Head Ghillies job River Dee

[betanut]

Job advertised in todays Press & Journal (and presumably elsewhere) for a Head Ghillie for the Ballogie, Carlogie and Commonty beats.
Usual requirements, applications in writing with references and CV to:

Mr Malcolm Nicol, Ballogie Estate Enterprises, Ballogie Estate Office, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire AB34 5DS or email to [e-mail]

Have a squint at the beats: www.ballogie-estate.co.uk/fishing.htm

Nice water, nice job ;D

[zeolite]

So Davie Gibbon has been pensioned off then? Davie is a lovely man and I still have a few free flies of his in my box.

[scottyjock]

Think he may pop up further downstream but i don't know if it is confirmed yet ....

Jock

[scotview]

During the spring months, Davie had the not too easy task of looking after the three seperate sections of water.

There was always plenty of firewood and kindling for the huts.

He did a great job and always seemed to know the right time to put in an appearance, an essential skill for any good ghillie.

[ralockwood]

Having fished Balogie for the last 5 years, Davie has always been superb. A real pleasure to fish with. Hopefully he will have shortly secured a new place as Jock wrote, still tis a sad day.

[storlaks]

Just heard that a guy called Sean Stanton got the Head Ghillie's job at Ballogie. He was ghillie on Lower Fairnburn on the Conon.

I actually applied for this post myself. Managed to make the short list but obviously the Estate has went for an experience Ghillie- which I'm not. I suppose the right (and safe) decision on such famous and well respected beats.

The role however is probably not your typical ghillie job. There's a fair bit of admin, managing spreadsheets, e-marketing and business dev. You'll probably see him sitting by the hut on his laptop logging the days catches (-:

Seriously good luck to him. He is fortunate to have landed this wonderful opportunity on top class beats on the Dee. A great job indeed.

[robmason]

I guess that means a vacancy will be cropping up at Fairburn......could do worse.

Oh, for the outdoor life

[fishingd0]

Well done Sean!

He is a great guy and a great ghillie.

I have known him since he started on the Conon , where he has done some impressive work on and around the river banks, not to mentioning the 5 year average doubling in his time there.

Gordon

[betanut]

Good to hear that the job has been filled It does sound like quite an interesting proposition for an experienced Ghillie - especially with the changes to the season downstream of Aboyne coming to the Dee code which my fellow T&S contributor Polmonier mentions in her report this month

[zeolite]

Well it is a small world in salmon fishing circles. Congrats to Sean who is a fine caster and a very fine casting teacher. Mrs Z thinks very highly of him as an instructor and he got her sunk line double spey going very nicely. Somehow the Conon trips won't be quite the same.

[toucan]

But perhaps the casting on the Ballogie beats will improve ... I can think of a couple of us who will benefit.

Betanut, care to expand on your reference for those of us without T&S in front of them?

Mark

[betanut]

Mark,
What Polmonier refers to in her column is the DDSFB applying to the SE for an extension of the season by two weeks at the back-end, the beats below the bridge at Aboyne would therefore have a longer season.
There's also an interesting refernce to spinning and fish kills on the river below the Maryculter bridge...... I imagine the pressue may come therefore on other beats and Ghillies to allow spinning in certain conditions and to see a relaxation of C&R.
Polmonier concludes with the reasonable point that those who fought hard to see the 'code' implemented must be disappointed to see what is happening a few short years later
I think that's a fair synopsis of her lengthy report ;D

[scotia]

Newbie to the forum,hi to all.
Interesting that the Dee is applying for an extension as there are a lot of fish not far away from spawning.I hope that it is not a hugely successful experiment as IMO the season is long enough.
Not a big fan of spinning on the Dee as it is a really shallow stream compared to other rivers.Spinners would get as much fun fly fishing stripping a collie / sunray, with a lot more fish able to be returned safely as you only need a single hook compared to the Rapala, which seems totally unsuited for catch and release. I stress i am not totally against spinning but there are times when the fly is ignored and spinners hurled when it doesn't have to be.It is quite exciting to see the bow wave of a salmon following a stripped fly and waiting for the pull, the will it wont it take experience is really tremendously exciting. I like the forum by the way and compliment you for the quality of posters.

[toucan]

Thanks to Betanut for the explanation.

In my view the Board is on dangerous ground. The much-heralded Dee revival is hugely overstated. The stock is a fraction of what it was (and should be) and any relaxation of the code will just reverse the small recovery we have seen. It is also likely to hasten the SE's decision to take control away from the DFBs.

Sad news.

Mark

[betanut]

Couldn't agree more Whilst I seldom fish the Dee these days (can't afford it ) it seems their current path is strangely at odds with the DDSFBs previous stance with regard to length of season (remember the March, not February opening?) is it economic pressure of some kind
It is very reasonable to assume that the SE will, eventually, look into certain DFBs - particularly those with protection orders

[tyneandrew]

Spinning on the Dee.
Extending the season in the autumn.

God forbid

[silversalar]

Extending the season does this mean beat owners will charge more for the fishing in October than September as there should be??? more fish in the river.

[say]

I suppose it depends on which beat you are fishing. I fish the lower Dee and the majority of the fish are fresh, firm and sea liced. Therefore I would guess the beats below Banchory will probably still charge a hefty fee.

I am surprised the extension is going so far up river as I would have thought that at the time of the year the springers would be back on the take with the drop in temperature and these would make up the bulk of the catch.

For everyones information, the proposal is for a 3 year trial period and I would guess the DDSFB will strongly advise that the code is adhered too during the extension period.

[Sloggi]

I fish the lower Dee and can give my view of things. I'm against an extension as the main autumn run has passed before the last week of the season. This year the big run was in the first week of September with a steady run until the last few days. The previous season saw the main run of fish in the third week of September. If it was agreed, then I hope we can move the opening to 1st March.

Spinning has always been permitted on the beats I fish. As far as I'm aware, the ghillie allows cock fish to be taken throughout the season and I don't recall the last time a hen was taken. I can also add that in my experience fly is always the first option although some older fishers arrive with rapala and flying-c at the ready. Good for them to find somewhere to fish!

I have fished some of the middle and upper beats who claim to practice 100% C&R - 80% is probably closer to the truth.

I think the code as practised on the North Esk is pretty good, fair, and a compromise between owners and fishers - well done them!

As for dear old Polmonier, what can I say. It's only a pity she doesn't take time in her column to discuss effluence her much-loved riparian farming owners keep feeding our beautiful Dee. The sooner she gives up the column the better. She's a mouthpiece for the traditionalists who are fortunate enough to fish the top beats.

Sorry for that, but I do feel better!

[betanut]

Achhh - you shouldn't apologise for your opinion. I get enough emails about the content of the Dee reports and I write the Don report...... work that one out

At least folk on the Dee are willing to 'give up' information for her reports, some of the Don counterparts..... well, blood and stone

It will be interesting to see how the DDSFB get on with their application - even more interesting will be to see if a review of the rivers environment and catchment will be produced in the near future. Unless it's already been done?