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Alba Game Fishing Logo, fly fishing Scotland, Orvis Endorsed guiding company

Fishing trips throughout Scotland

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Orvis Endorsed guides, Orvis, fishing guide, Scotland
UK +44 7734 810 706   USA TOLL FREE 800-972-0408

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UK +44 7734 810 706  

USA TOLL FREE 800-972-0408

  • Home
  • About
    • About Home
    • Why Alba Game Fishing
    • Team of fishing guides
    • Videos
    • What Fishing Tackle is best in Scotland
    • Fishing in Scotland – Blog
    • 2020 Fishing and Touring in Scotland Brochure
  • Packages
    • Packages Home
    • Salmon Fishing Scotland
    • Trout Fishing in Scotland
    • Pike Angling
    • Corporate Events
    • Saltwater Fly Fishing – Sea Fishing Trips in Scotland
    • Fishing Gift Vouchers in Scotland, UK
    • Grayling Fishing
    • Bespoke Luxury Vacations in Scotland
  • Corporate Fishing
    • Corporate Incentive groups fishing in Scotland
    • Fly Fishing Experience Days Team Building
    • Corporate Trout fishing near Aberdeen
    • Learn to fly fish in Scotland
  • Partners
    • Scott Mackenzie Fly Rods for salmon fishing in Scotland
    • Barrio Fly Lines
    • 4×4 Hire Scotland
    • Links
  • Bespoke Vacations
    • Hidden Gems Mixed Fishing & Touring Vacation in Scotland
    • Macnab challenge in Scotland
    • River Tweed Fishing Lodge September/ October
    • Fishing vacation, staying in Fishing Lodge in Scotland – Perfect Staycation
  • Fishing Accommodation
  • North American Guests
  • Basket

Safety and avoiding injury when fishing

D Loop. Spey Casting, Single Spey, River Spey, Salmon fishing, fly fishing, Speyside, Muckrach, Alba Game Fishing, Stewart Collingswood
Salmon Fishing on the River Spey in March

This article focuses on safety and avoiding injury when planning or partaking in a days fishing in Scotland with us.

Safety is something we take seriously at Alba Game Fishing. There are two sections to this article, before and during a trip.

Before you fish, its vital to be honest with your fishing guide about your wading ability. This enables us to choose a stretch of wader, that offers safe wading. It makes for a more enjoyable day. We try and teach guests to minimise wading as often it spooks fish. In fact, never wade through a section of river you can cast a fly into first! Most of our guests are between the age of 50-80 and guests have varying wading ability. In some instances we are able to drive straight to the river side in a 4X4 vehicle, and the guest can get straight into a boat. This is useful for anyone with limited mobility. As a general rule though, most of our wading in rivers, is safe and easy on shallow gravel.

Safety – take time to stretch before fishing

The importance of stretching before fishing cannot be overlooked. If you are relaxed and supple, this will minimise injury and make the day more enjoyable. Equally, taking regular breaks to stretch is useful, especially when doing a new activity such as learning to Spey Cast. When people learn to cast, it’s natural that guests tense up and our teaching techniques emphasise staying relaxed and not forcing anything, and allowing the rod to deliver casts with minimum effort.

River tweed, salmon fishing. Scotland, fishing guide, Spey Casting, Fly Fishing, Orvis UK, Atlantic Salmon
Shallow gravel wading on the River Tweed this is about as deep as we get

Another aspect of teaching, is that the correct stance is adopted, this will avoid twisting and putting joints under unnecessary strain.

Repetitive strain injuries – Safety when Fishing

Trout fisherman can often develop Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) and a common one is tendonitis or tennis elbow. To avoid this, its vital to stretch before hand and if you have any underlying muscle strains, know your limitations. I’m also a great advocate of using small lightweight rods. Why thrash around with an #8 weight which resembles a snooker cue, when you can enjoy a #4 weight weighing not much more than a few ounces. By the way, before you say yes but in a strong wind you need a bigger rod, I don’t buy that either, I use a #4/5 weight or lighter for all my trout fishing. It will save your joints! Stripping line repetitively can cause strains to the triceps, I know, I have had this injury. I was fishing in Shetland for wild brown trout and this requires fast stripping of palmered flies, and covering as much water as possible, it can also knacker your triceps, so stretch before hand.

tricep stretch, stretch, diagram, fishing stretch
A good tricep stretch

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