River Don Sea Trout

Had a few hours fishing on the River Don today between 11am and 2pm. Landed a nice wee Sea Trout weighing about a pound and a half which took a Sunray Shadow. Not much happening on the river at the moment due to very low water so it was a welcome bonus to get anything at all and nice to get a bend in the rod again.

A quick picture for the scrap book.

Scottish Game Fair 2013

My wife and I took our annual trip to Scone Palace, Perth for the Scottish Game Fair on Sunday. Unlike last year where heavy rain caused the event to be abandoned, we were blessed with a warm sunny day this time round. We had a good day out as usual buying the excellent local produce on offer from the Food Stalls and I picked up a bargain or two from Fisherman's Row. In the Main Ring, the shows and demonstrations are always well worth seeing and attract good crowds whether it's gun dogs or a pipe band. We also really enjoyed watching the skill of the Clay Pigeon shooters. My personal favourite though was the gun dogs. They are so well trained that their owners could get them to do virtually anything! The way these dogs jump over the fences or into the water fetching dummies etc is great to watch. It must be so rewarding to know you have trained your dog to do these things. Even in 25c the dogs performed exceptionally well and looked as though they coped with the heat a lot better than I did anyway!

Another great day out and we even came away with a sun tan!

Where to head to first?

 

A Highland Cow and her calf get out of the baking hot sun and take shelter in the shade.

Scott Mackenzie gives another Spey casting masterclass in the Main Ring.

One of the first class gun dog demonstrations in the Main Ring.

Tilbouries - River Dee

Last Thursday, I had an evening fishing the Tilbouries beat of the River Dee. The beat landed 4 and lost several more the day before but a wee rise of about 3" moved the fish on and apart from having one on and off, I landed nothing. Plenty fish were showing and I had a few nip at the fly but didn't take. Still, it was nice to be back on the Dee again.

The Tilbouries Run

Alfred's Pot

Looking upstream from Alfred's Pot.

Lower Parkhill - River Don

The salmon fishing on the River Don has went rather quiet in the last few weeks so whilst I was out on Saturday catching nothing but the sun, I thought I'd take some pictures of the pools on the Lower Parkhill beat.

A map of Lower Parkhill which is issued to every member and visiting angler.

The beat starts at the Parkhill Bridge from both banks and extends for just over a mile on the North bank and a mile and a half on the South bank. It's owned and run by the Aberdeen & District Angling Association and is probably one of the most productive beats on the river providing members and visiting anglers alike with some of the best fishing the River Don has to offer.

A comprehensive guide to the fishings compiled by local expert angler, John Fyfe can be found on the A.D.A.A website by clicking here >>>>> Lower Parkhill Beat Summary. He takes you on a journey from the top of the beat to the bottom and his knowledge of the beat is a fantastic reference point for any angler planning on fishing this beat. Visitor permits are available all season (15th February - 31st October) to anyone outwith a 25 mile radius of Aberdeen City and offer fantastic value whether fishing for salmon or trout. Information can be found by clicking here >>>>> Visitor Permits

I took these pictures on Saturday and show the beat in low water conditions. The water height on the day was 7" on the SEPA gauge at Parkhill Bridge.

Bridge Pool

House Pool

Dooker

Mausoleum

Pipe Bridge

Long Pool

Ary Burn

Carlin Pot

Dun Cow

Otter Stone