Born in 1967, Mitchell Lee Partridge has been fly fishing since the age of 10, and was well and truly hooked on the sport when he landed his first Salmon at 12 years old.

He has been lucky  enough to have fished some of the best salmon rivers in Scotland, including the Dee, Tay and of course the mighty Spey.

After serving in the RAF Regiment and the Royal Marines, Mitchell has been a full time ghillie on the Isle of Skye in the Highlands of Scotland for the last 8 years. He lives  in Skyes' capital Portree, with his wife Amanda and their collie dogs, Barra & Brech.

The word 'Ghillie' is Gaelic for man servant, and this is essentially what the role entails. The Ghillie is your personal assistant while you are fishing. He will advise you on the best tackle to use on any given day. If you are a beginner, he will show you how to tackle up and teach you all the intricacies of casting a fly.

He will advise you on the lies where the fish are most likely to be found. He will have knowledge of the river or loch bottom and help you wade safely so you can concentrate on your casting. When a boat is required, he will handle it so you can focus on your fishing.

He will help you with your fly choice and at what depth to fish it, wether it be a dry, wet or nymph fly, or perhaps all three at the same time. In essence he has the local knowledge that you lack. But he is not super human. Even he, on occasion, goes home with an empty bag!