[Filip Adamcio]

 

I think the Don need to find funding like the Dee and start planting trees along the open stretches to cool the river.

I know nature Scotland have cash to give out for this. The Dee as usual in first for a handout.

[Ivor Duffus]

Bottom of Littlewood and Breda.

Drove past here a couple weeks back. The Trees 🌲 are gone 🤷🏻‍♂️

I guess a few come down during last year’s storm and they decided to chop the lot ☹️ . Or the people in the house wanted them down. Seems a shame when the river is in desperate need of more trees.

Strangely enough for such a great looking pool I never had a fish or even a pull on the fly fishing it  🤔.   





Ivor

[Stevie Rennie]

A real bonnie bit of the don there Ivor, shame it didn’t provide something.

I haven’t been up there for a good few years but always had some kind of interest for my efforts.

With the recent rain and cooler water temperatures I tackled a middle stretch in the evening and on arrival a few smaller fish were seen steadily rising to olives but thought it best to wait it out until later when something bigger might show.

I headed downstream and explored a while, then returned to my intended spot as dusk fell.

There wasn’t as much surface action,  so call me crazy but a change of leader and on went the damsel.
I began covering infront of a rock, along the side and behind. Was just about to head upstream but threw one last upstream cast and covered alongside the rock again and all hell broke loose on my £35 #6wt daiwa.
With the fading light, I thought I was into the brownie of my dreams but not in the least bit disappointed realising after the first run that it was a hefty salmon.

Several runs and a few jumps later and  it was safely in the net.



Handled gently, it recovered well in the cool water temperatures and swam off strong.





It humours me a bit that this cheap temporary rod and reel set up have seen some serious action but they’ve performed well and handled another fine sized fish admirably. I on the other hand was petrified the whole time.

[Duncan McRae]

Nice fish Stevie

Funnily enough,I use an old cheap Daiwa on the Ythan Estuary.
It's never let me down!

Duncan

[Ivor Duffus]

Cracking fish 👍

[Stevie Rennie]

A pal was out early yesterday after the recent rainfall and lifting of both water level & restrictions. He reported that the conditions looked great and his mentioning of strong tea coloured water was all I needed to hear to spend my busy day thinking about the river.

My thoughts of how it would be that evening finally got the better of me and I put off all other priorities and headed out for the last few hours.

The river was now perfectly tinged like I imagined and just as the light faded, I was fortunate enough to encounter, net, admire and release this spotted beauty.

[Mike Barrio]

Headed down to the river mid afternoon yesterday to test a couple of prototypes of the DT line that I have in development. Conditions were very bright and breezy, water has cooled down a bit, but the river is still running very low. Pleased with the line, coming along nicely, just a couple more tweaks and it should be good to go and we can start production 

My intention was just to test the lines for half an hour or so and then head home, but after a while, since the lines were performing well, I removed the bit of fluff that I had on the point of the DT2, tied on a dropper, and played with a Spider and wee Pheasant Tail Cruncher in the runs and pocket water ....... next thing I knew it was getting dark 

You get some interesting pics when you're keeping them wet in the net, loving the eye on this fish, it's a good clue as to which one of the flies it fancied.



The river fished well with these tactics until the light started to fade, I had around a dozen fish, nothing big, but great fun, as like many folk, I haven't fished it for a month or two.

It was good to see that all the fish were looking bonnie and healthy following this summer's conditions.



I scouted a couple of pools at last light for something bigger, but this was disappointing, I only saw a couple of one off rises, which despite waiting, didn't come up again.



A couple of boxes ticked ..... and very lucky to have a river like this on our doorstep 

[Stevie Rennie]

Cool pics Mike, here’s to a great last month 

[Duncan McRae]

Headed for the middle Don yesterday afternoon for the first time since the Spring.
After chasing seatrout all summer on the Ythan estuary i was looking forward to switching to  Salmon fishing, especially now that the water height is up a bit.
However,it was seatrout once again as i covered the first couple of pools.One was a hefty,heavily coloured cock fish.





I fished on for another couple of hours with nothing else doing and just as i was thinking of calling it a day i connected with a wee grilse.
I then took another three in quick succession and also lost a couple.
I'd obviously come across a big run of grilse.What a bit of luck 

The first of my four grilse.



Duncan

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Duncan 

[Stevie Rennie]

A bumper day Duncan 

I must’ve missed the run, as I couldn’t find a grilse for love nor money.

Saw a seal was at parkhill on Saturday morning in hot pursuit.

[Duncan McRae]

No sign of any Grilse this evening only this big red fellow.
At 37" long i reckon he must have been around 18lb when he first entered the river.



Hopefully,he will reach the spawning grounds without any more interruptions.

Duncan

[Ivor Duffus]

Cracking fish Duncan 👍

[James Laraway]

great photos Duncan  .

How do you know it was a coloured up sea trout and not a brown trout ????

[Duncan McRae]

Good question James.
I don't think it's possible to be entirely sure of the identification when a seatrout really colours up.

It's more of a hunch on my part based on colouration and shape of the fish,where it was taken and the nature of the fight.

The picture I posted doesn't really show the true colouration of the fish.I think the flash must have come on.
The fish had a red look about it and had black looking lower Gill cases and under belly similar to that seen on a well coloured salmon.I don't think I've seen that colouration on a late Brown trout.

I took the fish from a spot that I've taken seatrout several times in the past.

Also,in my opinion,there is a big difference in the fighting qualities of the two species with the seatrout fighting longer and harder than a Brown of the same size.
During the dark summer nights I can often tell if I've hooked a seatrout or Brown trout by the fight.

I don't suppose it really matters since both species come from the same stock.

Duncan

[Sandy Nelson]

So between holidays, selling houses, looking for somewhere to live, packing and a seriously low river, I finally had a couple of hours window to get out and have a cast.
Managed to grab my gear and leave the phone and camera in the house. So arrived at the river armed with a 6wt trout rod a 6wt  line and my chest pack.
Coupled up a NZ style nymph rig and managed to wrangle plenty beautiful brownies in the 8-12” range which made it feel good to be alive.
After a while I thought I might try a streamer in the coloured water to see what could be lurking.
So I shortened the leader and tied on a Swim Coach in yellow.  This fly has the most amazing action when you fish it slowly, somewhere between a rapala and a Tasmanian devil, but with far more life. It’s just great fun to watch it swim and twitch the rod tip and make it dance. Anyway I was pissing about as you can see when the small flashes from the fly suddenly grew and became one great big flash. As I mindlessly lifted into it I realised what was happening…. The ensuing scrap was epic and culminated in a coloured but not fully tartan cock fish of 34” complete with kype and attitude. It didn’t hang around long and swam off strongly. Sod’s law that this happened when I had no photo gear with me but it was huge fun and probably wraps up my season unless I can sneak in a couple of days after the house move.
I seem to have far more success with salmon on streamers than I do with the big browns especially when I’m making them dance about
 

Sandy

[Duncan McRae]

Well done Sandy
That must have been some scrap on the trout rod.

Duncan

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Sandy 

Where are your pals when you need them 

[Stevie Rennie]

Well done gents   

I finally managed what might have been Duncan & Sandy’s fishes little nephew today  a 6lb kyped grilse alas on a taz d but appreciated just the same.

Thought I’d mention there was a few visible runners that should be arriving up your way shortly 👍

[Duncan McRae]

Well done Stevie.Seems to be a few fish in the river now.

Back amongst the grilse again.
The second one a miniature Salmon of about 2.5lb!





Duncan

[Stevie Rennie]

Well done again Duncan, you’re fairly working some magic with that wand of yours 

[Steven Kidd]

Planned today as my last day on the river, and it was right cold.....water and air temp, home with the log fire on now.

Anyway, great to be on the water, fished wee Clyde styles and picked up a good few wee trout, beautiful colours this time of year. 

I was heading for home and walking back to the car when I  seen a fair rise and alot of water moved, so naturally I had to have one last cast.    Hey presto, a wee size 14 blae and hares lug and battle ensued with what at first i thought was a seatrout, but behold!!....nice brownie around 3lb.





Now home with a great season on the river complete for another year.

Steven

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Steven 

[Stevie Rennie]

A bonnie fish to end on Steven