 weight Leeda rod. I use it for trout, sea trout, and salmon. I've had everything from good spring salmon to tiny brown trout on it.
Thank you, would you recommend using a fly rod for bigger salmon?
God that looks like bliss to me. Not a soul in sight 😍
We don't suffer badly from over crowding :-)
@@caorach3354 ooo
O00
pro trick: you can watch movies at kaldrostream. I've been using them for watching all kinds of movies during the lockdown.
@Harry Nathan yea, have been watching on flixzone} for years myself :)
71 MPH gusts! WOW I stay away from 20! Solid vid tho!
So glad you enjoyed it - Lewis is said to be the most windy inhabited place on earth so a 71mph gust is nothing of note but a good breeze does help the fishing so it makes for good conditions.
caorach Thats insane! You powered through !
Very similar to Shetland .
Shetland is somewhere I've never fished as I have more than enough to keep me going on Lewis at the minute.
Fair play to you man.
Keep in mind it isn't about catching fish, it is about having fun :-) Just as well too as I've gone fishing and forgotten to actually fish I've been that busy with drinking tea and doing other stuff.
You're a good man but need to catch more fish!
I've caught as many fish as I need to in a lifetime, now I need to drink more tea and enjoy the days out watching the world go by :-)
That was a kipper.
Steve Sampson no odds. It was going back and black fish give the best fight and recover exceptionally quickly.
For the time of year it was an excellent fight on a single handed rod.
No way man, that was an Arbroath Smokey.
Almost unbearable to watch. Got all my gear prepared for the new season. New lines and backing and plenty of flies tied up and now we're locked in our homes... Magical place - desolate and beautiful.
I hear you Laurie, and I really don't know what to say. However we have to be positive that we might manage a cast towards the end of the season, and luckily I really enjoy the back end fishing as you can see. This night last year I was putting the gear together for heading out in the morning, and I managed a cracking Springer and the first Hebridean fish of the year. This year I'm in the middle of 3 weeks "fishing leave" and will spend it all sitting in the house with vulnerable family members. However, there are others in a worse place than I am and I'm lucky to have vulnerable family members to sit with so we just have to sit it out and hope for the best. I hope that you and all yours keep safe through this and that you'll be out towards the back end and have a cracking season.
What river is it?