My first trip to Speyside of 2018 saw me fishing on the Orton beat which is situated around 8 miles for the sea near Fochabers. River levels for our day were sitting at 2ft on the beat gauge and this was falling away nicely after a rise earlier on in the week due to melting snow. The beat had recorded it's first fish of the season on the Monday prior to our arrival and hopes were high. The water temps were still very cold and we were hoping that this cold water would slow a few running fish down as the made their way up river.
Looking upstream from the til of Lower Cairnty.
Charlie and I arrived at the beat around 8.30am to be greeted by ghillie, Richard Hold. We had a chat about tactics etc as we put on our waders so after taking Richard's advice, I opted for a I/S1/S2 shooting head with a 4ips versi leader. My initial fly of choice was a 1 1/2" gold body Willie Gunn tube with a red cone.
I started my day of fishing the Suicide Run.
After a brief introduction to the fellow anglers it was time for the draw. I was to be fishing the Suicide Run first then up to fish the Willows. Once that was fished through I was to have a cast in Upper Cairnty after that. Charlie was to start in the Lower Cairnty and continue down in to Arns.
Looking upstream from the Willows.
Suicide Run is just a small corner of a pool but you can see why a fish would stop in the quite bay for a rest before pushing on through the Willows and House Pool above. Kevin, the head ghillie had advised me to fish with a bit of stealth in the pool as the fish tend to be easily spook if you walk along the high bank above. This is what I did and despite my best efforts to fish the poll with minimal fuss, I didn't connect with anything but it was fishing really nicely with my current set up.
Fishing down through the Willows.
Looking upstream from the tail of Willows.
After a short walk upstream, the next pool I was to fish was called The Willows. The Willows is a fast flowing pool with the current predominately running down the south bank. My set up was ideal for this pool as it required getting the fly down through the stream quickly before being swept away by the strong current. I carefully fished my way down the pool trying to keep the fly as slow and deep as I could but the fish, if any there, were not interested in my offerings so I headed off down for another run through Suicide Run. This proved to be fruitless but you were just waiting for the line to tighten after every cast.
Looking upstream into Cooperee from Upper Cairnty.
Fishing down Upper Cairnty shortly before landing a well mended kelt.
The Upper Cairnty, as the name suggest, is the top part of a large pool which is probably around 400 yards long. With the river running the height it was, there was a good chance a fish or two might be holding in here. With Richard's advice fresh in my mind, I waded out into the pool and began fishing my way down. I continued to use the same set up as before as the pool was fairly deep in places. I got to about half way down the pool when I had a subtle take of my fly. I lifted into a spirited little kelt which was very well mended. Sadly, it wasn't the springer we were looking for but at least it gave a bit more confidence in what I was doing. Unfortunately, That was it for me during the morning session so it was back to the hut for a much needed heat up and some lunch.
Fishing the Upper Cairnty.
After lunch I was to start where I had finished so I made my way back down to the Cairnty Pool. The lower half of the pool was to be fished off the bank and I fished my way down stream. There were a few more kelts starting to show themselves but my heavier set up was proving to be too heavy for this section of the pool. I changed lines over to a F/H/I and a lighter 3ips tip. This seemed to be fishing much better and my fly boxes breathed a sigh of relief as one after another, I lost a fly to the bottom of the Spey. The howling wind and snow were not making casting any easier though and it was a real struggle at times just to get the line out straight. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't temp anything to take my fly so I headed off down to the Arns for a quick run through before having another go in Cairnty.
The Arns. Charlie had a well mended kelt from this cracking wee pool before lunch.
The Arns is another faster flowing pool on the beat and the little bay half way down looked like another spot where a fish might rest up. Charlie managed to winkle a kelt of it during the morning session so there were definitely something lying in it. By this time the cold snap had sucked the life out my phone battery and I never got a picture of the pool on the day but the photo below is one a took a few years back on a previous visit. There was nothing to report from fishing the pool for me anyway.
Having another run through Lower Cairnty.
I decide to give the Cairnty another go just before calling it a day so I switched back to the I/S1/S2 set up but opted for a 2" Black and Yellow tube with a silver cone. Almost immediately after restarting the poll I had a good take and lifted into what felt like a strong fish. It began taking a few yards of line off the reel and for a brief minute or two Charlie and I thought it might have been a fresh fish. Unfortunately though, it was just another very well mended kelt. It would have certainly been a good fish when fresh but not what we were after. It was quickly returned and I began fishing the pool down again. Several casts later I felt my fly snag the river bed and try as I might, i just couldn't free it. After a bit of gentle persuasion, I managed to free the line but the river bed had claimed yet another one of my flies! This was the ideal time to call it a day so I would the line back on the reel and headed off back to the hut.
The tail of Lower Cairnty basking in a brief period of sunshine.
It was great to be back at Orton after not managing the past 2 years due to being slow off the mark when booking rods. The Cairnty Pool is a cracker and you can see why it would produce lots of fish on it's day. Hopefully one day ion the not too distant future I will return again for another crack at landing a Spey springer. Tight lines!
The 1st of February signals the opening of the salmon fishing season on the Aberdeenshire River Dee. I will be out in pursuit of a coveted opening day springer again and I hope to continue my lucky streak of catching a fish during this annual trip to Park. Conditions are looking favorable and I can't wait to get out there again and have a cast on the Dee!
An opening day springer from Park, 1st February 2016.
The river levels are looking good and the weather conditions, although promising to be a bit windy, should be fine too. Here's hoping the fish are there in good numbers and the Dee enjoys another resurgent year with improved salmon numbers. A good start tomorrow would go a long way to kick starting that run.
Another February springer caught at Park last year.
It's not only the Dee that opens tomorrow as there are a few other rivers such as the Tweed which open their doors to anglers again. Good luck to anyone out on the river tomorrow and I'll look forward to seeing the many pictures posted on the various social media sites this week.
Every year I organise a meet with guys from a Salmon Fishing Forum I am involved with. We quiet often meet up during the fishing season and it's always good to catch up with the lads and have a cast on rivers we otherwise wouldn't fish. We have been coming to the River Don for three years now and apart form last year when we had very low water, we've always had a few fish on the bank for our day.
Group photo. L-R Ralph, Dave, Alan, Mel, Kenny, Bill, Paul and me.
On a run up to the day there was the usual banter and chat on line and as the day drew closer we realised we were going to be lucky with water conditions due to heavy rain earlier in the week. We arrived at the estate office about 8.15am and were greeted with 1ft 2in on the Bridge of Alford gauge which was ideal. The river was carrying a wee tinge of colour but we were confident that fish would still come to a fly in these conditions. We chatted for a while to discuss tactics for the day and draw beats. I tackled up with my 13ft Hardy Uniqua and matched this up with a Rio Scandi shooting head and fast sink tip. My fly of choice initially was a 3/4" Monkey.
Fishing down the Dam Pool with Paul Pritchard.
I was drawn to fish Beat 3 with Paul Pritchard and we were eager to get going. Paul hadn't had much luck fishing the Don in the past so I gave him first run down the Dam Pool. the pool was fishing nicely and as we got near the dam itself, expectation levels increased as i was positive there would be a fish or two present. Sure enough, as Paul neared the tail of the pool just opposite the Dam, he had a thumping take but sadly the fish didn't connect. It was really hard luck as it about pulled the rod out of his hand and how it never hooked itself is a mystery. Still, it was a good sign and I followed him down the rest of the pool but couldn't temp anything.
Fishing down the Craig Pot.
Next pool up on our beat was the Craig Pot. This used to be one of the best holding pools on the entire river but a few years ago an Archimedes Screw was installed at the neck of the pool and I just don't think it fishes the same now. This is just my opinion of course but I have spoken with a few Castle Forbes regulars who have the same thoughts as me. Anyway, Paul and I fished down the pool from the right bank but nothing was tempted so we continued our journey downstream to the next pool.
Looking upstream for the top of the Nursery Pool into the Craig Pot and Suspension Bridge
Looking downstream in the Nursery Pool.
Next pool down was the Nursery Pool. This is another lovely pool and another good pool which produces fish through out the year. It really is a lovely cast and is a delight to fish. Paul and I both fished through the pool and were expecting a salmon to grab the fly every cast but it wasn't to be. We just couldn't temp anything but we were both confident that we were covering fish.
Upper Deepstane from the right bank.
Bill's first fish of the day from Upper Deepstane expertly netted and photographed by Kenny Carr.
Upper Deepstane was the next pool on our morning beat and this, yet again is another good opportunity to pick up a fish. On arrival to the pool we received a text from Bill who managed to land a fresh run 8lber from the pool earlier on in the morning. At least we knew there were fish there and confidence is a big part in salmon fishing. Paul allowed me to go first through the pool and he followed me down. By this time I had changed to a Sunray Shadow just to try and provoke a fish into taking but i fished the length of the pool but didn't move anything. Paul, fishing conventionally down behind me had the same result.
Paul fishing down Middle Deepstane.
A lovely cast on Middle Deepstane at this height.
Castle Forbes Estate kindly allowed us to have lunch in their estate office again this year and we are always very grateful for this. Paul's good lady Loreena provided lunch of homemade soup and sandwiches, cheese scones, rock cakes as well as crisps and beverages. It went down a treat and we were all stuffed after tucking into the spread she laid on. As per usual on any fishing trip, the topic of discussion over lunch always revolves around salmon and this was no different. We all put the salmon fishing world to rights before heading off to our chosen beats for the afternoon session.
Lower Auchreddachie. Another nice cast and a pool with good depth to hold fish.
As the river was sitting at a good height, the whole beat was fishable so Paul and I decided to head up to Beat 4. Lower Auchreddachie is a pool I am very fond of so we opted to have a run through there first before fishing any other part of the beat. There is nice depth to this pool on the far bank and I was fortunate enough to land a nice springer from here a couple of years ago. We both fished through the pool with out an offer but there were a few big brown trout showing as we made our way down. Just a pity I never had the #5 rod with me.
Fishing down the Bridge Pool in the afternoon.
Following Paul down the Bridge Pool.
The Bridge Pool is another good bit of water that would hold fish and we made sure we covered the whole pool from top to bottom. Again, as tempting as it looked we just couldn't get a salmon to take our offerings but a couple of brown trout were greedy enough to take my fly and Paul landed one too.
Bill Cooks' second fish of the day from the Dam pool.
On our way down to the lower part of the beat we came across Bill who was fishing the Dam pool and he informed us that he managed to winkle out another Don springer just minutes before we arrived. This was excellent news and spurred us on for a final push before calling it a day.
Paul keeping a low profile whilst fishing down the Middle Deepstane pool.
After fishing down the Bridge Pool without success Paul and I decide to head back down river to have a go in the Deepstane Pools from the North bank this time. As Mel and Dave were fishing the Upper Deepstane we began in the Middle Deepstane. All three Deepstane pools are classic middle to upper Don pools and are all capable of yielding fish on their day as Bill proved earlier. We were both optimistic that we would be covering fish and we made sure we covered the pool as best we could but like the rest of the day, our efforts went unrewarded.
Bill Cook pondering a fly change. Bill managed to land 2 springers for his day. fantastic fishing on the Don at anytime of the year but extra special during the Spring months.
Upper Deepstane from the left bank in the afternoon.
Time got the better of us after fishing the Upper Deepstane but Mel did see a nice fish head and tail in the pool before we fished it but it was long gone by the time we covered it. There was to be no further action for any of us in the early evening so we called it a day around 7pm and headed back to the cars to pack up.
It was another great Forum meet and all the rods had a good time and i was great to see the River Don giving up her bounty once again during the Spring. Spring fish on the Don are scarce and to get two in a day is good going and Bill was in the right place, at the right times to grass a couple of lovely fish. We will look forward to heading back there again next year and fingers crossed we get conditions like we had for our day this year.
Finally, I would just like to thank Sandra who works in the estate office for all her help in organising the day and to Lord and Lady Forbes for once again, providing us with the office to have our lunch in. It really is appreciated from not only myself, but from all the lads who come along to this day. It makes it all the more enjoyable and we will be back again soon for another crack at the Don springers.
It's that time of year again when my attention turns to re-stocking the tube fly boxes in preparation for the early spring fishing. I would mostly use tube flies of various sizes and weights depending on conditions but occasionally I'd give an Akroyd tied on a large single hook a swim.
I tend to keep the number of patterns I carry to a minimum just to reduce the temptation to chop and change flies all the time through out the day. Here are a selection of my go to patterns which see most action.
An old Dee favourite - The Akroyd
Gold Willie Gunns and Black & Yellows. You won't go far wrong with these in the Spring months.
Park Shrimp. All the colours associated with spring fishing. Deadly wee fly.
Maggie's Shrimp. Probably my favourite fly to use in the Spring.
Black & Chartreuse and Willie Gunn Franc N Snaeldas.
Drowned Mouse. This is a new addition to my box for next year but by no means a new pattern.
Here is a link to the Scottish TV show "Turus a Bhradain". It is now into it's third series and is aired on BBC ALBA channel 168 on Digital. The series is 6 episodes long and is onto episode 4 which starts tonight at 8.30pm. The link I have included below is for episode 2 and is about the Aberdeen District Angling Association and the River Dee. The show is in Gaelic but has subtitles for all none Gaelic speaking viewers. Enjoy. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01dhdfl/Turas_a_Bhradain_Series_3_Episode_2/
I had my annual 3 day trip to the Park beat on the Aberdeenshire Dee this week. I fished from Monday to Wednesday. The river was in good nick and was up slightly from the weekend. There was 5 (Jerrys) Springers caught during my 3 days. A beauty of 18lb out of the Boat pool from the North bank on Wednesday by a very good angler. It was dripping with long-tailed sea lice. There was also another angler who landed his first ever fish. It weighed 15lbs and had shoulders like a brick layer! Hope he doesn't think it's that easy all the time! I finished up with 13 kelts but the springers were playing hard to get. I did hook one in the bum and it took off like a steam train. Tearing all my line and backing from my reel and leading a merry dance down the pool. I finally got it under control and it came in tail first. When I first hooked it, I thought it was a prized Dee springer but not to be. Fairly got the ticker going though. Had a lovely few days and Keith Cromar is a topper of a guy and a class ghillie to boot. Here are some pictures from my trip and hope you enjoy them. Be back next year to try it all again. Charlie Robertson.
13 kelts for my 3 days. Keith Cromar fairly spurs you on. Great Ghillie.
The concrete path down Park Inn. Im using a int/sink1, 10ft fast sink tip and a 1.5" Monkey. Looking into the Boat Pool.
Two anglers making their way down the Durris Stream in hope of a Dee springer.
Fishing the Bridge Pool on beat 6. You wade out to the shingle bar and fish over to Jim Paton's Upper Drum/Lower Durris bank. Lovely cast. The bridge in the picture is Park Bridge.
I have been at the vice tonight in preparation for my coming visit to Park this Saturday and have been inspired by Ballogie Ghillie Sean Stanton's blog http://theballogiebeats.blogspot.com/ . I have tied up some Red and Black Francis tubes and a Red Snaelda. Not nearly as good as his but enjoyed tying them up. Practise makes perfect as they say. Here are a few pictures of my tyings. Hope you like them.
Red Francis. Tied on copper and aluminium tubes.
Black Francis. Also tied on copper and aluminium tubes.
Good Luck to everyone fishing the River Dee tomorrow and 2012 season. Let's hope it's a good one and the river keeps on the upward trend in terms of catches. I'm off to the opening ceremony tomorrow morning to see Paul Whitehouse deliver the opening cast. I will post some pictures and videos from the event later tomorrow evening.
The famous Potarch Bridge where the 2012 River Dee opening ceremony will take place on 01/02/12 on the Bridge Pool. The traditional first cast and blessing of the river will be preformed by comedian and Dee regular Paul Whitehouse.
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.
