Trout fishing

We offer trout fishing on six lochs (Ruathair, Arichlinnie, Druim na Clabhain, Cuilidh, Lucy, and the Black Loch) ranging in size from a few acres to over a thousand acres.

Trout average one half to three quarters of a pound on all lochs, except Cuilidh and Lucy where they average over a pound. Fish upto 4lbs are caught in most years, and one of 5.5lbs was landed in 2018 from Loch Ruathair. Arctic Charr are present in Loch Druim a Loch Clabhain, and are occasionally caught there. Salmon are occasionally caught on Loch Arichlinnie.

The trout fishing seasons starts in mid March but most years the lochs don’t really wake up until early May apart from some early season buzzer hatches which are difficult to predict and sometimes only last a few minutes. In May and June the terrestrial fly life really starts to increase and sport with wet fly and dry fly can be superb. In early July some of the lochs have a mayfly hatch and this can produce the cream of the sport with a team of two or three dry flies in a rolling wave. This sport continues through July. August can be a difficult month with fish well fed and educated! September see's activity increase again pre-spawning and on the warmer days dry fly still produces good baskets of better fish.

Salmon fishing

We offer salmon fishing at one of the six two rod rotating beats on the River Helmsdale. The Helmsdale is a world renowned salmon river benefiting from compensation water from Badanloch all year round.

Salmon fishing is only available as part of an arranged package or with a holiday cottage in the early spring. Very few weeks come available as many tenants return annually during the same week.