North Sutherland
With hundreds of trout lochs, half a dozen salmon systems, and some of the best sea trout fishing remaining on the UK mainland, North Sutherland is truly a fly fisher's paradise.
There are trout lochs throughout the area, but the most famous of these are the renowned Durness ‘limestone lochs’, located near Sutherland's most north-westerly point, controlled by the Keoldale Sheep Stock Club.
Lochs Caladail, Borralie and Croispol are the most accessible of these lochs, and share an alkaline limestone source, crystal clear water, and prolific insect and crustacean life. Caladail is shallow throughout, but Borralie and Croispol also feature deep holes. These conditions provide challenging fishing for superb quality wild brown trout.
To the east, along the central part of the north coast there are numerous lochs in the Tongue to Bettyhill area, those controlled by Tongue Angling Club available to visitors.
The next major area of note is Strath Halladale and the lochs of the Altnabreac area to the south and east, that extend across the 'flow country' into Caithness. Fishing on these peatland lochs is controlled by the Forsinard Fly Fisher’s Club, and membership is required to fish them. These lochs could not be more different to those at Durness but have their own beauty, and fishing in this largely flat landscape, under huge skies, can be a true 'wilderness' fly fishing experience.
There are several notable salmon and sea trout systems flowing to the sea along the north coast of Sutherland including the Naver, Halladale, Borgie and Dionard rivers, and the Hope system, most famous for its sea trout fishing on Loch Hope.
The salmon beats on these rivers are generally let in advance by the week, often to the same tenants year after year, so day permits are rarely available, but visiting anglers can access one of the Naver’s lower beats, through the local angling club, and the Keoldale Sheep Stock Club offer salmon fishing on a beat of the River Dionard.
There is also sea trout fishing available there, on the Naver estuary and the Kyle of Durness, as well as the Halladale estuary and the Kyle of Tongue.
Guests staying at the Altnaharra Hotel may have access to sea trout fishing by boat on Loch Hope and salmon and sea trout fishing on Loch Naver.
Forsinard & Altnabreac slide show images © Euan Myles; River Naver & Halladale images © Andrew Graham-Stewart; Loch Naver images © Colin Riach.
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