[Sandy Nelson]

hmmmmm

The halcyon days of yesteryear :
I fished the river regularly 20 years ago, i reckon its better now.
Funny 20 years ago they talked of the halcyon days of 20 years ago.
Can't say i've noticed a marked decline in the insects.In fact for the last few years i've seen bigger hatches than before, especially mid river , inverurie,manar etc.
Now 10 years ago the river wasn't as good as it is now, but thats an opinion based on personal observation and experience. The year of Foot and mouth the river was basically shut for the whole season, perhaps thats why it is fishing better now, it had a good rest.Subsequently of course, more and more people are returning fish so this should help too
We could also wonder at the scientists, who apparently cannot find March browns in the river.Maybe they get their specs from the same shop as Fred  

 :

Sorry mate couldn't resist :

Have to add the largest hatches of LDO's i've ever seen have been at Parkhill, but not a fish to be seen, whereas elsewhere i have seen trout mop up every single fly on the surface when a hatch is sparse.
I guess it boils down to being in the right place at the right time, but i go to be beside the river, the prettier the surroundings the better.Thats what floats my fly


Sandy

[wildfisher]

The year of Foot and mouth the river was basically shut for the whole season

The river was certainly not shut   up our way. Alford  was 100% back in action (I use the word  action  loosely)  by May, in fact some of it was available for fishing by   Easter.  That year was one of my most intense on the river in fact. Still  not a lot of flies, although I did witness a few MASSIVE hatches of hawthorn flies that the fish completely  ignored. Maybe they taste like grannom!   :

[Sandy Nelson]

Interesting

The bits i fish were all shut for the bulk of the season, i must admit i thought all the beats were closed too, due to the Don valley being such a rich farming area.
Just goes to show

Sandy

[wildfisher]

Sandy, There was no rhyme, reason or logic to it. Kintore was closed until August as I remember – Sloanes told me that the farmer would just not let folk on - end of story. If it was the same chap who farmed there  in the 1970's then I am not surprised. I had at least one "run in"  with him back then that I remember he hated anglers being on his land. If it had been up to him  there would be no fishing there – at least that's what he told me. As the riparian owner he could perhaps  have stopped trout fishing but not salmon as I believe the council salmon rights on the Don are owned by the Crown Estates.  It's  fairly common for farmers to have trout only fishing rights all over Scotland. I guess they might  receive  payment from the council for the trout fishing but I am not sure. Might be  a bit like those who sell plots of land for vast sums for house building then  moan about  incomers! I am not absolutely certain what the situation is over most of the Don, but I am sure if someone does know I'll find out!  Certainly the beat above Fintray we fished in the 70's,  early 80's  was trout only – the farmer had no rights to the salmon fishing. He let us on for a few quid / day – a lot of slow water but some good fish in there.

[Alwyn]

It's been really interesting following the various replies to my initial questions, although I'm now excited and worried in equal measure! It's strange that there are good hatches but few fish rising - I've heard a lot of talk about fish not liking Grannom (not my experience on Southern English chalkstreams), but not rising to LDO's is a bit of mystery. I consider this to be the best and most relaiable hatch to fish when I'm on the rivers of South Wales and on the chalkstreams. Presumably there is a healthy population of trout generally in the Don?

I once fished a river in the US where the water flow was very erratic because the river was fed from a dam. There were huge hatches of sedge but very few fish rising. The locals said that it was because the river was constantly going up and down and they tended to get all their fish with nymphs on the bottom. Not sure whether this makes sense but does the water level of the Don fluctuate more than average?

I was reading "Trout Hunting" by Bob Wyatt yesterday and he described a heavy grannom hatch on the Tay with nothing taking his adult imitation and then getting terrific sport when he switched to the pupa imitation - perhaps there's a lot going on under the surface that's not apparent from above? (Great book by the way and I recommend it highly - he's a Canadian ex-pat based in Scotland and he focuses a lot on Scottish rivers and lochs. He has some interesting things to say about so-called trout intellegence, selectivity, downstream wet fly fishing and what makes a successful artificial).

All the best and thanks again.

Alwyn

[wildfisher]

Presumably there is a healthy population of trout generally in the Don?  

Presumably  

Just kidding Alwyn. There are lots of fish, although sometimes you would swear there is not a fish in it. It is incredibly rich and fertile. A quick glance at the river bed will show cased caddis in numbers you will not see elsewhere. Fertiliser run-off is thought  to have enriched it further (do a google search – Macauly institute) and this may have had an effect on the behaviour of the fish. Their condition tells  you that they   can afford to be choosy so it takes something special to bring them up. Add to that the "fickle"  (a synonym for cold, windy and raw) spring climate of the north east and it all adds up to many a blank day. As Irvine said above, one fish in three trips is a reasonable expectation – last season I averaged 1 fish per  two trips - that does not include the legions of parr / smolts  – but they tend to come to the downstream wet fly which is not a good method on the Don – or at least I have found  it not to be most days.   Averages don't tell the full story though. You might get 4 one day and nothing over the next 3 days.   Another aspect to bear in mind, common to most east coast rivers, is that it flows in the wrong direction. What is this I hear you say?   When the winds are favourable – that is not cold - they tend to blow downstream, so for upstream work what you really want is light winds or none at all. This can  make things tricky for beginners.   Even if you don't catch much it's still a nice place to be, although if paying £20+  / day you might consider it  an expensive ramble.  I have to be honest  and say it would not be my fist choice if travelling a long distance.

Agree with you about Bob's book. It's  a seminal work. The best fishing book I have ever read.

[Sandy Nelson]

The book's good, but kissing Bobs' Butt like that is a bit desperate.
 :
Alwyn  the only real factor will be the weather, an easterly wind will kill the river stone dead any time of the year.
But a really strong westerly with choppy waves brought my best day on the Don ever.
Always a risk, the weather.

I would tend to agree about the farmers thing, most of the ones i know have the trout fishing rights for the stretches through their land, and most don't fish either
Lots of lovely water to choose from though, but for the experience you will get what you pay for.
Some of us don't mind

The river flow is pretty constant, although it does vary as any freestone river does, with rainfall.I don't think this is a factor, not like an American tailwater.Mind you perhaps there is an invisible Dam at Alford, might explain a few mysteries
 :

Sandy

[wildfisher]

Sandy, I have to  try to get back on Bob W's   good side after  callously  recommending  the Don to him last spring.  He, Bob Morton and Al Pyke went  a few times   and  they have  hardly spoken to me since.   :

A couple of others from the wild fishing forum went too. All I can say is it's lucky for me   they all live down in the central belt and I don't meet them that often.  :  

There was one close shave when I met one chap at Ardhuncart, luckily though he did not recognise me.  

[Irvine Ross]

Hey Fred

I said one fish per three trips was my result in a poor spring (2006). :
Normally I do better. At a rough count I average between one and two fish per trip put the pattern is often a blank day then a three fish day.

Also I am talking about "my" water around Glenkindie which is well upstream of Alford. I know next to nothing about the middle and lower river.

Maybe Bob Wyatt just needs a good guide to the Don. Next time you see him, tell him we can put him in touch with a couple of good ghillies.  :

Irvine

[Hamish Young]

Maybe Bob Wyatt just needs a good guide to the Don. Next time you see him, tell him we can put him in touch with a couple of good ghillies.  :

 :  

[wildfisher]

Irvine, don't worry about the fish / trip stats mate, no ones counting!    :  I'll pass on that tip to Bob, I'm sure he'll be grateful for it, although I seem to remember  they got a fish or two on the second trip.    How does it fish just below  Glenkindie?  Some nice looking  water there, who does the tickets? I'm not worried  about it being unreliable.  I just live along the road so it's no big deal as  like you I am not travelling 100's of miles to get there.  :

[Irvine Ross]

Fred

Day tickets available from the shop at the garage in Glenkindie and the cost is quite reasonable. or at least it was this year.

Irvine

[wildfisher]

Fred

Day tickets available from the shop at the garage in Glenkindie and the cost is quite reasonable. or at least it was this year.

Irvine

Irvine, thanks for the info. Where are the limits of the beat? I really like the look of the water  as you go over that old road  bridge just as you turn off the Muir of Fowlis / Towie road, about a mile or so from Glenkindie. Have crossed it so often but never fished it. The  river is getting smaller  up that way, more like the waters  I used to fish as a lad down in Angus. It would be grand to have a few blanks in new surroundings!    

I think that's one of the greatest things about the Don – fantastic fly water, one tempting run / pool after another. Nae fish not withstanding of course!