Below you can access downloads of some of the more historical literature on angling in Assynt as well as a bibliography of some more titles. This is scratching the surface - if you know of others please do let us know.
J. Hicks - Wandering the Lochs and Streams of Assynt (1855)
The earliest known account of angling in Assynt is J. Hicks’ 1855 book, Wandering the Lochs and Streams of Assynt. One copy of this book is owned locally but it is also available online and as a PDF document.
Download: Wandering the Lochs and Streams of Assynt (PDF 7.9MB)
Thomas Tod Stoddart – Accounts of Angling in Assynt, 1850s
Thomas Tod Stoddard wrote two books about angling in the 1850s that refer to angling in Assynt: The Angler’s Companion to the Rivers and Lochs of Scotland and An Angler’s Ramblings and Angling Songs. These are among the earliest published accounts, although interestingly Stoddart refers to Assynt’s long standing reputation as an angling destination, already established by then.
Downloads:
The Angler’s Companion to the Rivers and Lochs of Scotland
- Assynt extracts (PDF 1.49MB)
- Full download (PDF 44.45MB)
An Angler’s Ramblings and Angling Songs
- Sutherland extracts (PDF 2.1MB)
- Full download (PDF 7.24MB)
V Carron Wellington – The Adventures of a Sporting Angler (Oliver and Boyd 1952)
V Carron Wellington wrote just one angling book, but what a book! Set mostly in Assynt, as well as around Ullapool and elsewhere, the book recounts many tales of angling derring-do. This includes encounters with wild goats and cormorants as well as epic swims to fish from islands, with rod clasped between teeth! Reasonably easily available second hand, it’s a really great read and will be of interest to those who have fished the lochs of Assynt. Get a taste from the extracts available for download here.
Downloads:
Cover, Contents and Preface (PDF 0.89MB)
Chapter XV. Among the Lillies (A chapter based in and around Lochinver and Suilven). (PDF 4.11MB)
Chapter XVI: The Uninvited Guest (Based between Lochinver and Stoer at Loch Dubh) (PDF 0.87MB)
Chapter XVII: My ‘Swan Song’ (Based in Inverpolly) (PDF 0.96MB)
Chapter XIX: Our Lady of the Gorge (Based in Kylesku) (PDF 1.36MB)
Vincent Carron Wellington was real character. His grandson, Richard Wynne, has been tracing the family history and has unearthed a wealth of detail on the man. With Richard’s cooperation, we’re putting this together as a blog article, available shortly.
Can you help? Richard Wynne is keen to find out more about his grandfather. If you know anything, please contact via our contact form
R MacDonald Robertson - Angling in Wildest Scotland and In Scotland With a Fishing Rod
Macdonald Robertson, an angler who we are told frequented the Kylesku Hotel, wrote two books that covered angling in Assynt in the 1930s. The first is Angling in Wildest Scotland - which lists some of the Assynt lochs, especially around Stoer, but focuses mostly on angling farther north in Durness. In Scotland With a Fishing Rod is a more general account of angling in Scotland, but includes a chapter on angling in Assynt, focused on Fionn Loch.
Download:
Angling in Wildest Scotland (1935) Extract (PDF 214KB)
In Scotland with a Fishing Rod (1935)
Cover contents and preface (PDF 1.88MB)
Ch XIV Lochinver (PDF 5.85MB)
Ch XV Eas Coul Aulin (PDF 5.88MB)
Bibliography
We are compiling a list of references to literature about angling in Assynt. Have a look, but please send us details of others you know of.
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