Record breaking salmon season on Highland river

A RECORD breaking salmon season on a Highland river has included the highest rod catch in a month since records began in 1896.

The improvement in fortunes on the Thurso River in Caithness has seen a remarkable turnaround in catches over the last seven years.

In 2003 just 249 fish were caught during the whole season which runs from 11 January to 5 October. This is about a quarter of the number of salmon netted in August alone this year - 1,026.

The August total exceeds the entire season's catch for the river in five of the last ten years.

Before this year the Thurso had ten and five-year average catches of 962 and 1,245 salmon per year in a season. In 2010, however the total catch of salmon was about 3,500.

During the season more than 700 anglers fished the Thurso River which has 12 beats over its 26 miles. .