Another Season Over On The River Dee

Well, that's another season come and gone on the River Dee. It has been a hard slog for many beats this year with a distinct lack of salmon appearing in the catch returns. However, I do think that there was more fish in the pools than the catches suggest but it has by no means been anywhere near as good as it should be. It may have something to do with Storm Frank and the havoc it caused at the end of December 2015 or it may be something else entirely? Who knows? Whatever the reason, it has been difficult to stay positive at times but if you were in the right place at the right time then there was fish there to be caught.

Despite the doom and gloom so prevalent up and down the valley, I have had a decent enough season considering. I have picked away each time I have been out and managed to connect with something on most occasions recently. This is in no small part down to a few ghillies up and own the river who, without their generosity I would have not been half as successful as I have been. They know who they are and for that, I you all very much indeed. Time t put the feet up with a dram or two before we start all over in a couple of months time!

The season finished on the 15th October and I was fortunate enough to find myself fishing on the Ballogie and Carlogie beats of the river thanks to an invite from head ghillie, Sean Stanton. Water conditions were ideal and I managed to land a few fish for my couple of days. Just the same as Friday, the Float/Hover/S1 and Pink France N Snaelda proved to be the killer fly for me. It was nice to bow out for 2019 with a few fish on the book.

A 5lb Grilse from the March Pool at Carlogie.

A 7lb hen Salmon from the Boat Pool at Carlogie.

My last fish of the 2019 season. A feisty cock fish around the 5lb mark from the Top Gannet at Ballogie.

A Springer From The Spey

I had a day on the Tulchan D beat of the River Spey last Saturday. I was fortunate enough to land a cracking fish around the 8lb mark from the March Pool not long after starting fro the day. Unfortunately, that was all the action for the day but it was great to get back in amongst the fish on the River Spey. This was my first Spey salmon for 3 years. Hopefully I won't have to wait so long until the next one!

Playing my fish in the March Pool at Tulchan. 

Nearly there!

Safely into the net.

A beauty of around 8lb.

A quick photo before release.

 A video I have put together of footage from my GoPro camera.

A Week On The Dee At Kincardine

I am just back from fishing a week on the River Dee at Kincardine. This was a beat I had always wanted to fish and when the opportunity arose back in October, I decided to bite the bullet and book up.

On Monday, I arrived at the beat about 8.30am and was met by the very knowledgable and entertaining ghillie, John McGinley. I was to be fishing the week with 37 year beat veteran Dr Dai Jones. Good company and good craic certainley make the experience much more enjoyable. Dai was a pleasure to fish along side and his stories of years gone by made lunch times something to look forward to. Also fishing on the opposite bank were some well known guys from the Salmon Fishing Forum. I met them in the Potarch for a pint on a couple of occasions and also had my lunch with them on Wednesday. It was also a pleasure to meet them and good to put faces to the names. By all accounts, they had a really good week and sunk a few drams to go along with it!

On the Monday afternoon, I hooked a good fish in the Calm Pool. After playing it for a few minutes the line went solid. The fish had taken me round a rock and the line was stuck! I walked up and down the bank to try and release the line but it didn't budge. I give it slack line and still nothing. Eventually my leader gave way and the fish was gone! On inspection it had been rubbed against the rock and had freyed until it broke. Pity, because it was a nice looking fish and would have been a good start to the week. Little did I know that this would be the only action I would get until Thursday afternoon.

On the Thursday after a rise of 8" from the night before, I was fishing down the Village pool behind legendary Tay ghillie Tony Black. I looked on as he landed a couple of grilse and a sea trout in quick succession. I followed him down the pool but the only action I got was a brief encounter with a fish which was off as quick as it was on. The rise was finning off by evening and conditions would be good for the Friday. Their beat finished with 12 salmon and 2 sea trout.

I started my day in the Village pool on Friday morning and due to the bright sun I tackled up with a Rio AFS intermediate tip shooting head and attached was a 10ft slow sink polyleader. My friend Charlie had given me some flies for  my trip and I opted for the now named  Crathcade #10. As the name suggests, it's a cross between a Crathie and a Cascade. I fished my way down the pool and just as I got the the wall I hooked into a lively wee grilse. John arrived just in time to net a 4lb fish which had been in the river for a week or two. Bouyed by this I was feeling confident and was casting really well and suddenly the line went tight again! I lifted into a much stronger fish and it took off downstream like a train. As I kept the tension up, the fish managed to get rid of my fly and it was gone. I fished the rest of the day without and offer but at last I had something for the book. I have been hit hard by the sun and where my sunglasses have been, I'm now sporting a couple of panda eyes and a scorched head! It was worth it though.

On Saturday, which was my final day, again the conditions were bright and sunny. The water had dropped a good bit but was still slightly whiskey coloured. I stated in the Village pool again before the sun was faced downstream about 1pm. I went in where I stated yesterday and stuck with the same line set up but changed my fly to a #13 Cascade. At about 9.30am I lifted into a very strong fish. It lead me a merry dance around the pool and due to the high wall behind me, I had to hold my ground and try to bully the fish into my waiting net. After a very dogged fight I slid my net under a sparkling fresh fish about 10/11lbs. This made up for the blank start to the week and put a huge grin on my face. After a quick photo the fish went back to it's lie. I continued down the pool and almost where I lost the fish yesterday, I had another take. I lifted into a fish but like on Thursday, it was off as quick as it was on. I fished hard for my fish this week and when I called it a day about 7.30pm I headed off to the Potarch Hotel for a well earned shandy and burger with chips!

Here are some pictures from my week.

A view looking upstream into the Calm pool from the old Kincardine hut.

The Village Pool. A fish splashes in the centre of the picture. This is where I landed both my fish and lost two others.

Ghillie John McGinley releases my first fish of the week. A 4lb grilse which had been in the river a couple of weeks.

The fly now named the "Crathcade" which was tied my friend Charlie Robertson. The grlise was taken on this fly.

A spanking fresh fish about 10/11lbs comes to the net. This beauty was straight out the wrapper and took a #13 Cascade. A great way to end my week on the Dee at Kincardine. A lovely area of Royal Deeside.