River Don 2011

« **on:** 28/02/2011 at 18:20 »

Please use this thread to post your Don reports for the 2011 season, trout, salmon or sea trout. Hatch information, successful patterns, tackle & tactics. Please be responsible when reporting and do not give away exact locations of fish, general area or beat name is fine providing the beat is big enough and not just a pool or two.

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #1 on:** 28/02/2011 at 19:01 »

First day out on the Don at Fetternear today with some success....

First fish 10lb4oz, no lice but was fresh enough to be shedding scales

Head shot of same fish

Second fish

11lb4oz.

Head shot of same

The fly

Was fishing my new Mackenzie DTX 15' Shooting Head rod with an AFS tracker, superb combination. Fish were caught on a swung Golden Angel Gunn on a 1 3/4" Cu tube fished off a type VI sink tip on a 3'6" leader. I need to get a bigger net, proper PITA trying to fold those fish into my Maclean speciment net, easy enough getting a fish of this size into the net when fishing a 9'6" rod but on a 15'er with high banks and no assistance it was hairy to say the least. Had a kelt just before I packed up on a slowly pulled Conns Sunray fished on a type VIII tip, few other pulls here and there throughout the afternoon too.

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #2 on:** 28/02/2011 at 19:23 »

Said you'd catch today

Nice fish, nice reel and very nice rod

I'm now determined to get out for a cast - but where and when

Ho hum

H

« **Reply #3 on:** 28/02/2011 at 20:06 »

Well in Mr Dixon.

I echo Hamish's sentiments.

Looks like you are enjoying the new perv cam as well

« **Reply #4 on:** 28/02/2011 at 20:31 »

Excellent stuff Ben

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #5 on:** 28/02/2011 at 20:39 »

Thats pretty impressive Ben and a great start to the Don 2011 thread

Here's to lots of good reports to come.

« **Reply #6 on:** 09/03/2011 at 11:35 »

Fished again on Monday.....

Dropped a nice fish, didn't see it but it felt a fair weight and had another few offers. Only thing landed was a small kelt. Same set up as used last week and same fly, 5" less on the gauge.

Dave Stuart from the shop had a fresh 7lb hen fish from Kemnay yesterday on a black & Orange conehead and a kelt he measured at 30".

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #7 on:** 09/03/2011 at 20:33 »

Dave caught something

Jings

« **Reply #8 on:** 13/03/2011 at 08:55 »

Inspired by Ben and his Grandad Dave (Team Orvis) I planned a couple of hours on Friday and an 'all dayer' yesterday after Salmonz.
Unfortunately the wind was pretty horrendous on Friday and naturaly any wise man would opt for fishing the barren steppes of Kintore in such conditions ???
Wasn't having much fun so decided to rush through 2 pools and head home. No Springer to report but a momentary raise in heartbeat at the tail of the last pool turned out to be a kelt.

Yesterday was a different prospect and a glance out of the window early doors and I was confident that it was going to be a good day. I was out on the water at Kemnay within half an hour and everything felt right, a truly pleasant spring morning. Supposedly it was going to snow or was it rain? what a load of tosh!
Well the morning did darken and then throw up a few drops of sleet and then a little flake or two

but not before I had banked 4 Salmon

....................all of which were kelts :z19 So much for the law of averages. I headed home to watch Aberdeen sneak a well deserved replay

and tie a few more flies for hopefully next weekend.

Nice to be back on the river though and hopefully a rise in water will help the fish travelling both East and West.

Iain

« **Reply #9 on:** 13/03/2011 at 10:45 »

Good stuff Iain,

Snowed all day in Banchory yesterday!! Was planning a day at it tomorrow but looking at the forecast I suspect the Don could be up and brown by the morning.

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #10 on:** 14/03/2011 at 21:22 »

Fished again today, nothing!!

Still brown although water cleared and fell all day, setting alarm for 5AM to get a few hours in before work tomorrow

Ben

« **Reply #11 on:** 14/03/2011 at 22:32 »

You are hardcore Mr Dixon.

I will get up to the Don as soon as the weather improves.

« **Reply #12 on:** 15/03/2011 at 10:33 »

No fresh fish this morning but got a kelt so was sort of worth getting up at 5AM. River is in perfect nick, if I was off today, I'd be fishing, reckon anyone out today is in with a good shout. Saw a fresh fish show and covered it a few times but got no response.

Will try to make it out again tomorrow

Ben

« **Reply #13 on:** 27/03/2011 at 10:05 »

A few photos from yesterday fished Fetternear

Had some success in the morning when i landed a kelt. Was slowly stripping back a Conns Sunray Shadow (cheers Ben

) when line went tight and thing on the end went nuts fish swam upstream downstream took me into the backing a couple times. After about 10 mins finaly managed to land it took a couple quick photos and back it went.

Photos dont realy show the girth of the fish but it was solid definatly well fed. Looking at the photos and measuring my rod its roughly about 32-34 inches.

Setup was 15ft LPXE, Sink1/2 shooting head, Fast sinking Saltwater Polyleader and 3ft Seagar 24lb Leader and Conns Sunray Shadow and Gold Salar double.

No hatch to speak of, a couple of olives could be seen drifting down around 1:30 but not enough to interest any trout.

Michael

« **Reply #14 on:** 27/03/2011 at 10:36 »

Fine looking fish

Well done!

Ewan

« **Reply #15 on:** 30/03/2011 at 00:31 »

Quote from: Ben_D on 15/03/2011 at 10:33

No fresh fish this morning but got a kelt so was sort of worth getting up at 5AM. River is in perfect nick, if I was off today, I'd be fishing, reckon anyone out today is in with a good shout. Saw a fresh fish show and covered it a few times but got no response.

Will try to make it out again tomorrow

Ben

How is the fishing at that time of day in general? Early morning fishing would be an option for my work shift pattern.

Cheers,

Dave.

« **Reply #16 on:** 30/03/2011 at 08:56 »

As we progress into the warmer months, the earlier you're out the better IMHO

H

« **Reply #17 on:** 30/03/2011 at 12:21 »

Quote from: DJG1984 on 30/03/2011 at 00:31

How is the fishing at that time of day in general? Early morning fishing would be an option for my work shift pattern.

Cheers,

Dave.

For salmon, I don't think it matters too much as long as the morning is not freakishly cold.

Also nice to know you are the first through a pool, instills a bit of confidence for me.

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #18 on:** 30/03/2011 at 15:52 »

Ordered my permit for the Inverurie beat online today, should be here in time for me to get out fishing on Monday

« **Reply #19 on:** 01/04/2011 at 08:41 »

At last it's the start of the trout season. Anybody going out today? I will be buying my season ticket tomorrow morning and on the river for 10.30. Hopefully will have some activity to report. Best of luck to all that fish the don, hope it's a good season for us all.

« **Reply #20 on:** 01/04/2011 at 10:47 »

Quote from: An Chuileog on 01/04/2011 at 08:41

At last it's the start of the trout season. Anybody going out today? ...

good luck to you tomorrow noel.

today, it's cold and wet and very windy (18-20mph?!) but i'll nip across the road and wet a line on the lower Don, just because it's opening day. Possible futile and hopeless... but what the heck... Been salmon fishing all week with no luck, so i'll probably hook one today on the trout rod... tied up a few buggy nymphs this morning, so will give them a swim

there were some hatches on the river last week when milder, but I doubt there'll be much activity today. ah well!

« **Reply #21 on:** 01/04/2011 at 16:25 »

I was planning to make my first trip to the Don this year but decided it was too cold and windy. Must learn to man up! Any joy Ian?

« **Reply #22 on:** 01/04/2011 at 17:30 »

Quote from: mdh on 01/04/2011 at 16:25

I was planning to make my first trip to the Don this year but decided it was too cold and windy. Must learn to man up!

Wimp

H

« **Reply #23 on:** 01/04/2011 at 20:42 »

Agree with Hamish Matt!!

Anything to report Iain?

I should have known better than to post about fishing w end plans early on a friday... Press ganged into working tomorrow and sunday

I will still make the river tomorrow just a few hours later than planned :z19

Have spent the last few hrs sorting waistcoat. Fully loaded now with all the hangy off bits, 3 river boxes and fly lines. Oooh that reminds me must dig out the coffee flask!

Mr goolager stay the feck away from "my" pool tomorrow at least until I get there

« **Reply #24 on:** 01/04/2011 at 22:08 »

Matt, I'm with you at this moment in time (not in the biblical sense) but I'm at the outlaws listening to the howling wind and looking at the rain thats forecast. You wait so long for the new trout season & then this.
As I'm doon the road I had a tenkara outing planned for the Westie tomorrow but I don't even have the drive to get my lines and flies sorted out - hey ho we'll wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Noel - It's only your pool in your mind & to be honest if the dresscode for 'your' pool is a Benny from Crossroads tammy and a manbag then you're welcome to it

........................I'll show you how to fish it later in the season

only jokin' good luck trigger.

Hi Iain, anything going today?

Iain

Ben Dixon

Ben Dixon

Hamish Young

John Reid

Mike Barrio

Noel Kelly

Ben Dixon

Hamish Young

Iain Goolager

Ben Dixon

Ben Dixon

John Reid

Ben Dixon

Michael Buchan

Ewan Lindsay

DJG1984

Hamish Young

Ben Dixon

DJG1984

Noel Kelly

Iain Cameron

Matt Henderson

Hamish Young

Noel Kelly

Iain Goolager