Dee & Don Salmon Fishing: 3 Days On The Dee At Carlogie

I had my usual 3 days at Carlogie this week starting on Thursday. Heavy rain overnight on the Wednesday caused the river to rise rapidly and it peaked about 7ft on the Potarch gauge when I left at 4pm. Not much fishing took place but I did manage a kelt not long after 9am from the Village Pool just before the river shot up. It was 2ft 6in when we arrived.

Friday saw the river drop a couple of feet and it was carrying a nice peaty colour to it. It was only the Village Pool that was fishable but around 10am I hooked a good fish just below the wires crossing the pool. Sean the ghillie was on hand as I played the fish but after 4 or 5 minutes it threw the hook. It was agreed that it was a springer I had lost but at least it was still early and there was plenty time for another one. Well, it was not to be as it turned out to be only offer for the day. There was however, a cracking 18lber caught by Craig MacDonald, who is the seasonal ghillie at Headinch and Cambus O' May. It put up an unbelievable fight and after 20 minutes or so, Sean duly netted the fish for him. Craig's father David lost a good fish at the tail of the Village pool shortly before Craig landed his fish which was a pity. Dusk seemed to turn the fish on and several kelts were also landed just before the light went.

Saturday was a strange day. The Potarch gauge was reading 3ft 3in which made a few more pools fishable for us so we were confident we would get a fish or two. Apart from a very brief flurry of fish showing first thing in the morning, there was very little activity through out the day on any of the pools. I started off in Pitslug and then went on to fish Rossicks. There was a few fish showing in Pitslug near the neck but the wind was howling downstream which made casting rather tricky, especially in Rossicks due to the lack of back cast as trees line banks. I didn't get a touch all morning so I headed off back down to the Boat and Village pools to fish them after a bite to eat. Sean suggested I try fishing higher up in the water as the pools had been fished with sinking lines all morning so I rigged up my Mackenzie Float/Intermediate. I fished down through the Boat and Villages pools without a touch so headed off down to Fraser's Pool. I thought a change of fly might help and I decided to give the Maggie's Shrimp a swim. It is quite a fast bit of water and is not really safe to wade with anymore than 3ft 2in on the gauge but as the water had now dropped to 3ft 1in and it was well worth fishing. I fished the top part of the pool without success but there was a good fish showed just down from where I stood and only a short cast away. I quickly reeled in some line and cast to where the fish showed. Just as my fly swung round the lie, the fish took first time of asking! Anyone who has fished Fraser's pool will know it's not the easiest place to land a fish in high water with the trees and high banks so I called Sean for some help. Meanwhile upstream, Craig had noticed I was into a fish from the Village pool and he arrived, shortly followed by Sean, just in time to net the fish for me. I caught the fish about 3.30pm and decided that would be a good way to end my 3 days at Carlogie.

Here are some pictures from my trip.

The gauge as I left on Thursday at 4pm. Up from 2ft 6in at 9am!

Looking upstream in the Boat Pool on Friday.

Looking downstream into the Village Pool. The lad on the far bank landed a nice 6lber not long after I took this photo.

Craig MacDonald shows off his cracking 18lber caught from the Village Pool on Friday.

Pitslug Pool on Saturday morning. A few fish showed in here first thing.

Looking upstream towards the Long Haugh from Pitslug.

Looking upstream in the Rossicks Pool.

Looking downstream into the Mill Pool.

The old mill at Dess. I have taken quite a few pictures of this building in the past.

Fishing down the Boat Pool on Saturday afternoon.

The stick on the bank was the height of the river on Thursday night. This photo was taken on Saturday afternoon. The water had dropped about 4ft since then.