Aboyne Castle

Location

Summary

Five year average: 169 salmon/grilse
and 59 sea trout (left bank)
(Similar catches from right bank)
15 pools, maximum rods 2
1 ghillie, 2 huts
Price range: £55 to £120 per rod/day

Description

Aboyne Castle is a classic fly fishing fish beat on the Upper Dee immediately west of Aboyne and is part of a traditional sporting estate on Royal Deeside. The beat is fished in agreement with Glen Tanar Estate (Craigendinnie Beat) in order that rods can fish from either bank in rotation. This arrangement ceases at the end of June when the Aboyne Castle rods remain on the left bank during the summer months. The beat is split into an upper and lower section with the two Aboyne Castle rods fishing the upper section on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the lower section on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The two Craigendinnie rods fish the beat vice versa. Both sections of the beat have classic fly fishing pools with sufficient pools to fish new water morning and afternoon.

Due to the fast flowing nature of the Upper Dee and the variety of pools, the beat can be fished at all water heights, which is distinctively advantageous during high water conditions. There are a wide variety of pools that offer the fisherman unique challenges in reading the water, and presenting the fly with finesse required when the water is low. The beat has spring salmon building up until May and then a build up of sea trout during the mid summer weeks where night fishing for sea trout can be very productive. In the late summer weeks there is a run of grilse and salmon which combined with river fish sees the pools well populated. There is a very experienced Ghillie Mr Alex Coutts, who has been on the beat for many years and is extremely knowledgeable and popular with his visiting guests. Many anglers coming to the beat for their first few visits find his advice invaluable, and many anglers get their first ever fish whilst fishing the beat.

There are two huts on the Aboyne Castle bank and the services of Ghillie Alex Coutts are available all season. The beat is normally let on a weekly basis but during some periods rods are let on a part week or daily basis when vacancies arise. All anglers are asked to meet the Ghillie at Aboyne Bridge at 9.00am each morning where their pools will be allocated for the day. This is a beat that is considered by many to be one of the finest to fish on the River Dee and demand to fish is always high.