WE HAD two friends passing through after fishing the Helmsdale for a week and, like most people who fish the Helmsdale, they were thoroughly pleased with themselves, because they had 17 fish in the week. That’s the Helmsdale for you.
There always seems to be plenty of fish, or at least all the people I ever talk to have terrific weeks. Even I have caught fish on the Helmsdale and my son had a 27-pounder at about this time last year that even made it into the Trout and Salmon river reports.
Anyway, these two were staying with us for only one night and then pushing off first thing.
After a week on the Helmsdale I think I’d be prepared to pack it in after a successful six days. But these two would have been up and out first thing Sunday morning had the law allowed it. But it doesn’t. But why doesn’t it, they complained?
There is no law which says thou shalt not shoot on a Sunday in Scotland, even if custom and practice among all but the most ignorant, dictates Sunday is the one day when you give killing a rest.
But shooting, they declared, was different because it made big bangs. Fishing was a peaceful occupation. And most fish were put back, most of the time. At which point I found myself reverting rather embarrassingly to the Old Testament and about resting on the seventh day although I’m not sure it actually says you have to rest on a Sunday.
Surely it was better to just let the river and its inhabitants calm down for a day – if only to lull them into a false sense of security for Monday when the next week’s fishing tenants hit the riverbank?
And anyway, what about the gillie? Can’t he or she have a day off? But in this day and age, they argued, shouldn’t someone who has been working all week be able to fish on a Sunday?
We have Sunday shopping after all. And what about spate rivers which are only fishable at specific moments? Well true, but that’s the nature of the game, some days are good, some are bad.
The best thing to do, they declared, was to do what they did with Sunday trading and leave it up to the owners to decide.
If they want to let people fish on a Sunday, then it’s up to them. No one has to fish if they have religious or any other scruples.
I am glad to say that, for once, the netsmen came to my rescue. Salmon netsmen have to deactivate their nets over the weekend by law except in bad weather –which mysteriously seems to occur most weekends in some areas. So if you want Sunday fishing you will also have to have Sunday netting as well. Hmmm. Not so good after all.