Scale Sample Results

Every season I try to collect a few scale samples from salmon I catch and these scales are kindly read for me by River Don bailiff, Martin Webster. Last season I managed to get scales from three fresh run salmon which I caught during the summer months. All three fish were 10lb or above and the scales read as follows:

Fish No.1:

14lb Salmon from the River Spey at Tulchan C

This 14lb hen salmon was caught on the 25th June 2016 from the Tulchan C beat of the River Spey. The scale reading from the fish pictured above shows 2 sea winters growth and some growth last year. It spent 2 winters in the river as a juvenile before smolting to sea. The scale reading confirmed this was a summer salmon. I for one am glad this beauty made it back to the river as it was my first ever River Spey salmon.

Fish No.2

A cracking 10lb River Spey salmon also from Tulchan C 

This 10lb salmon was caught from the Tulchan C beat on the same day as the 14lb salmon above and was as fresh as they come. The scale sample read it was a 2 sea winter fish and it also sent 2 years in the river as a juvenile before smolting to sea. The scale reading confirmed this was a summer salmon.

Fish No.3

10lb summer salmon from the Rver Dee.

The final scale reading was taken from a fish caught at the Ballogie beat of the River Dee on 5th July 2016. It was roughly 10lbs in weight and was very fresh. The scale confirmed it was a 2 sea winter summer salmon which spent 2 years in the river as a juvenile before smolting to sea. 

It's always really interesting getting the information back from the scale readings. Hopefully I'll catch a few more salmon this season and get the scale readings done again. Big thank you to River Don bailiff, Martin Webster for taking the time to read them for me and providing such detailed feedback. It's much appreciated. 

River Don Springers

The River Don has fished reasonably well recently and with decent water levels early in the month there were a few nice fish landed. I am grateful to River Don bailiff Martin Webster, Kildrummy Inn proprietor David Littlewood and Ralph Green for the photos. Hopefully the good fishing continues through out the summer months and the grilse make their appearance shortly. We could be done with a lift in levels just to freshen things up again but returning sea trout should be appearing about now to keep anglers interested and I for one will certainly be putting in the odd late night to try and land these hard fighting fish.

For more details on fishing the River Don check out the FishDon website.

A lovely fish from Kildrummy Water landed by Richard Bagshaw.

Ralph Green playing a springer just as the light begins to fade.

A prize well worth pursuing. Ralph Green with a beauty of around 12lb.

River Don bailiff Martin Webster's first fish of the season from Breda.

Scale Sample Results

Over the course of the season I have been collecting scales where ever possible from fish I have landed on both the River Dee and Don. I received the reading back today from River Don bailiff, Martin Webster.

The first fish was this 11lb salmon caught on the River Don at Manar on the 1st August. The scale reading came back as follows: 2 sea winter salmon. Smolted after 2 years with good growth rings each year.

The second scale to be read came from another fresh fish caught on the 19th August from the Lower Don at Fintray. The scale read: Grilse. Smotled after 2 years and spent 1 year feeding at sea.

Next up was a 15lb hen salmon caught on the Lower Don at Fintray on 7th October. This fish had been in a week or two but otherwise in very good condition. Her scale read: Salmon. Smolted after 2 years and spent 2 years feeding at sea before returning to the river.

Next up was a fresh run 5lber caught on the River Dee at Ballogie on 14th October from the Bridge Pool. The scale read: Grilse. Smotled after 2 years and spent 1 year feeding at sea.

The 7lb fresh run fish was caught from the River Don at Lower Fintray on the 15th October and was covered in sea lice. The scale from this fish read: Grilse. Smolted after 2 years in river and spent 1 year feeding at sea.

There was also another scale which I submitted for reading. This was a fish I had foul hooked by accident in late August. I fly must have came across it's back as it fish round as there was one solitary scale on the point of my fly when I checked it. I sent the scale off and Martin was undecided on the reading of the scale and has sent it away for further analysis and a second opinion. I'll report the reading back as soon as I get it as the scale was very large and I had the feeling it was quite a big fish! Hopefully that will be the case when the reading comes back and I'll look forward to seeing the result..

Scale Sample Results

Through-out last season I took scale samples from several salmon and sea trout caught by myself or others. A majority of the fish were grilse but there was scale taken from a few bigger fish too.

I got some of the results back from scale samples I had taken last season from several fish caught during October. River Don bailiff, Martin Webster emailed me today with so very interesting reading.

The first reading was from scales of a 4lb sea trout caught from the Don 19/10/2013. It was caught by another angler but whilst unhooking it, we noticed it was long and thin with a swollen vent. It looked very much like a kelt so I took some scales. I had been looking forward to seeing the results. This is what Martin observed;

"I had a look at that scales and the Sea Trout caught last Oct 19th could have already spawned as you thought. From the scale reading it had entered the river earlier in the season possibly May as the growth rate had slowed considerably. I could tell though that it had spent 2 years in the river before going to sea and had spent 1 sea winter before returning to freshwater. The spawning mark on the scale only shows up after a while so I couldn't be sure." 

The next fish was a 7lb grilse caught by my dad on the 12th October, also from the River Don. Grilse are pretty much self explanatory when telling it's time at sea etc but this is how the scale read:

"The 7lb female caught 12/10/13 from the Manse was a Grilse and spent 2 years in freshwater before smolting. It then spent 1 sea winter before returning late last season. The scale reads 2.1.1+ "

The scale reading above was taken from the fish pictured.

The final reading I received was from a scale taken from a cracking 17lb Salmon caught by Barry Garden from the River Don also on the 19th October. It was fat as a pig and fairly fresh. I am glad I got scales from this fish as they make for very interesting reading. This is what they read;

"Lastly the 17lb was an interesting fish. It spent 3 years in the river before smolting and then fed at sea for 2 sea winters. The fish had then returned and spawned before making it back down river as a Kelt and got back to the sea. After another winter, the fish returned to freshwater for a second time, something very few manage to do. The scale reads 3.2+SM+"

This 17lb River Don Salmon has clocked up a fair few miles in her life!

 

 

It's really good to find out more about these magnificent creatures and amazing just how much information you can get from a few scales.

Breda - River Don

I booked a day through FishPal to fish the Breda beat of the River Don on Tuesday. The water height was sitting at around 5" on the gauge but the wind was howling and made fly fishing a bit challenging at times!

The beat had recorded some decent catches off the back of a rise in water last week and I was hopeful of getting a fish or two. But with the gale force winds, coupled with the water dropping away again, I left empty handed. There was a small, coloured cock fish landed first thing in the morning however, by the other rod fishing the beat. It was taken from Smith's Brae.

I fished the beat's most likely pools from top to bottom but Martin, the Don bailiff informed us that the best chance of a fish would be from the lower half of the beat as it fishes better in low water. The upper part of the beat has some nice pools which fished well including Whin Brae and the Tub but the fish were not playing ball on this occasion.

Breda is a beat I will look forward to returning to again in 2014 as I really enjoy fishing some of these short streamy pools which entice you into thinking that your line will tighten and be drawn away any minute!

Here are some pictures of the beat from Tuesday.

Rock Pool. I stared my day off in here. A cracking pool and there is a good spot below the summer house.

Saddler's Flats. A couple of fish showed at the tail of the pool just on the other side of the current.

Ghillie's Pool. Just a short wee stretch but fishes well. Lost a fish in here last year.

Smith's Brae. My favourite pool on the beat and seems to hold fish. Fishes well from top to tail.

The tail of Smith's Brae. A good lie off the big rock on the far bank.

Laird's. Good flow at the neck of the pool but didn't see anything showing here.

Flaskie. The upper most pool on the beat. A bit on the low side for here at 5" but fishes well in higher water.

Whin Brae. A good pool in all heights and a nice pool for swinging a fly through.

Tub. Looks a good holding pool and another pool ideal for the fly.