[DruBuc]

Been fly fishing for a couple of years now @ a few of the local fisheries in the north east. I have Come to the stage now that i maybe want to branch out onto the river.
Thro my work i can get a day ticket on the River Don @ Monymusk.

The help/Info i am looking for is.
I know the price of the ticket, just wandering how the beats and fishing worked.
i.e. Do you book a beat for the whole day are you alocated beats prior to fishing or maybe its as easy as you pay for your ticket and you can go into any beat you want. (That probably makes sense now that i have writen it down).
Is it bank or wading fishing.
My fishing set up would be a 6/7 weight, is this adequate.

I will have to study the fishing reports to find out, what patterns to use.

Thanks in advance

Dru

[Richard Tong]

Dru,

You can book a Beat by phoning the Hotel and speaking to Nicky or Nathan. The Beat you fish is yours for the day but can be shared by a Salmon fisherman (I think though in practice I have never experienced this). Each Beat apart from 1,2,3 and 12 has an opposite bank so 4 and 5 are opposite,6 and 7,8 and 9 (Sir Archies private beat) and 10 and 11. So if you book say 10 there may be another Trout angler on the opposite bank. Main Trout fishing activity is April and May with less for the rest of the season. Chances are if you go in the week you will have several Beats to choose from.

You cannot wander onto another Beat during the day and you can wade(Chest waders best as Don can be deep and powerful).

A 6 and 7 weight rod is adequate but a touch on the heavy side. If you get into river fishing more a 9' rod to take a 4 or 5 weight will be more enjoyable and still have enough stick if you hook into a large fish.

What patterns.........it's like anywhere on a river,fish what is hatching or falling into the river. Scan teh surface film if the fish are rising but you cannot discern what they are taking. Carry Black Gnats,Beetles,various Olive patterns in size 14 (Olive Uprights)16(BWO) and Spinners in the same sizes. Also Klinkhamers with a fluro yellow wing for very late evening fishing. If it's you bag a selection of Czech nymphs when things are quiet and some spiders should do the trick.

I am not on the water much at this time of the year but I know Ben Dixon (and others) are so they should be able to advise you as to what is hatching,

Good Luck,

Richard

[Rob Brownfield]

Will just add that a half day ticket at £12 is available from the back of lunchtime and that when I have fished there I was given a choice of beats and told that they would try and make sure no one else was on the opposite bank, which I thought was a nice touch.

Unfortuantly I have not been there when the fish have been feeding on the top so have only taken fish on heavy leaded nymph fished semi Czech style/semi High sticking.