Fishing Reports

This week so far

See each day's largest fish and individual beat catches on our Latest Catches page which is updated each time a ghillie uses our automatic telephone reporting system.

Last week

(Last updated: Monday 17th June)

River levels have dropped away and it's time for anglers to use stealth and guile during the long daylight hours of midsummer. FishDee beats have reported 136 salmon and 44 sea trout for the week with perhaps more late additions to be added. The Upper Beats shone this week with Deecastle reporting a dozen salmon, Dinnet and Lower Invercauld & Monaltrie had 10 apiece, Aboyne Water reported 9 with Ballogie & Birse both reporting 8 salmon. I heard Morven beat owner Dr Ewen had a lovely 20lb salmon from Carlogie which was biggest fish for the week. At last Sea Trout fishing picked up with 44 landed from Ardoe to Crathie; Carlogie reported 7 and Lower Invercauld & Monaltrie reported 5. The wily sea trout can be taken by anglers fishing for salmon on big salmon rods however at this time of year anglers using single handed rods and tiny sea trout flies were catching both sea trout and salmon, by day and night.

It has been Ladies Week on the Dee with a number of e-mails and messages relayed informing me of success for lady anglers. I am delighted to hear of all the success and I must start with a wonderful e-mail from proud dad Geoff Fisher who advised, ‘I'm just off the phone to Robert Harper & he suggested I send you a mail re a "Pre- Father's Day" evenings fishing my daughter took me on last night, courtesy of Mr Hampson, at Lower Crathes & Wester Durris. My daughter, Meriel (13), wife & I travelled over to the Beat, arriving about 8 & having fished the Kelpie moved up to the Mill Pool where, despite Mum taking the net with her (not normally considered good luck!) & much laughter & giggling about stealth wading & being quiet to avoid scaring the fish Meriel successfully caught, landed & safely returned the 8lb hen fish in the pictures. The fish gave a very good account for itself but after much squealing, bashed knuckles & instructions of "keep the rod up" & "keep winding” proud Dad managed to net the fish after its various runs up, down & across the pool. Mum was on hand (just as well she brought the net!!) to take the photo's & remove the midgy that took a fancy to Meriel's right ear during the fight! The Fisher "Pre-Father's Day Evening's Fishing Party" then moved on to the Bridge Pool, strongly considered the "Hot spot" for the evening & where just below the Hut Meriel managed to hook another fish! This fish, however after screaming downstream, did a very clever thing; it swam straight back at Meriel! Despite all efforts to wind in as fast as her little arms would let her, the fish managed to get some slack in the line & was gone! A truly memorable family evening, in a very special place. A huge thank you to Mr Hampson & my good friend Robert Harper, who is always very keen to encourage the next generation of salmon anglers onto the River'. What a great story and the images are brilliant! Hopefully we can persuade Mr Fisher to enter this for the Callum Mackenzie cup! Beat head Ghillie Robert Harper sent some super images advising ‘Evening Ken, Attached photo's of Mrs Hampson first ever salmon caught on Tuesday 9lbs and Mr Holford first salmon on Saturday 12lbs.' Another successful lady angler with a super salmon.

Invery & Tilquhillie Ghillie Karl Revel popped in for a coffee and chat yesterday with news from the beats commenting ‘ In a week where taking fish were very hard to come by I was delighted on Friday to net a lovely 10lb sea liced salmon for visiting angler Janet Clarke from Bath. She caught her fish in the Killing Hatch using a size 14 green bodied stoat's tail.' The pictures supplied are superb. Another successful lady angler was Laura Spaven who was fishing at Aboyne Castle with Ghillie Alex Coutts. Jonathon Spaven wrote advising ‘Ken, Attached is photo of Laura Spaven (23) with an eight pound salmon caught in Tanar Mouth on the Aboyne Castle water last Tuesday 11th June. With her is ghillie Alex Coutts who has helped three generations of the family to catch fish over the last 25 years.'

The Lets Tackle Cancer Charity visited Crathes last week where hosts Greig Thomson and TV celebrity Paul Young entertained successful bidders Jim Twaddle and Mike Dench. LTCC'S Munro Reid advised ‘The event went very well with the two winners coming from as far as Manchester and Glasgow to fish the Dee. Conditions were tough with the low water this week and the bright sunshine was not helping any. One fish around 8lbs was caught by myself on a black and orange Sunray skated across the surface. Even though the conditions were tough the days fishing was a great success due to the good company and of course the lovely river Dee. If you would like to know more about the charity please visit the www.letstacklecancer.co.uk website or email the charity organiser Munro Reid at munro@riverclydefishing.com.' Finally I want to report that my brother David Reid, who was salmon fishing, at Ballogie, for the first time in a number of years landed a spanking 18lb salmon on a size 12 lightly dressed Tosh.

Beat catches reported
(week ending 15th June)
SALMON & GRILSE: Ardoe and Murtle 2, Tilbouries 1, Park 3, Lower Crathes and W Durris 4, Crathes 2, Invery 1, Tilquhillie 1, Little Blackhall and Inchmarlo 1, Middle Blackhall 2, Upper Blackhall 3, Cairnton 1, Commonty 1, Sluie 2, Ballogie 8, Borrowston 2, Kincardine 6, Carlogie 4, Dess 7, Birse 8, Aboyne Water 9, Aboyne Castle 4, Craigendinnie 2, Waterside and Ferrar 6, Dinnet 10, Deecastle 12, Headinch and Cambus O'May 6, Monaltrie and Lower Invercauld 10, Birkhall 1, Abergeldie 2, Balmoral 3, Crathie 12.
Total: 136 Largest: Park & Carlogie 20lbs
SEA TROUT: Ardoe and Murtle 1, Park 3, Lower Crathes and W Durris 5, Invery 1, Tilquhillie 3, Middle Blackhall 1, Upper Blackhall 2, Cairnton 3, Sluie 1, Ballogie 1, Carlogie 7, Birse 3, Aboyne Water 2, Aboyne Castle 1, Craigendinnie 1, Waterside and Ferrar 1, Dinnet 1, Deecastle 1, Monaltrie and Lower Invercauld 5, Crathie 1.
Total: 44 Largest: Ardoe and Murtle & Lower Crathes and W Durris & Middle Blackhall & Upper Blackhall & Cairnton & Waterside and Ferrar & Crathie 3lbs
TROUT: None reported

Malcolm was celebrating his 73rd birthday, when he caught the fish - what a great birthday he had.


Two super photographs of an estimated 25lb fish caught by retired dentist Malcolm Tocher at Lower Crathes.