Fresh 14lb Salmon From The Don Today

My Dad was out for a couple of hours this afternoon and timed it to perfection as he landed this beauty of about 14lbs. No sea-lice present but this Hen Salmon could not have been in the river long. He also lost a good fish which he didn't see after playing it for 5 minutes or so he and missed another take too. This was all in the space of 30 minutes so a run must have been moving through the pool. He was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Not bad for a few hours on the river. Has the Autumn run started to appear? Let's hope so!

A quick photo before being released. A cracking fresh fish from the Lower Don.

Early Start On The Don Pays Off

I was up early this morning and headed down to the River Don. It was running at about 1' 6" on the Parkhill gauge and a good colour. The river has been in great condition these last few weeks with good water and, apart from a few days, running quite clear.

I started off in the Manse about 6.30am. The water was just how I like it for this pool, lapping over a big stone off the bank so I was quietly confident. Apart from a few coloured fish showing nothing much was happening so after a fruitless run down through the pool with a #9 Flamethrower, I changed fly to a sunray shadow. I headed back to the top of the pool and just off the stone I spoke about earlier, my fly was grabbed! After a short but spirited fight, I landed a nice, fresh sea trout about 3lb. No sea lice present but it could have not been in much more than a few days. That was all I touched in the Manse so I strapped the rod on the car and headed across the river to fish the Streams from the South bank.

I arrived at the Streams car park about 10.30am after taking the long way round via Kintore. I kept the same set up that did the business in the Manse Pool, which consisted of a Mackenzie DTX G2 9/10 Floating Shooting Head, a 10ft slow sink tip, 6ft of 10lb Yo-zuri Hybrid and a plastic Sunray Shadow tube. About 5 minutes after starting just opposite the concrete hut, my sunray was hammered by a lively fish. After another short scrap, I netted a sea trout about 2lbs. Again, not sea liced, but it hadn't been in the river that long. After a quick photo I returned the fish and carried on down the pool but nothing doing.

I moved on downstream to fish the Cothal pool, which, at this height of water is a good holding pool when the fish have negociated the fast, streamy water from Fae-Me-Well. There is also a good lie off the North bank where I landed a coloured wee grilse last season. I concentrated the lower half of the pool and with-in a few cast my rod was about pulled out my hand! I couldn't believe it when a chunky wee brown trout about 1 3/4lbs broke the surface. What a hit it gave the sunray as it swung round past the lie. I quickly returned it back to the river and had another cast in the same place. Almost identical to the first fish, my sunray was taken by another greedy brown trout about the same weight as the last one. I fished on down to Fae-Me-Well but it is not really suited for fly fishng as the current comes back on itself and drags the fly down. I called it a day about 12.30 and headed home.

Here are some pictures from today.

A fresh run sea trout from the Manse Pool taken on a Sunray Shadow.

Another nice Sea-Trout from the Streams. Again taken on a Sunray Shadow.

The second of two Brown Trout also taken on Sunrays from the Cothal Pool.

The fly that served me well today. After buying this Guideline AWM 14' 9" 2 years ago, I have used it maybe twice, so today I gave it an outing. Matched up with a 9/10 42g Mackenzie G2 Shooting head, it cast with ease and was very impressive.  I'm going to be using this set up more often from now on!

River Don - Lower Fintray

Had a cast this morning for a couple of hours. The sun was bright and the water was the lowest for this time of year, that I've ever seen it! I headed to the Manse Pool on the Lower Fintray beat of the Don. I fished down the pool without seeing or touching anything.

I noticed that due to the warmish winter the weed on the river bed has not been killed off by the cold water this year. It does not look good for later in the season when the place will be choked. I headed down to the Streams and didn't touch anything there either. I did see a fish show just at the foot of the hill as you come down to the pool on the South bank. The amount of weed in this pool makes it very hard to fish in this low water. Even a fly fished on a full floating line was getting snagged ever cast.

I gave up and headed down to the Cothal Pool. This is probably one of the best high water pools on the whole river. Today though it was down to the bare bones but it was interesting to look into the water with my polaroids on and see the bottom as it's not often you can see that deep. It was worth while as I was looking out for possible lies ie big stones, drop offs etc.

It's all noted for next time the river is in spate. It's badly needing it! Here are some pictures of the pools.

The Manse Pool. It will hold fish for opening day to closing day. I much prefer it with about 1ft more water on the gauge. Still must be one of the best pools on the River Don.

Looking upstream from the tail of the Manse Pool.

The weed clogging up the weir heading down into the Streams. Not usually this much weed  at this time of year, probably due to the warmish, low water we have had most of the winter.

Looking up river from the Streams. This is another lovely piece of water with a bit more on the gauge.

Looking downstream. About 30 yards above the railings down to the tail of the pool on the South bank is best part. Last back-end it was holding a lot of fish. Most I've ever seen in here. More of the same this year please!

The tail of the Streams and into the Cothal Pool. This is my Dad's favourite pool and spends a lot of hours fishing here though-out the season. The faster water runs into a big deep pool. In the high water this will hold the fish for a while after they have run up the rapids from Fae-Me-Well pool.