Re-Stocking The Fly Boxes

It has been a busy few weeks of fly tying during the festive period. The fly boxes took a bit of a hammering last year and they were in dire need of re-stocking. I don't tend to use that many patterns for the early spring but I have added a few different patterns for this year just to try out. I really like the look of the Banana Fly so I will be giving this fly a really good go this coming season.

Banana Fly tied on 15mm Brass Bottle Tubes.

1 1/4" Green Highlanders

1" Dee Monkey Tubes

25mm T Tube Gold Body Willie Gunn 

The fly boxes are looking much healthier now.

Flies For The Spring

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.

Sunray Shadow

It's getting to that time of year again when I fish the Sunray Shadow quite a lot, especially when the pool looks quiet and nothing is showing. I normally just use the standard plastic tube with a white under wing and long black hair for the main wing. This time though, I have decided to mix it up a little and tie several different varieties using coloured tubes and different colours of underwing.
 

The Sunray Shadow flies ready for action on the Dee and Don.

 

River Dee Opening Ceremony 01/02/2012

I attended the 2012 River Dee opening ceremony this morning at the Potarch bridge. There was a really good turn out and excellent conditions for fishing. The first fish to filter through was caught from the Commonty beat about 10am. It weighed 12lbs. After some complimentary bacon butties and Dee Drams, the 200 strong crowd headed down to the Ballogie beat's Bridge Pool where comedian and Dee fisherman Paul Whitehouse had the honour of the first cast. He gave a speech about his love for the Dee and poured a quaich of whiskey into the river. Mark Bilsby also informed the crowd that the 2 week extension had been agreed to be made permanent. Good news! There was a few famous faces around from the world of angling here today and I managed to get my picture taken with fishing expert and Dee supporter Matt Hayes. I also had a chat with the inventor of the world famous Park shrimp fly, Ross MacDonald. Both were very nice guys and a pleasure to meet. After the ceremony I headed off downstream for a cast on the Aberdeen District Angling Association beat, Banchory Devenick. I didn't see anything but it was good to blow away the cobwebs and cast a line again. Here are some pictures and a video from today.

Comedian and Dee angler Paul Whitehouse giving an interview for TV shortly before officially opening the River Dee season 2012. Wonder if he used his new waders he bought with the money he saved on his insurance from Aviva!

Ross MacDonald and Matt Hayes having a chat. I did ask their permission to take this photo and Matt Hayes thought it would be a good shot to have them talking.

River Dee Fisheries Development Officer Ken Reid. Ken and his team have done a wonderful job promoting the river and Deeside in general. They have secured many funds along the way which all go back into improving this world class fishery. Also a big thanks for organising the event today which went smoothly from start to finish. Well Done.

Potarch Bridge. Lovely area of Deeside. The Potarch hotel supplied all the refreshments for today. The bacon buttie and coffee went down a treat! Whyte & Mackay also provided free Dee Drams. Cheers guys!

Paul Whitehouse blessing the river and Ballogie Ghillie Sean Stanton waiting to hand over the rod.

Apologies for the dodgy videos but I was taking stills with my other hand!!! Not such a good idea but it seemed like it at the time.

Myself posing for a photo with Matt Hayes. Matt has donated some fishing in June on the River Gaula in Norway. This is for the River Dee auction to be held in London on March 1st.

Craigellachie Beat - River Spey 17/09/2011

Had a day here with my friend Charlie Robertson. We arrived at the main Hut around 8.20 to be greeted by the Upper beat's Ghillie, Chris. He informed us that during the night the river had risen about 9" and was very dark in colour. He suggested that Spring fishing tactics would be the order of the day. I started in the Broom Isle pool and Charlie started in the Garden Pool. I tackled up with a S1/S2 Vision Ace shooting head and a Rio 10' 5.6ips tip. I tied on a size 7 Green Arsed Ghillie which I had tied up the night before. About half way down the pool I got a really solid thump on the fly and the fish took a yard or two of line as I was slowly stripping my fly in. I clamped the line, lifted into the fish and nothing there! I then lost the fly round a big boulder and my confidence went with it! Charlie fished down through the Garden pool without a touch and he then headed up to the Broom Isle and I fished the Garden. Charlie had a pull on his 1" Park shrimp roughly where I did and I didn't touch anything in the Garden Pool.

After lunch we were to fish the bottom beat with Ghillie Dougie Ross. He showed us the water and taking spots, which were right in at our bank due to the high water. Charlie started at the Upper Slabs and I started in the Lower Slabs. Plenty of fish showing throught-out the pool and confidence was restored when I got a good pull on a 1" copper Red Francis. I fished down through the pool to finish just below the main hut but didn't touch anything else. Charlie fished on through with the same outcome. I then headed up to the top and changed fly to a 1" copper Blue and Orange tube. About a rod length out from where the boat is moored I got another pull but again didn't hook up. Frustrating but at least we knew there was fish there.

Once we said our fair well to Dougie at 5pm we fished through the Slabs again. Nothing doing so we headed down to the Bridge Pool. What a lovely cast! Would love to see it when the water was a perfect height because even with 2' on the gauge it was a pleasure to fish. There was a few fish showing just under the old Craigellachie bridge but 2 runs through each with various flies and sink tips we didn't touch anything. At 7.30pm we called it a day. No Salmon caught but a good day on a cracking beat, just a pity the water was on the high side as the Ghillie had told us "It was almost perfect yesterday". We headed into Aberlour to the Mashed Tun bar/restaurant for a pint or two and a homemade burger and chips.

Some pools like the Tunnels, Doo's Nest and Boat of Fiddich were just too high to fish. Didn't get any pictures of them but next time im there, hopefully in lower water, I will and maybe a fish from the River Spey too. We will be back next year!

Broom Isle Pool

Just out from the last bunch of reeds is where I got a good take from a fish but I didn't hook up.

Fishing down the Garden Pool with the MacAllan hut on the far bank. Even with a S3 shooting head and a 2" copper tube, the fly was stll speeding round this pool. Lovely cast.

Half Time - Heading to the Main Hut for lunch.

Fishing Upper Slabs. Had another take just off of the boat on a 1" Blue and Orange copper tube.

Full house at the main MacAllan hut at lunchtime.

Charlie Robertson fishing the tail of Lower Slabs.

The bridge pool and the old Craigellachie Bridge. Cracking fly water.

An upstream picture of the bridge. Wouldn't fancy falling in here. The water below the bridge circles like a whirl pool!