Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Mike Barrio

River Don 2019
« on: 07/02/2019 at 10:05 »
The March To The River Don is being held, as usual, on the first Saturday of the season, which this year falls on the 16th of February.

Several guests have been invited, Aberdeenshire Provost Bill Howartson has been invited to say a few words and then make the first cast, plus Dr Lorraine Hawkins, Director of the Dee and Don District Fishery Boards, representation from the Don District Salmon Fishery Board Water Bailiffs and local councillors.
 
Glen Garioch Distillery are kindly providing whisky for the Toast to the River and a 'hot toddy', plus there will be some 'nibbles' available for those in attendance.

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.

Attendees to gather at the Kintore Arms Hotel in Inverurie from 8.45 - 9.00 am for complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits in preparation for the March, which will begin at 9.30am. The procession will be led by a piper to the Don Bridge for the ceremony to take place.


Brian Johnstone

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #1 on: 11/02/2019 at 09:44 »
Kintore Angling Club have leased the Balbithan, Torryburn and Kinellar, Salmon & Sea Trout beats east of the bridge at Kintore, along with the Brown Trout fishing to the top of Balbithan Island.

We now offer around 5 miles of dual bank fishing for Salmon, Sea Trout and Brown Trout in 22 named pools.

Excellent Value for £135 adult season ticket, £85 Senior 65+ & Disabled.

See Facebook Page or website kintoreanglingclub.org.uk for details

Tight Lines for 2019 !!

Brian Johnstone
Secretary Treasurer

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #2 on: 14/02/2019 at 17:20 »
I went for a walk down the river to catch up with Sandy today ..... but he was busy :z12

A bright silver fish that 'almost' made it to the net :X1



Hamish Young

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #3 on: 14/02/2019 at 17:21 »
Cool  :cool: But a shame it fell off  :cry

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #4 on: 16/02/2019 at 11:58 »
Thanks to Glen Garioch Distillery for the single malt whisky at this morning's March To The River Don :z12 ..... https://www.glengarioch.com/

It was great to catch up with so many folk :z16



Fred Hay

River Don 2019 - First Salmon
« Reply #5 on: 20/02/2019 at 06:41 »
First salmon reported off the Burgh Fishings - a 7lb specimen taken yesterday from the Black Pot on the fly.

No photos unfortunately but good to hear there's the odd fresh fish about. 

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #6 on: 31/03/2019 at 08:58 »
Only one more sleep .............. :z12

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #7 on: 01/04/2019 at 17:19 »
So today was the day...........

Bloody cold :z10, bloody windy :z10 Frozen hands  :z10 Frozen feet  :z10

But then i could have come out of the water :X1

However from 1.30 -3.30 the hatch was pretty steady, only found a few rising fish mostly smallish, but i did get a nice surprise.
Not quite what i was after, but as fresh as a daisy, so there are some in the river :z16



Hopefully the water warms up a little soon

Sandy

Scott Cumming

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #8 on: 02/04/2019 at 10:19 »
I fished a few beats yesterday, picking up fish on each. Nymphs, dries and spiders all played their part. Best of the day was a cracking early season lump :z16




Heres one I caught in March, again in great condition - shame the whole system isn't open earlier... might be an idea?





:z18
Scott

James Laraway

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #9 on: 02/04/2019 at 10:35 »
So today was the day...........

Bloody cold :z10, bloody windy :z10 Frozen hands  :z10 Frozen feet  :z10

But then i could have come out of the water :X1

However from 1.30 -3.30 the hatch was pretty steady, only found a few rising fish mostly smallish, but i did get a nice surprise.
Not quite what i was after, but as fresh as a daisy, so there are some in the river :z16



Hopefully the water warms up a little soon

Sandy

is that a sea trout Sandy ?

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #10 on: 02/04/2019 at 10:40 »
Sure is James

2.5lb bar of silver, not what I expected working the nymph down a run, but it was a lot of fun. :z16

Sandy

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #11 on: 10/04/2019 at 20:58 »
Tricky Day today

Beautiful day to be out, but water still a bit dirty about a foot high and running at 8 degrees.

Lots of flies, both Olives and March browns from 1pm onwards, this one was a little legless, maybe drunk on amber nectar :X1



Here and there was the odd riser, so i managed to get my first on the Demo



getting out of the mainstream and round the back of an island proved a better move




2 steady feeders by the trees  proved willing and although not huge quite rewarding on a tough afternoon



Sandy

James Craig

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #12 on: 11/04/2019 at 08:54 »
Yesterday:

1x Otter
1x Osprey
10x Goosanders
1x Kingfisher
1x Cormorant 
0x Brown Trout

I found a memory card on the track on the way back to the car, the contents of which I checked when I got home with some trepidation. It contained approx. 30 videos from a trail-cam which has been monitoring a badger sett. Pretty awesome to watch the antics of them, mainly arse scratching and bone crunching. It is a sett which is dug into the railway embankment and is being monitored as part of the dualling project.

I think I know the company that is carrying that out, so will return if possible. Interestingly though, the last clip is from 1.30 in the morning, and clearly shows the trail cam being taken off it's stand and switched off. Bit odd.

Sandy Nelson

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #13 on: 11/04/2019 at 18:33 »
So the first day out for me on the Don fishing event.

I did wonder if it was starting the way it was meant to go on :z7



So i was at Cottown and Bellabeg.
However i found my way to the river, and what a lovely looking beat it is.



Lots of water to cover, but i did the whole beat from top to bottom



And then from bottom to top  :z7



The water temperature was just 7 degrees and she was carrying a little colour, but despite this there were plenty flies coming off from midday onwards



Not a rising fish to be seen, so it was a day spent nymphing and searching out the likely looking spots, eventually i was rewarded with a quick pull and the result was this lovely little fella



once he was returned i plonked the nymph back in the same spot and the immediatley met with a solid resistance that then ran towards me, so i had no idea what i'd hooked until i got the line back on the reel and then it took off :z16
So after a really good scrap and negotiating an overhanging bush, i got him onto the shallows and he posed for some pictures while he recovered.



Cracking looking fish, with deep gold belly and big spots



Big teeth in there too



Its a funny old game this fishing lark, a whole day spent wandering and searching the water and then 2 fish in 2 casts from the same spot.
So a new beat for me ticked off, some awesome bits to go back and fish again, including a 50 yd bit of the best looking trout water i think i've ever seen.
Proper dryfly water, if only the conditions had been a bit better, but who am i to complain :z12 i had a great day and it was worth the hike just to see that fish.



 :z18

Sandy

Mike Barrio

Re: River Don 2019
« Reply #14 on: 11/04/2019 at 18:39 »
Great stuff Sandy :z16
Haven't fished there ........ a new box to tick :z12

 




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