Thurso River- Beat Ten
A 75th birthday is a special milestone in anyone’s life. So preparations for the big day were being made in earnest weeks before the event itself. Family were going to be travelling from all over the world to come and celebrate this special occasion with my father. My uncle was coming over from India. Other family members and close friends would also be joining us for the celebrations. My wife and I were looking forward to going up to the Highlands and spending some time with my parents over the birthday weekend.
My father had been a very keen salmon fisher in the past and caught a number of salmon. Over the last ten years however, due to professional and personal commitments he has had very little time to fish. Indeed, the last time he had a cast was well over a year ago. I still have fond memories of going fishing with my father as a boy. We had great times, fishing for trout and salmon, initially in Caithness and then all over Scotland. I was lucky enough to fish some of Scotland’s most prestigious salmon rivers with my father at a young age. Fishing allowed my father and me to spend quality time together and this was time that was cherished and will never be forgotten. We would go fishing at least twice a week, after school and at weekends. Often we would go fishing to a remote hill loch for trout, leaving early in the morning and taking a breakfast of croissants and jam with us. We would not see another soul all day. It would be just my father and I pitting our wits against a wily old trout.
My father and I fishing the Tay in my teens.... happy memories
I thought it would be great to take a trip down memory lane and see if I could arrange some fishing for my father on his birthday weekend. Luckily, I managed to acquire a beat on the Thurso River and the scene was set for a good day.
The night before our fishing, we had decided that my wife and I would go up to Beat ten in the morning and my father and uncle would join us around lunchtime. There were some friends that were leaving that morning and my father wanted to say goodbye to them before he went fishing.
Friday morning dawned and it was cool and overcast. There was a nagging east wind, which is never the best for fishing. However, we were optimistic, as I had been speaking to my good friend who is a ghillie on the river the night before. He was telling me that there was plenty of fish about. As we drove to the river, it was like taking a trip down memory lane again. I had made the journey to the Thurso River countless times as a boy and I would be bristling with anticipation. Thirty years on and these feelings were still burning within.
Beat ten is a lovely beat. It is very scenic and is set as is most of the Thurso River in very tranquil surroundings. The beat is over a mile and a half long, so there is ample fishing for two rods. The scenery on the beat is very varied, with a dramatic rocky gorge at the top of the beat to the flat rolling moorland at the bottom. We decided to start at the top of the beat and slowly make our way down fishing each pool. We would be meeting my father and uncle at lunchtime at the hut, which is situated in the middle of the beat. We set up our fly rods. My wife was going to fish a full floating line with an inch long cascade bottle tube. I opted for a sink tip line and my weapon of choice was a size ten Kinermony Killer double.
Looking upstream towards the gorge on Beat ten
The gorge on beat ten is dramatic to say the least. There are number of lovely intimate rocky pools to explore. The pools are quite shallow and can be very productive when the fish are running. We started fishing the delightful Hazel pool. The Hazel pool is a lovely pool with the current running close to the near bank at the head of the pool. As you move into the main body of the pool, the current spreads out more evenly. The tail of the pool has glassy patches, with large boulders lying underneath. My wife fished the pool and I watched her. I wanted her to fish a few of the pools first as this was her first time fishing the Thurso. I sat on the bank soaking up my stunning surroundings. The bright yellow gorse bushes lit up the banks like neon lights with the sweet smell of honeysuckle emanating from them in the breeze. A buzzard was cruising overhead trying to pinpoint its prey. This was just how I remembered the Thurso all those years ago as a boy.
The Catlock stream
My wife fished both the Hazel pool and Square pool with no success. We then moved downstream and I fished the Catlock stream. If there is any salmon pool in Scotland made for dibbling a fly this is it. The stream has a very fast narrow run that can be no more than twenty feet wide. The run then flows into a deep round pool. In the summer months, fish lie in the stream, but being mid May, any fish were likely to be in the main body of the pool. I fished hard, but my efforts bore no fruit. The next pool that we were going to thrash to foam was the Red Braes pool. The Red Braes is quite a long pool by Thurso standards. It has a fast run at the head of the pool, which then runs along the far bank. In high water, the main body of the pool fishes well. In lower water, the pool is best fished using the backing up method. My wife liked the look of the pool, so she fished it down first. I followed behind her, but neither of us got an offer. The easterly wind was now picking up and this was more noticeable as we walked out from the confines of the gorge. It was almost midday and we still had half the beat to fish. We drove down to the hut, but there was still no sign of my father and uncle. We had brought lunch and also some of my Dad’s birthday cake. We decided to indulge ourselves in a large slice of cake each!
The Cruives Eye pool lies directly in front of the fishing hut and is one of the main holding pools on the beat. It is one of the most productive pools on the river. I have caught a number of salmon from the pool in the past. The pool is a fly fishers dream. It has a lovely fast run at the head that flows down the middle of the pool. As the pool widens out, the flow meanders over towards the far bank. The main body of the pool is quite deep and slow. Towards the tail of the pool the current picks up. The fish mainly lie in the run and towards the far bank. My wife decided to change her fly to an inch long Cascade skull head and fished down the pool first. The fly was coming around beautifully in the current at the head of the pool. I was expecting her line to tighten at any second, but this was not to be. I slotted in behind her but fared no better.
My wife having a cast in the Cruives Eye pool
As there was still no sign of my father, we decided to drive down to the lower part of the beat and fish the bottom two pools. My wife fished the Upper Well pool and I fished the Well pool itself. We both fished hard but did not get a pull. It was lunchtime by now and my stomach was rumbling. As I looked upstream in the distance, I could see father’s car coming towards the hut. It was much colder now and the easterly wind had now become more of a gale. There were spots of rain falling from the grey cloud laden sky above and it had become distinctly chilly.
When we got to the hut, I could see my poor uncle shivering in the cold. A few days prior to this, he had been basking in thirty degrees heat in India and now he was being exposed to an easterly gale in May in the Highlands. My wife had pulled out all the stops for lunch. It was not looking like it was going to be a red letter day fishing wise, but at least lunch would compensate. We had a lovely salmon and prawn salad with Couscous. To follow, we had some delicious birthday cake. My father was a bit mythed as he said he was sure that there were two pieces of cake missing. I just said that it must have been a figment of his imagination. It happens when you get older!
After lunch, we sat in the hut talking and reminiscing on old times. The wind was whistling outside and increasing in strength all the time. My father seemed to be happy to remain in the confines of the hut. He said that he was just going to watch us fish for a bit then takes my uncle sight seeing. My wife and I were having none of it. I persuaded my father to have a cast in spite of his protests. He was lucky as the Cruives Eye pool can be fished from the bank in shoes. My wife thrust her rod in his direction and we all walked down to the pool.
I just wanted my Dad to have a few cast on his birthday so I could at least get a photo. I stood with him at the head of the run as he started casting. My uncle and wife looked on with anticipation. My Dad was casting a nice line, so I wanted to get a picture. I started walking down the bank when he shouted. I looked around to see his rod bent double and a large silver tail splashing on the surface of the water. He could have made no more than three casts and had hooked his first salmon in ten years. I don’t know who was more shocked, my father or me. My uncle appeared unfazed by what had just happened. I don’t think he could understand what all the fuss was about; salmon fishing, three casts and you catch a fish, that is easy!
Father and son, proud us punch!
I walked quickly back up to where my Dad was playing the fish. He might not have hooked a salmon for ten years, but he was playing the fish well. He was able to maintain a good bend in his rod and the fish appeared to be under control. The fish sat mid stream in the current for some time and then decided to run towards the far bank. It then surfaced and I caught a glimpse of it. It was a bar of silver and I could see my Dad shaking. Both my wife and I encouraged him and he gradually steered the fish over towards where we were standing. My father then gradually walked back keeping his rod well up. As we did not have a net, the only option was to beach the fish. The fish was clearly not ready at this point. As soon as it came towards the shallow water it turned and surged away again. This game of cat and mouse went on twice more before eventually the fish was beached. I grabbed the fish by the tail and held it in the water. I looked up at my dad and the expression on his face said it all. He was still shaking. I think he was shocked and delighted in equal measures. The fish was lovely, fresh and smothered in sea lice. We unhooked the fish and after a quick photo revived it. The fish had fought hard and after ten minutes of careful reviving it had recovered sufficiently to swim away and carry on with its journey. Both my wife and I gave my Dad a big hug. My poor uncle was back in the hut by this point shivering. I am sure by this point he must have thought salmon fishing was only practiced by mad men!
My Dad started at the top of the pool again and fished it down. Unfortunately history did not repeat itself. This did not matter as he was over the moon. It was now mid afternoon and raining quite heavily. My father decided to call it a day and show my uncle around the county. My Dad had got it right. Arrive at the beat around lunchtime. Have a nice lunch followed by a generous slice of birthday cake. Then have three casts, land a springer and then leave!
My wife and I decided to fish on for another hour. My wife fished the Cruives Eye pool and I fished the Red Braes, but neither of us could emulate my father’s remarkable achievement. We both packed our rods away and sat on the bench by the hut gazing at the river. We reflected on a truly amazing day. It would be a day that we would never forget and a day that will remain firmly etched in my Dad’s memory. Happy 75th birthday Dad!