Redd Counting On The River Dee

I spent the day on the Upper Dee yesterday with bailiff Mark Walker on one his redd counts to monitor the spawning activity in the Dee catchment. The river had been quite high at the beginning of the week after some heavy rain and due to the high water a majority of the redds we would encounter would be fresh ones. The river was dropping away for us yesterday though and new redds we came across were pin pointed by Mark using a GPS device. This gives the bailiffs and biologists a better idea of where the spawing occurs and it's a good reference to look back on from previous seasons as to where spawning activity usually takes place.

Two freshly cut salmon redds side by side.

Ideal spawning habitiat on a tributary of the Dee near Braemar.

Good spawning in the upper catchment of the Dee

A lovely view of the river and surrounding hills near Balmoral Castle.

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A cock fish sitting on a redd awaiting the arrival of another hen fish to do the business with.

A salmon kelt which make easy meals for the Otters.

Another otter kill. Hopefully this fish had done it's job.

An old bridge over a tributary of the upper Dee near Braemar.

Despite the poorest angling season on record on the River Dee the redd counts have been encouraging and we certainly saw decent numbers in various locations yesterday as well as a decent number of fish present. This bodes well and hopefully the next generation of fish make it back to the river in four or five years time.

To find out more info about what happens on the River Dee through out the season follow the link and browse their informative website and publications. The River Dee