Yes I agree. I've fished Ballogie a few times and of course it's the same thing. The Dee is a magnificent river but not so much for salmon fishing anymore. A beautiful place not to catch fish.
Harry
May Fishing on Dee
I have not long returned from two weeks on Dee fishing Carlogie and Sluie. I've fished Carlogie for 19 years and since Storm Frank numbers of fish running and in the river have declined alarmingly.
A number of years ago the Dee section of this forum was buzzing with reports on spring fishing but now forum activity reflects the catches on the river , be few!
The first week we did see fish regularly in the best lies in the best pools but cold air and water temperatures seemed to make them very reluctant to take. Seeing fish keeps you going and we fished hard and managed to land a few between us.
Week 2 we had heavy rain on Monday morning and after that two rises, the first a small dirty one from the local rain and the second a peaty one from upriver. The fish we had seemed to move upriver and we saw less than a handful of fish for the rest of the week. These rises gave us good river heights,as we had throughout the trip, and with warming water temperatures I thought we might do well but the bare truth is you can't catch what's not there!
Again we did land a few but you didn't really feel you were covering fish,and it was more a matter of fluking an encounter with a runner.
It would appear that salmon runs to nearly all Scottish rivers are very poor this year so far, but I fear the catches on Dee show a river in steeper decline than some.
A number of years ago the Dee section of this forum was buzzing with reports on spring fishing but now forum activity reflects the catches on the river , be few!
The first week we did see fish regularly in the best lies in the best pools but cold air and water temperatures seemed to make them very reluctant to take. Seeing fish keeps you going and we fished hard and managed to land a few between us.
Week 2 we had heavy rain on Monday morning and after that two rises, the first a small dirty one from the local rain and the second a peaty one from upriver. The fish we had seemed to move upriver and we saw less than a handful of fish for the rest of the week. These rises gave us good river heights,as we had throughout the trip, and with warming water temperatures I thought we might do well but the bare truth is you can't catch what's not there!
Again we did land a few but you didn't really feel you were covering fish,and it was more a matter of fluking an encounter with a runner.
It would appear that salmon runs to nearly all Scottish rivers are very poor this year so far, but I fear the catches on Dee show a river in steeper decline than some.
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Harry
It’s a very sad state of affairs, after fishing 60 years all over the uk starting as a boy on the southern English rivers it has been a relentless marching of fish-less rivers migrating north. But as I have said before most species of fish are having a hard time, but apparently not the pink, what has the pink got that others don’t have ??.
An excedingly short period in the river..It’s a very sad state of affairs, after fishing 60 years all over the uk starting as a boy on the southern English rivers it has been a relentless marching of fish-less rivers migrating north. But as I have said before most species of fish are having a hard time, but apparently not the pink, what has the pink got that others don’t have ??.
The Dee cant be that bad.
The cost to fish there implies its stuffed with fish.
The cost to fish there implies its stuffed with fish.
Their living in the past and even then it was too expensive. They should be dropping their prices and getting more rods on the water, more rods hopefully more fish. They don't want to cheapen the brand, so that won't happen.The cost to fish there implies its stuffed with fish.
The river will be more devoid of fishermen than salmon before that happens Bill.Their living in the past and even then it was too expensive. They should be dropping their prices and getting more rods on the water, more rods hopefully more fish. They don't want to cheapen the brand, so that won't happen.
Lower Blackhall & Banchory, is a 4 rod beat, 5 year May average of 12 Fish (1 fish every 8-10 rod days) and it costs £140 per rod, per day.🤣😂🤣😂The river will be more devoid of fishermen than salmon before that happens Bill.
I’d like to fish some of the Dee beats; because I’ve been reading about them for 30+ years. But those prices are ridiculous and what they tell me is that these beats are not for me, they’re for those with either another level of funding and / or dedication.
I hope the Ghillies are allowed to get some local rods out to fish the spare, un-let days.
I really like the Dee but to be honest other than the fundraising event in June, its a river that I don’t consider fishing until the end of August. I definitely agree with the pricing though. Park North or South is a brilliant beat but with current fish numbers £150 a day is ridiculous when I can have an equivalent chance of a fish on the Tay for £40 a day in March.
It was seeing the Dee Fishpal reports that really freaked me out a few weeks ago when by Thursday the combined Beats catches were less than ten salmon😩 Ten fifteen years ago you would expect that from one beat in a day let alone the entire river that will be fully rodded imo
So back when Park was on fire from opening day I don’t think one would grumble with having to pay such money for the experience but this is the problem that the Tweed suffered from in Autumn in that the prices didn’t come down from the good days.I really like the Dee but to be honest other than the fundraising event in June, its a river that I don’t consider fishing until the end of August. I definitely agree with the pricing though. Park North or South is a brilliant beat but with current fish numbers £150 a day is ridiculous when I can have an equivalent chance of a fish on the Tay for £40 a day in March.
By the sounds of the T&S report it looks to me that the nearby river Don has been outfishing it’s illustrious neighbour in terms of numbers reported and the obvious fact that the number of rods is gonna be significantly less. Fish caught on the Don from top to bottom in April and the trout fishing is superb
Maybe a better tolerance for the warming climate/temperatures? I have asked someone about their fishing in the top of the Arctic circle thinking that it wouldn’t of been effected and yet even there he said that the sea trout and Sea run char were also sufferingIt’s a very sad state of affairs, after fishing 60 years all over the uk starting as a boy on the southern English rivers it has been a relentless marching of fish-less rivers migrating north. But as I have said before most species of fish are having a hard time, but apparently not the pink, what has the pink got that others don’t have ??.
A couple of years ago when I was up there in August, Park was regularly hitting 12-20 fish a day. Something then happened because it really went wrong last year with them lucky to hit that in week. I did wonder if that change prompted Bert to retire when he did.It was seeing the Dee Fishpal reports that really freaked me out a few weeks ago when by Thursday the combined Beats catches were less than ten salmon😩 Ten fifteen years ago you would expect that from one beat in a day let alone the entire river that will be fully rodded imo
I know can you imagine owning Park when in February that was only half a month would be average between 20-50 fish? Why I say that is because the fishing at Park was like someone flicked a switch and they could have had no way of knowing what was coming in that Park must of been worth a fortune based on the numbers of fish and ever since those early spring fish started running past Park for the middle river it’s now essentially a late spring/summer beat imo?A couple of years ago when I was up there in August, Park was regularly hitting 12-20 fish a day. Something then happened because it really went wring last year with them lucky to hot that in week. I did wonder if that change prompted Bert to retire when he did.
Agreed, being the Factor of any salmon beat is like playing the lottery to a large extent! Definitely something to take on out of passion rather than for a financial investment.I know can you imagine owning Park when in February that was only half a month would be average between 20-50 fish? Why I say that is because the fishing at Park was like someone flicked a switch and they could have had no way of knowing what was coming in that Park must of been worth a fortune based on the numbers of fish and ever since those early spring fish started running past Park for the middle river it’s now essentially a late spring/summer beat imo?
You can’t blame the beat owners for the high prices. The fishery board assessment is so high they have to try and pay for it somehow.
I look at fishpal daily, first to look at the water height, then the returns and finally the availability of rods. Rivers are low, catches, except maybe the Tweed, seem low and prices available rods are higher. I know fishpal have re-vamped their business and they have enticed more beats to their site, but there are rods available on some beats at prime times that I have never seen before. Low water and zero fish from Kinnaber? Morphie whole weeks not booked, I know they had flood damage and the cottage is being repaired and the road, but no-one wants to fish there? Prices over a £100 a day maybe, to fish a possibly empty river? Something somewhere has to give, some people may be feeling the financial pinch and not coming to Scotland, but the fishing industry should maybe thinking ahead here.
It’s becoming the case that all mid and lower beats on all rivers are not worth fishing until the back end. Of course there will be exceptions but it certainly true of a lot of rivers.I look at fishpal daily, first to look at the water height, then the returns and finally the availability of rods. Rivers are low, catches, except maybe the Tweed, seem low and prices available rods are higher. I know fishpal have re-vamped their business and they have enticed more beats to their site, but there are rods available on some beats at prime times that I have never seen before. Low water and zero fish from Kinnaber? Morphie whole weeks not booked, I know they had flood damage and the cottage is being repaired and the road, but no-one wants to fish there? Prices over a £100 a day maybe, to fish a possibly empty river? Something somewhere has to give, some people may be feeling the financial pinch and not coming to Scotland, but the fishing industry should maybe thinking ahead here.
The rest of the season you are hoping to swing your fly past a runners nose.
And with fish coming in a handful at a time like they have been past few years it makes for terrible fishing.
These small pockets of fish aren’t hanging about and battering through the lower reaches. Only slowing down in the top reaches.
Resident fish seem like a thing of the past and holding pools are empty.
The feeling of doom booked on a top beat at prime time and knowing you’re just as likely to be hit by lightning than to land a springer.
Then it’s the same the next day then the next.
Getting excited if you see a fish.
Grim.
I blame the fishermen for continuing to pay high prices for little chance of fish. As has been said, supply and demand is beginning to even out.You can’t blame the beat owners for the high prices. The fishery board assessment is so high they have to try and pay for it somehow.
Harry
Thing is there's plenty of predators round the river mouths, so there are fish about, but some beats are getting more sea trout than salmon, which is odd, either the troots are early or are the grilse late?
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