River Don 2014

« **Reply #325 on:** 08/07/2014 at 11:49 »

Good question Julius ....... and an excellent reply Sandy

« **Reply #326 on:** 08/07/2014 at 16:19 »

That works to point, but if you splash your cast and spook the fish your not going to sit for another 3 hours your going to default and adopt a cast and pray method like most of my fishing trips & hopping that my next trip ill have a better cast

« **Reply #327 on:** 08/07/2014 at 17:00 »

Quote from: Cosun on 08/07/2014 at 16:19

That works to point, but if you splash your cast

Stick to your 5wt, fit a tapered leader and remember to add that 2 seconds we talked about.

Sandy

« **Reply #328 on:** 08/07/2014 at 18:45 »

Sandy thanks very much for taking the time with reply

well its my first trout right here, and yes i noticed it was feeding on the other side, and as you say right enough i was too loud so ive had to cast it really far to the other side to reach him,but im trying to be stealthy and working on it, I caught it at ury / don bit @ Inverurie, march brown 16

what about the bubbles coming out of water you notice almost every time out fishing, would that be trout too or perhaps just a buildup of oxygen underneath ?

« **Reply #329 on:** 09/07/2014 at 11:15 »

Quote from: Julius on 08/07/2014 at 18:45

what about the bubbles coming out of water you notice almost every time out fishing, would that be trout too or perhaps just a buildup of oxygen underneath ?

Two options, bubbles caused by water running over rocks/rapids and floating off downstream, or, on slower bits of river, escaping gas from silt build up on the bottom.

It is fair to say that on a still water containing fish such as Tench, Bream and Carp, there is a distinct possibility that bubbles are caused by the fish rooting about in silt. Eels will also cause the same, but normally as a sudden large, long patch of small bubbles as they roll in the silt, kicking up food items.

I have yet to see a river trout rooting about in the bottom, but I guess it is possible.

« **Reply #330 on:** 12/07/2014 at 17:23 »

Hi when out fishing today (with zero luck) I was watching the parr at the side of the river and then I spotted a fish I am unfamiliar with and hope someone can tell me what it was. It was about 3 inches long, appeared to be white/clear with red/pink gills; it was not like any of the others around and stood out clearly in the water. We were at the Manse pool.

« **Reply #331 on:** 14/07/2014 at 07:47 »

Quote from: shoz09 on 12/07/2014 at 17:23

Hi when out fishing today (with zero luck) I was watching the parr at the side of the river and then I spotted a fish I am unfamiliar with and hope someone can tell me what it was. It was about 3 inches long, appeared to be white/clear with red/pink gills; it was not like any of the others around and stood out clearly in the water. We were at the Manse pool.

Looking at the River Don Fishery Management Plan to see what fish have been recorded, the two that jump out which it may have been are an immature Shad or a Roach. Both are light in colour when viewed from above, possibly with the gills showing pink.

Having said that, when I first fished the Don some 25 years ago, the chap that took me onto the beat spoke of Dace being present around Kemnay. At 3 inches long they would also look almost clear with a beige/dirty white appearance from above.

An outside contender might have been a Gudgeon, although they would normally be hugging the bottom and you "normally" see a barred pattern down their sides.

http://www.rafts.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DON-FMP-final.pdf Page 10

« **Reply #332 on:** 15/07/2014 at 18:35 »

Thanks for the info I have looked on Google at pictures of them and the closest is actually the young Dace but it's not something I can be sure of. The Don is never dull is it! Cheers Shona

« **Reply #333 on:** 02/08/2014 at 10:59 »

Been out and about on the Don recently and its fished pretty good for me, mostly dries.

No rodbenders landed (lost one broke off on its teeth on the take

) but plenty of fish and a good few pound plus.
Change as good as a rest, back to Deveron soon.

« **Reply #334 on:** 09/08/2014 at 00:14 »

Strange evening with hardly a trout rising, caught nowt and got soaked by the rain .............. but it was great to be on the river, as always!

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #335 on:** 09/08/2014 at 10:03 »

Eek it was a bit wet last night surprised anyone ventured out

« **Reply #336 on:** 09/08/2014 at 16:19 »

Hi everyone,

I'm fancying an evening on the Don tonight, and wondered if anyone has any advice on good beats? - Not looking for anyone's favorite spot, just a decent beat to get started on the Don - hopefully for some evening dry fly action!

I've just moved up to Stonehaven fairly recently, and fancy catching some of these moster trout I've been hearing about.

I tried Monymusk a few weeks ago, but I fancy something a bit closer to Aberdeen.
Any advice would be much appreciated!

Cheers

« **Reply #337 on:** 10/08/2014 at 00:21 »

Don water level highest I've seen it in a while, about 12" in visibility very dark

« **Reply #338 on:** 13/08/2014 at 17:36 »

yeh its up a lot, you guys caught anything with water level up so high ? i think there was a website for monitoring water levels ?

« **Reply #339 on:** 15/08/2014 at 22:31 »

Was out tonight and water highest I've seen all summer. Landed a brownie just under 1lb, but nothing else, not even a nibble. Tough fishing, but still fun!

« **Reply #340 on:** 19/08/2014 at 10:57 »

I recently fished the Kintore and Alford council waters without much success. They both look like nice stretches. What are the best trout tactics for this time of year?

« **Reply #341 on:** 23/08/2014 at 11:22 »

I was out on the Don yesterday evening for a little while. It was a bit chilly! I did get a few fish on wet flies, but nothing notable. I hope the weather gets a bit more seasonable before the end of the season. It's a long winter.

« **Reply #342 on:** 04/09/2014 at 09:32 »

I was out on the river yesterday afternoon. Not a sausage!

Can anyone recommend a good book or dvd on river fly fishing?

« **Reply #343 on:** 09/09/2014 at 06:11 »

Quote from: Simon on 04/09/2014 at 09:32

I was out on the river yesterday afternoon. Not a sausage! Can anyone recommend a good book or dvd on river fly fishing?

With water levels up and down, it's not felt quite so fishy on the river recently; I prefer more settled levels.

Anyway, one book I'd recommend is Rosenbauer's 'Guide to Prospecting for Trout" - US-focused (so you'll need to 'translate' headwaters and spring creeks), but covers ground on wets, streamers, nymphs and dries, as well as some good reading on habitat & behaviour:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orvis-Guide-Prospecting-Trout-Theres/dp/1599211475/ref=la_B001JP1YCI_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410239122&sr=1-2

cheers
iain

« **Reply #344 on:** 28/09/2014 at 11:51 »

Another troot season drawing to a close. any one know what like Moonhaugh and Bandley is like for parking the motor at the roadside and access to the river bank etc thanks. and is it any good for troot

« **Reply #345 on:** 29/09/2014 at 09:31 »

That's a colourful fish! Better than any I have caught there so far anyhow

« **Reply #346 on:** 29/09/2014 at 10:02 »

Bonnie trout

Haven't fished Moonhaugh yet I'm afraid.

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #347 on:** 29/09/2014 at 11:22 »

Well i just booked it. like a lot of don beats £15 for a days troot fishing is great value specially now the weather has cooled down and the troot are feeding during the day time.
it also lets you check the beat out before forking out 50quid on a Salmon permit.

I just read the permit and it has clear parking instructions so that is handy.

So i guess that will be it for this year with the trout.

« **Reply #348 on:** 29/09/2014 at 11:24 »

Enjoy

« **Reply #349 on:** 29/09/2014 at 11:46 »

Thanks.

I will see how it goes and hopefully post something positive.