Park Beat River Dee 13-08-2011

Had a day on Park today. With the rise of water on Wednesday it was falling away nicely until last night when heavy rain caused the river to rise a few feet. After the beat having 8 fish yesterday I thought with all the extra water my jinx was going to strike again! When I arrived at the hut around 8.15am the river was rising. I was allocated beats 2 and 4. I stared in 4. The gauge was reading 56". I had a few little plucks in the Durris Stream but nothing came of them. One of the rods Gerry had a nice wee Grilse about 1 1/2lbs covered in sea-lice not long before lunch on a small stoats tail. After lunch I was shown the top of the Park beat. Gerry who I was sharing the beat with, thought it would be a good idea to have a cast in the Boat Hole. Good advice because after only a few cast I hooked into a lovely wee Grilse of about 2 1/2lbs which was also dripping in sea-lice. The fish took a self tied Black Bear Flamethrower size 13. By now the gauge was hovering about the 50" mark. Another rod, also had 2 small Grilse from the Durris after lunch but the river began to rise again back up to 56". South Park had an 8lber from Bakebare and a coloured sea-trout. I left the beat around 8pm with the gauge at 50" and dropping. Great day in unsettled high water and looking forward to going back in February. Here are some pics from today.

The Durris Stream where I began my day. I had a couple of pulls just off the point mid picture on a size 9 Park Shrimp. Didn't hook up though. The water was pretty big first thing.

Looking upstream in the Cellar Pool. Didn't have a touch in here.

After lunch I was shown the Park Inn Pool so while up here it would be worth having a cast. After only 2 or 3 cast I was into a fish just in the faster water opposite the hut. Keith, the Ghillie, arrived on the scene just in time to net a sparkling wee fish about 2.5lbs.

Not the biggest fish in the world but welcome all the same, especially as the water was so high for this pool.

Just a close up shot of the sea-lice on the gill plates. There was sea-lice along it's back too.

A quick pic for the scrap book and back it went.

Fished down through the Upper and Lower Kirks without a touch, but by this time the water had risen about 6" back up to 56".

After tea with the water quickly dropping again I headed up to fish the Castleton Pool. Didn't touch anything and fished all the way down to where I began my day. At around 8pm I headed off home. Good day just a pity there was so much water but Keith the Ghillie is good craic and we had a good laugh in the hut at finishing time. Looking forward to going back in early Spring.