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.

Some Salmon From Ballogie

I was fortunate enough to land a few Salmon from the Ballogie beat of the River Dee last week during my annual leave from work. Its always good to be in the right place at the right time when the fish are on the take. This seemed to be in the morning before the sun got too bright as catches tailed off during the afternoon before the fish came back on the take in the evening.

A grilse around the 5lb mark.

A nice male salmon around the 12lb mark taken on a Red Frances.

Another cock fish this time around 10lb taken on a Pink franc N Snaelda.

A grilse around 4lb taken on a Red Frances.

September Salmon From The River Dee

Last Saturday I had a day on the Ballogie beat of the River Dee. The water was sitting at good height of 1ft 9in and with a recent drop in air and water temperatures the fish seemed to be a bit more eager to take a fly.

A cracking hen salmon from the River Dee last week.

I was fortunate enough to land a nice wee fish of around 3lb in the morning. It was a slightly coloured hen fish which came at the Sunray Shadow twice before finally taking it. I initially thought it was a trout and hand lined the fish in. It wasn't until I got it on the bank that I realised it was a grilse!

A small but lively grilse which hammered a Sunray Shadow.

In the afternoon I ventured up above the Potarch Bridge and fished the Sands and Slips pools. I had a couple of offers in the Sands which didn't stick and I also had an offer int he Slips which also didn't hook up. I was fishing a 7ips tip and a 14mm Pink Frnac N Snaelda and as it seemed to be what they wanted, I decided to have another run through both pools. I was about midway done the top slip I had a thumping take! It felt like a very hefty fish and it was towing me around the pool with ease! I knew it was a good sized fish but it wasn't until it leapt out of the water that I realised how big it actually was. I landed like someone had thrown a boulder into the pool! After a dogged battle of wills the fish was beginning to tire but just when I thought I had the job done it made a lunge for a sunken rock and the line went tight. I thought the fish was going to come off as I could not move it. I waded out of the water and down the bank to below the fish and thankfully the line freed and the fish took off across the pool back to where I had hooked it. Another few minutes of the fish going round in circles was enough to tire it further and I soon managed to get my hand round it's shovel like tail and the fish was finally mine.

A quick photo before release. What a slab of a fish!

Tail like shovel!

Back she goes to do her business. Should be plenty egg in this one!

I took a quick photo of the fish and a measurement of it;s length. It measured in at 94cm or 37". It had a huge girth but in my haste to get the fish back I didn't bother to measure this and I returned the fish to the water as soon as I could. It was booked at 19lb but whatever it weighed, it was a beast of a salmon and one I will remember for a while to come.

Some Salmon From The River Dee Last Week

I was fortunate enough to have a few days off work last week which just happened to coincide with a timely rise in water levels coupled with a drop in temperature. This signals for me the time to break out the Franc N Snaeldas again!

Underwater release still from my GoPro camera

Junction Snaeldas

Pink Snaleda

I fished for a few hours each day towards the tail of the week and was rewarded with 5 salmon landed and 5 lost! Not often I hit it right but I did last week!

4lb grilse. Hen fish.

6lb grilse. Hen fish.

6lb grilse. Cock fish.

4lb grilse. Cock fish.

12lb hen salmon

Flies For September

One of my favourite flies to use in the final few weeks of the salmon fishing season is the Snaelda. My particular favourite is the Black Snaelda. These are tied on 10mm and 14mm Sean Stanton Signature tubes and are fitted with an Eumer S cone.

The Black Snaelda

Another favourite of mine for this time of year is the Pink Franc N Snaelda. Again, tied on 14mm Sean Stanton Signature tubes. These are deadly and the takes can be ferocious!

Pink Franc N Snaelda

Sean has his own popular website and it's well worth a browse if you are on the look out for some top quality fly tying materials or to buy the flies themselves. Follow the link to his page by clicking here www.francnsnaelda.com

Red Frances

At this time of year it is hard to see past a Red Frances fly. i have tied these up on size 6 Fulling Mill Magni doubles and these are ideal if the water is on the low side and a bit more finesse is required. 

Ballogie - River Dee

I had a great time on the Ballogie beat of the River Dee this week where I was lucky enough to catch 5 salmon in just over a day's fishing. The water levels have been low recently but with a drop in water and air temperatures the fish seemed to be reacting to this and became much more willing to take the fly.

An underwater still of my salmon being returned on Saturday.

The first of my 5 fish came on Thursday. I was only able to fish for an hour but during that time I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time for a change. The water height was 8" on the Potarch gauge and my set up for the day was my 14ft 9in Guideline AWM rod and a Rio AFS floating shooting head. Attached to this was a 3.9 inch per second (ips) tip. I started in the Top Gannet and on only my 3rd cast of the afternoon I lifted into a nice fish. It was a coloured hen salmon of around 7lb and she was soon landed and sent back on her way after a quick photo. I managed to get the whole experience on my GoPro camera and I have attached the clip below. The fly was a 1/2" Red Frances tube.

My first fish on Thursday on only my 3rd cast! A 7lb hen fish taken on a Red Frances.

After fishing through the rest of the Top Gannets without another offer, I carried on down into the Middle Gannets. About half way down the pool I felt a fish take my fly but it was reluctant to turn with it. It just so happened I had been watching a Mikael Frodin YouTube video the night before on low water tactics. He had the same scenario with a fish in Russia where he let the fish to chew on the fly for several seconds before he felt it turn and take the fly properly. Only then he lifted into it and he duly landed the fish. With this fresh in my mind, I did the same. I let the fish to gently tug on the fly until my line had came out the current and straighten out. The fish reacted to this newly added tension and turned with my fly. I sharply lifted into it and after a spirted fight it was quickly landed and released. I also got this on my GoPro and have posted the clip below.

My second fish from Thursday. A 6lb hen from Middle Gannets. Also on the 1/2" Red Frances tube.

Thanks to another kind invite from Sean, I found myself back at Ballogie again on Saturday. This time I was able to fish the full day and I couldn't wait to get going. The air was cold in the morning and the fish took a while to switch on. I didn't start fishing until about 10am as we waited for the air to warm up.

My 7lber from the Top Gannets on Saturday ready for release.

I started out with the same set up as Thursday but the water had dropped to 6" on the Potarch gauge. I fished through all three of the Gannets pools without and offer so I headed back up to the hut for a re-think of my set up. I changed my tip over from a 3.9 ips to a to a 2.6ips and removed the Red Frances fly and replaced it with an All Black Snaelda but of the same size. I waded out to the next of the Top Gannets and within two or three casts I lifted into a strong fish. It was another hen and was roughly 7lbs again. I played it hard to minimise any unnecessary runs etc and it was soon beached and released back into the Dee again. Just fishing that wee bit higher up in the water made all the difference and my confidence was restored. I landed the fish about 11.50am and decided to have a bite to eat before heading off downstream to fish the lower pools on the beat.

On arrival to the lower part of the beat I met up with Sean and he advised me that there were two fish caught. One being a cracking cock fish of around 16lbs. Both were taken on the Pink Franc N Snaelda but I kept faith in my wee Black Snaelda and headed off upstream to begin in the Slips. About half way down the middle Slip I had a fish grab hold of my fly but it didn't stick unfortunately. That was to be the only action I had despite the presence of numerous fish in the pool so it was off on down to fish the Flats.

The fly that did the damage on Saturday - All Black Snaelda.

The Flats is a cracking pool and is lovely to fish a fly through in all heights of water. I had a fresh 10lber from here back in July and it fought like a demon due to the strong current so playing any fish in here is a challenge. I started out right at the top of the pool in the white water and began to work my way down the pool. Again sticking with the 2.6ips tip and Black Snaelda. I got about 20 yards down the pool when I had an almighty take! The fish thrashed about on the surface but I couldn't really get a glimpse of it. I tightened up on it and the fish began pulling back hard. Much harder than the smaller fish I had landed earlier. This fish wanted to stay deep and I was anxious about loosing it given the amount of submerged boulder in the pool. The fish pulled and ran up and down the pool but it was clever and used the current in it's favour. I tried to do the same and pulled hard against the fish all the while trying to make sure I didn't change the angle too much and pull the hook out. The fight went on for a good 7 or 8 minutes and I eventually had the fish ready for beaching. I reached down and got hold of a nice hen fish around 14lbs. I quickly removed the hook and returned her back into the river to continue her journey. I fished down the rest of the pool without an offer so decided to make my way back to the hut as it was about 4.30pm. I also managed to capture the action on my GoPro and have attached the clip below for anyone interested in viewing it.

A big hen salmon of around 14lbs ready to be released.

I got back to the hut and had a quick run down the neck of the Top Gannets but it didn't provide anymore action. I carried on down for one last go in the tail of the pool when Sean arrived. I was just about finished fishing the pool, or so I thought, when Sean told me to carry on into the lip just before it drops into the Middle Gannets. And would you believe it, just as my fly was swinging round in front of the white water, I had a good solid take. I lifted into the fish and it was on. The way the fish was pulling in the fast water, if I had lost it there and then I would have sworn in was a double figure fish. It was soon subdued though and Sean grabbed hold of a small grilse of no more than 3lbs! Despite it's size, it was very welcome and I was delighted to land my third fish of the day. A fish I would have not landed if Sean hadn't been there as I would have not fished that part of the pool. I will be from now on though, that's for sure! We carried on into the Middle Gannets but nothing was interested and I called it a day around 5.30pm more than happy with my day.

Ballogie ghillie, Sean Stanton about to release my last fish of the day. A cock fish of around 3lb.

Ballogie is a beat that is always good to me as I seem to do pretty well there when ever I fish it. It's a pleasure to fish knowing you are covering fish and this makes a big difference to the confidence. Several of the pool changed after Storm Frank but it's very encouraging to see a good head in all the pools.

The long season is now drawing to a close but it's good to see the beat pass last year's total, as have many of the beats on the river. Lets be honest, it wouldn't have taken much after the disaster on 2015! The totals for the Dee in 2016 up but overall, catches are still a long way off recovering to what they should be. At least it is heading in the right direction though and with one thousand or more fish caught this year than in 2015. Long may that continue and here's to a good run in 2017. Tight lines.

Lower Crathes & West Durris - River Dee

A few weeks ago on the 5th September, I found myself fishing the fantastic Lower Crathes and West Durris beat on the River Dee. This is a beat I never tire of fishing and I was really looking forward to getting the chance to fish a fly through it's pools again. I was fishing with my pal Paul Pritchard, my uncle Stuart and Paul's mate Graham. The water was sitting around 2ft on the beat gauge and still carrying a bit of a peat stain to it. The beat had only been lightly fished during the week but they had managed to register a few in the book and we were confident that we would be covering plenty fish whilst fishing the pools. I kept the same set up from my day at Ballogie earlier in the week which was my 14ft 9in Guideline AWM rod, Intermediate line and 7ips tip. After a chat and a cup of coffee in the hut it was down to business.

A nice 15lb hen fish taken on a pink Franc N Snaelda.

On the day we were ghillied by Jordan Sinclair who is under ghillie to Robert Harper on the beat. I was to share the lower half of the beat for the morning with my uncle. I started off in the Greenbank whilst he was to fish the Kelpie.

The Greenbanks. A lovely pool with easy wading.

 The Greenbank is a fantastic looking pool and is fairly straight forward in terms of how to fish it. The run goes along the far bank so wading out and casting a long line to cover the area is essential although fish will take on the dangle along the length of the pool at this height of water. I fished down the pool with a Red Frances to begin with and fished it sink and draw style. Despite my best efforts the fish weren't interested so it was off downstream for a go in Bulwarks.

Looking downstream at the top of the Bulwarks. Park is the beat below.

Just about half way down the pool and covering the water under the wires. Under power cables always seems to be a good place to pick up a fish.

The last time I fished the beat I fished Bulwarks from the opposite bank. It was good to give it a cast from this bank and there were a few fish showing in the pool as I made my way down it. As inviting as it look though, I couldn't tempt one so it was off upstream to fish Kelpie.

My uncle Stuart fishing the Greenbank.

The top of the Kelpie Pool.

Mid way down the Kelpie. I had a good offer out from the big stone in the centre of the photo.

On my way upo to the Kelpie I stopped and spoke with my uncle who was fishing the Greenbank. He informed me of seeing numerous fish showing in the Kelpie so I couldn't wait to get my fly swinging through the pool. As I hadn't had an offer with the Red Frances I changed over to a trusty back end pattern, a Pink Franc N Snaelda. I have had pretty good success with this fly during September and October so I had confidence that it worked well. I made my way down the pool and just as was nearing the big stone about mid way down, I had a good offer. The fish was just slowly pulling at my fly as I worked it through the pool so I left it a second or two before lifting into it. As soon as I lifted the rod though the fish let go and the chance was gone. I thought I'd given the fish ample time to take but I guess not! I covered the spot for a few more minutes but the fish wasn't coming back for seconds so it was off to the hut for some lunch.

The main hut at Lower Crathes. (Photo taken back in April)

At lunch Paul was telling how he'd lost a fish in the Mill Pool on a Sunray Shadow. Apart from my offer in Kelpie, nobody else had had a touch.  As per usual in the fishing hut, we spoke of fishing, tactics and what to do next. Stuart and I were to fish the top half of the beat with me starting in the Mill and Stuart in the famous Bridge Pool. We were all eager to get going again and I opted to keep the same line on but just change my tip from a 7ips to a 4ips.

The Jetties on the Mill Pool. I hooked the fish mid stream near the top of the pool.

A chunky hen fish of around 15lbs taken on a Pink Franc N Snaelda in the Mill Pool.

The Mill Pool is a cracking pool and one of my favourite pools on the beat. I started up at the top of the pool with a short line and lengthening all the time before finally working my way through the pool. I fish the Snaelda sink and draw style and I had only fished about 20 yards or so of the pool when a fish started to pull back as I worked the fly. Again, it was just a soft take so I left it for what seemed an age before lifting into it. This time though, it was on and I felt the weight of a good fish. After tense and lengthy battle which involved several hard runs, I finally managed to get her over the net just below the first jetty. I quickly removed the hook and took a photo before releasing her back into the river. It was such a good feeling to see her swim off strongly. I fished on down the rest of the pool without a touch so it was off for a cast in Riddle's.

Looking upstream in Riddle's.

On arrival to Riddle's there was a good fish showed mid stream just below the broken water. This was encouraging so I made my way to the top of the pool and fished it down. Unfortunately, I couldn't temp any fish so it was off down to the Bridge Pool to finish off my afternoon.

Fishing down the famous Bridge Pool.

The Bridge Pool on Lower Crathes is one of the most famous pools on the river. It is famed for it's cathces and it produces fish from opening day until closing day. The pool was holding a few fish and several made themselves known as I worked my way down the pool. As I got near to the bridge, I had a good take which sadly didn't come to nothing so I went to change my fly in the hope it might take again but something different this time. As I opened my box of Snaeldas the lid flipped back and jerked the box out my hand. I quickly managed to catch it before it went swimming but several of my flies had fell into the water and were on their way out to sea before I could save them. All that time and effort in tying them up was wasted but at least I didn't buy them. Still, it was not good seeing seven or eight of my flies swimming down the Dee without being attached to a leader. Anyway, I couldn't temp the fish again and the rest of the pool proved fruitless. By this time it was around 5pm so it was back to the hut for a cup of coffee before deciding where to try in the evening.

I thought the Kelpie might be worth another cast so I made my way down to the pool and changed my fly to a Sunray Shadow but still on the Intermediate line. I started at the top of the pool and began casting a long line and stripping the fly fairly quickly across the pool. I must have been about half way down the pool when I had a thumping take on the fly. I lifted sharply into a lively fish and started to wind some of my running line back onto my reel whilst the fish turned and headed off downstream. I managed to get the fish onto the reel fairly quickly but a short while later the fish had spat the hook and was off. It wasn't a big fish but it looked fresh and would have been more than welcome. That turned out to be the last action for my day and I packed up around 7.30pm. I

It was a great day and I was delighted to have landed a good fish and had several other contacts as well as losing one. It's good to know you are doing something right and the confidence goes a long way in helping to land fish. I will look forward to my next outing and hopefully my good run will continue.

Franc N Snaelda Salmon Flies

I have been busy tying up a few Franc N Snaelda tube flies for next Spring as this pattern turned out to be my most successful fly I used in 2014. It accounted for 5 out of 11 salmon I caught this year and it shall be my "go to" pattern again next year.

The pattern was invented on the banks of the River Dee by Ballogie ghillie, Sean Stanton and it incorporates both Francis and Snaelda characteristics. These types of flies were extremely popular, not only on Deeside, but on all rivers, so Sean decided to marry these two deadly patterns together and so the Franc N Snaelda was born.

Some Franc N Snaelda tubes I've tied up recently.

Some Pink Franc N Snaeldas which did well for me during the back end of the season.

Blank and Yellow Franc N Snaelda. Very popular colour combo for Spring fishing.

Green Highlander Franc N Snaelda. Not a pattern I use much at all but like the look of it tied in this style.

Junction Shrimp Franc N Snaelda. This pattern served me well during October on the River Don.

Munro Killer Franc N Snaelda. I really like this pattern tied in the Snaelda style.

Cascade Franc N Snaelda. Had some success with this pattern back in August.

Willie Gunn Snaelda. A very popular pattern in the Spring months.