Caithness Angler takes Record Fish

3rd June 2008

When Caithness anglers Ronald MacKenzie and Raymond Millard set out for the day fly fishing on Loch Heilan, little did they know that they would end up in the record books for the second time in the space of 12 months.

On 8th June 2007 the pair were out fishing on Loch Heilan when Millard hooked a huge Brown Trout which eventually tipped the scales at 10lbs 12ozs. At the time, this was recorded as the biggest wild Brown Trout to be caught in Caithness in living memory. That record stood until Monday 2nd June 2008 when this time it was Ronald MacKenzie who successfully hooked and landed an absolute monster of a fish weighing in at 11lbs 10ozs!

Mackenzie said, “The weather and water conditions were exactly the same as last year when Raymond caught his fish, it was a day I will never forget, a fish of a lifetime!” When asked what fly did he use to catch the fish Mackenzie replied, “Well, that will have to remain a secret for now because I plan to go back later in the week for the one that got away!”

Loch Heilan near Barrock on the North coast of Caithness has always had a reputation as a ‘big fish’ water with Trout of 4 & 5lbs commonplace. Earlier in 2007 Wick angler Mac Young caught a trout weighing 9lb 8ozs.