Park North - River Dee Opening Week

The Aberdeenshire River Dee opened for business again on the 1st February and I was fortunate enough to be out fishing on the Park North beat for the opening three days of the season with some good friends. The river had seen plenty days of grue throughout the winter months and as the water temperatures were just hovering above freezing, we were hopeful that a few fish would be present in the pools as they slowly crept their way up river from the North Sea.

A 19lb Opening Week springer caught by Joe Sinclair at Park. What a fish!

The night before Opening Day was a long one. My tackle bag was sorted and ready to go about two weeks before hand as were my fishing rods. My shirt and tie were ironed and my waders and boots were packed. All I had to do was get some sleep. Easier said than done with the prospects of fishing one of the Dee's most productive beats on Opening Day again. I did however, manage to sleep and I was up and raring to go when I woke in the morning. The long wait to fish the Dee again was over!

Bag packed and ready to go!

The well equipped fishing hut at Park North.

Opening Day squad ready to go.

Upon arrival to the beat on Thursday morning we were greeted by Keith Cromar, the Park Estate Head Ghillie. He informed us over a coffee that the water level was sitting at 1ft 6in with a water temperature of 36f. The conditions weren't bad at all and we were all raring to get going. I set up two rods. One was rigged up with a H/I/S1 and a 4 inch per second versi leader and a 1 1/4" Dee Monkey. My second set up was a I/S1/S2 and a 5.6 ips versi leader. I tied on a 2" Black and Yellow weighted tube. These set ups cover most eventualities and are ones I have confidence in.

First cast of 2018 on the River Dee in the Long Pool at Park.

Looking upstream from the Upper Kirks into Long Pool.

I was paired up with my good pal, Charlie Robertson and we were drawn to fish the upper half of the beat first of all with Sean and Joe fishing the lower half. I chose to start my day off in the Long Pool and taking in the Upper and Lower Kirks as I went along. Charlie started in Greenbanks and then Park Inn.

Fishing down the Park Inn.

Looking upstream in Lower Kirks.

Not long after starting in the Long pull I had my first offer of the season from a fish where I swiftly landed a small kelt which was returned without leaving the water. This was to be it for me during the morning session but news soon spread of a nice springer that was landed from the South Bank in the Bulwarks. At least we knew there were fish around and this kept the confidence high although with it being opening day, confidence wasn't an issue and we were just glad to be out on the Dee again.

Pouring a dram during lunch on Opening Day.

Lunch time on day one was spent eating a 3 course meal prepared by Sean and I. Sean had made delicious lentil soup and chocolate orange cheese cakes and I made a big pot of Stovies which is a traditional Scottish dish of potatoes, onions, sausages and gravy. The lunch went down a treat and we soon eager to get get going again.

Looking downstream from the tail of the Durris Stream into Redwell.

The afternoon only produced a couple of kelts for Charlie and I but one of the other rods fishing the North bank with us landed a fresh fish of around 7lb from Redwell. Two opening day fish and numerous kelts was a positive start for Park and it was good to see it was holding a few springers too.

Fishing the Celler in the pouring rain on Opening Day.

Day 2 began with heavy rain and the river soon began to rise. It had risen to 20" on the gauge overnight and had taken on a bit of colour probably due to road run off. The rise in water didn't seem to have much effect on the fish as the kelts were taking readily. I had five in quick succession from the Lower Kirks but a fresh fish was remaining elusive. The heavier sinking set up seemed to be doing the trick with the kelts as I had five in quick succession from the Lower Kirks. An early season springer was still remaining elusive but there was still plenty time for me to get one.

Lower Kirks looking downstream.

Fishing down the Lower Kirks. 

Keith had a phone call from Joe just as he was returning one of my kelts so he quickly made his was down the track to help him out. Just as well he did because Joe managed to land an absolute belter of a fish from the Durris Stream. Keith weighed it in the net and it tipped the scales at hefty 19lb! What a way to opening his account for the season. Early spring fish don't get much better than that and he was understandably delighted. The rest of us had to make do with landed kelts but it was great to see Park producing another early fish. It was off back to the hut to celebrate with a dram or two!

Joe with his prized 19lb February springer from Park.Absolute cracker!

Day 3 was a cold one in comparison the previous couple of days. It was -2C when I arrived in the morning and this cold snap had drawn river levels back in as the gauge was reading 14" first thing. The water temperature had also dropped and was hovering around 34f. This was cold and I opted to keep faith with the heavier set up despite the low water.

Looking upstream in the famous Durris Stream.

I was to fish the lower pools in the morning with Sean and Joe. I started off in the Durris Stream where Joe had got his fish yesterday. The kelts seemed to be playing hard to get for me and although I had several offers, nothing stuck. Same story in Bakebare and the Celler. The other rods didn't have the same problem though as there were numerous kelts landed from both banks throughout the day.

Fishing down the Bakebare Pool.

Looking upstream from mid way down Bakebare.

After lunch I decide to ditch the heavier set up and revert back to the H/I/S1 line. I went with a Gold Willie Gunn this time though. I reached the tail of the Bulwarks pool where I had a good solid draw of the line. I lifted into it but there was nothing there. I covered the same lie for a few more minutes but it didn't come again. Was that a springer? We'll never know but whatever it was, it wasn't for staying hooked.

Fishing down the Bulwarks Pool. I had a good offer just at the tail of the pool which didn't stick.

I finished my three day trip off in the Greenbanks pool where I was joined by Keith. We had a good chat as I fished through the pool. I didn't land anything but I had a kelt on and off briefly and also had several other half hearted takes. That was it for me for the day and as the sun faded I decided to call it a day and wound in.It was back to the hut for a cup of coffee to warm up and to have a final bit of craic with he lads before we all went our separate ways again.

Fishing down the Greenbank Pool on Day 3.

Looking upstream from mid way down Greenbanks.

Another opening week on the Dee has came and gone and the final tally of 20 springers for the three days is pretty decent compared to recent years. Long may this continue and here's hoping the Dee returns to where it should be in terms regaining it's reputation as Scotland's premier spring salmon river.

Fishing down the Bridge Pool.

Charlie puts out a nice, long line in the Bridge Pool.

For anyone interested in fishing on the famous pools of the Park beats details can be found on either the FishDee website or by visiting Park's own web pages. Follow the links listed below and see what's available. It's well worth the money at this time of year as you just never know when a run of fish will appear in the pools fresh out the North Sea. Tight lines!

Park Fishing - River Dee
Park Estate

Park - River Dee

I take a day on the River Dee at Park during opening week every year but due to a drop in prices for Spring fishing this year I decided take an extra day and fished the Friday and Saturday instead of just my normal Saturday. I had fished Park on opening day earlier in the week and was delighted to land a sea liced 12lber from the Durris Stream and hopes were high for my other days. Snow melt and heavy rain kept the water levels yo-yoing for most of the time but it was a good water to encourage fish to run the river from the sea.

My Opening Day springer from the Durris Stream on Monday last week. Still smiling!

Fishing down the Park Inn.

Looking upstream towards Silver Spoon from Park Inn.

The Park Estate has taken a battering from the flooding caused by Storm Frank and many of the tracks and pools have suffered as a result, no more so than Cooper's and Bulwarks. The river had breached the flood banks and powered it's way through the fields and woodland until it rejoined the main flow at the Castleton pool where it had swept away the fishing hut on the South bank. Tonnes and tonnes of earth and shingle have been washed out of the fields and the damage caused will run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. It's going to take a monumental effort to get, not just Park, but the entire catchment of the Dee back to something like it was before but at least the fishing is still there and anglers can enjoy what the river has to offer despite of what has happened to the surroundings.

Damage to the banks of Bulwarks caused by the New Year flooding.

Massive breach of the bank at Cooper's and the water tearing through here has left a trail of destruction through Park Estate.

Huge amounts of earth and shingle have been shifted here a this is going to take some amount of work to repair.

Another photo of the damage caused by Storm Frank.

Looking upstream where the road ends at the Long Pool. The road used to follow the curve of the river and go right up to the Park Inn.

The fishing on my two days was hampered by strong and gusty winds which made casting accurately very difficult at times. The river was also up and down almost on an hourly basis with snow melt the main cause of this. Despite the conditions we kept trying. Numerous different tactics were deployed as we searched the pools for that fresh run springer we all were craving but sadly it wasn't to be with just a few kelts to show for our efforts. We saw running fish in the latter parts of both days and when a few more decide to run the river then I wouldn't bet against Park picking up a few more before the end of the month.

Fishing down the Long Pool in a biggish water.

Making my way down Lower Kirks in a howling gale.

Castleton. Note the Park South hut is now gone. Another victim of the ferocity shown by Mother Nature at New year.

The Durris Stream seemed to be a good bet for a fish in the rising water and around 3pm on Friday afternoon, the rod on the South bank was into a fish near the tail of the pool. After a short battle the net was slid under a fresh run 10lber. The first fish of the season off the South bank. Not a bad start for Park with two in the book for opening week considering the poor early spring catches of recent seasons. The two fish caught will hopefully bode well for the rest of the spring and I would love to see Park get the good catches we all know it's capable of producing.

Durris Stream. A cracking pool and where I was lucky enough to land my fish on opening day earlier on in the week.

An angler on the South bank getting ready to land a nice, fresh springer around the 10lb mark from the tail of the Durris Stream.

Cellar. Another lovely pool on the Park beat.

There was to be no repeat of Monday's fish for me during my two days fishing but it is always a pleasure to fish at Park and the pools are a joy to cast a fly on. There is just something special about the place whether it being the history of the beat or just the surroundings, I can't quite put my finger on it but it's a beat I will always take the time to have a cast on as there is a great chance your fly will be taken by that coveted prize of an early running fish.

The Park North hut and the newly repaired parking area.

Paul Pritchard and ghillie, Keith Cromar discuss plans for the day ahead.

There is some good availability on both Park and Park South at the moment. With prices slashed by half for the early part of the season it's worth the money taking a day or two as all the fish running the Dee at this time of year will likely have to pass through the pools of Park Estate. For details of the fishing available at Park check out their page on FishDee or visit their own website at www.parkdee.co.uk

Park - River Dee

I had my annual February day at the Park North beat on the River Dee today. Park was still to get off the mark for the 2015 season but confidence is always high when I fish here as catches can be prolific when it's on it's day. The water was sitting at 1ft 1in on the beat gauge and running crystal clear with the water temp hovering around 39f. My set up for the morning was my new 15ft Mackenzie shooting head rod, Mackenzie intermediate shooting head, 6ft 2.6ips tip and a 1" Maggie's Shrimp.

The beat gauge reading 13".

Paul Pritchard and Sean McGarry.

I arrived at the beat around 8.30am and was raring to go. After a good chat and a coffee with Keith Cromar, the head ghillie at Park, along with the other rods it was time to get going. I was drawn to fish Beat 4 in the morning and swap over with Paul who was fishing Beat 5. Keith suggested I start in the Durris Stream and come back up to fish the House Pool later so I made my down to the Durris and began working my way through the pool. I got about a third of the way down the pool when I thought I'd hooked the bottom. I gave the line a sharp pull and it didn't move so I did the same again but this time it it came undone. I pulled the line to begin my recast when it started moving out into the faster water. I had hooked a fish! After a very short and lethargic fight, I started to draw the fish into the bank. The fight couldn't have lasted much more than a minute or so. Just as the fish was nearing the bank the fly gave way. Thankfully, it was only a kelt but I was really surprised just how easy the fish gave up. I've never had a fish with such a lack of fight about it. It might have woken up as it got near the shingle, who knows, but it certainly didn't give that impression. I made my way back out into the river and fished on down the pool without another offer so I headed off up to the House Pool.

Durris Stream. Lost a kelt in here during the morning.

The House Pool is a nice stretch of water and I always enjoy fishing it, but this time, there was no sign of any fish willing to have a go at my fly so after a quick run through, I wound in and headed off down stream to fish Bakebare.

Looking down stream in the House Pool.

As I arrived at the Bakebare Pool, Paul had said he had hold of and lost 3 fish, the third he was sure was a springer. This was encouraging and I was eager to get started. I worked my way down Bakebare and just as the fly was coming into the slacker water near the lower part of the pool, a fish had a rug at my fly which sadly didn't stick. It was most probably a kelt anyway but at least it was a positive. I fished the rest of the pool without a touch and after a good chat with Paul and Sean we made our way back to the hut for lunch.

Looking downstream in Bakebare.

After lunch I was to fish Beat 1. I quite like Beat 1, especially the Silver Spoon pool which waslooking good at this height of water. I worked my way down the pool and with every cast I was hopeful of a take but nothing. Still, it was enjoyable to fish none the less. I fished my way down Park Inn covering the water well but without a touch. Keith had suggested that Bulwarks might be worth a shout at this height so I headed off down stream to have a cast in there.

Silver Spoon. A nice wee bit of water at the top of Beat 1.

Looking downstream at Park Inn.

Fishing down the Bulwarks pool.

After fishing down the Bulwarks without an offer, I made my further down stream to have a go in the Lower Kirks before calling it a day. As good as it seemed to be fishing the fly, my efforts were unrewarded so I made my way back to the hut for a cup of coffee before heading home.

Lower Kirks. Another fine piece of water at Park.

Despite our best efforts, we couldn't get Park's first springer of 2015 logged in the book. Apart from losing a kelt and Paul having hold of a few fishing during the morning session, that was it for the day. Fingers crossed Park score next week and get the ball rolling for their season. Hopefully there will be a lift in water soon which might just draw some fresh fish forward from the sea. I always enjoy fishing Park and today was no exception. Great pools for fly fishing and as I said before, you are just waiting for the line to tighten on every cast. I will look forward to my next visit.

Park - River Dee

Last Saturday past was my annual August day on the Park beat of the River Dee. The week started pretty well for Park with some good catches on Monday and Tuesday but like the river level, catches dropped away as the week went on. The river height on Saturday was reading 7" on the gauge and the water temp was 59f.

Just the one salmon landed by either bank and a sea trout was landed first thing from the South bank. I never had any luck myself this year and the majority of the rods out were the same. Slim pickings on the Dee at the moment. Hopefully things pick up soon and there is a good back end run.

Here are a few pictures from Saturday. Unfortunately, just more shots of the pools and scenery I'm afraid! Hopefully we can get some silver posted again soon when we get a lift in water on the Dee and Don.

On my way down to the beat in the morning.

The Park North fishing hut.

Greenbanks pool where I started off my day.

Castleton. The Park South hut on the far bank. Too slow here at this height.

The tail of Castleton and into the House Pool.

Duffers. The first pool of beat 6 which I fished after lunch.

Bakebare. Keith suggested I had a run down before heading back to the hut at 5pm.

The Bridge Pool with Park Bridge in the background.

Long Pool. At 5pm I went up to fish on beat 2.

Upper Kirks. Timed this photo well when a wee fish showed just in front of me.

Lower Kirks. Looking upstream towards the hut on the South bank.