A view of Parsons On Mid Chain

A Common Spotted Orchid In May 2003

Afloat On The Loch At Lower Duart

(Pictures courtesy of Colin Munro)

This season will be remembered for the lack of water, hot weather and strong warm winds. It was interesting to note the ingenuity and inventiveness of seasoned fishers in explaining why they had not caught fish. One fisherman explained that he was so upset because he had slipped down a bank and rendered his lunch uneatable, that the prospect of nothing to eat at lunchtime affected his casting and general fishing ability for the rest of the day. However, despite the weather and amusing incidents the fishing results were pretty good with 4074 brown trout recorded.

In April 2 fish were over 3lb 8oz to Mr. Crooks and Mr. Johnson.

In May a 4lb brown trout came off Lock Stack and worthy of mention Colin Munro with 8 fish from 1lb 4oz to 2lb 8oz, Ray Jackson with a bag of nice brownies 1lb 6oz, 1lb 3oz and 1lb 3oz. Don Bowerman a brown trout of 2lb 14oz. Ronnie Baird a brown trout of 2lb 8oz. Doug Mackenzie a brown trout of 2lb 4oz. John Gregory two nice fish of 1lb 8oz and 1lb 5oz. John Tait a beauty of 2lb 10oz. To name but a few!!

In June Nigel Jones took the best brownie of the season off Scourie hill lochs which weighed in at 3lb 15oz and wins the bottle of malt and the Ian Hay Trophy. Stuart Barr 1lb 10oz and 2lb N. West 2lb 1oz, J.Thomas 2lb 8oz, D. Brand 2lb 9oz and 2lb 5oz, Robert Fergusson 3lb 8oz and off Crocach 3lb 5oz, Brian Taylor 3lb 2oz, Luke Williams 2lb 12oz. Philip Leith took his usual bags of 70 to 80 trout from Stalkers on two consecutive days.

In July Richard Franklin took a good bag of 4 trout total 8lb 10oz best 3lb 12oz another day 1 brown trout of 3lb then two of 1lb 10oz. Good Fishing.

In August Paul Kirby has a personal best for Scourie of a 2lb 15oz brown trout and Mr. Ogg caught a nice 2lb 8oz seatrout from the Duart system.

The total seatrout recorded were 327 with the best salmon coming off Loch Stack to Monsieur Giraud 11lb 13oz which will win the Ghillies Trophy (Mac Stevenson) and a bottle of malt.

The River Polla produced a brilliant week in August with 14 seatrout and 4 salmon and again broke last years record for seatrout and was its best season since records began in 1950. The best seatrout taken off the river this season was 9lb.

Thank you for making the season a memorable one and special thanks to Chris Cobb for maintaining our web-site and trouble shooting when people sending photos forget to reduce them. Thanks to Colin Munro for being the hotels David Bailey. Thanks to the Williams party for the metal trout now hanging in the entrance porch. A bottle of malt is on its way to Nigel Jones and Jean Pierre Guiraud for the largest brown trout caught on the hill lochs this season and the largest salmon caught on Loch Stack respectively - well done to both!

Finally Judy, myself and all the staff wish you a very Happy Christmas and a good New Year.

Patrick