River Don 2023

« **on:** 08/02/2023 at 09:40 »

The River Don Salmon season opens on February 11th and the March To The River Don to celebrate the river takes place on the first Saturday of the season, so the two actually coincide this year.

The event is open to all who would like to attend and Inverurie Angling Association hopes that a good number of anglers, guests and public will be there to enjoy the event.

As usual, everybody will gather at the Kintore Arms Hotel in Inverurie from 8.45 onwards for tea/coffee/biscuits and then the March To The River will commence at 9.30am.

The event will follow the traditional format, with Piper Paul Malley leading the march down to the river bank below the Don Bridge, IAA President Steve Corsar will say a few words, followed by trophy presentations, the blessing of the river by Minister Rhona Cathart, and the first cast this year will be by Provost Judy Whyte.

The March To The River Don also signals light at the end of the tunnel - only a few weeks to go until the Brown Trout season opens on March 15th.

I hope everybody enjoys a good season

« **Reply #1 on:** 19/02/2023 at 20:30 »

From the Alford Angling association today.

“it is with pride and pleasure I can report that our first springer was taken from our Haughton beat yesterday. An 18lb fish was successfully hooked and landed by Stuart Mathewson then safely returned to the river.”

Well done Stuart

I believe it may be the first one of the season with photos.

« **Reply #2 on:** 22/02/2023 at 19:55 »

Looks like there are a few runners on the go.
Another cracker off the Don today.

Duncan

« **Reply #3 on:** 15/03/2023 at 10:46 »

Hi All,

Happy Brown Trout Season!.......today is the first day,

Wishing you all a great season.

I cannot wait to get out........need it to warm slightly though,

Steven

« **Reply #4 on:** 15/03/2023 at 10:55 »

Great stuff Steven ..... hope you enjoy a good one

« **Reply #5 on:** 15/03/2023 at 16:32 »

So it froze my fingers and toes after a couple of hours, but the water was clear, if a bit cold at just 5 degrees
Just plain awesome to be out and exploring again.
Kicked the season off after a bit of searching with some heavy tungsten

The fish seemed to be holding in what I would class as dryfly water. some real surprises too, this one had some lovely big red spots

This one did not

Still some Snowdrops about too, which is nice

So for an opening day that I thought was going to be ruined, I've had a blast

« **Reply #6 on:** 15/03/2023 at 16:41 »

Awesome Sandy, well done, that's gonna get us all chompin at the bit

Not so sure about the frozen fingers and toes though ..........................

« **Reply #7 on:** 16/03/2023 at 09:50 »

Sandy,

Looking at that I'm going out this weekend if the river stays fishable........I can handle frozen fingers if there are those kind of rewards!

Great stuff

Steven

« **Reply #8 on:** 16/03/2023 at 14:15 »

Looks absolutely freezing

Was that just upstream of the bridge of alford? I fished that early last season just to try it out as it was only a 10er or something for a day ticket on fishpal. Seemed like a great beat with some surprisingly deep holes in it!

« **Reply #9 on:** 25/03/2023 at 18:23 »

Hello,

And we are off.....first fish on the dry fly today. And christened a new rod,

A smattering of LDOs where I was from 1230 through to 1430. The trout weren't rising to these,

............for 10mins there was a great hatch of March Browns. Some fish gave themselves away including this one, (right place at the right time)......took a size 10 DHE.

First fish of the year always deserves a selfie,

............Oh, and yes it was freezing!!

Tightlines all,

Steven

« **Reply #10 on:** 25/03/2023 at 18:31 »

Great stuff Steven

« **Reply #11 on:** 25/03/2023 at 20:06 »

Superb stuff Steve, you did well to get one on the dry today in the cold

I was just upstream from you as you know and I could only manage on the nymph today.
Yesterday saw me get my first on the dry , just after the rain when I found half a dozen fish feeding on LDO's

The tungsten PTN has accounted for the others, this one was very blue

And this one was a proper scrapper

Today the water was a touch coloured and a good bit higher than yesterday , so the white bead came out to play.

« **Reply #12 on:** 25/03/2023 at 20:13 »

Awesome Sandy......never seen that White bead thingy before....

Looking at your photographs I really need to get a new net insert for my MacLean landing net, that old string type is a total pain in the ar$e.........less than pleased with my selfie actually, never realised at the time it was still wrapped round the fishes fin.

Steven

« **Reply #13 on:** 25/03/2023 at 20:20 »

I like a white bead when there's a bit of colour in the water.
Its a Liam Tip and it works

« **Reply #14 on:** 27/03/2023 at 17:13 »

Stunning afternoon on a river fining down after the wee blip yesterday
Still running at just 6 degrees but nice and clear.

Didn't get down until 2 and sat for a good while watching the pool as there were plenty March Browns about.
Took a while but eventually I got a nice fish to christen the new Steffen 8'6" 4wt with the new GT125 4wt, with the MB CDC spider
Great condition and a cracking scrap.

Had to wait a few minutes for the next one to show itself , but it did.
So a stunning afternoon, some patience and really balanced set up, made for a fantastic afternoon on the water

Really nice to get a couple of Crackers on the Dry

« **Reply #15 on:** 27/03/2023 at 17:39 »

Just brilliant Sandy, and its not even April yet!

I love seeing those big March Browns,

........Tied up a few more big size 10 scruffy DHEs today.

Steven

« **Reply #16 on:** 28/03/2023 at 07:38 »

Brilliant pics Stephen and Sandy. Nice to hear abooot some MBs showing.

Stephen - aye, I hear ya. I replaced the default net on my McLean weigh net quick sharp. The default net caught itself on everything possible, and that was just in the boot of the car before even getting to a river. Annoying. Much better with a simple eBay replacement .

Cheers
Iain
Ps, one lightly used, original, classic, McLean’s net bag up for grabs…. a bargain for £20 😀

« **Reply #17 on:** 02/04/2023 at 21:24 »

Brilliant afternoon at Inverurie today lots of LDO and fish willing to rise to them. Quite a few in the 1lb range and above which was great to see.

« **Reply #18 on:** 02/04/2023 at 22:38 »

Same at Parkhill numerous on CDC's 1 to 2 lbs between 2 and 3pm then went quiet

« **Reply #19 on:** 04/04/2023 at 19:49 »

I've been out and about exploring the last few days, some new bits, some favourites.

There have been some good hatches and some nice rising fish.

The LDOs seem to come off first, around 12 but It has been the smaller fish taking them

However when the March Browns start its been a different story 2pm onwards seems to have been the routine.

Sunday was a particularly exceptional day on most beats including the one I was fishing, with a sustained hatch of LDO's from 12-2 and the March Browns from 2-4
And feeding fish to be found all over the river

From yesterday, I noticed that the bright sunshine is no longer helping things and has put the fish down a bit, so the switch has been made, now we pray for clouds.
However the sunshine made this guys red spots and deep orange fins stand out from 3/4 of the way across the river, was lovely to see them up close.

Today I found only a handful of rising fish, but this beauty was making itself known as it charged around looking for March Browns

So a few days of solid dryfly action, the plume tip scored on the LDO feeders and it was the CDC spider and DHE for the March browns

Not all the photos worked either

« **Reply #20 on:** 04/04/2023 at 20:27 »

Just superb Sandy,......sounds like I missed a nice day Sunday, (I was trying to fish a Loch from a Boat.......to no avail!

)

I went for a wander with the rod today and picked away. Just a small hatch of MBs where I was for a short time. Bit of a cold breeze. But still had a great day,

5 on the dry, very varied in colours and markings, all stunning wee specimens:-)

Steven

« **Reply #21 on:** 05/04/2023 at 13:56 »

Great stuff guys

Yep, that wind still feels a bit sharp!

I see @ScottCumming is finding a few fish too,

« **Reply #22 on:** 07/04/2023 at 20:49 »

Grabbed a few hours this afternoon, my first time on the river this year

« **Reply #23 on:** 16/04/2023 at 19:37 »

Been a tricky week with the water going up and then down and then up again and then dropping off nicely over the weekend.
Good week for bugs, Orange striped Stonefly

Patchy rises early in the week before the water went up, no monsters, but some good fish kicking about.

Still LDO's coming off and the March Browns later in the afternoon

By Friday the river was starting to return to a fishable state

Saturday I caught up with some friends and we did a full beat trek, with lots of trees to negotiate. Worth getting to some of the obscure spots though

When you found one rising fish you found 3 or 4, just a pity finding one was so tough

Fairly typical mid April behaviour with the fish showing in some spots and other seeming totally dead, no sustained predictable hatches or rises.
Things settling down after the initial burst of Sport at the end of March.
I did see some House Martens though, so the Olive uprights wont be far away.

« **Reply #24 on:** 29/04/2023 at 12:03 »

( This is a back up post - originally posted by Stephen Barraclough )

Loving the pics and updates, would love to tag along with someone one day, my ultimate dream is fly fishing on the rivers