Scores of anglers turned out to bless the River Beauly for a prosperous fishing season.
The traditional proceedings, which mark the beginning of the season, was led by Beauly Angling Club’s chairwoman Wendy Harpe.
She addressed the crowd and then blessed the river with a Quaich of Glen Ord Singleton malt whisky, donated by the distillery on the Black Isle.
Piper Niall Bolger, 13, also performed at the event on Saturday.
Yesterday, she said: “Everything ran amazingly well. We had a very young piper who was just lovely and fantastic.
“We have been having quite a hard time to make the club appealing to youngsters, so last year, for the first time, we applied our minds and came to the conclusion that teaching fly fishing is a long process and isn’t particularly what they are after.
“We decided to hire a stock loch and let the youngsters fish with floats. We held three separate days which were well attended by around 12 to 13 youngsters and they all caught a fish. So it was great to see them yesterday.
“I am very happy with the way things ran and we look forward to a prosperous season.”
The group then gathered at the Downie Fishing Hut, about half a mile above the Lovat Bridge, for light refreshments.
Dave Sellars, a member of the club, said: “It was very pleasing to see what I would say is a very good turnout. I was quite surprised when turning up to see so many cars – it actually took me a while to find a spot.
“It was great to see some of the children down here, as well as the new members of the club, and it was also good to meet up with the representatives of the river trust and marine biologists. The piper was just great too.
“We have got to be positive and hope that this year is going to be better than last year. Last year was not particularly good but we are hoping for a busier season.”
The anglers operate a 100% catch and release policy to ensure the river remains populated and the numbers of fish are monitored and maintained.
