Carlogie has to be one of my favourite places to fish on the whole of the River Dee and I was delighted to accept an offer to fish there for two days from well known Dee regulars and all round good guys, Dr Ade Warburton and Dr Patrick Taylor.
For several weeks prior to fishing, we exchanged emails etc in anticipation of the weather forecasts predicting much needed rainfall over the Dee catchment. The weekend before we arrived heralded the first spates over Deeside since mid June and with it came all the sediment and dust etc that had built up during the summer dry spell. This made the river quite coloured from late Saturday evening but it was very welcome and this allowed fish to run from the lower river and spread through-out the main system.
Ade, Bill, Patrick and I arrived at the beat on Monday morning with the gauge at Potarch Bridge reading 1ft 7in. The water was a really dark, peaty colour but we were buoyed by the fact that it was up and we were sure it would bring fish with it too. Not long after starting Ade landed the first fish of the week. A coloured grilse about 6lbs from the Lucky Hole. Around 11am, I had a thumping take from a fresh fish in the Mill Pool. It hammered my Sunray Shadow near the tail and it spent more time airborne than in the water!!! Unfortunately, after a minute or so it was off. It threw the hook whilst in mid air and there was nothing I could have done. I moved several other fish from the same lie with the Sunray but they didn't connect. I finished the pool and made my way to the hut for lunch and just in time to see Bill return a 7lb bar of silver from the Lucky Hole taken on a Cascade. Apart from moving a couple of fish mid afternoon nothing more was landed.
The next day, after a few drams and good craic the night before, I awoke bleary eyed but raring to go at 7.45am! I was drawn to fish March, Calm, Lucky Hole, Whin Bush and Flats in the morning and then head down to the Boat and Village Pools in the afternoon. The water had dropped a good bit over night but was still carrying a bit of colour. The morning session proved fruitless for me but Ade was on the score sheet again with a nice fish from the Mill Pool. After lunch I headed off to fish the Boat and Village Pools. As the water was quite low and slow moving, I opted for the Sunray. I fished all the way down both pools without moving a fish, although I did get a small brown trout about 6oz! I have never seen these pools so quiet and compared to last year it was chalk and cheese. The long dry spells of June and July probably didn't help matters. I headed back to the hut and whilst packing up my gear, I gave Patrick one of my friend Charlie's SS Assassin Sunrays. These deadly flies have accounted for numerous fish in the last 18 months and not long after tying it on, he landed a cracking fresh sea trout from the Lucky Hole. It put up a cracking fight before being released to continue it's journey.
As the evening wore on, I said my goodbyes and I headed off home knowing that the river would be in fine fettle for the rest of their week. Hopefully I will be back to try again next year and this time get a fish or two for the book. A great couple of days in good company, what more could you ask for?
Alan's Pool. Top of the beat. I started my day here on the Monday morning.
Long Haugh. This is the next pool down from Alan's and one of my favourites.
Pitslug. Has to be one of the most picturesque pools on the beat.
Rossachs. Another one of my favourite pools on the beat.
The Mill at Dess where the next pool takes it's name.
Mill Pool. I lost a fish in here and moved several others with a Sunray Shadow.
Jock Rae. My friend Charlie's favourite pool from the Dee bank.
March Pool. A wee taster of what's to come in the Calm Pool.
Calm Pool. The pool outside the Carlogie hut.
The Carlogie Hut.
Dr Patrick Taylor with a nice wee sea trout from the Lucky Hole.
Bill's fresh run 7lber from Lucky Hole. Caught on a #9 Cascade.
Lucky Hole and Whin Bush.
Flats. This pool always seems to hold fish mostly on the Kincardine side.
Boat Pool. One of the most productive pools on the beat.
Village Pool. The rain and thunder was overhead as I took this picture
A short video of Carlogie I made last year during my fishing in February.
Well today the wind had all but disappeared and the water had dropped back to around the 1' 8" mark. After a welcome overnight frost the river temperature dropped to 41f. No excuses today as not to hook anything! I stared my day in the Boat and Village pools and in the afternoon I headed to fish the Mill pool all the way down to the Flats. Lovely area to fish. Some beautiful looking pools. The whole beat fished today so some new water for me as it's been too high in the past. The 3 days ended with no fish to report but very enjoyable none-the-less. We did see lots of fish moving through the pools so the Upper Dee, when it opens on 1st March, might have a good start to their season. Just an outstanding beat to fish in a lovely area of Deeside. Sean and Ian, as ever were very welcoming and always willing to help. I gained a lot of information regarding lies etc from them. Sean knows his beats like the back of his hand and was only too happy to share his knowledge with his fishers. I am fishing the opposite bank (Kincardine) in August so this will be very useful. Cheers guys! Will be back next year to try again. Here are some pictures from my day.
Mill Pool. Looking accross to the Lower Dess huts. Such a lovely area and the pool is not bad either! An angler landed 2 kelts here in the morning but I didn't see or touch anything here.
Looking downstream in the Mill Pool.
The Mill on the Lower Dess bank which the pool is named.
Fishing down through Jock Rae. The fish all lie on the left hand side of the fast water. Another cracking pool. I did see a few splashing in here at neck of the pool.
March Pool. Didn't see anything in here but the fish lie on the far bank in the faster water. A long cast is required to cover them but the wading is easy. You don't want to wade too far as it will disturb the fish.
The Calm Pool. Sean Stanton was telling me how a massive gravel shift during the winter has filled in a good part of this pool. The lies are shifting further over to the Kincardine bank each year. Another pool requiring a good long cast and wading out about a third over. Again, easy wading and a delight to fish.
The well equipped Carlogie hut. It has a sofa, cooker, toilet, table and chairs and the all important wood burning stove.
Lucky Hole and Whin Bush pools. There are some big stones mid river and each one is a good lie for running fish as they stop for a rest. You can see why as they have to navigate to really fast water to reach here.
The Flats and Clay Pot. Didn't really have the time or energy to have a cast in here. I covered a fair bit of water today and was shattered by the time I got here. Pity though as it looks a nice bit of water. Maybe next year if the water is low enough. Fingers crossed!
My second of 3 days on the Carlogie beat, River Dee. Today the water was dropping away nicely which opened up more pools for us to fish. The gauge at Potarch Bridge read 2' 6" first thing in the morning but it finished the day about 1' 9". I started my day on the Boat and Village pools and in the afternoon I headed up to another new pool called Alan's. This pool is named after long serving Ballogie tennant Alan Lankshear. He has fished on the estate for an amazing 50 years. Well done! The wind was a howling gale all day and it must have been gusting to 40mph. Not the easiest wind to cast into and made it really difficult to get a line out straight. You had to wait until the gust past and cast as quick as you could! Nothing landed for the day and not much from the whole river. Only 5 fish from the Dee! Last day on Carlogie tomorrow so hopefully the wind will have died down a good bit. Here are some pictures from today.
The new pool called Alan's. Again Sean and Ian have spent hours cutting away trees and bushes to make this fishable. They have been rewarded already with a sea-lice 10lber. Well done lads. Cracking job and lovely pool to fish. I'm sure it will produce good returns this year.
An up-stream look of Alan's pool. It is very deep just feet from the bank and you can see why the fish would rest here after pushing up through the fast water of the Long Haugh pool.
The Long Haugh pool. The fish all lie to the inside of the current as the water is really fast flowing here. The eddy at the end of the shingle is an ideal spot for a fish to rest. I seen quite a few show in here as I fished it down. It is quite open here and was really hard to fish it properly due to the gale force winds. I tried anyway.
Pitslug pool. Another good pool at this height of water. I had a kelt out of here year at the tail of the pool but nothing to report this year. The fish tend to lie from mid-stream over to the Carlogie bank all the way down. The cross over form the Dess bank at the tail of the pool.
The hut on the Pitslug pool. I like taking pictures of all the fishing huts as it makes you think of the history and stories that have been told by anglers.
Rossach Pool. The last pool I fished today. Another nice bit of water at this height. Again was not easy to cast a line out due to the wind. Did see a couple of fish showing near the tail of the pool though.
I had my annual 3 day trip to Carlogie this week. On Thursday the water was sitting at 3' on the Potarch Bridge gauge which made some of the pools un-fishable. I was allocated the Boat and Village for the first day and another rod Craig headed up to Pitslug. There was 1 kelt landed about 10am but that was it for the day. I had a fish take at the tail of the Village but lifted into it and felt nothing. The river was dropping all day which was good. We seen plenty fish moving in both the Boat and Village pools. The water temp was high for this time of year. It was hovering around 45f! Sean gave me a cast with his new 14ft Mackenzie DTX shooting head rod. It was matched up with a Mackenzie G2 Intermediate shooting head. What an absolute wand!!! Very impressive casting tool and it was a case of the less effort you put in the further the line flew out. Have to save my pennies and invest in one. Here are some pictures from day 1.
Looking up the Boat pool. This is where we seen most of the fish. They tend to lie just of the main current towards Kincardine bank at this height. All the way down to under the wires.
Fishing down the top of the Boat pool. Sean Stanton and Ian Fraser the ghillies have spent all winter opening this area of the pool up and have done a fantastic job. Although the wading is pretty scary in places!
Looking up to the Boat pool from mid-stream in the Village. Lovely stretch of water must be one of the most productive high water pools on the Dee.
Fishing down the Village pool and looking into a new pool called Fraser's. This pool begins at the line of trees on the right bank. It has been named after Commonty ghillie Ian Fraser to comemorate his 35 years working for Ballogie Estates.
I was out for a walk this Sunday past along the River Dee at Kincardine O' Neil to check out their new hut. The new hut is facing the Boat Pool and it's a beauty! Lots of room inside and a wood burner for heating during the cold days of Spring. There was a few kelts splashing about and I saw a fresh fish around 10lbs heading and tailing at the neck of the Village Pool. Should think there will be a good few caught from the Dee this week. Here are some pictures from yesterday.
The new hut at Kincardine O' Neil. All ready for the new season kicking off this Wednesday 01/02/2012.
Log store well stocked and ready to heat the hut in the cold Spring months ahead.
Looking down the Village pool. This is a lovely cast and the river is running at a good height at the moment.
Looking upstream to the Boat Pool. Looking forward to fishing here from the Carlogie side in 3 weeks time.
A couple of pheasants feeding in field adjacent to the Village Pool.
A big kelt which took my fly this morning. Second one of four I got today. Still no sign of a Springer.
The main Carlogie Hut
Looking down to the Village Pool from the Boat Pool
Top of the Pitslug Pool
First of 3 days fishing on the Carlogie beat, River Dee. Water was a bit on the high side due to snow melt but it was running clear. Due to the high water, all 3 rods fished the Boat pool and Village Pool. I caught 3 kelts in the morning from the Village Pool on a Gold Bodied Willie Gunn. I also lost another 4. I fished the top of the beat in the afternoon for a while and caught another kelt from the Pitslug Pool. The water rose a fair bit in the afternoon and when I left just after 5 o'clock, it had risen to 5' 5" on the Potarch gauge. Hopefully it's not a wash out tomorrow!
