Wick Angling Association Wick Angling Association - Fishing in Caithness

Wick River Visitor Rules

  1. Visitor Fees are – Daily @ £30, OAP Daily @ £15, increasing to Daily @ £40, OAP Daily @ £20 in July & August.  Weekly @ £120, OAP weekly @ £60, increasing to Weekly @ £160 and OAP weekly @ £80 for July & August.  Junior daily @ £5, Junior weekly @ £20.
  2. Visitors are permitted to fish for Salmon and Sea Trout from 11th February to 12th Oct. All salmon must be returned to the water in the period from 11th Feb. to 30th June and during the month of September to 12th October. During these periods fishing will be by fly, or spinning when allowable. Brown Trout fishing is allowed from 21st Mar to 5th Oct.
  3. Visitors are allowed to spin from the period 11th February to 15th May only. After this time spinning and the use of spinning gear, including multiplying reels is PROHIBITED. Primary School visitors may continue to use spinning gear for worm fishing only.
  4. Visiting anglers are only permitted to keep one salmon per day to a maximum of two per week if on a weekly permit.  Once the limit has been reached a visitor may continue fishing but it must be by fly only and all further fish caught must be returned safely to the water.
  5. Worming is permitted from 1st July to 31st August only.
  6. Fishing is PROHIBITED from below the marker at the Wick Caravan Site to the sea.
  7. The use of Gaffs is PROHIBITED.
  8. Sunday Angling is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
  9. Angling is PROHIBITED between the hours of 11.30pm and 5.00am throughout the season.
  10. The sale of fish from Wick river is PROHIBITED.
  11. It is the duty of every visitor to see that no smolts, unseasonable or undersized fish are taken from the river. All fish under 7 inches shall be returned to the water.
  12. All foul-hooked fish must be returned to the water.
  13. Bait fishing shall be deemed to be worming with a single bait only, Prawns, Shrimps etc. are not allowed. Bait fishing with a set line and the use of weights in low water conditions is BANNED.
  14. All Visitors to Wick River are bound to fish in a fair and sportsmanlike manner, and shall use every endeavor to suppress the illegal capture of fish in Wick River and neighbouring streams. Any cases of poaching or illegal fishing should be immediately reported to the Secretary, any member of the Committee or a Water Bailiff. This rule also applies to the bay and estuary.
  15. A Worm fisher shall at all times give way to a Fly fisher. No fisher ( bait or fly ) shall take possession of a pool for an unreasonable length of time.
  16. All Anglers must take one step downstream between casts when another angler is following behind.
  17. Each Visitor shall exhibit their Permit when requested to do so by a Water Bailiff or any Member of the Committee. A Fisher must cease fishing immediately on failure to produce their Permit.
  18. A record shall be kept by each Visitor, in the space provided on the Permit, of all Salmon and Sea Trout caught and returned to “Association Secretary,  MR J. Mackay, Balcraggie,  West Banks Avenue, Wick. KW1 5LU”.  Alternatively the catch can be recorded in the website on the catch record page.
  19. The Permit is not transferable.
  20. Visitors must on no account be accompanied by dogs when fishing.
  21. Visitors should ensure that no damage is done to fences, crops etc. along the River bank. Gates should be closed and kept clear for access. No litter should be left behind.
  22. The use of facilities is undertaken at a Visitors own risk.
  23. Any Visitor willfully infringing any of the above rules will be barred from Wick River.
  24. The river may be closed to fishing in severe drought conditions at the discretion of the Committee.

Wick River Information

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Parking (Foot Access Only)

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Kensary Burn

Badlipster

Scorrieclate

Sheriff’s

Acherole Burn

Pennyland

Watten Bridge

Bridge Pool

River Marker

Clay Bank

Back of the Hotel

Mill Stream

The Pot

Sanny Lyons

Stepping Stones

Borgies

Little Pot

Tarroul Bridge

Long Shank

Kitty Gow’s

Tarroul

Quarry Hole

Corrie’s Dam

Doodser’s Dam

Wash Pool

Winless Burn

Footbridge

The Strath

Stepping Stones

Shepherd’s

Ingimster Bridge

Ingimster

Sandy Hole

Man-made Pools

Rocky Pool

Footbridge

Long Pool

Windmill Pool

Fingers Pool

Built Inner

Bilbster Bridge

Bull’s Hole

Grilse Pool

Deeran’s

Dyke End

Willie’s

Wellies

Haster Burn

Back of the woods

Hughie’s

Jasper’s

Bridge Pool

McPhail’s Pool

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Download Map

Access to the river and parking areas are shown on the river map. Please ensure that you park considerately, and in particular, do not park in front of gates or block off access routes. The association depends heavily on the goodwill of farmers for access and we do not want to give any cause for concern. With that in mind, please also do not walk through fields of crops, take the outer edges, and please take your litter home with you.