Fishing season casts off on River Ness after 'toast to the river' by Inverness Angling Club present

THE pandemic was unable to put a stop to a fishing tradition when the president of Inverness Angling Club took to the waters of the River Ness yesterday.

Although lockdown meant that the club was one of several to cancel their annual “toast to the river” whisky ceremonies, which mark the start of the new season, president Alex Elliott went to the river on his own to bless the waters with a wee dram.

It may not have had the fanfare of the usual ceremony, but Mr Elliott’s one-man gesture – which took place amid snowy scenes – helped to keep the tradition going for another year.

Meanwhile, Monday’s wintry weather is expected to continue right into the weekend.

The Met Office has several snow and ice warnings in place for parts of the Highlands in the coming days, including one alert covering much of the region which will last 54 hours into Saturday.

Related news: Inverness Angling Club's traditional whisky ceremony among those cancelled in the Highlands due to Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic lockdown

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