If you played word association with an angler and said the word ‘Thurso’, you’d expect the most common answer would be ‘salmon’. Alternatively, as Thurso is the last town en route to Scrabster, some may think of the trout lochs of Orkney first.

However, a few might just turn their thoughts to the abundance of quality, wild and remote trout fishing that’s to be found in the river’s headwaters and the lochs that surround it. At least, that’s what I’d think of after recently spending a couple of very productive days roaming and exploring this hugely under-fished, surprising and remarkable place.

Venturing into the famous ‘Flow Country’, the Thurso Estate sits against a backdrop of the hills Scaraben, Carn Mor, Smean, Maiden Pap, Cnoc an Eireannaich, and, the daddy of them all, Morven. It’s the flatness of the foreground that helps these hills stand out so much and also the reason why Caithness has been in the past described as ‘the Lowlands beyond the Highlands’.

At one time, the Thurso Estate dominated not only the river and Lochdubh lands, but also incorporated the lodges further south at Dalnawhillian, Glutt as well as Stathmore, covering some 100,000 acres of moor along with a further 30,000 arable ground a little to the north. This made it one of the largest estates throughout northern Scotland, important enough to command its own railway station and school. Indeed, the train station at Altnabreac (trout burn) is still a request stop today.

All this helps highlight just how important to our history and upland way of life these estates were, and the sporting legacy through their years of ‘management’ we have today.

Tucked away in the midst of the Flow Country stands a surreal, Gothic-like lodge that looks like it has hailed straight out the pages of an Arthur Conan Doyle novel. Though now a private residence, it’s known to all as the ‘Lochdubh Hotel’. It seems to fit in perfectly here and must have appeared even more so back in the halcyon days.

Nowadays, the estate roads are pretty good and it’s possible to get round a lot of the place with your car, although a 4x4 would be better.

Initially, angling here was considered as inferior to the vast grouse, duck and stalking on offer. It was really only during ‘off days’ (the name given to the two days non-shooting time when the dogs were allowed to rest) that serious attention was turned to our water-based pastime with lots of rods out. This comprised a considerable amount more angling attention then than the area gets now, and important enough for considerable ‘fisheries management’ to take place which, to a degree, still goes on today, with the lochs of a’ Cherigal, Euan and Dubh nam Goedh receiving an influx of fish from the Thurso every back end to help supplement the poor spawning conditions there. Low competition in these waters for the abundant food available has lead to these waters holding the estate’s ‘big fish’ reputation. There’s also been some fish reduction in place on a couple of the others (such as Gaineimh, the sandy loch, and, to a lesser degree, Eileanach, ‘the loch of the islands’), with all fish required to be kept overa period of time in a bid to increase the average size.

In those days it wasn’t only the numbers of fish in the lochs that were of concern, but also the conditions required to catch them. They didn’t build a weather machine, more of an artificial spate maker which was supposed to encourage fish down in Thurso Bay to run the river in times of low water. A dam was created at the outflow of Loch More (itself an excellent salmon and seriously under-rated trout venue) around 1907 with the famous PD Malloch reputed to have had a hand in its design. It wasn’t as successful as it might have seemed. The sudden release of low oxygenated, peaty water actually had the opposite effect and pushed the fish out, rather than brought them in. Today, though, the release of water from the dam at times of high water helps prolong and enhance existing spates and encourages the fish to move, both upstream as well as to the fly, that little bit better and longer.

Loch More, as I’ve already said, is an excellent haunt for salmon, and very under-rated for trout. Head keeper, Eddie McCarthy, told me that the upper Thurso River, above More, is also worthy of the trout man’s attention, but it goes without saying that as it’s the main spawning area for the river’s ‘migratories’, utmost care needs to be taken when returning their offspring.

A wee wander up the Sleach for a few hours exploring this wild, wee spate water provided high rewards. The water, a good mix of slow pools and little runs, teemed with eager fish (mostly in the 8-12in bracket) and it was a privilege and delight to wet a line on a water that’s probably hardly seen serious attention since the demise of that nearby Lochdubh Hotel.

Easier going was to be found on the lochs I managed to fit in, especially around Eileanach, Gaineimh, Meadie and Caise. Eileanach, simply put, is a beauty. Around a mile long it has a ‘soft’ feel to it and has features galore for the roaming angler Two small islands help add to the visual aspect and it was in the lee side of these that I saw a lot of fish cruising along the calm margin – if only I’d brought that float tube. Fish range in the 8-12oz bracket, amongst smaller ones, and I could easily have passed the whole day roaming the bank searching out the better residents. However, there was so much more to explore.

Sedgehog: tufts of roe deer hair (a minimum of five) are tied in along the hook as a wing.

Gaineimh fishes much the same and also has about the same class of fish. However, it differs in shape (it’s much rounder) and has the stunning backdrop of those Flow Country hills. During my visit, the best tactic was a simple, two bushy bob-fly set-up (in this case two size 12 Sedgehogs, one natural hare’s ear, the other a nice medium olive) both ginked and fished across the wave with short line and high rod in a natural swing (sort of a cross between ‘dapping’ and ‘dibbling’). It’s an easy approach that’s often overlooked but is deadly on its day. Also, without a trailing wet fly you can also turn around into the wind and cover any free risers with a dry-fly approach. Deadly again!

A good hour and a bit covered the left bank (or most of it) before I had a quick look at the feeder stream right by the road which, thanks to all the recent rain, had both a bit of water and held a few fish, the best of which was just short of the pound. These wee burns are often worth a cast and all you need to do is just cut down to a short line, single fly and cover a likely looking lie. I’d even bet, no matter how public it may be, you’d be amongst the very few who’d ever bothered to try fishing this burn. Sometimes, just sometimes, the rewards can be very surprising.

There was just enough time remaining for a final look at Meadie before a very late tea. A drop in the wind brought the midges out and I cursed having left my repellent back in the car!

Still, a switch to a couple of static surface-fished Hoppers also had the fish biting, so I put up with a bit of ‘blood donating’ for as long as I could stand it before beating a hasty retreat. In normal circumstances, Meadie fishes much the same as the other two, although it holds slightly smaller fish. At around a mile in length and with easy access, this loch is more than worth a visit, especially if you’ve access to a float tube.

Close by there’s also the bigger fish venues of a’ Cherigal and Dubh nan Geodh. A’ Cherigal weeds up heavily as the season progresses but does offer its own attraction and challenge, with fish in the 12oz+ bracket, and a real chance of a two pounder. Dubh nan Geodh is a dour big fish venue. It’s is pronounced ‘doo nan go’ but locals call it ‘dinnae go’. Nevertheless, rewards are very high when things come right. In fact, it was, according to my old copy of Watson Lyall’s Sportsmans Guide, “one of the best lochs in Scotland, with fish in excess of 6lb recently recorded.” That was in 1914. All this time later and the potential for that real ‘rod benders’ still remain for those with both the patience and determination.

Scattered around the estate there’s an abundance of other waters too numerous to fish in one visit, especially one as short as this. It was a pity I didn’t have time to have a look at Rumsdale, Mhadaidh, Euan, Sand, Thulachan and Cheracher. Taken together, this place is without doubt a forgotten gem with a surprise around every corner and more fish you can shake your ‘carbon stick’ at.

Now where’s that diary so I can plan my return!

Factfile

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• Accommodation
  There’s an abundance of accommodation throughout the area including the Ulbster Arms Hotel in nearby Halkirk where permits for the estate waters are gained. Telephone (01847) 831206. There’s also the Central Caravan Park at Old Hall Watten. Telephone (01955) 621215.
   
• Permit details
  Permission for the estate waters can be gained from the Ulbster Arms. Here you can seek out Eddie McCarthy and any information you may require about the estate and fishing. For this, and the rest of the Thurso/Wick corner of Caithness you could contact Hugo Ross in his tackle shop in 56 High Street, Wick (01955) 604200. Email hugo@hugoross.co.uk. Website www.hugoross.co.uk
  For the Fountain Forestry waters contact Christopher Ross, Keepers House, Altnabrec, Halkirk (01847) 841237. The Fountain Forestry website can be found at www.fountainsplc.com