Breda - River Don

I booked a day through FishPal to fish the Breda beat of the River Don on Tuesday. The water height was sitting at around 5" on the gauge but the wind was howling and made fly fishing a bit challenging at times!

The beat had recorded some decent catches off the back of a rise in water last week and I was hopeful of getting a fish or two. But with the gale force winds, coupled with the water dropping away again, I left empty handed. There was a small, coloured cock fish landed first thing in the morning however, by the other rod fishing the beat. It was taken from Smith's Brae.

I fished the beat's most likely pools from top to bottom but Martin, the Don bailiff informed us that the best chance of a fish would be from the lower half of the beat as it fishes better in low water. The upper part of the beat has some nice pools which fished well including Whin Brae and the Tub but the fish were not playing ball on this occasion.

Breda is a beat I will look forward to returning to again in 2014 as I really enjoy fishing some of these short streamy pools which entice you into thinking that your line will tighten and be drawn away any minute!

Here are some pictures of the beat from Tuesday.

Rock Pool. I stared my day off in here. A cracking pool and there is a good spot below the summer house.

Saddler's Flats. A couple of fish showed at the tail of the pool just on the other side of the current.

Ghillie's Pool. Just a short wee stretch but fishes well. Lost a fish in here last year.

Smith's Brae. My favourite pool on the beat and seems to hold fish. Fishes well from top to tail.

The tail of Smith's Brae. A good lie off the big rock on the far bank.

Laird's. Good flow at the neck of the pool but didn't see anything showing here.

Flaskie. The upper most pool on the beat. A bit on the low side for here at 5" but fishes well in higher water.

Whin Brae. A good pool in all heights and a nice pool for swinging a fly through.

Tub. Looks a good holding pool and another pool ideal for the fly.