Scotland is world-renowned for its salmon and trout fishing opportunities, and nowhere more so than the Highlands where stunning rivers and impressive lochs abound.
Salmon Fishing
The River Helmsdale offers some of the best salmon fishing in the world and people travel from far and wide to fish this great river.
The salmon and sea trout season opens on 11th January with an official Open Day Ceremony and, on this day anyone may fish the river for free and hundreds of anglers come to the area to do so.
For the rest of the season, until the river closes on 30th September, visitors may obtain fishing permits for the Association Water, the 1.5 mile stretch of river closest to Helmsdale which has a number of good pools and fast streams. Individual and family tickets are available on either a daily or weekly basis and, whilst it is often possible to buy these at relatively short notice, it is worth booking in advance as only eight tickets are issued a day.
The rest of the river is split into 12 beats (6 above Kildonan Bridge and 6 below) and shared between 6 proprietors, Suisgill being one of them, who are allocated an above and a below beat each day on a rotational basis and allowed just two rods on the river a day. In terms of Suisgill rods, we let our fishing on a weekly basis and due to repeat visitors it very rarely comes available but we do operate a waiting list for those who wish to express an interest and may get in touch if any fishing does become free. For more information, please email us at lettings@suisgill.co.uk.
Other local salmon rivers include the River Brora, the Halladale and the Thurso.
River Helmsdale 10 year average:
Trout Fishing
The quality of Sutherland’s wild brown trout fishing is second-to-none and Suisgill is an excellent base to explore the many lochs in the area. The Scottish brown trout season runs from 15th March to 6th October, with some local lochs finishing their season on 30th September.
On Badanloch Estate, at the very top of the River Helmsdale, there is a three-loch system comprising of Loch Rimsdale, Loch Nan Clar, and Loch Badanloch (home to the famous Badanloch dam which was built in the 1900s with the purpose of maintaining water levels on the Helmsdale). With 5 boats available on what amounts to around 2,300 acres of water, you will not be competing for space! There is also the possibility of trout fishing on the mile-long stretch of the Helmsdale river between Loch Achnomoine and the dam. Prices: boats £20 per day for up to three people per boat; bank £10 per day per person and river £25 per rod with a maximum of two rods on the river. Click here for more information about trout fishing at Badanloch.
On Achentoul Estate, there are number of lochs to try including Loch Ruthair (4 boats, easily accessible), Loch Arachlinie (3 boats but a bit of a walk to get there) and Loch Lucy (bank fishing only, easily accessible). Prices are the same for all lochs. Boat hire is £15.00 per day (maximum of two rods) and bank fishing is £7.00 per day per rod. For more information, please call Achentoul Estate on 01431 831227
Tight lines!
Helmsdale River Board Byelaws 2024:
1. COCK AND HEN SALMON, SEA TROUT AND FINNOCK
Throughout the season all stale fish must be returned to the river unless damaged
beyond recovery. To minimise injury to any fish landing nets should be of knotless
mesh and where damage may occur to a fish in enforced removal of the fly the cast
should be cut and the fish released with the fly in place.
2. CATCH AND RELEASE
All fish over 12 pounds throughout the fishing season will be returned. Larger fish
have more eggs proportionately for their body-weight and the eggs are of better
quality. The spawning stock will thereby be improved.
The Board has decided in particular to help springers. Accordingly, all fish shall be
returned up to the end of Week 14 in 2024 ending June 9th. Thereafter one fish per
beat per week is allowed to be killed. Very small salmon and grilse up to 2lb in
weight may be killed from the end of week 14 and are outside these Conservation
Rules. The Board appreciates your co-operation in their conservation policy.
As before, fish may be killed if they are fatally injured. This normally means if they
are hooked in the tongue or deep in the throat.
The Board is apprehensive about escaped farmed Norwegian fish interbreeding with
native Scottish wild fish. Please kill all farmed salmon regardless of any restrictions.
The key indicators are: worn dorsal fin, rounded-off tail, gill-covers which do not
cover the gills completely and expose a white edge, extra spottiness on the back, and
general oddity of appearance. Please note that some farm escapees are big and well-
disguised.
Any straying ‘pinks’ (Pacific salmon) must be killed and given to the bailiffs.
All anglers must carry long-nosed pliers to facilitate release of fish when not with
their ghillies.
Anglers are reminded that for the purposes of catch data a fish is deemed to have been
caught only after it has been released manually by the angler. It is not deemed to
have been caught if it gets off just before being landed.
3. ROD RETURN FORMS2
Rod Return Forms will be provided to Proprietors and Tenants on Monday each week
direct from the Head Bailiff’s office at The Hatchery. The previous weeks Return
Form will be collected from Ghillies on Monday. This must be signed and verified as
correct by the Proprietor or Tenant and handed to the Ghillie on Saturday when the
Ghillie returns home. Any fish caught late on a Saturday after the Ghillie has gone
home must be notified to the Ghillie who will add these to the Return Form.
Numbers of Kelts caught and returned should be noted on the reverse of the Return
Form. Instead of recording as grilse any fish caught below 6 lb., it is suggested that
fishers, when making their weekly return, should use their discretion in distinguishing
between small salmon and grilse, regardless of weight, and if necessary, should ask
for their ghillie’s advice.
The weekly Return Form should include reference to the number of fish caught,
which are scarred or bitten by seals.
4. LATE FISHING BY NON-TENANTS. In order to avoid ‘fishing-round-the-
clock’ and compromising fishing opportunities for fishermen the following morning
the Board does not permit fishing by non-tenants or their fishing party in the evening.
When tenants leave the river the beat should be left undisturbed until next morning.
Only with the proprietors’ express permission to a specified angler or anglers may
after-hours fishing occur. The exception to this general rule is on Saturday afternoon
when some tenants have departed and no fishing in any case takes place on Sunday.
In that case late fishing may take place, again with the permission of the proprietor.
5. FISHING HUTS
It is in everyone’s interest that these are kept clean and tidy. Fishers should therefore
ensure that Fishing Huts are left tidy for those who follow them and that no litter of
any kind is left on the beat at the end of each fishing day.
6. DOGS
a) No dogs shall be taken to the River downstream of the cattle grid on One
Below except to the Marrel and Whinnie Pools.
b) All dogs shall be kept either on a lead or strictly ‘at heel’.
c) No dog shall be taken through or near a park during lambing.
7. VEHICLE ACCESS AND PARKING
No vehicles are to be taken across fields, tracks or private roads to the riverbank
under any circumstances. The only exceptions being the Dalcharn Hut on Beat Three
Above, Killearnan Bridge on Beat Five Below and the Hut on One Above. The Lay-
by at the Duible Farm entrance and Duible Bridge is not to be used for parking. A
parking place has been provided with access to the Jetty Streams, Craggie Burn and3
the Short at Halgarry Cottage. No Parking is to take place at either of the wrought
iron gates at Kildonan Lodge. No vehicles shall be driven on 6 Above to the loch-
side at Achnamoine; a road-side parking bay is provided.
8. CLOSURE OF THE RIVER.
The Board has abandoned the old practice of changing beats at 8pm. Salmon
fishing is now on the same beat all day. In the interests of sea-trout fishers and their
opportunity to catch sea-trout after midnight the Board allows fishing to continue
through until 2am.
The change of beat will therefore occur at 6am the following day when fishing
resumes. This rule does not apply on Saturday when, to avoid Sunday fishing, the
river closes at midnight.
Week 1 commences on Monday 3rd March 2024.
Week 27 commences on Monday 1st September 2024
During weeks 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 no fishing will take place anywhere on the river
after 8 p.m.
9. TACKLE USE
Treble or quadruple hooks up to a size 8 shall be permitted. Single hook fly sizes are
unrestricted.
10. SEA TROUT
All sea trout below 1lb in weight and over 4lb in weight must be returned to the river.
No more than 2 sea trout a day may be kept by one angler
11. HEALTH AND SAFETY
In case of emergency the Board has provided 2 defibrillators. One is at the Hatchery
buildings, visible on the hatchery wall as you drive in. The other is at Kildonan
Lodge, again hanging on the wall as you drive in. There is a third in the Health
Centre in Helmsdale. The de-fibrillators themselves give instructions on use when
started.
12. UNDERWATER FILMING DEVICES
The Board has decided, in order to maintain the sporting challenges of angling, that
no underwater filming devices should be deployed on the Helmsdale. Use of these is
prohibited.4
For and on behalf of the Board 20th October 2024.