Ardoe and Murtle

[tyneandrew]

Just contemplating a visit here in September - w/b 11/09. Having fished Crathes last season in September i was told by Brian Sim that the autumn fish generally don't come up as far as Crathes. Hence, contemplating A&M.

Has anyone fished here before and do you think it is a good shot in September for £94 a day?

[tyneandrew]

Thought it looked ok on the pictures on fishdee, i'll trust you though.

What about Blairs they have availability? Also where is the association water (or equivalent) in relation to the bottom beats?

Crathes has not got enough rods available.

[tyneandrew]

Mmmmm interesting. I suppose going on the rod catches A&M is certainly a reasonable shot in September.

I notice Blairs does not have Gillie (slight cost saving) and also their catches before last year are not posted on fishdee. For three days fishing i would save just over £100 there.

Might flip a coin ;D

Could always fish a couple of different beats, looking for 3 days for 2 rods most likely.

Thanks Graham

[tyneandrew]

Is frequented by local young lovers?

I think your putting me off the idea now

[tyneandrew]

Or poachers perhaps?

[storlaks]

I fished Blairs last year in Sept. The beat is only decent when it has water. If the water is low you are fishing 1 pool (at the top of the beat). You will have opposition most days, especially if there's fish being caught. Expect spinners, spoons and whatever else to be thrown over this pool. It's cheap and has no ghillie, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. That aside, you have a real chance of a fresh fish. We had 7 or 8 sealicers last year and a few coloured fish in mostly low water.

[fishingd0]

My mate fished blairs on the last day of the season last year and had seven licers on the fly. as has been said before, it's not traditional Dee water but it can produce fish in the back end given a little water.

[tyneandrew]

Thanks for that everyone i think i now have good picture of what to expect on the very bottom beats.

How about Lower Blackhall, we had a look upstream from the bridge in Banchory last time we were there and it looked ok.

Just a bit strange that it is so cheap in comparison to others and also the number of fish caught in September. Surely it offers a good chance there in the final week or two of the season?

[tyneandrew]

Makes one wander whether fishing above Banchory should go on through September with it just been colored fish on the whole?

I found it a strange situation on the Dee with the back end fish not wanting to get upstream to the headwaters to spawn, i suppose its just the way the late fish have evolved in the river.

All the fish we caught at Crathes were pretty colored up last year, but was still fun catching a few.

[johnny]

It's been a few years since i fished ardoe but I remember if there was around a foot and a half on the guage there is alot of decent fly water starting up at Heathcote, upper pool on ardoe bank, down the island pool then above the shakker and a wee throw through the shakker. Blairs is crap! as Storlaks mentioned theres only the powberry pool at the top of the beat and a wee cast just further down and as the flows tight down that side only a short cast is required, i fish the other side and as already mentioned it can get a bit crowded when theres fish about which doesn't bother me too much as long as folk are moving down the pools, my main bugbare is when folk are wearing chest waders and they feel the need to wade up to thier tits, straight through the lies!! Makes me MAD!!
It is cheap but when it's good it's really good.