Bettyhill angling club secretary has honour of first cast on the Naver

A handful of hardy angling enthusiasts gathered at Allie’s Pool on the river Naver on the morning of January 13 to declare the river open for the 2020 season.

The pool, in the lower reaches of the river, is one of two administered by Bettyhill Angling Club which, through Bettyhill Post Office, issues year permits to locals and day permits to visiting anglers.

The honour of making the first cast of the year fell to club secretary Alan Mouat of Skelpick.

But, given that the river was in flood after a weekend of heavy rain and that hurricane force winds were forecast for the afternoon, neither he, nor any of the six spectators, stayed for a day’s fishing.

However, optimism remains high that many more days suitable for fishing will transpire on the Naver in 2020.

Flowing 18 miles from Loch Naver to enter the sea at Bettyhill, the River Naver is regarded as the most productive, and exclusive, of Scotland’s salmon rivers, rivalling the Helmsdale for numbers of fish.

The fishing for both salmon and sea trout can be excellent on the lower association beat of the river.

The Naver was the first northern river to land a catch in 2019.

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