Fishing The Fly Scotland

Index => Rivers & Lochs => Topic started by: Brian Brand on 24/01/2010 at 19:22

Title: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 24/01/2010 at 19:22
Following post copied from Machar,

The Inverurie Angling Association organise the ceremony to celebrate the start of the salmon angling season on the River Don.

The event which has, over the years, grown to be a community occasion involving people and organisations from the entire length of the River Don system.

Anglers, family, friends and guests meet at Kintore Arms Hotel and march behind the piper to the river. The river will be blessed by Rev Graeme Longmuir, St. Andrews Church, followed by a short poem or such like.

A dram is available to toast the health of the river and then the first fly is cast by a local fisher.

Date & Time 9am for 9.30 start Saturday 13th February 2010
Location Kintore Arms Hotel, Inverurie to River Don Bridge

The River Don is central to many aspects of life in Aberdeenshire and is an important salmon fishery. The IAA would be delighted to have your support in keeping this event as a significant date in the North east calendar.

Directors of the River Trust will also be there so it would be an opportunity to meet up and get to know us, hope to see you there.

*******

Thanks for posting above onto the forum, beat me to it.

I hope you don't mind but I have put it under its own heading.

There is nothing much else I can add to above the detail is all there.

Hope to see you on the 13th Feb, all invited.

Regards,
Bri.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 24/01/2010 at 20:25
Hi folks :cool:

You'll find a few photos of The March to the River Don from previous years here http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/new-salmon-fishing-season.html (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/new-salmon-fishing-season.html)

Best wishes
Mike

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarchdon1.jpg)

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zdonmarch09b.jpg)
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Ben Dixon on 24/01/2010 at 22:59
Should be a good day out, weather permitting, thanks Brian.

Cheers

Ben
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Tam Greenock on 26/01/2010 at 09:45
Hopefully be able to come along to this now that l live local.

How do l go about getting a permit for the day tho  :z16
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 26/01/2010 at 11:09
Hi Tam

The march goes past Sloan's tackle shop, so you can just pop back in there after the event and get a day ticket :wink

Cheers
Mike
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Noel Kelly on 26/01/2010 at 19:15
Hopefully be able to come along to this now that l live local.

How do l go about getting a permit for the day tho  :z16

Season ticket is the way forward especially as you live local.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 26/01/2010 at 19:57
Hi Ben,

Yes, usually a good way to spend the start of the saturday morning, a great chance also to catch up with folk for the start of the season.

Hope you can manage to be there.

Regards,
Bri.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 26/01/2010 at 20:10
Hi Tam,

Just to prove that we walk past Sloans.
(http://i47.tinypic.com/izqk9j.jpg)

That picture was taken many years ago :z10

You can also buy Permits for the Council beats from Watsons in the Square.
I have attached the link to the Aberdeenshire Council Fishing site showing prices & where to buy them.
http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/parks/fishing/fishing_season_permits.asp


Hope to see you on the day Tam, please introduce yourself, I will be the one dishing out the whisky.

Regards,
Bri.


Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Iain Goolager on 26/01/2010 at 23:15
Hi Tam,

a season ticket is a must.  I'll see you at the march.

Iain
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Hamish Young on 31/01/2010 at 10:36
Who knows, I might make it this year :!

Hamish
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Paul Garrigan on 31/01/2010 at 19:48
Im off this day so i will be there.  :z16
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 31/01/2010 at 21:55
Hi Hamish, Tam and Paul,

Hope you can all make it, good that the forum is going to be represented well, IAA do appreciate it.

Iain,

Great that you also can make it as we always need somebody to be forefront in the photos.

Regards,
Bri.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Jim Eddie on 31/01/2010 at 22:04
I will make it work and weather permitting  :wink

 :z18

Jim
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 11/02/2010 at 22:03
Hi all,

Just a reminder that the march to the River is on this Saturday, hope to see you there.

Regards,
Bri.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Iain Goolager on 11/02/2010 at 22:18
Looking forward to it Bri. See you there.

Iain
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 11/02/2010 at 22:23
That's great Iain,

Has Goolager Junior looked out their rod again this year.

Regards,
Bri.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 12/02/2010 at 18:26
Hi folks :cool:

So ....... who is coming along to the Don March in Inverurie tomorrow morning?

Bri
Goolager
Jedi
Tam
Machar
Ben_D
Paulfish_1
Grhe
Hamish?
Fisher?
DiverDave?
and myself :wink

................... Anybody else coming along?  :?

Best wishes
Mike
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Ben Dixon on 12/02/2010 at 21:03
Hi Mike,

What's the schedule?

Cheers

Ben
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 12/02/2010 at 21:31
Hi all,

Looks like a good turnout from this site, great thanks guys.

We meet up outside the front of the Kintore Arms Hotel (Inverurie) after 9am, setting off at about 9:30.

We march down to the river following a piper to the Don Bridge where Raymond Bisset will give a speech, Heather Bisset will read a poem and Minister Graeme Longmuir will bless the river.

If anybody here wants to say say a few words please let us know tomorrow.

For those who wish a dram is offered.

This year we had to obtain a procession licence from the council, which has been approved.

Also this year we will have to have a couple of guys wearing high viz vests, to help us along the road.

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow,
Weather looks to be alright.

Regards,
Bri.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 12/02/2010 at 22:49
Hi Ben :z16

Yes, as Brian says, we meet at the Kintore Arms between 9.00 and 9.20 ...... and the march sets off at 9.30 sharp.

You can park round the back of the hotel :wink

See you tomorrow
Cheers
Mike
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Jim Eddie on 12/02/2010 at 23:14
I'll be there , if there are any forum members who I have not met, don't be shy come up and introduce yourself , you can't miss me I'm  the big ugly guy  :z4

 :z18

Jim   
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Hamish Young on 13/02/2010 at 09:13
Enjoy - I slept in  :oops
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 13/02/2010 at 13:50
Enjoy - I slept in  :oops

 :z4  :z4  :z4 ....... Doh!

Cheers
Mike
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 13/02/2010 at 14:16
Hi folks :cool:
Here are a few photos from this morning ...... it was great to see everybody! :z16

Mingle, mingle ............

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010a.jpg)

Mingle, mingle ............... Dave Gordon and Ben Dixon

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010b.jpg)

Pete Dow .... "Come on lads, fall in to line!"

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010c.jpg)

One of the highlights of this event for me are Raymond Bisset's poems :cool:

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010d.jpg)

Brian about to fill the quaich with whisky for Graeme and Pete seems to be keeping an eye on the amount :wink

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010e.jpg)

A prayer for all folks that enjoy the river by Rev Graeme Longmuir, St. Andrews Church in Inverurie.

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010f.jpg)

Rev Graeme Longmuir blessing the River Don and the new season.

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010g.jpg)

Raymond Bisset and Pete Dow

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010h.jpg)

Brian offers Jim Kerr and Michael Raeburn some whisky to toast the new season on the Don.

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010i.jpg)

But what's this, Jim looks a tad unhappy? Perhaps Brian was a bit mean with the dram? :z4

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010j.jpg)

And since I took a bit of a ribbing for getting caught on camera eating bacon rolls at the Dee event :z4

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010k.jpg)

Thanks to everybody for coming along, this is a great tradition :z16
Best wishes
Mike
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 13/02/2010 at 15:07
Hi all,

Thanks to all for coming along, there was a good turnout.

Thanks to Raymond, Graeme and the Piper for doing the honours.

Some good photos, thanks Mike, I didn't get time to get my camera out.

If anybody else managed to take photos can you post them on here please.

I was watching amount of whisky being poured, unlike at home :wink, making sure everybody got some but there was plenty left.

It was good to get to meet you all and hope to see you about this year.

Regards,
Bri.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Paul Rankine on 13/02/2010 at 18:36
Hi Bri,
          Thanks for the invitation . A fine way to spend the morning and a nice wee dram !  :z4
Nice to meet up with a few old friends and make some new ones too.

Thanks again,

Paul.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 13/02/2010 at 21:17
Despite the ice at Haddo, it felt like a nice day to be out on the Don today and the river was looking in great condition, running nice and clear. Did anybody go for a cast or two?

Best wishes
Mike
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Ben Dixon on 13/02/2010 at 21:26
Was a fun few hours, just wish I could have stayed about to have a cast.  Be good to get a few more anglers there next year, I really don't think we did the police escort and road crossing marshalls justice  :z4

Any fish?  Iain?  Irvine?

Cheers

Ben
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Iain Goolager on 13/02/2010 at 23:07
Thanks to Bri & the IAA for the invite.
It was good to see a decent showing from forum members & I think events like these need to be supported as it's all too easy nowadays to lose important traditions through apathy. We can't but fail to notice the media attention given to such rivers such as the Tay & Dee and we did our bit to recognise the might of the Don. :z16

Myself & Irvine stayed & fished Inverurie, fishing a couple of runs I like & water I've been meaning to try for seasons.

Half way down the first run seen the usual curse of a cracking Brownie to the salmon fly  :z6 I'm not telling you how big it was or where it lives but I'll be back with the light stuff in April. The tail of the pool brought another fish to the fly, which at least brought a momentary glimmer of hope but it was a  Kelt  :cry

After dinner we went further upstream and here Irvine christened his self built Salmon Rod with a fish but alas it turned out to be a kelt also.  :z10

Good day though and thanks for the company Irvine.

Iain
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 13/02/2010 at 23:14
Great stuff Iain ......... Pleased to see that you both enjoyed your day :z16

Best wishes
Mike
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Ben Dixon on 13/02/2010 at 23:49

After dinner we went further upstream and here Irvine christened his self built Salmon Rod with a fish but alas it turned out to be a kelt also.  :z10

Good day though and thanks for the company Irvine.

Iain

Hamish & I saw some huge trout moving to Stoneflies in late Feb last year, no sign of them once they were in season.  Did you get a chuck of Irvines rod?  I had a cast a while back, still jealous!!

Ben
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: paavo on 14/02/2010 at 08:53
Nice event you have there, and thanks for photos.
Are there any other forum members than Mr Dixon on the photos?

 :z18

//Harri
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Irvine Ross on 14/02/2010 at 17:01
Indeed thanks to Bri and IAA for organising the event. It's a good occasion and a grand chance for a blether.

Thanks to Ian for the company and for showing me around the beat which I haven't fished before.

Harri -  That's my back on the right of the first photo, slouching around, hands in pockets as usual. In the second photo, immediately on Ben Dixon's left is Ian Goolager. Big Jim and Paul were there but they don't appear in any of the photos.

Cheers
Irvine
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Paul Rankine on 14/02/2010 at 18:30
Hi,
      Well done indeed to Iain and Irvine for getting their season kicked off with fish .
Paul.
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 17/02/2010 at 17:47
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/zmarch2010d.jpg)

The New Season ( by Raymond Bisset ) 2010

Gosh!  The water doon here, it’s lookin’ sae bra’,
Swalt in the hills wi’ a puckle o’ sna’,
Jist waitin’ for fishers aroon’ Inverurie,
Dress’d in waders, big socks and a muckle great tourie,
Tae cast in their lures wi’ the earnest intention
O catchin’ a fish wi’ sic human invention.

Their spirits are up an’ their hopes are real high,
That fish in abundance will swallie their fly,
For there’s naething tae beat the real thrill o’ a fish,
A twenty plus pounder’s a real fisher’s wish,
So it’s oot with the rod, an’ the reel an’ the line,
Tae pursue this ambition some wid class as divine.

There’s a fair puckle loons thit can cast a guid flee,
Oot ontae the waater – or stuck up a tree!
Some are pairt o’ a club, Inverurie AA,
That’s the reason we’re staunin aroon here the day,
Fou we’re gaither’t doon here on the banks of the river,
Tae listen tae Graham as his prayer he deliver.

Noo, there’s Peter an’ Brian, an’ Steven an’ Sam,
George, Gordon, Jim, Colin, they’ll aa’ taak a dram,
File gossipin’ oan’ ‘boot the monsters they’ve hook’d,
Aye – bit sometimes the real truth they dee overlook,
For they’re fishers, ye see, wi’ a host o’ guid stories
O’ battles wi’ fish an’ some ither past glories.

Bit awa’ fae their stories they work as a team,
Tae nurture an’ nourish the game angler’s dream,
O’ fishin a river that’s crystal an’ clear
Fae man-made pollution, focht year efter year,
An’ they also maak efforts tae bring tae the fore,
An interest in fishin’ – for youngsters galore.

So tae aa’ buddin’ fishers thit staun’ here the day,
I wish ye tight lines as ye gang on yir way,
Guid luck on yir visit tae Ury or Don,
An’ as for these monsters, just bring them richt on,
So come end o’ October, fin rods are put bye,
Ye’ve enjoy’d a guid season wi’ catches richt high.

Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Iain Goolager on 17/02/2010 at 19:23
 :z1  Nice one Mr B :z16
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Noel Kelly on 17/02/2010 at 22:22
As Paul said well done guys in getting your season off to a start.

I really like that poem and I can understand almost every word too :shock
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 17/02/2010 at 22:22
Thanks for posting the poem onto the site Mike, I wish that I could write something like that.

Funny but I was speaking to President Pete yesterday that we should have kept copies of these throughout the years, could have made them into a book by now.

Now if I was really clever above would have rhymed. :z6

Bri.

Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Iain Goolager on 17/02/2010 at 23:10
Quote
Now if I was really clever above would have rhymed

Tae struggle wi prose is nae cause fir cryin'
so worry yea not, it's nae a curse Brian
fur yer good at the dishin o generous nips
tho only a snifter did pass oer my lips

for fishin that day wis always the plan
an I'd much rather cast stanin up if I can
so I focused on the Rev as he toasted the river
an then the wee poem the auld mannie did deliver

so now it's a oer an we say oor goodbyes
and it's time ti tak stock o some possible lies
so I set up the rod, grabbed mi waders n bug
n headed doonstream wi the man ca'd Hares Lug

Ok so it's part Doric part queens but you get the drift - done in a hurry.

Iain 
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Mike Barrio on 17/02/2010 at 23:20
Excellent Iain ..... there's no end to your talent :z14

Best wishes
Mike
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Sandy Nelson on 18/02/2010 at 01:14
Show off :roll

 :z4 :z4 :z4 :z4


Ahhh. Doric prose ,how to make me even more homesick :cry between this and spiders i'm already looking at the tickets home. Just have to keep checking out Jay's fish :z4

Second year in a row i've missed the march :cry guess i'll miss a few more yet.

Never mind, i can always go tie flies

Sandy
Title: Re: March to the River Don, Saturday 13th Feb, Inverurie
Post by: Brian Brand on 18/02/2010 at 21:57
That was really good Iain,

I am so jealous, you can write poetry and catch fish.

I suppose you can sing as well.

Regards,
Bri.

see I didn't even try to reply in rhyme.