[Hamish Young]

So around the same week in August each year Euan  and I head off on a fishing week, typically based from my place near Beauly.
This year, as we've had bugger all water, my eyes cast further afield and fellow SGAIC instructor and full time Guide Duncan Pepper of http://fishinguide.co.uk/  got in touch about some fishing which he thought might appeal. It did.
So after a day on the Inverness AC water on the Ness (sadly without a pull) Euan and I headed off to deepest Argyllshire.
We enjoyed two days on a mystery river down there which I had not fished before. We did not enjoy the hotel we stayed in, the tourists who tried to kill everyone on the roads or the queues of traffic following some grockle in a Merc on the A82 when heading home (not saying any more about that on a fishing thread).
So back to the river......
We were targetting three species. Salmon, Sea Trout and Sea-run Rainbows. That's right..... Rainbows.
Pics speak a thousand words:

Euan and Duncan in the midst of 'combat' operations:

Duncan holding what I thought would be the biggest of the day:

But then this happened.....

and this



and after an epic battle (truly, honestly epic) on my Mackenzie FX1 10' #7wt this porker was landed

Duncans weigh net went to 9lbs and this kept on going.... in fast running water it went like the proverbial off a teflon shovel. I ran (yes, ran) after it on the most horrible wading (never mind running ) river bed after it through two pools before it was landed. My Barrio LA78 was fairly tested

There were more

and fond memories of a great trip created

Just the best fun, in the best company with some of the best scenery in Scotland to boot.

H 

[Euan Innes]

All of the above is true and only the names of the guilty have been changed. What a week!
I have to give a big mention to OPST and Sandy Nelson. My recently converted Orvis Access #4 to a double hander turned out to be the perfect rod for the river, although I didn't hook a 'Bow as big as Hamish's. It could chuck a 4" tube all the way to the other side or fish a #12 double on a long leader. I have to say that a 10'  #4 for "Steelhead" is the most fun you can have dressed!
Duncan pepper is a really great bloke, tourists are dicks, Highland hotels that do bus tours are worse than some of the places that I travel to with work,( including the bit between Tripoli and Capetown), Fort William struggles to provide good food and people that want to drive in the Highlands should have to pass a test.
Special thanks should go to the camper vans that thought that passing each other at 30mph going in to a blind corner was a good idea.
For the laughs and general excellent company in the face of adversity, special thanks should go the ghillie / driver, Mr Hamish Young. I do love the August week 
Looking forward to next year already mate!

Euan

[Derek Roxborough]

Nice trip, got to agree about tourists , I think the only reason that the Camper vans travel in convoy is so that they can circle in case they get attacked by the natives, bloody emmets,and the guy who thought up the "north 500" wants his erse kicked, he turned it into a race, bloody Nugget,  Derek Roxborough

[Allan Liddle]

Cracking report and certainly something different

[Eddie Sinclair]

Excellent report chaps, looks like a blast.

All the best,

Eddie

[Hamish Young]

...... and people that want to drive in the Highlands should have to pass a test.
Special thanks should go to the camper vans that thought that passing each other at 30mph going in to a blind corner was a good idea.

Yup, that camper van overtaking manoeuvre focussed my attention, arse twitchingly so. Leather drivers seat wasn't ruched before.... 

[Hamish Young]

In response to a couple of messages, yes - the line in the photos is the one described in this thread:
https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7860.0
To be fair it was the choice from my armoury for the conditions/tactics in use.

H

[Mike Barrio]

Interesting Hamish ...... I imagined the Rainbows would be slimmer, more torpedo like.

Cheers
Mike

[Euan Innes]

Interesting Hamish ...... I imagined the Rainbows would be slimmer, more torpedo like.

Cheers
Mike

Mike,
You know how geese get really stuffed and fat when you force feed them corn in order to get the best foie gras?
Same thing different fish!! 
They were cooped up in a cage until they remade the Great Escape. Bloody good fun wherever they look like or came from!!

Euan

[Rob Brownfield]

Mike,
You know how geese get really stuffed and fat when you force feed them corn in order to get the best foie gras?
Same thing different fish!! 
They were cooped up in a cage until they remade the Great Escape. Bloody good fun wherever they look like or came from!!

Euan

I was going to question the "Sea Run" bit   

Not a mystery river any more

[Euan Innes]

How does "tidal run" sound Rob??
They were the closest thing to a Steelhead that I have fished for  Serious fun on a #4 
They were keen on my Willie Gunn tubes but ignored the Intruders. Orange Skelpic Shrimps on a #10 double worked best for me.
Bloody hard to keep them on though and the hook up to landed ratio was about four to one. Treble hooks worked best but we were short of them as we don't go anywhere that allows their use.
Euan

[Rob Brownfield]

How does "tidal run" sound Rob??

No better 

A couple of years ago I was catching Rainbows on the Dee down near the Bridge of Dee itself (Pump House Pool).

Very nice condition and the biggest was about 5lbs.  No doubt left over from the big winter floods. I suspect their home address was Tullich Fishery, Ballater They seemed to think they were far bigger than they were and I really thought the 5 pounder was a 20lb salmon when it ran That was on a 7 weight Switch rod.

I have caught rainbows on the Tay that for all intent and purposes, looked like Steelhead.  Sleek, powerful, and almost silver in colour.  I have heard several people talk of Tay Steelheads around Broughty Ferry and one of the recent shore angling comps reported that several had been caught but not weighed.  Seems they like peeler crab

The Tay must be stuffed with them now, what with the 20,000 escaping into Loch Earn and another 20,000 into Loch Tay over the winter.

[Terryll Monroe]

That looks like it was an amazing trip.  I'd love to tangle with fish that have that kind of quality.

Wonderful report, and stunning photos as well.  Thank you for sharing.