This Spring has been unusually cold and prolonged into March (by recent standards) and the Aberdeenshire Dee in particular has been adversely affected by cold temperatures, low water and the dreaded grue.  My own 3 day trip to Ballogie in early February yielded nothing but kelts in the first 2 days and we were grued off completely on the Wednesday.  The lack of catches reported into March told the story. Early spring salmon fishers are a hardy breed but mettles were tested to the extreme as “the beast from the East” wrought havoc on our roads and rivers.

With the Dee running only a degree or two above freezing and a good 10 degrees colder than the North sea who could blame the salmon for their reluctance to nose upriver.  Meanwhile a pattern  of catches was emerging in the mighty Tay. Not many fish reported but some lunkers amongst them with one week in early March showing 20+ specimens in the daily catch report. A fish of 35lb was landed at Glendelvine in early February and the picture of it  shows the most perfect  specimen any angler could wish for. All of this, to my mind, gives weight to the evidence that we are in the middle of a swing from grilse to multi sea winter dominated runs.

My own season got underway with a nice 14 pounder in the third week of February on the Monday morning at lower Crathes on the Dee. We started that Monday  at 1’7” on our gauge but a rise in temperature meant we were facing 4’ 3” on the Tuesday from snowmelt and this effectively killed the sport for the rest of our three days. We had been hoping for a top up in water levels but as the saying goes “be careful what you wish for!”.

Early March brought another red weather warning for heavy snow in Scotland. All kinds of sporting fixtures were cancelled including my curling on ice!  My next trip was scheduled to the Dee in the middle of March and I prayed for a softening in the weather. Miraculously it came at the end of the week before we were due to fish. On a falling water,  Lower Crathes reported 5 springers on the Friday and two on the Saturday. Some rain and snowmelt was forecast over the weekend but there was hope for us.

Monday 12^th March 2018   Height on Lower Crathes gauge 2’7” water  temp 38F

A dreich, drizzly day with an air temp in the morning of 38F. The river has a strange cloudy opaque look which may have been caused by a mixture of salt road washings and snow melt. Lower Crathes has an excellent arrangement whereby two anglers fish above the Durris Bridge and two below, alternating at lunchtime. We were teamed with that most knowledgeable ghillie Robert Harper and due to fish above the Bridge in the morning. I won the toss of the coin and chose the long cold wade down the south bank of the Mill Pool while my partner could enjoy dry feet on the bank or boat in Birkenbaud. Robert reckoned that Balbridie could be worth a cast so I started there. I sensed that the water was a bit on the high side for this fairly shallow fast pool and therefore fished it down taking more steps between casts than normal. Nada. A foot lower and this pool can be excellent. But not today.

The Mill Pool on the other hand has a mixture of depth and boulder structure and I sensed that my chance would come there. Two croys push out from the North bank creating a most attractive central current. Using an S1/S2 sinking shooting head and a 1” copper tube, I felt that I was covering the water well but by the time I had fished the top two thirds of the pool I hadn’t had a touch, not even a kelt.  As you near the tail of the pool, the pace of the current slackens a bit and it starts to shallow up. I had the distinct feeling that the copper tube was now fishing too deep and waded ashore to restore feeling to my feet and consider my options. I opened my box and began to search for a suitable aluminium tube. Before leaving home on the Sunday I had hurriedly tied up a couple of Willie Gunns with a holographic orange body, a black wire rib and some rusty olive angel hair tied in the wing. The inspiration came from an article that Iain Wilson of Borders Gun Room wrote in T&S some years ago. The 1.25” aluminium version looked as if it might be right for these conditions so on it went. Perhaps 3 casts later it was grabbed by something heavy which hugged the far side of the pool and took some hard runs upstream. Fortunately I was able to phone Robert Harper who was nearby and he kindly came down and netted and measured my fish. We both agreed 20 as it was one of the broadest backs of any salmon I’ve ever seen. Marvellous condition. Happy angler and happy Ghillie!

20 pounder

Further good news came at lunchtime as both Chris and Phil had a fish each from Kelpie Pool. The mood in the camp was cheery & everyone was keen to get back to it after 2pm.

I drew the Lower Bridge Pool after lunch and chose to commence operations from the North Bank. Here a deep wade and a long cast are required to reach the best lies. I changed to a Rio AFS Hover plus a 12’ Type 8 tip with, of course, the alu Willie Gunn.  The set-up seemed to be on the money as I had a steady stream of grabbers, mainly kelts but two shining springers amongst them at 8 & 7lbs. Robert was on hand with the net which made the whole process of handling the fish easier.

Fortunately my killer fly was still intact and working well (I had super glued the tinsel body) when I crossed to Lower Bridge Durris side at 4pm. I had only reached the old stanchion when I was locked onto springer no 4. Robert was with the other rod at that point so I was in the act of beaching a fresh fish in the 10/12lb category when it took umbrage on a short line and to my eternal shame, broke me and went away with my fly. At that point I was as devastated at losing the fly as I was about the fish (had no tying kit with me). Schoolboy error. I had landed several kelts & springers without changing the cast. I broke my own rules and suffered the consequences.

More good news at 5pm back at the hut. Chris & Phil had another fish each in the afternoon making a total of 7 springers for the day.

Tuesday 13^th March Height 2’8” Water temp 37F

In the bar on Monday night I was bemoaning the loss of my killer fly. That doyen of salmon fishers, Chris Tunmore was quick to reprimand me. “Put on a Park Shrimp…you’ve caught plenty on that”.

He was right of course and I do have lots of confidence in  that pattern tied as a conehead for heavy spring flows.

Commencing operations in that marvellous pool Kelpie I kept on the 12ft type 8 tip and the copper version of the Willie Gunn. I fished through the pool with only a kelt to show for it and again, the feeling came to me that I was fishing too deep. I therefore changed to a 15ft type 3 tip on the hover with a Park Shrimp conehead.  Normally I would have moved to another pool but I felt sure that Kelpie should produce so I fished it again with the lighter set up, more confidently this time. Near the tail of the pool I did find a grabber which turned out to be another chunky hard fighting springer of 18lb.  Could it get any better? Yes it could. My friend Jim Carson fishing opposite me on the Durris side of Kelpie opened his account with a lovely fresh 8 pdr. It’s always special when every member of the party has caught.

Kelpie Pool 18

After lunch it was my turn to fish Birkenbaud, the long excellent holding pool at the top of the beat. Again my luck seemed to be in as apart from kelts I found two more beautiful springers the better of which was 17lb. The smaller fish about 9lbs put up a memorable fight with several tarpon like leaps before coming to the net. Both on the S1/S2 set- up.

Birkenbaud 17

Wednesday 14^th March Height 2’10” Water temp 38F

An unwelcome rise in water. The weather has turned colder with a biting south easterly blowing. I start in the Mill pool again and am rewarded with a sealiced 8 pdr. Phil Burnham also finds silver in the afternoon from Riddells Pool.

Summary

13 springers for 3 days to the party of 4 anglers. Good going by recent March standards and the stamp & condition of the fish excellent. Two March back to back hat tricks to my own rod especially memorable.

On the Thursday a howling easterly and rising water face the anglers for the rest of the week. The latter 3 days produce another 3 springers. Timing in this sport is everything. This time my prayers had been answered and I found myself fishing the right half of the week. How different it could have been.

Better prepared for next time!

The post When Stars Align appeared first on Jim Fisher.

My season always starts with opening day on the Tummel on 15th January. If nothing else, you meet friends and blow the cobwebs away. This winter has seen so much rainfall that the Tummel was virtually unfishable in January. My first real chance of a springer therefore came this season on my Ballogie days on the Dee which this year fell on 8th to 10th February. I always look forward to this trip. There is nothing quite like finding a beautiful shining bright springer in the adverse weather conditions which often prevail in February. They are hard won but what a reward if you are fortunate enough to land one!

I had heard of the massive damage on Deeside caused by Storm Frank and witnessed the news coverage showing static caravans and fishing huts sailing down the swollen river. The image of Abergeldy Castle teetering over the eroded river bank is unforgettable. Yet I was not ready for the sight of the damage to my favourite pool on the Upper Beat of Ballogie called “The Slips” The current sweeps round a bend in a pool called “the Sands” into the Slips and the flood has ripped away the banking on the Ballogie side and created a deep unwadeable channel near the side. The Slips was always a tricky marginal wade (although a very productive one) but it is now impossible at spring water levels. Heartbreaking. It is perhaps too early to judge the effects on other parts of the beat. There was no real stock of fish evident (kelts or springers) to indicate where the fish may lie.

As it was, fishing conditions were as near perfect as you are likely to encounter in February. Settled weather with benign winds and a falling river from 2ft 5″ on Monday to 2ft 1″ on Wednesday. It became evident however that there were very few fish around reinforced by the scant returns posted on FishDee. In such circumstances it is easy for the shoulders to slump and enthusiasm to wane. As if on cue, the other rods in my party started to quietly leave the river after lunch on the Wednesday thinking more of the journey home than the remote chance of a springer. As for me, I was in no hurry and as I was drawn to fish the lower part of the beat which contains some of my favourite casts, I resolved to fish on till last light. I didn’t have to wait that long. At 3.30pm fishing the Bulwarks Pool I had that slow draw and delicious pull that every salmon fisher lives for. Your immediate thought is that it might be a kelt but when the fish took a strong run upstream followed by an energetic leap, I knew I was in business.

From the Bulwarks Pool

Not one of my bigger springers but beautifully fresh and prized beyond measure. My season has begun! The fish was kept in the water, unhooked and swam away strongly. For anyone interested in the setup, I was using the rig which has often performed well for me in the spring, a Rio AFS Hover Shooting Head + 14ft Type 3 tip with a 1.25″ Black & Yellow brass tube.

Jim Fisher

Footnote: despite the carnage which Storm Frank brought to the Dee and the unavoidable loss of redds and juvenile stock, nature has a funny way of bouncing back and I sincerely hope and pray that the river will thrive in years to come.

The post First springer of the year appeared first on Jim Fisher.

Park Shrimp Tubes

This morning I went out fishing on a streamy pool of the Tummel. On one of the casts, I felt the pluck of a fish twice. When fish behave this way my immediate thought is that my fly is too big. I stripped in my fly and checked it. Should I change to a smaller fly? Maybe not. This pool is quite fast and the water temp is only 44f. So what I did instead was to pull off some trailing angel hair from the tail of my fly, shortening its appearance ever so slightly. Back out she went with a long cast to the same area. A solid pull let me know there was no mistake this time. Satisfying when it happens that way. Not so satisfying was when the fish fell off just as I was about to beach it  The happy ending to this story is that, after lunch, using the same fly, I hooked and this time successfully landed a nice Tummel springer from another pool. That fly has earned its place in my box and I will fish it with confidence tomorrow!!

Tummel Springer on a Park Shrimp Tube

The post Have confidence in your fly appeared first on Jim Fisher.

Some really good fish running this week and hopefully the start of a good period of sport on the river.

March Tummel springer

P3270160

The post River Tummel Springer appeared first on Jim Fisher.

Good karma and a nice reintroduction to the Beat Hopefully, with warmer air and water temperatures coming, this will herald the start of a good run of fish as we head into April and what should be the peak period of our Scottish spring salmon fishing.

Looking downstream to the Wee Bargie Stone

No 2 was a great fighter

Looking upstream to the two Bargie Stones

The post River Tay, Glendelvine Beat appeared first on Jim Fisher.

The morning was quiet for all of the rods apart from a couple of kelts and a rawner from the Sands for Jim Carson. As we were enjoying our lunch by the warmth of the hut stove, Sean the ghillie arrived with the cheery news that a 15lb springer had just been landed above us from the Boat Pool, Carlogie by Tom Marshall and a 10 lb springer below us from the Garden Pool, Commonty by Graham Ritchie.  Interestingly, both of these fish were landed after 1pm when we were having lunch. Moral of the story….don’t tarry too long in the hut on these short spring days!  It is a fact that in early springtime  the warmest part of the day often occurs around 1pm just as we are expected to break  for lunch.  Salmon seem to respond positively to this change in air temperature and provide us with a chance of hooking them. A word of warning though. If you have opposition on the far bank (most Dee beats are single bank fishing) then check with your ghillie before ignoring the usual lunch break between 1 to 2 pm.

After lunch, it was my turn to fish the upper half of the lower beat from the Bridge Pool down to the Inchbares. In the Bridge Pool I had an interesting experience. About two thirds of the way down the pool I had a vicious tug to my 2.5inch(wing length) Black & Yellow brass tube fly. This can sometimes be a signal that your fly is too big so I immediately pulled in my fly and changed to a smaller B&Y bottle tube with an overall wing length of 1.5”. On my very first cast over the same water I had a strong draw which resulted in a well hooked fish. Ok it turned out to be a kelt but does it prove a point? Another kelt took  soon after in the tail of the pool and that was that.
Sean had alerted us in the morning that it was a good height for the next pool down, Burn of Angels and sure enough, the trusty AFS hover with type 3 tip and B&Y bottle tube felt as if it was fishing well. As you wade under the wires which cross this pool, your fly is covering some nicely paced water mid stream and it was there I had a great take and run which felt right away like a springer. Quick call to Sean brought him down with a net and after a good tussle it was a nice feeling of elation to see the fish slide over the net.

13lb in the weigh net!

Happy fisher & ghillie!

By the time I got down to Inchbares (one of my favourite casts in the lower beat) the light was all but gone and that was that.Eleven on Fishdee for the day but interesting that nothing was caught south of Invery.
-11c at Braemar overnight meant Tuesday for us was a write-off due to the dreaded grue. Without sunshine during the day, the ice didn’t abate till the last hour when I ventured up to Sands for a cast. Kelt activity but no sooner had I started than a blizzard started and the light faded.

and they call this spring fishing!

Wednesday morning didn’t look much better although a heavy snowfall made it look pretty

so three of my rods deserted to make there way home. Enter Lawrence and Dave into the Ballogie hut. Good timing. I told them I would give them a call if and when the grue cleared. This happened just after 1 pm so they were duly alerted to help themselves to the top half while Sean and I concentrated our efforts from the Bridge down. It felt good. Windless and pleasant but all I could find were kelts, nine of them, from the various pools I visited. Sean also had kelts and a rawner from the Bridge Pool which had him excited.
Meanwhile good news from the Slips.  Lawrence had demonstrated his skills by pulling a feisty 12 pounder  out onto the ice. Not an easy place (although my favourite cast on the top beat) so very well done Lawrence To conclude, conditions in the opening week were tricky to say the least. The grue effectively restricted us to two afternoons fishing in our three days and it is too early to guess what number of springers maybe in the Dee. It is however concerning that few fish were caught downstream from Invery/Crathes Castle apart from three in the week at Lower Crathes and West Durris.

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