“WE’D better go back and get the rods,” John said as we trundled down the track to the river where we planned to fish for the day. Mmmmm. My job is to make a pack up and make sure we have a dry change of clothes in a rucksack for if we get wet. Job done and in the Land Rover. John’s to get the rods.

At last the weather has changed and after five dry, sunny days, the rain that had been sweeping the rest of the country has reached where we are fishing in Scotland.

The river is up and hopes high for the fish to make a dash from the sea to the hill lochs via the river we are fishing on. So putting the rods in would be a good idea. Brownie points to me that I did not get my side of the planning wrong.

Our new ghillie, however, was not out with us today. She has gallantly rowed us up and down the loch as we attempted to catch fish that had clearly decided not to play.

Not a ripple showed on the water, but if a little passenger that we had on board had decided to make a dash for the shore, you would have seen mass panic and a lot of splashing around as we tried to bring her back on board.

The stowaway was Aisir. A tiny little terrier pup that has wheedled her way into the life of our fishing lodge. She is totally fearless, but to ensure that she does not risk too many swims in the loch, our ghillie, Sophie, tucks her inside her waterproof jacket to keep her safe.

From there Aisir, in a fashion strongly reminiscent of a kangaroo joey, can survey the loch in safety. Until she gets bored. Then she squiggles and squirms under Sophie’s jacket in a bid for freedom.

None of this deterred Sophie from her job to get us a fish. But without rain, and with no fish apparently in the system, unlikely.

Tonight, however, courtesy of a fresh run of fish from the rain, there are two fine salmon written up in the lodge fishing record. Now normally we put fish straight back in the river or loch. Neither of us is that keen on salmon, although I do have a partiality for when it is smoked.

But today the head ghillie Duncan had a job for a fine fish. A ghillie on the estate, Henry, who we have met and sunk a dram or two of whisky with, died this week after a long battle with cancer.

Several hundred mourners are expected at his funeral and wake. He was well respected and loved. Duncan himself is delivering a tribute to his long time friend. And our salmon will make its own fine contribution to the funeral tea.