There is no greater sensation than the tug of a wild brown trout on your fishing line. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe and even harder to beat, and there are few better places on earth to experience this thrill than the wild freshwater lochs of the Shetland Islands.

Shetland is quite simply a fisherman’s paradise. Located in the far north of Scotland and as close to Norway as it is to the UK (which it supposedly belongs to, but more on that in another article), it has hundreds of miles of coastline (1697 miles to be precise) from where you cast your line. to the sea and enough freshwater lakes so that he can fish a different one every day for a year. It’s not surprising, then, that anglers of all ages flock to these islands and return again.

Shetland brown trout are famous for putting up a lively fight and really is a must for all anglers. Some of the best fishing can be found on the west side of the island at Clousta, Vementry, West Burrafirth, Bridge Of Walls and Sandness, where many of the freshwater lakes are connected to each other and to the sea. This interconnection results in a healthy migration of fish between the lakes. In addition, it facilitates natural repopulation through sea trout spawning each September, when fall equinox rain swells the burns, allowing sea trout to access the lakes.

However, there is much more to fishing than just catching a fish. It’s all about the preparation, the anticipation, the baiting, the stalking, the calm wait for the pull of the line that announces the fight, and of course the setting. A wild trout must be caught in a wild place and you will be hard pressed to find a wilder place than Shetland. With its many freshwater lochs surrounded by rolling hills, heather, wildlife, the sound of a bubbling brook or the song of a lark, this is nature at its wildest and scenery at its most beautiful. As he tests his wits against the mighty brown trout, he soon finds himself immersed in a fishing experience that is simply out of this world. There is no law of diminishing returns here on the pleasure front.

And then there’s the feeling of pride when you present your catch. You want everyone to be as satisfied with your achievement as you are. Just like a cat bringing home a dead mouse and proudly placing it in front of you on the kitchen floor, it can sometimes be a bit like that for fishermen as not everyone appreciates seeing a dead fish on the table. from the kitchen. Admit it, you are different. You enjoy this stinky pastime of outwitting and catching something wild and then eating it. And why shouldn’t you? You hunted, you provided, now you’re going to enjoy the booty. It is at this point when a childish emotion springs from the pit of the stomach when remembering the smell of floured trout, fried in margarine. Beautiful. Your mouth is watering at the thought. And no matter how often you do it, each one you catch is just as exciting as the last. Why, on the grand scale of things, this simple little achievement of a 220 pound human winning the fight with a 1 pound fish constantly excites the angler is a mystery to me. But it excites.

Now, before you rush off to Shetland fishing, I’ll let you in on a little secret. In 2009, a record breaking 17lb wild brown trout was caught on the Upper Loch of Brouster at Bridge Of Walls. The reason for its immense circumference? Well, Upper Loch of Brouster is not only connected to the sea less than 100 meters away, but also has a small trout farm where the local trout feast on the food that falls from the cage at feeding time. . Maybe not as succulent as a wild little 1lb’er, but can you imagine the fight? And after all, size does matter, right?