I was lucky enough to be invited to the Crathes on the river Dee for the day today. It's a really cracking beat. It's on the left hand bank so in the right wind conditions is a doddle to fish right hand up. Brian the Ghillie is a nice guy and very helpful and enjoys a good blether on his rounds. Today the river was higher than when I've fished Crathes before so that meant at times the wading was difficult to say the least.
I arrived and was fishing the bottom half of the beat in the morning and the top half in the afternoon. I tackled up with the 15ft Partridge, Impact spey floating line, 10ft intermediate tip, 5ft of tippet and a wee cascade on Brian the Ghillie's advice. He had a good rummage through my box (fnarr fnarr) and recommended a few others.
I started at the top of the island pool and was surprised by just how strong the current was and it made for an interesting wade! I fished to the end of the island without so much as a knock and tried a very small copper tube 1/4" incase they were a bit deeper. Nothing so switched to a wee double with the a sort of golden body, a yellow hackle and a black fox wing. As I fished down towards the island pool bang, fish on. I played the fish for a few minutes and then shouted to Brian who was just outside the hut at this point, he picked up the net and seconds later it was off. I fished the Klashentroch after that and touched nothing. At lunchtime I was the only one that had touched anything.
I switched to a floating shooting head for the afternoon with a view to getting a sunray out. I fished Pantoch followed by the saw mill and again touched nothing. Back to the hut for a brew and decided that since the wife is away I might as well fish on. Brian gave me a nice sunray and said to fish Pantoch again first time down with a normal fly and the second time with the sunray.
Looking upstraem whilst fishing Pantoch
And Downstream.
First time down towards the end of the pool the fly landed and a fish hit it, but was gone, then as the fly came round to the dangle a fish hit it again. This time it stayed on but was fully fished round so I waited for a minute feeling it shake it’s head then lifted slowly and it was gone. On the way back to the top of the pool I got a message saying that one of the other rods had had a grilse on one of my flies. I was less than impressed.
Fished the first half of the pool with a sunray nothing, then all of sudden there’s a big splash going on, fish on! Landed it and it was this little chap! (bad picture because it was the gooseberry, yes there was a bit of blood but it swam off very strongly)
Sea trout
Waded back out cast, nothing. Cast again fish on! Nice wee fish.
fish 2
Waded back out again. Cast. Fish on! Nice wee fish again
Fish 3
Fished down to the bottom of the pool and then the bit where I’d caught the fish again but nothing.
Great day out but its one of the most challenging wades I’ve had a long time. Very glad of my stick! Caught more fish than I did in the last two seasons in one day!
Well worth a trip if you can get the chance.
Edited due to a potential fail in my fish spotter skills. In the flesh I was sure the bottom two were grilse but others appear to disagree. Must catch more to get better at recognising them...
Cheers Matt
