[Ivor Duffus]

Pleased I kept this clip from the green final. I just wish I remembered the year. It was mid 80s possibly 85/86 the water was dropping back from a big spate.

I remember it was to high for the bridge stream when I caught my fish. I walked down until I could get a cast just below the seat midway between the Don bridge and bridge stream. The water was still above the bank and on the path so it was fairly easy to land it.

Bert the council Bailiff come walking along and gave assistance.


Almost all that fish were taken on spinners or worm. Nobody could afford salmon fly fishing tackle back then. So when the water dropped back to good fly fishing levels the catches could of been much higher.  Plus a lot of fish went un reported.


Anyway it was great to have seen it and remember how it was back in the day 


Ivor

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Ivor 

[Sandy Nelson]

That’s pretty cool Ivor , thanks for sharing.

85 was my first year on the Don. 86 my first at Inverurie. Seeing Fred and Duncan in the paper is amusing.
I can remember the amount of guys that used to be lined up along the rays early season. I also remember an old guy with a reliant robin that was always on the water and used to catch a lot of fish on Devons

[James Laraway]

so Ian Dossett would have been John Dossett ('the butchers') dad ?

I used to love chatting to John about fishing in his shop when I lived in Kintore...

[Ivor Duffus]

That’s pretty cool Ivor , thanks for sharing.

85 was my first year on the Don. 86 my first at Inverurie. Seeing Fred and Duncan in the paper is amusing.
I can remember the amount of guys that used to be lined up along the rays early season. I also remember an old guy with a reliant robin that was always on the water and used to catch a lot of fish on Devons

The old fella with the robin reliant was Asty Allan who along with Ian Dosset were masters at fishing the Devon at the correct speed and depth. Not as easy as a lot would believe.

Asty was probably the only lad that also used a multiplier reel.

I think they both worked shifts at Lawsons of dyce so they could fish a lot.


Ivor

[Sandy Nelson]

Cheers Ivor

Asty Allan, that’s the guy. I remember him well. I did have an inclination that his name was Asty but I wasn’t sure. I don’t specifically remember Ian but I’m sure I just spent a lot time in the vicinity of these guys when I was a kid. I was intrigued by anyone catching fish and wanted to know how it was done. Took me until 1988 to get my first springer. 3” black and white Devon on the 26th of March . It was 9lb and it tasted fantastic.  I’ll never forget taking it home. 
How times have changed

[Duncan McRae]

We're lucky to have these memories Ivor.

Duncan

[Mike Barrio]

We're lucky to have these memories Ivor.

Duncan

Very true Duncan 
Cheers
Mike

[Fred Hay]

Wow Ivor !!!
That newspaper clipping brings back the memories - you forget what we had back then.
I can't help regarding the year but I suspect that the angler in the Reliant Robin was Jock Tait from Aberdeen.  He used to fish quite regularly at Inverurie, especially in the springtime when the water was high.
But you're right Asty Allan was there and if he caught a fish he used to shout out so everyone within a couple hundred yards knew he was hooked up - good old days.  And .....Asty actually fished with an old Hardy Silex reel - which was similar to a multiplier as it was free running.
Ian Dosset was the complete opposite - you never heard him if he caught a fish just quietly going about his business - both him and Asty were masters of the devon minnow.
Thanks for the memory.

[Ivor Duffus]

We're lucky to have these memories Ivor.

Duncan

It was an amazing few days Duncan. You could of caught a Salmon almost anywhere on the beat. The pools further up at Castle Forbes and Alford must of been stuffed with fish that year.

Ivor

[Ivor Duffus]

Wow Ivor !!!
That newspaper clipping brings back the memories - you forget what we had back then.
I can't help regarding the year but I suspect that the angler in the Reliant Robin was Jock Tait from Aberdeen.  He used to fish quite regularly at Inverurie, especially in the springtime when the water was high.
But you're right Asty Allan was there and if he caught a fish he used to shout out so everyone within a couple hundred yards knew he was hooked up - good old days.  And .....Asty actually fished with an old Hardy Silex reel - which was similar to a multiplier as it was free running.
Ian Dosset was the complete opposite - you never heard him if he caught a fish just quietly going about his business - both him and Asty were masters of the devon minnow.
Thanks for the memory.

Great Days Fred.

I always thought it was Asty who had the Robin Reliant. He was a demon caster with that reel hitting 6" inside the far bank every cast.

I remember seeing Ian standing beside his car one day. I was still a school kid so it was late 70s. He shouted come over here and see this fish, He opened the boot and it was his 25lb Springer from the Blackpot. It must of filled the boot in that old car.

As it turned out Ian caught it in the Blackpot and landed it in the mill stream  .

Ivor

[Mike Barrio]

More recent, but still goes back a few years 

[Mike Barrio]

I can also remember when I used to do the Don reports for Trout & Salmon, I don't have any copies now - the magazines have long gone in clear outs 

Trying to get the catch info from river beat owners every month was 'somewhat challenging' 

[Mike Barrio]

Found another one 

Anybody else got any clippings stashed away?

[Ivor Duffus]

More recent, but still goes back a few years 

This photo must be 80s as well surely Mike.

I used to speak to the older chap back left with what looks like a deer stalker on. I used to see him in the bookies. He was a paper mill worker and mostly fished the mill water.

Do you know his name. was it Jim perhaps  .

looking at it again. is it Bert the bailiff 

Ivor

[Mike Barrio]

Back left is Jim Simpson? ...... not sure, I'd have to check with Brian Brand, Jim was pals with his father.

Not sure about those at the back now, although it's Pete Dow and Logan Hadden on the right.

Left to right at the front are:   myself - ??? - Raymond Bisset - Stevie Cruickshank

[Ivor Duffus]

Back left is Jim Simpson? ...... not sure, I'd have to check with Brian Brand, Jim was pals with his father.

Not sure about those at the back now, although it's Pete Dow and Logan Hadden on the right.

Left to right at the front are:   myself - ??? - Raymond Bisset - Stevie Cruickshank

Yes i thought it was Jim.

I used to get a update on the mill catches when i was in the bookies 


Ivor

[Sandy Nelson]

I’ve got this one.
Looking at Daniel on the left I hazard a guess it’s possibly 2004/2003

[Mike Barrio]

Yep, that'd be about right for David 

[Duncan McRae]

I wish the permits were still this price






Duncan

[James Laraway]

Amazing...

[Ivor Duffus]

Cracking post Duncan.

A wish i had kept more stuff like that.  If the salmon fishing keeps going downwards it will be 50p again   


Ivor

[Brian Brand]

Yes it is Jim Simpson, my father Bert Brand is in Sandy's  photo 2nd from the left, many would have known him from JJ Watson's shop.

[Duncan McRae]

I can also remember when I used to do the Don reports for Trout & Salmon, I don't have any copies now - the magazines have long gone in clear outs 

Trying to get the catch info from river beat owners every month was 'somewhat challenging' 

Found one of your reports from 2004 Mike.
Kept this copy because of the exceptional salmon catches that year.
What i remember most about my October catches that year was that most of the fish were Silver and many were sealiced.
2004 is not that long ago so what has happened to the backend run





Duncan

[Mike Barrio]

Nice one, thanks for sharing that Duncan 

Cheers
Mike