September 2023 – Skeabost House Hotel is not only lucky enough to sit directly on River Snizort, the main salmon river on the Isle of Skye owning the fishing rights along its entire length, but to also have its own full-time Ghillie Danny Docherty sharing his fishing knowledge and expertise with guests and anglers.

With over 25 years of trout and salmon fishing experience, Danny is an expert in his field and passionate about how responsible fishing practices can support the long-term health of river systems and fish populations.

Here Danny shares his top tips and insights into how responsible fishing practices have helped support the fishery on the River Snizort at Skeabost House Hotel. This includes a long-term partnership with the Skye and Lochalsh Rivers Trust tracking sea trout and salmon revealing the importance of sea loch habitats to both adults and smolts.

Danny’s tips and insights include:

Catch and Release
Salmon and sea trout populations are unfortunately most at risk and have experienced a severe decline due to various environmental and human factors. One way for anglers to help minimise their impacts on these populations is by practicing catch and release methods. By releasing the fish back into the river to continue its migratory journey, they return to their familiar spawning grounds which is a vital contribution to both salmon and trout conservation in the area.

Fish Handling
Here at Skeabost House Hotel we encourage good fish handling. When we catch a trout or salmon, we ask anglers to follow the guidelines as set out by the Scottish Government such as keeping the fish in the water as much as possible and handling carefully.

Playing a Fish
Catching a fish is the most exciting part of the whole experience however it also needs to be handled properly to avoid over exhaustion. At Skeabost, we use appropriate tackle which is strong enough to play fish quickly for example using double hooks instead of treble hooks and unhooking while the fish remains in the water, before releasing back into the river.

Tracking Sea Trout
Since 2017, we’ve been working closely with the Skye and Lochalsh Rivers Trust to study the marine movements of sea trout when they first leave their natal rivers and move into the marine environment. This has been hugely important in understanding the habitat use of sea trout in the area showing the majority of detected sea trout smolts (72%) remained in their natal sea loch for the first three months of their marine migration.  Over 85% of adult sea trout demonstrated similar behaviour and remained in the same sea loch over many months instead of migrating out into deeper water. These studies have shown just how important sea lochs are to local sea trout populations (both as nurseries and feeding grounds) and how these habitats need to be protected to ensure the continued survival of sea trout.

Guided Trout and Salmon fishing packages are available at Skeabost House Hotel with Ghillie Danny including a full-day from £100, half-day with fishing equipment from £200 and a full-day with fishing equipment from £300. Fishing season at Skeabost House Hotel is available from February to mid-October, and prices are based on packages available from September to October. For further details on fishing packages available at Skeabost House Hotel, visit https://skyehotel.co.uk/fishing/.

Discover more about Sonas Collection here – https://skyehotel.co.uk/

ENDS

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About The Sonas Collection

The Sonas Collection is made up of three stylish boutique hotels on the Isle of Skye including Toravaig House Hotel, Duisdale House Hotel and Skeabost House Hotel. Independently owned and run by award-winning hotelier Anne Gracie Gunn and her family, each hotel has its own individual personality. All are dedicated to providing chic bedrooms, delicious food with a local twist and most importantly deliver great Highland Hospitality.

Contact Details
For media enquiries, images and press trips contact:
Sarah Salord, Company Director
GEC PR
020 3907 6824
[email protected]