River Don Salmon

Finally opened my account on the River Don today and not unlike buses, two came along at once! I normally have a Don fish in my book long before now but with no water for months it was finally good to see the Don with a spate running off and to get out fishing knowing you had a chance of connecting. The water was carrying a heavy peat stain but was otherwise in very good shape.

Both fish were taken on a 14mm Junction Snaelda fished off a floating line a 7 inch per second poly leader and were released quickly. The second fish I caught today made my total for the season pass last year's total so it was very pleasing to see it in the net.

My first fish of the day. A hen fish around the 5lb mark. Junction Snaelda did the trick.

My second fish of the day. Another hen fish but about 7lb. Junction Snaelda did the trick again. This fish made me pass my total of last year.

River Don Sea Trout

I was out and about on the River Don last week fishing Lower Fintray beat of the Aberdeen and District Angling Association water. There wasn't much in the way of salmon in evidence but I was fortunate enough to encounter this fella. I nice and stocky 3lb sea trout. It's colouring up but it's still a nice fish all the same.

A nice River Don sea trout ready to be released back into the river.

Salmon And The Kitchen Sink Shrimp

My Kitchen Sink (KS) Shrimp fly has really started to prove it's worth this season with good numbers of fish falling for it's charms from various corners of the Northern Hemisphere. So far it has been successful in Russia, Norway, Iceland, Ireland and several rivers here Scotland such as the Dee, Don, Spey, Lochy and Naver to name but a few. It has a small band of faithful followers and hopefully it's success will grow as the pattern becomes a bit more widespread.

A lovley 13lb Summer Salmon caught by my good pal Charlie Robertson on the Manar beat of the River Don in July. The Kitchen Sink fly sitting on it's flank.

Here are a few pictures of salmon which have taken the Kitchen Sink Shrimp fly this season. Thank you very much for the use of the photos, David Littlewood, Paul Pritchard and Charlie Robertson. Much appreciated gents.

A batch of freshly tied Kitchen Sink Shrimps ready for action.

A Kitchen Sink Shrimp fresh from the scissors of a 14lb salmon on the River Spey in June.

The very exclusive Yellow version of the Kitchen Sink which is now picking up the odd fish throughout Scotland.

Another photo of Charlie's salmon from the River Don.

A cracking 16lb Salmon caught by David Littlewood from the Upper Dee.

Yours truly with a 14lb Salmon caught on the River Spey in late June.

Kildrummy Inn proprietor, David Littlewood with a nice River Deveron springer caught back in May.

My pal Paul Pritchard with a March springer from the River Dee which took a liking to a small tube version of the Kitchen Sink.

Paul Pritchard with the first of a brace of March springers from the River Dee on 11th March.

His second March springer of the day for Paul Pritchard from the Dee. This wee cracker also fell to a Kitchen Sink.

A nice close up shot the a Kitchen Sink Shrimp in the mouth of a nice River Dee springer.

Kildrummy - River Don

Thanks to beat owner David Littlewood, I had a day's fishing on the River Don at Kildrummy on Saturday. This cracking 4 rod beat offers 3 miles of double bank and 1 mile of single bank fishing on a very scenic area of Donside. There had been quite a large and dirty spate earlier on in the week with water levels reaching around 8ft on the gauges but Saturday the water had dropped to about 1ft 2in on the Bridge Of Alford gauge and had taken on more of a heavy peat stain rather than a dirty colour. Conditions were as good to perfect as I could have hoped for and I just needed the salmon to play their part.

The upper Don isn't a big river and most of the pools are short but well defined and easily covered with a short rod. My rod of choice was my 11ft 8/9 switch rod and a Guideline Ultra Compact floating shooting head.  Despite the river levels most of the pools are not overly deep so I opted for a 6ft 2.6ips polyleader and a Cascade dressed on a #10 Esmond Drury treble.

The award winning, Kildrummy Inn. Can highly recommend it for a lovely meal or short stay if in the area.

I arrived at the Kildrummy Inn at 8.30am to collect my ticket for fishing and a beat map. The beat map is very easy to follow and all the pools and parking areas are clearly marked. I headed down to the hut which overlooks the Crooked Pot pool to tackle up and plan my day from there. I was to be fishing with two other day rods but with the water a good height, there was more than enough water to keeps us occupied all day.

I decide to give the upper pools on the right bank a cast first so I made my way up to the top of the beat to fish the Burn End pool. At this height of water the pool was looking like a good stopping point for a running salmon with it's fast neck and slower glides towards the tail. I started at the top of the pool as I always do and worked my way down covering all the water. There was a strong upstream wind which made casting a little tricky with the small switch set up but I persevered. I fished down the length of the pool without an offer so it was off down to the next one.

The next pool down was Upper Clochter. This was another good looking pool given the good water height and again you could imagine salmon resting in here after running the faster water below. The fast flowing neck eased off into a deepish run which has slack water on the far side of it. This is where I concentrated my efforts and just about half way down the pool I had a good offer which didn't stick unfortunately. The fish actually came at the fly twice in succession but neither time did it take the hook properly which made me think it was a trout. Whatever it was, it was not for taking again and I fished out the rest of the pool without a touch.

Lower Clochter was next and this was a narrow pool in comparison with it's upper part and I kept myself off the skyline as I approached the water to try not to spook any fish which could have been lying in the pool. With the faster water hugging the far bank it was quite easy to read and I covered the water along the edges of the fast rush, just where you'd expect to pick up fish but if any fish were present, they weren't for taking my offerings.

Looking downstream at the top of the Crooked Pot.

Fishing over the likely lies near the neck of the Crooked Pot.

The next pool down was the pool outside the hut which is named the Crooked Pot. This is a cracking wee pool and huts are not built on bad bits of water. There is a nice wee run which comes off near the neck of the pool and I made sure I covered this part of the pool before it spread out and slowed down a bit around half way down. I was expecting something to be lying in here given it's depth and I covered the pool from bank to bank along it's length. Sadly, and much to my disappointment, I didn't get an offer in this pool but from top to bottom at this height of water, I was sure I was covering fish so I strapped the rods onto my car and headed of upstream to the upper part of the beat.

Looking upstream mid way down Bulwarks.

Looking downstream from the same point.

On my last visit to Kilrummy back in May 2014 I found the Bulwarks pool to be a real gem. It really looks as though would hold fish as it has quite a bit of depth to it. A tell tale give away that this is a nice pool was that the fishings on the opposite side of the river had strimmed the bank. There is a strong rush of water cascades through the centre of the river here and over of steep bedrock and rock ledges before slowing and leveling out further down. The pool requires fishing of a high bank at this height of water and this made it simple to cover using an over head cast. I decided to try something a bit heavier in here and tied on a wee brass Monkey tube. This sank quicker than a small double and allowed me to cut down through the fast water given the fish more chance to see my offerings. Despite the change of tactics I couldn't temp anything so I headed off down stream to fish Joiner's.

Fishing down Joiner's

Joiner's pool is the next pool down below the Bulwarks and was looking good with the current water levels. I started off at the neck of the pool which involved just a wee, short cast and allowed my brass Monkey tube fly to drift through the fast water. The rest of the pool shallowed up the nearer you got to the tail but the deeper run along the far bank looked fishy. I fished the length of the pool with a touch but I am sure I was also covering fish in here as there was a good depth and flow to the pool for the majority of it.By this time it was time for lunch so I headed off back to the hut for a bite to eat.

An old picture of the hut I took in 2014. The hut today is now green but it gives an idea of what it's like.

Kildrummy is one of a few beats on the Don that can boast having a comfortable fishing hut on it's banks. This is very handy and I met up with fellow rod, Robert there who was fishing the Crooked Pot outside the hut as I arrived. I spoke with him as he fished down the pool stripping a small monkey and about half way down the pool he had a strong pull on his fly but sadly the fish didn't stick and it wasn't interested in coming to the fly a second time. Still, it was encouraging and this spurred us on for the remainder of the day.

Fellow rod, Robert had a brief encounter with a fish in here just before lunch.

After lunch, the sun was beginning to warm up and the cloud cover was disappearing fast so I decided to give the Crooked Pot a quick run through since Robert managed to get a bit of action. I changed back to a smaller fly and opted to try a #10 Ghillie. Despite my best efforts and covering the likely areas, I couldn't temp that fish from earlier or any other fish to take my fly so it was off further down stream to the Willows.

Looking downstreamin Willows.

Fishing down near the tail of Willow's. The next pool down is the Brux Pot which i didn't fish.

The Willows is another good looking pool on Kildrummy and there is plenty depth and flow here to harbour fish. This pool looked as likely as anywhere on the beat to pick up a fish. I started out at the neck of the pool and covered the deeper part of the pool on the opposite bank where the water kind of forms a small back eddy where the bridge crossed the small burn which enters the pool half way down. This is where i expected the fish to be lying and so it was back on with the heavier fly for here. I stripped the small Monkey through the pool and varying the speeds of my retrieve but there were no takers. I did move a very small trout down at the tail but I would have said the length of the fly was about the same as the trout!

Fishing down the Bridge Pool.

The first pool I tried below the bridge was the Bridge pool itself. With the bright sun now beating down on the water it was showing almost every stone under the water despite the peat stain. This wasn't ideal for this pool as there wasn't much depth to it but I gave it a quick run through but alas I couldn't temp any fish to take my offerings.

About to have a run through Dukestone Dykes.

Fishing my way down Dukestone Dykes.

The next pool down was Dukestone Dykes. This looked more promising and there is a lovely flow down the far bank here. This pool fished the fly perfectly at this height and I was just waiting for a pull after every cast down it's entire length but try s I might, there was nothing keen on coming to my fly so it was off down to the next pool.

Fishing the lie under the overhanging trees on the far bank was required in this stretch of water.

The next pool/run wasn't named on the map but it was really just a short glide coming off the far bank which was shaded by the over hanging trees. This looked an ideal spot for a fish to lie given the bright conditions and I carefully covered the water as quietly and as delicately as I could. Again, there was no fish willing to take my fly and I moved on down stream to the next likely looking pool.

The neck of Knowhead Pool. A large pool by upper Don standards.

Mid way down Knowhead where I tormented several trout with a Collie.

The Knowhead pool was next up and this is a large pool for the Upper Don. This pool also has a nice depth to it and a lovely even flow down it's length once you are past the faster water up at the neck. I decide to give a Collie Dog a try in here as it was a much wider pool than most. I varied the speed of my retrieve and I quickly moved several decent sized trout on my first few casts. This spurred me on and my concentration levels were raised a notch or two again. About half way down the pool I managed to gt one of these trout to stick and I soon landed a small but perfectly form brown trout about 9" long. Not a monster but a welcome bend in the rod. I fished on down the remainder of the pool without moving anything else but the presence of an otter didn't help matters but it was great to watch it going about it's business. Hopefully had better luck than I was having!

Looking upstream on the bottom pool of Kildrummy, The Muckle Saugh.

Fishing down Muckle Saugh. A lovely cast at this height.

Despite the fact i didn't land any salmon I really enjoyed my day back on the Kildrummy Water. Given the water conditions I had on the day, I couldn't have asked for better to be honest. It was just unfortunate that the salmon hadn't read my script. Kildrummy is a beat I will fish again and I will look forward to that day. Hopefully I can strike it lucky with similar water levels that I got for my day next time round. David Littlewood has a nice beat on his hands here and it boasts some of the best brown trout fishing on the river. Well worth perusing if that's your chosen quarry. There is plenty good fishing to be had by the 4 rods whether it's salmon or trout you're after and it is very reasonable priced. Day tickets are readily available from the Kildrummy Inn. As well as co owner of the Kildrummy Inn, David is also the head chef and has won several awards for his culinary skills. His business partner, Nigel Hake has also picked up a few awards for his role as Front of House at the Inn and I can highly recommend a meal there if in the area.


It's been a while since I managed to get a salmon on the bank but hopefully there will be plenty to write about in the remaining months of the season. Thanks for reading and Tight Lines!

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.

Castle Forbes - River Don

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.