Last week’s weather forecast was not too far off the mark, though the predicted precipitation fell mostly as snow rather than rain but the overall effect was the same. The river rose and was virtually unfishable on Thursday afternoon and not much good on Friday morning. The levels have held up but it is now dropping and clearing. The tides have peaked and there will be no new water till next weekend. Next week temperatures will be more or less back to normal, sitting around the mid teens. It might feel a bit cooler with the wind having some East in it all week. The wind will be strongest on Monday. There is no rain forecast all week.

 

Although some house martens have been seen in the valley my ones have yet to arrive at the house. I heard reports of a cuckoo but have not heard them yet myself. My blue tits are still nest building and no signs of any eggs yet.

 

Catches. As I suggested earlier this weeks catches were affected by the high coloured river later in the week but the earlier days certainly separated the men from the boys, fishing in driving snow in a strong northerly wind is not for everyone!

Gordon Castle finished with around a dozen. Alex Robertson had the best with a fish estimated at 23 lbs on Saturday from Beat 4. Thanks again to Ian Tennant and his team for the pictures.

Orton had a quieter week than of late with around seven landed.

Delfur finished close to a dozen, thanks to Mark and Grant for keeping me supplied with pictures.

Craigellachie finished the week strongly, like all middle river beats the rise in the river was a welcome sight.

Aberlour Angling Club enjoyed the lift in the water height and finished with three salmon and four seatrout. Many thanks to Ken Davies for keeping me informed.

Wester Elchies had at least one; as Ron Sutherland sent me this photograph.

Kinermony finished with eight, Davy Brand tells me most of them were caught later in the week and were showing signs of having tangled with marine predators!

Laggan finished with five; Charlie Herd tells me that the ladies were top landing four of the five.

Carron eventually landed three but it took a late effort on Saturday to put numbers in the book.

Grantown struggled in the start of the week with the snow but things picked up later in the week finishing with at least four and as many seatrout, including a fish at 16lbs from MacLeod’s Pool. Regular visitor, Jimmy Gentleman, took a fish at 13lbs from Poll Clach.

Kinchurdy is now consistently landing fish, four this week, many thanks to Bobby Hall and Edwin Whyte for the pictures.

 

The post Week Commencing April 24th 2017. appeared first on Spey Fishery Board.

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Last week’s forecast was fairly accurate but the wind strength again was under estimated. What little rain that fell was quickly soaked up by the dry ground and the thirsty vegetation, little or none made it into the river. Next week is forecast to be pretty similar, light winds, a small amount of rain early in the week with perhaps some more towards the weekend. Temperatures will peak just into double figures with perhaps even a frost some nights. The tides have peaked and there will be no new water till next week. What the middle and upper river needs is a day or two of heavy rain to bring the river up.

I was pleased to see the sand pipers at Knockando on Monday; I also spotted swallows and an osprey. My house martins have yet to arrive but they cannot be far away.

 

Catches, depending on which part of the river you’ve been fishing your opinion on the catches will vary widely. The Lower River continues to fish well but further upstream things are a touch slower, the low water appears to be holding the fish downstream.

I understand the Fochabers Association are catching fish; Ronnie Fraser is doing well, three on Friday including this one estimated at 24lbs.

I hear he also had three from the Castle Beat.

Ian tenant tells me they landed nineteen on the Gordon Castle Beats with almost as many lost. He kindly sent me a few pictures.

A party of Scandinavians led by Mattias Helde tenanted Orton. They finished the week with around a dozen. Thanks to Mattias for his pictures. He tells me he is planning two weeks on the Spey next year rather than his usual trip to the Dee!

 

Delfur had another good week, with about a dozen landed and a few more lost. Thanks to Mark and Grant for taking the time to send me plenty of photographs.

Rothes also finished with a dozen around a quarter were in the twenty-pound class. Superb fishing by any standards.

 

Craigellachie and Aberlour Angling Club had a fish apiece, and Kinermony had a couple.

 

Mattias’ Scandinavians landed a couple from Wester Elchies.

 

The Northeast fly Casting Club from the north of England had taken Delagyle for the week along with a number of beats up and down the river. They had three and a large seatrout from Delagyle.

Neil Lobban the organiser tells me ” Over the three day visit we landed 12 salmon and 2 Sea trout. David Robson had three fish to his rod from the Brae Water. Alan Scott landed a 10lb Sea Liced fish from Brae 3. Luke Oldroyd landed a 6 1/2 lb Sea Trout at Delagyle. Jan Robinson caught her first ever Salmon and quickly followed it with her second in a memorable day for her on Brae. Ben Thompson had 2 Salmon and a Sea Trout. Neil Lobban landed 2 salmon from Brae and Delagyle and Paul Brydon and Chris Jones were also amongst the fish with one each from Brae and Delagyle. The largest fish was Paul’s at 11 lbs bearing long tailed lice - most of the fish caught were liced.”

Carron finished with four.

 

Laggan had at least a couple, Anthony Slater (8) had his first from Millionaires and Jessica Slater a 14lb fish from the stream thanks to Mike Murdoch for keeping me updated.

 

The Scandinavians reached as far up the river to Knockando Home Beat Jonas Runnberg had this lovely fish from Craig Steele.

 

A team of different Scandinavians had Phones for the first three days and landed a couple. Anders Oberg pictured below.

 

Information from above Knockando is as usual sketchy but I hear Grantown had a couple Both fish were caught in Little Stream, one of 12 lbs and one of 6 lbs.

They are also reporting a couple of sea-trout of up to 5lbs.

 

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The weather forecast last week was pretty accurate, certainly more winter than summer. There were some unpleasant showers on Monday it was cold with the hail and blustery north wind. The river certainly showed the diurnal effect, more noticeable on the smaller Avon.

 

This weeks forecast is warmer, but so it should be after all today is the First of May. Monday will be wet; this coupled with some snowmelt could well push the river up. Temperatures are predicted to reach the low teens most afternoons. The wind will become more westerly, moderate at times. The tides are building all week.

 

I saw my first brood of mallards on Saturday, and the dippers I watched nest building earlier in the year are feeding the fledglings. Can I just remind dog owners to keep their dogs under control as there are many ground nesting birds close to the river bank, this week I saw two oystercatchers’ nests and a couple of pheasants’ nests.

 

Catches: Again the catches are reasonably well distributed from above Grantown to the sea. It is nice to see a few seatrout being caught, judging by the cold nights I assume most are being picked up whilst fishing for salmon.

Gordon Castle had a handful.

I hear Orton started the week well with seven on Monday but have no more news.

Delfur had a great week, finishing with twenty-one. Graham Ritchie was top rod landing 5 salmon and a 9lb seatrout. Willie Mair, Liza O Brien, Dave Sadowski and Charles Harman also got their seasons underway.

Both Rothes and Arndilly had seven apiece.

Craigellachie had a good week with six landed, many thanks to Dougie Ross for his photographs.

Kinermony had 4 including a first fish for Evie Dixon.

Wester Elchies had five most of them towards the weekend.

Alan Williams’ party had 4 at Carron and a couple at Phones.

Information further upstream is a little sketchy but I hear Tulchan is still fishing well.

Grantown remained cold and at times a blizzard blew, but George Oliver persevered and was rewarded with a 15lb fish from Pol Clach.

Kinchurdy had a mixture of salmon and seatrout, Brian Perry enjoyed his three days and added his thanks to Bobby Hall for looking after him so well.

 

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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.

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.

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.

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.

Over the water Wester Elchies had a couple.

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.

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

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.

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It has been a wonderful week on Speyside, Inverness Caledonian Thistle have beaten Celtic in the semi final of the Scottish Cup! The weather was fine most of the week; although the rain in the west pushed the river up on Wednesday afternoon bringing a little turbidity. The river fell back the rest of the week and now sits at just over a foot. The tides peak early this week. The forecast for the coming week is for the fine settled weather to remain till the end of the week then some really heavy rain is forecast for the weekend, we will wait and see.

Catches: I hear there was a fish at Gordon Castle and that a few have been caught at Orton but I have no real details. Delfur had three on Tuesday afternoon and as usual Mark was kind enough to send me this picture of Robert Speakman.

Mike Euan tells me they only landed a couple but lost about twice as many.

Craigellachie had their best week of the season with three landed.

Wester Elchies landed five with as many lost. Neill Sproull sent me this picture from the Boat Pool.

 

The Norwegian party that were supposed to be fishing at Carron decided not to come, and I was delighted to be asked to fish for them. Although lightly fished we finished with four. There must have been a few fish about as Alan Williams managed to catch one from the Bridge Pool.

I hear that the Knockando beats also had some success but have no details. Chris Davies fished at Castle Grant last week and was kind enough to send me these photos when he returned home. Chris a regular on the Spey said, “With only three days on the river, I always wish we could have spent more time at Castle Grant, fabulous fishing and wonderful scenery. It seems like all of nature is coming alive; amongst many others, we saw golden eye ducks, crossbills, red shanks, curlews and a red squirrel and all in the company of Lionel Main, who as you can see from the picture has an uncanny knack of being on hand to help land a salmon – a perfect time in the Spey Valley!”

Grantown also had a fish with local member Willie Laird landing an eight pound fish from the Long Pool on Thursday. Willie has also landed three early sea-trout in the past couple of weeks.

Can I just finish with a plea for the price of salmon flies to be reduced; this poor pensioner had to risk his life to rescue his.

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