Although
at times the rugged Atlantic coastline of
Lewis can appear somewhat bleak and inhospitable
it's a well kept secret that there is one
special (some might say unique) spot where
the wind-sculpted rocks relent and give way
to a breathtaking expanse of white sands fringed
by green machair against a dramatic backdrop
of heather clad mountains.
Somewhere in these mountains the Fhorsa river
begins its journey to the sea. Gathering momentum
as it leaves Loch Slacsavat and cascading seawards
via a series of spectacular waterfalls the Fhorsa
finally cuts its way, a ribbon of crystal blue,
through the sands of Uig Bay.
This final stretch of the river where fresh water
and salt meet is known to fishermen the world
over as the Bruton Stream.
It is here from early June onwards that the
first shoals of Salmon will arrive having
completed the initial stage of their epic
journey from the icy waters of the North Atlantic.
As they gather in ever greater numbers in the
waters of Uig Bay they offer the discerning fisherman
the rare opportunity to exercise his fly fishing
skills in salt water.
Every day in early Summer as the tides ebb and
flow over the sands the fish, responding to that
mysterious natural instinct which drives them
to return to the river of their birth attempt
to forge their way upstream. Having spent the
previous winter at sea feeding voraciously they
are in prime condition to tackle the hazardous
journey ahead.
The
diminutive smolt which left the river a year
ago is now a sleek, torpedo of silver weighing
up to 10 pounds.
The time honoured combination of skill, experience
and (occasionally) good fortune all but guarantees
the visitor to Uig Lodge a memorable days
fishing in one of the last unspoilt wilderness
areas of the UK.
You can book the Lodge and its
exclusive fishing below:
Once the fish have crossed the shallow water
of the sands they enter the Fhorsa system. Again,
this is fishing of the highest order and large
bags can be had under the right conditions.
When
the fishing season ends the salmon, now red
in colour, are free to ascend the tributary
streams to their spawning areas where between
them they lay millions of eggs in early December.
These eggs are incubated beneath the clean
gravel in the pure oxygenated water of the
Fhorsa's headwaters.
Some time in the spring the eggs hatch and the young
salmon begin their arduous lives.
