Grilse caught on the fly | Dochfour | salmon fishing Scotland 2023 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Not a big fish...... but a fish! Local angler Michael demonstrating once again the benefits of being able to 'cover the water'. Some anglers deliberate for hours about which fly they should try, not Michael. Only one pattern in his fly box means that fly selection could not be simpler and with two sizes available, it's a very efficient and productive process for him. Happy days ;))
#salmon #flyfishing #scotland #speycasting #riverness #lochness

[@shirleywright2117]

Lovely fish. Congratulations guys. 🎣🐟🎣

[@CameronChapman]

Many thanks Shirley 🙏❤️👍🏻

[@garyc6242]

Nice fish 🐟 well done 👍

[@CameronChapman]

Many thanks Gary 🙏❤️👍🏻

[@harleyhillgang]

Well done Michael! I once fished with an angler that had 5 fly boxes of "Rusty Rats" here on the Restigouche...he swore that patterns were irrelevant and that he could catch as many salmon as anyone else! I find the quest to be much more challenging when it comes to fly selection! Great video Cameron, Cheers, Mike

[@CameronChapman]

Many thanks once again for your kind words Mike, they are much appreciated. Over many years of salmon angling, I have come to realise the value of angler confidence in the fly or flies they are using. I’d much rather offer advice on size of fly and sinking rate of tip (if required) rather than specifying a particular pattern. I don’t believe that I’ll ever hone my fly selection down to one single pattern but I aspire to that level of completeness! On a different note, I was guiding a Canadian angler last week who was excited when given a winning pattern that was dressed on a double hook, complete with barbs. In his words, he couldn’t fail to land any salmon hooked. Needless to say, after the third salmon dropped off after a 50 second scrap, he was starting to come to terms with a new, Scottish reality! Thanks again Mike.

[@clarkson7777]

Not only are the fish fantastically fit and silver,, but the river and scenery is absolutely stunning Cameron. You have the perfect fishery hear, and great gillies to go with it. I think those marks on that grilles were dolphin marks were the beast has grabbed it and then let go. What are your thoughts on it Cameron.

[@CameronChapman]

Thank you once again for your kind comments Brian, they are very much appreciated. I think you are spot on about the marks on the fish, you can definitely see the outline of a dolphin’s mouth along the flanks, looks like it was grabbed several times, perhaps thrown by one adult dolphin to another juvenile. Hopefully the scientists will get their acts together and there’ll be sufficient salmon numbers once again to feed all the dolphins, seals, orcas, otters, mink, herons, goosanders, cormorants, mergansers, kingfishers, dippers, eagles, ospreys, trout, grayling, pike, perch etc Yesterday was the last day of our season and we’ve landed a few coloured fish this past three weeks. However, the two largest old crocs are the ghillies 🙏🤣👍🏻

[@clarkson7777]

@@CameronChapman I agree Cameron. We protect seals, Dolphins extra but all these protected animals are prey for the demise of the salmon. It is going to be a long time before salmon recover, or even they wont recover, who knows. We just have to keep fishing on and see if they can recover, but there is so much pressure on salmon stocks I don't think they will recover until we find the real reason why they have declined. Well you will have to hang your landing net up for another year and get back onto making your looks a bit more handsome for next season. I don't know when your season starts but you have a good Christmas, yes it's nearly here and tight lines for 2024. And I will look forward in watching more great films from you.

[@CameronChapman]

@@clarkson7777 🙏❤️👍🏻

[@cameroncrawford9665]

Size doesn't matter when they are that fresh, cracking fish

[@CameronChapman]

Many thanks for your kind words Cameron, I couldn’t agree more.