Week Commencing 27th February 2017.

admin Latest 7th March 20172017, 27th, commencing, February, week

Last week’s forecast was not far off the mark, the heavy rain on Saturday pushed up the river in the afternoon but levels have already started to drop back. There is a little turbidity but hopefully that will start to clear by Monday morning. Next week’s forecast is more of the same. Temperatures will be around high single figures, there will be very little rain and the windiest days will be midweek. The tides peaked last week and will start to build again midweek.

I have heard this week that some estates are not happy with me knowing what they are catching. If it really concerns them that much they can either get in touch with me to explain their concerns and perhaps stop their anglers posting on social media, good luck with that! On the other hand some new beats are beginning to send me information and more pictures. The Spey is the second best river in the country only being out-fished by the Tweed. The Tweed caught less than fifty more fish than the Spey although it fishes over 9 weeks more. Let us stop hiding these facts from salmon anglers and get the good news out!

Catches: Gordon Castle had another two fish, again on Saturday. I would suggest that when the numbers of anglers rises fish are caught down there. I am grateful to Ian Tennant for the picture.

Ger Maclean Beat 4

Upstream Orton had a good week with at least six salmon being caught, the best estimated at 22lbs. A seatrout estimated at 7lbs was also landed and another around the same weight was lost.

Richard Hold, Orton Gillie.

Jimmy Jack Orton

7lb Seatrout Orton

James Gair’s fish Orton.

Jan Ridgen, Orton.

Delfur continued to catch fish, finishing the week with five. On Monday, Swede Martin Risberg had a fish on his first visit to the Spey.Regulars Graham Ritchie and Alex Robertson continued their good start to the season landing one a piece on Thursday. On Saturday there were two father and son teams out, the older generation out fished the younger easily. Whether this was down to angling skill or positioning themselves in the best spot appeared to be in some dispute. Alistair Morrison and Ian Borthwick were the successful dads.

Martin Risberg, Delfur.

Graham Ritchie, Delfur.

Alex Robertson Delfur

Alistair Morrison with his gillie Grant

Rothes continued to catch fish. Mike Ewan sent me this picture of a slightly damp Robert Cardno on Saturday afternoon.

Robert Cardno, Rothes.

Arndilly also had a couple I hear.

Wester Elchies got their season underway with a fish from the Little Turn.

I hear Laggan had a fish last Saturday, but have no more details.

Ian Borthwick had his second from the Carron Beat on Monday, this time from the Sands. He was also one of the successful older generation, getting one from Collie at Delfur. He tells me you can’t keep a good man down, though Neil says it ought to be “put a good man down”

Ian Borthwick’s 2nd Fish Carron.

I hear Lower Pitcroy, Knockando had their first of the season.

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Spey Fishery Board

Week Commencing 27th July 2015

admin Latest 3rd August 20152015, 27th, commencing, July, week

Another week of a little of everything, sun, rain clouds. The river rose a little but carried a lot of colour, which seemed to put the fish off. The coming week is more of the same, Monday will be the brightest and Tuesday the wettest but nothing really startling. Temperatures might just reach the seasonable normal. The tides peak on Tuesday.

Catches: Gordon Castle continued to catch fish again finishing around the fifty mark. Delfur also finished close to fifty. I am not convinced I would describe 5 rods as plenty of anglers but I see others do! Mark and Rory as usual were kind enough to send me some pictures.

Rory getting artistic!

Rory with close up mode working!

Mark with Oliver Burge’s fish

John Braithwaite Delfur

Rothes had twenty-four for the week and Mike tells me it was the first week when grilse outnumbered the salmon. Mark reckoned he was close to 50%.

As I predicted last week Craigellachie had a good week and I was surprised to see they still had some availability. Having finished with almost twenty for the week I am amazed to see there is still availability for next week.

I hear Kinermony had a productive week but have no details.

Wester Elchies was lightly fished but still managed eleven; those who took advantage of the availability were rewarded.

Laggan had a great week; Phil Burton had six to his own rod on Monday. They finished with around twenty, the best being an eighteen-pound fish from Pol Dornie.

Phil Burton Laggan

Over the water things were a little quieter at Carron. I was forced to try and get a photograph myself. These “selfies” are not that easy and when the camera eventually fired up I had the look of a startled rabbit, marginally better than the feet and fish shot I hope?

Selfie or startled rabbit!

Brian Shaw, head biologist, had a day at Castle Grant and managed a salmon and a grilse, he was kind enough to send me a picture of his fish going back. Brian tells me he was pleased to see plenty of fish in the pools.

Rogie, Castle Grant

Grantown, my well-travelled correspondent has returned and tells me that there are still plenty of sea trout being taken, the best this week around the 8lb mark! I also hear rather disappointingly that visitor numbers are low, but I suppose on the flip side this means there is plenty of room in the pools; every cloud has a silver lining. I am a little baffled why visitor numbers are down the catches this year are respectable 218 so far with two months left. This compares well with last year, perhaps not a year to dwell too long on but around thirty fish better than 2013, 50 better than 2012 and a few more than 2011.

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Week Commencing 27th April 2015

admin Latest 7th May 20152015, 27th, April, commencing, week

It was a strange sort of week on the Spey. Friday was the 1^st May but we awoke to the garden covered in snow for the second time in the week, there was if anything slightly more on Monday. Monday’s snowmelt had little or no effect on the river. I think the ground was too dry and the trees are “drinking hard” The River rose on Thursday and carried a little colour but it remained fishable all day. By Friday it was dropping nicely and clearing. The noticeable thing was the drop in water temperature down about ten degrees from the week before.

Next week’s forecast is pretty cold and wet, Monday will have some sunshine and temperatures will reach double figures but the rest of the week struggles and there will be some rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. The tides continue to build till Thursday.

Catches: I am pleased to say there have been reasonable catches on most beats from Kinchurdy to the sea. Gordon Castle had at least seven for the week. Orton had around the same; Jimmy Jack from Fraserburgh sent me this photograph of this fine sea-liced fish from the Willows. Jimmy tells me there was a big fish caught and plenty more lost, a recurring story up and down the river.

Jimmy Jack Orton

At Delfur Neil Cameron’s party were pleasantly surprised not to find the river running high and coloured, they have been very unlucky the last few years. Anne Cameron had the most fish although Alan Rennie fishing Beaufort caught the biggest, the 22lb fish gave him a good struggle and although hard on the fish it took close to 30 minutes to land.The seal damage to the tail did not seem to slow it down any! Mark and Grant kindly sent me a couple of pictures.

John Grant Delfur

Rory Paterson Delfur

Alan Rennie’s fish Delfur

Mike Euan tells me they were seeing running fish but could only land a handful.

Aberlour Angling Club had at least a couple, I am grateful to Ken Davies for the pictures.

Alasdair Polson Aberlour Angling Club.

Rob Morrison Aberlour

Kinermony had a great week, the Gordon Angling Group, have returned to Kinermony after a long absence and I am sure they will be back. There were five landed on Monday including this one for Bill Goodlad from the Boat Pool. The Group finished the week with ten.

Bill Goodlad Kinermony

Over the water Wester Elchies had a couple.

Sam with Mike Shaw’s fish Wester Elchies

Laggan had at least seven including a 21lb fish and many more lost.

My party at Carron landed four and lost almost as many. I wish Dave looked a little happier, the one he lost was bigger but a fish is a fish.

Dave Sadowski Carron

Ian Gordon’s group of trainee gillies from Norway had a successful week at Tulchan and Ian sent me this photo.

Tulchan

Grantown Angling Association had at least ten, nine of which were landed on Friday. Two anglers, namely Willie Laird and Nigel Davies, each landed four fish which weighed up to 12 lbs. Sea-trout numbers are also increasing with fish of up to 4.5 pounds being reported.

I am pleased to be getting plenty of pictures from Kinchurdy, gillie Bobby Hall seems to be finding both salmon and seatrout. Many thanks for the great pictures of your happy anglers.