River Dee Opening Ceremony 2014

On the 1st of February every year the River Dee salmon fishing season begins again after a long winter. The event was held at Potarch again this year and the usual good spread of teas and coffees, along with bacon sandwiches were laid on for all that attended. The river was a good height and was sitting about 3ft on the gauge. It was a nice colour too which was encouraging, especially after the horrendous weather conditions we endured earlier on in the week. The River Dee Opening Ceremony is always a great occasion and it's good to catch up with friends and ghillies who are all eager to get the season underway again.

This year was the 150th Anniversary of the River Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and to commemorate the occasion the Ballater and District Pipe Band marched over the Potarch Bridge playing their newly composed tune called "Silvery Dee". This was the first time they had played the tune to the public and it went down really well. Also going down well were samples of the new "Dee Dram" which will be on sale shortly. I have to say, it is very nice indeed. It was also announced today that Ken Reid has decided to move on and will vacate his position of Fisheries Development Officer. Ken has done wonders for the River Dee in his time and notably helped launch the "Dee Dram" which brought in plenty money for the river not just to the Dee but the Spey, Tay and Tweed as well. His work has also brought lots of anglers to the area who in turn spend vast amounts of money on Royal Deeside. I'd just like to wish Ken all the best for the future. Someone will have big shoes to fill.
 
The honor of the "First Cast" this year was made by Formula 1 legend Ross Brawn. He has been the mastermind behind many of the World Champions of recent times including Michael Schumachar and Jenson Button. He addressed the 300 strong crowd from the banks of the famous Bridge Pool on the Ballogie beat and informed everyone of his passion for all types of fishing, especially salmon fishing. He then went on to say he has definitely retired from F1. That should give him plenty time to go fishing now.

Not long after the opening cast, news filtered through that the first fish of the season had been landed from the Dess beat just a few miles upstream from the opening ceremony. I shall look forward to checking FishDee later tonight to see what the final tally for the day has been. At the moment it is 9. The biggest being a 10lber from Dess.

After the first cast, there was a presentation by local photographer and writer, Mel Shand who has written a book about the River Dee and it's ghillies. The book includes some cracking photos and stories about the men who work up and down the river. I'll look forward to reading it when it's on sale in late March/early April.

I would just like to take a moment and wish everyone on the Dee this year the best of luck and hopefully it is a bumper season ahead. Tight Lines.

Here are a few pictures and a short video of the day. Click River Dee Opening Ceremony 2014

Potarch Bridge basking in the February sun.

Ample amounts of the new "Dee Dram" to be tried.

Ballogie Estate head ghillie Sean Stanton and River Dee Director Mark Bilsby share a joke.

Formula 1 legend Ross Brawn addresses the crowd before the ceremonial "First Cast".

Ross Brawn toasts the River Dee and the new season with a dram.

The first cast is made and the season has begun.

Ballater and District Pipe Band play their new tune "Silvery Dee".

Images From Royal Deeside Today

I had a few spare hours today so I spent them out and about on Royal Deeside taking photographs of the River Dee around the Potarch area. The river was in excellent shape sitting at around 2 feet on the gauge. It had a lovely colour to it, slightly peaty but clear enough to see the bottom in the shallower runs. Hopefully it will be the same next weekend and we see plenty fish caught on opening day.

I thought I would share a few of the photographs I took today just to whet the appetite of any fisherman sitting at home counting down the days until the start of the Salmon fishing season one week from today. It certainly made me want to get out there and have a cast or two!

The Deeside Way is a path which follows the river along the old Deeside Railway line.

The Potarch Bridge. Built by Contractors William Minto and completed in 1814 at a cost of �4067.

Walking over the historic bridge from the Potarch Hotel.

Looking down stream from the bridge into the famous Bridge Pool. The lower Ballogie fishing hut is to the right of the picture.

Looking upstream from Potarch Bridge.

A few hundred yards upstream of the bridge. Not sure of the pool name. Possibly Slips?

Looking downstream at a pool I think is called Flats.

Upstream a little further now to beautiful looking pool for fly fishing.

Looking downstream from the Borrowstone hut. Another cracking bit of river for the fly. Think this is called Sands?

Looking upstream from the hut. Really "fishy" pool I think is called Bend. I suppose that's why the hut is here. Has to be one of my favourite huts on the river. Full of character and the smell of layer upon layer creosote really adds to it's charm.

The stretch of river upstream of the hut looking towards Kincardine O' Neil. Again, looks a great bit of water at this height and I think this could be called Gannets.

A pheasant struts his stuff in a field adjacent to the Deeside Way.

A photo of the Potarch Hotel taken just before it closed for re-development in late 2013.

High Water On The Dee And Don

Yesterday saw torrential rainfall hit both River Dee and River Don catchment areas. The spate could have been a lot higher it was not for the lack of snow on the hills. If snow melt was added to the already huge volumes of water, the damage could have been a lot worse.

On the River Dee, the spate peaked around 10pm and was reading almost 11ft on the Park gauge! This caused huge amounts of debris to make it's way down river. There were hay bales, trees, logs and countless amounts of rubbish all getting a washed into the river from the banks and undergrowth. The Dee's largest tributary, the Feugh, was roaring down. It peaked around 8pm and was almost 8ft on the Heughhead gauge. Further downstream in Aberdeen, the Aberdeen & District Angling Association Bothy was flooded. With already high water, around 11pm the river quickly rose about 8" in just over 15 minutes. This was enough to make the river burst it's banks and make it's way into the workshop area.

Just over the hill to the North Eastern side of the Cairngorms, the River Don spate peaked around midnight at just over 5ft 6in on the Haughton gauge. The River Don meanders it's way mainly through farmland and this causes it to colour up very quickly. Plenty logs and straw made their way downstream which were washed off from the fields and woodland.

These pictures are of the River Dee taken from Park Bridge and the lower Dee in Aberdeen.

Looking downstream from Park Bridge. Still about 7ft on the gauge this afternoon.

Upstream view from Park Bridge. The water has cut the corner through the trees on the right.

Looking towards the Altries beat. The pool below is Alfred's Pot which is shared with Tilbouries.

Riverside in Aberdeen looking towards the Bridge of Dee. Note the tide mark on the grass where the water had been only a few hour earlier.

A large log lies on the bank covered in straw. Looking downstream towards the King George VI Bridge.

Someone will be missing part of their fence today! Doesn't look that old either.

Still plenty water on the grass where the river burst it's banks.

The A.D.A.A Bothy which was under water last night and part of this morning. Luckily nothing was too damaged.

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.

The New Season Is Just Around The Corner!

The Salmon Fishing season in Scotland is nearly upon us once again and with the poor showing last year, you would be forgiven if you were having trouble getting excited about the coming 2014 season. Not me though, as like every year, I can't wait to get going again! The fly lines are all cleaned and re-looped, the fly boxes have been re-stocked, the reels have been serviced and a few new items are primed and ready to go. The only thing missing is a river to fish on!

Fly boxes are full again and lines ready for action.

I have to wait until 8th February to get my first crack at catching an elusive spring salmon when I will be taking my annual February day on the famous Park beat of the River Dee. Before then though, several rivers in Scotland will be opening up within the next week or so. The first are several of the Northern rivers such as the Helmsdale and Thurso. Then, on the 15th January, the River Tay welcomes it's first visitors of the new season.

February fishing on the River Dee at Little Blackhall & Inchmarlo.

The rivers I mainly fish don't open until February. The Dee opens first on the 1st and the Don follows on the 11th. The Dee especially is a fantastic early river and spring salmon can be caught through out the system on opening day. The Don can also produce early fish but it only really starts to see fish being caught more towards the end of March. From then on it can be excellent, especially if the last few seasons are anything to go by. In my opinion, there is no better prize than landing a spanking fresh early running salmon. It certainly makes you forget all about the freezing temperatures and ice cold water. I can't wait!

What we are all after! A cracking fresh run Springer from the River Dee on the 19th March 2011.

Please Sign - A Petition By Renowned Spey Ghillie And Guide Ian Gordon

Scottish Salmon - Too valuable an asset to rural communities to be killed by the hundred in nets.

Please take a few minutes to sign this petition to save the Spring Salmon from being netted right here in Scotland after a 14 year cessation.

Follow the link below and add your name to a very worthwhile cause.

Salmon Netting Petition By Ian Gordon

Thank you.

My Salmon Fishing Highlights 2013

As the end of 2013 is fast approaching, I thought I would share some of the highlights from my fishing season. As well as my usual days on the Dee and Spey, one particular highlight for me was my first cast on the mighty River Tay. It was on the Newtyle beat near Dunkeld and apart from the Baltic conditions, I really enjoyed it. Below are my most memorable salmon fishing moments of 2013.

It took a while to get going for me this year but eventually on the 14th May, I landed my first fish from Horseshoe Haugh on the Manar beat of the River Don. It weighed 13lbs. My friend Charlie also had a cracking 13lber not long before me taken from the Sheep Pool. Both our fish took Charlie's deadly SS Assassin fly.

My 13lber from the Horseshoe Haugh at Manar.

Charlie with a cracking River Don Springer from the Sheep Pool.

My next fish was taken the following week when I took a trip to fish the South Esk on the Downie Park and Cortachy Castle beat. I had never fished the river before but really enjoyed myself and to get a spanking fresh 10lber was the icing on the cake. I am definitely heading back there in 2014 and looking forward to it already. The fish took a Dee Sheep tube and it also christened my new 13ft Hardy Uniqua rod.

10lb South Esk Springer. Beautiful river in beautiful surroundings.

As the dry summer wore on, the fish were only running in dribs and drabs but if you were in the right place at the right time, you would catch them. This happened to me one August morning whilst fishing the Don. I was not expecting much but was delighted to landed a sea liced grilse about 5lbs. Nothing special about a grilse you may ask, but to me it was very significant. It was the first fish I landed using a fly pattern designed by myself. My Dad named it the Kitchen Sink (KS) Shrimp because I had thrown everything else at the fish in the weeks before I landed this one! It's a name I like to be honest and two days later it claimed it's second fish. This time a slightly coloured hen about 10lbs from the same pool. (not pictured) See Blog post from August for picture.

A sea liced grilse from the Don. My first fish taken on a fly pattern I designed myself. The KS Shrimp was off the mark.

Another memorable moment was watching my Dad land a fish from exactly were I told him he would get one! Luck? Possibly, but you have to have an idea where the fish lie. He was actually on his way to fish one of his "Hot Spots" when I told him he couldn't walk by this lie without having a cast or two. Guess what happened? First cast and BANG! Straight into a fish. It turned out to be a beauty of about 7lb. Not long after my Dad returned his fish, I decided to have a go in the same spot and after only two or three casts I was also into a fish. My fish was slightly smaller but straight out the wrapper and weighed about 6lbs..

My Dad and his first fish of the season. It pays to listen to the Ghillie!

A fresh grilse from the same lie as my Dad's fish above.

September proved to be a difficult month on both the Dee and Don due to the continual low water. This should have been prime time on the Don but the runs just never came. I did however manage a few fish from the Dee. I finally broke my duck at Tilbouries with a coloured grilse about 3-4lbs from Alfred's Pot and I also got 2 grilse one morning from the lower Dee at Banchory Devenick. October however, would prove to be a good month for me. On the afternoon of the 2nd, I decide to fish the lower Dee during my lunch hour whilst at work. This turned out to be a good decision because during that time, I landed 3 grilse! All of which were take on a #11 KS Shrimp. The first was a slighly coloured fish about 3-4lb, the second was a freshish cock fish about 5lb but the pic of the bunch was a cracker straight from the sea about 6lb. It was dripping in long tail sea lice and has to be one of my best looking salmon that I've caught to date.

1st fish of my lunch break. A wee fish about 3-4lbs

Number 2. Slightly coloured cock fish about 5lb.

Pick of the bunch. A cracking sea liced River Dee October salmon.

The final fishing day of my season saw me back on the Manar beat of the River Don for their annual "Manar Shindig" which traditionally happens on the last Saturday of the season. The "Manar Shindig" basically consists of a BBQ, copious amount of alcohol and some salmon fishing thrown in for good measure! This season will certainly not go down in the history books as a good one by any means but for me, it was pretty successful considering the low water conditions which plagued most rivers throughout Scotland. Almost as I last resort I had a cast in the Ree Pot. I'm glad I did because after a good battle, I landed a beast of a cock fish. It was taken on another fly which I designed myself called the "Red Marauder Shrimp". I designed this fly for the Salmon Fishing Forum Tie of the Month competition but thought I would give it a swim. I'm glad I did because the fish hammered the wee #11 double as soon as it passed over it's lie. It measured 35 1/2" long and we estimated it 18lbs. The fish had a huge girth but unfortunately I didn't get that measurement so we will never know what it could have been. Either way it was a great fish to sign off my season with.

18lb cock fish taken on a small Red Marauder Shrimp.

Back he goes to continue his journey.

Well, that's my season highlights from this year. Hopefully next year will have many more and I will look forward to sharing my outings and catches.

Thank you to everyone who visits my blog and hopefully you all check in again in 2014.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Tight Lines
Craig Fleming