The Opening - and home cooking

I know I said no more snow scenes, but I needed a wintry shot of the River Spey. The salmon fishing season on the river opened on 11 February. Opening ceremonies mark the start of the season on the major rivers of Scotland. A report of the ceremony on the Spey said "The other 3 major rivers, namely, Tweed, Tay and Dee had been opened by a variety of politicians and comedians, therefore the Spey, not to be outdone, had a combination of both in MSP Richard Lochhead." [MSP = Member of Scottish Parliament]. I can't find anything on the internet about Mr Lochhead pursuing an amateur interest in stand-up comedy, so I assume this is an 'affectionate' tribute. Perhaps it refers to the fact that the political comedian poured a whole bottle of Glenfarclas Single Malt whisky into its waters as a good luck libation. You can see some of the obviously chilly event here.

And the home cooking? The villages along the banks of the Spey have angling associations, through which residents and visitors can fish on certain stretches of the river for very reasonable rates compared to the most famous beats where prices are astronomical. The custom in the Aberlour Angling Club is to donate the first salmon of the season to the Fleming Cottage Hospital. So it was that my father enjoyed freshly caught salmon for his evening meal on 11 February.