More info on river Dee

[glisters1]

Following on from enquirers about Blairs and knappach. they are now thinking about going to Altries and Drum. Any information good or bad will be appreciated.This is my swan song I will try not to bother you any more.Thank you.

[fishingd0]

Booking any beat below park bridge in the Spring is big gamble. These beats will not hold fish unless the water temperature is extremely low, and even then the catches are not that great.

On the other hand, in the autumn this is the place to be, say from late August onwards.

It is true what they say about most river systems, in that fish stocks fill up progressivly from the top to the bottom, the Dee is no exception.

[Sloggi]

I agree with the sentiments above. Bit risky on the lower Dee in spring. Aim for as close to the middle as your wallet can stretch too

[glisters1]

Thank you Gordon and Sloggi I have passed on the messages so it is down to them. They might have difficulty in finding anywhere on the middle Dee I would think most of it fully booked by now.
Merry Christmas to you both and all the forum members and tight lines for 2007.

Doug

[toucan]

I fished at Altries in March for many years but gave it up about ten years ago as the catches had declined significantly and opportunities opened up elsewhere on the river. Catches have dropped even further since then, partly I think because the former regular tenants had all moved on, and, as the FishDee site shows, today catches are almost non-existant.

Having said that, it used to be a great beat for March (in the days of plenty - 1960 I think - they once had 191 for the month of March ). It is nice water to fish and fishes over a wide range of water heights. It takes a bit of skill to get the best out of the beat in the early spring with a fly - a Teeny line helps in a couple of pools. These deeper pools have a reputation for holding big fish and in the ten years I fished there we had four fish over twenty pounds. There will be plenty of kelts too to keep the rods busy.

I'd disagree somewhat with Gordon on the "filling up from the top" theory. The Dee tends to fill up from from time-dependent collecting points. In February and March the river fills up from Park - and once the Park pools are well stocked the outlying beats fill up. Unfortunately there aren't enough fish to fill the Park beats so the waiting rooms remain empty. The next collecting point is Inchmarlo (i.e. below the whitewater at Cairnton). The upper river holding pools such as at Dinnet used to fish well from (the old) opening day with huge numbers of fish moving up from the lower reaches in April. Today these upper/middle beats are seeing very few fish before May, and certainly are not holding a stock of resident fish.

Hope this info is of some help! Certainly I would bet on Altries ahead of Blairs, and the fishing will be much more extensive and interesting than Knappach. But Knappach is perhaps the better bet for actually catching a fish.

All the best,

Mark

[glisters1]

Hi Mark
Thank you for the information it was most interesting I have sent it off to Sweden so it is up to them to make up their own minds about it.Frankly I think it will be difficult for them to get fixed up anywhere decent as I believe there are six of them.
Thank you again and Seasons greeting to you and yours.
Doug

[toucan]

Cheers Doug,
I hope your pals find some fishing, they won't be short of Scandinavian company on Deeside in March. There is a huge invasion for week 11, which is why little is available anywhere that week!

They shouldn't discount Waterside/Ferrar in March. It has picked up in the last couple of years. They could combine that with Knappach to get a nice contrast in beats. It is beautiful water and it's cheap!

Mark

[robmason]

I would echo toucan. The Glen Tanar beats represent excellent value with a chance of getting into some fish.

[fishingd0]

I'd disagree somewhat with Gordon on the "filling up from the top" theory. The Dee tends to fill up from from time-dependent collecting points. In February and March the river fills up from Park - and once the Park pools are well stocked the outlying beats fill up.

Mark

I was always under the impression that the fish were held up in the lower river due to low water teperature, as opposed to any specific time frame, and that when the water temperature reaches a point, the fish leave the lower river and ascend to the upper reaches.

I remember in 2003 when we had a very warm spring, the lower and even middle river suffered because the fish ran straight to the upper river.

[toucan]

2003 was a strange season wasn't it? The fish headed for Ballater from early on. While it was relatively warm it was not as mild as 2005. The exceptional feature of 2003 was the incredibly low water. I suspect it was the lack of water that caused the fish to run. And the seal(s) at Park probably helped.

If temperature was the dominant factor, I would have expected Park and Crathes to be devoid of spring fish, except in throwback years like 2006.

The truth is we don't know for sure but let's hope all the beats get a fair crack of the whip in 2007.

All the best,

Mark

[elwyman]

robmason said:

I would echo toucan. The Glen Tanar beats represent excellent value with a chance of getting into some fish.

Is the Craigendinnie beat any good in mid-March, or is that a bit early for the upper river?

[robmason]

Looking at what is available for say the week beginning 19th March, I would put a little extra into the kitty and go for Kincardine.

www.fishdee.co.uk/pages/rodsmonth.asp?dom=FishDee

I notice that for Craigendinnie they have a minimum booking requirement of 6 days one rod. Bit steep.

[glisters1]

I would like to thank all the members for their help in giving so much helpfull advice about the Dee fishing.I have passed it on to my Swedish friend.I hope he will let me know where they eventualy go and how they get on.
A Happy and most important healthy New year to all the forum members. Doug