[Philippe Erieau]

Hi 
Thanks for welcoming me on this forum.
I'm french and have been fishing the Don for trout on several occasions for the last ten years, mainly Monymusk, with some few days at Castle Forbes, as well as below Kemnay and Alford (sorry but i don't remember the beat names).
I'll be in Aberdeenshire on next may for my annual Dee trip (covid time excepted!) but I'll surely take some time for fishing the Don for trout.
Although I love dry fly fishing and intend to fish the dry as much as I can on my next trip, I enjoy a lot fishing actively big streamers for brown trout, in particular galloup style articulated ones (3-4 inches long), at the end of a short but strong 10 lb tippet. I know that the reward might be a salmon but that's not what I'm targeting.
Furthermore, in my memories, in the fishing regulation of the beats I've fished, there was some limitations on the tippet strength for trout fishing (I suppose to prevent people fishing for salmon arguing they're fishing for trout).
So my concerns are the following: 1) if I come and fish the Don with a big articulated streamer, at the end of a strong tippet, will it be allowed and do I need to get a salmon permit? 2) Moreover would it be allowed on a sunday?
Please excuse my poor english and sorry for this long first  thread. 
I just don't want to be considered as a poacher when visiting your mighty river (It don't even remember the last time I kept a fish for the dinner)

[Sandy Nelson]

Hi Philippe

I sometimes fish small articulated streamers (in the right conditions) and they are well within most beats rules, but check the tickets first just in case.
I've seen me using 9.5 and 10lb tippet for dries with big sedges sometimes and i've not noticed any beats where there is a breaking strain limit.
What i would say is, if you are fishing your streamers on a switch rod or any kind of double hander, then on a Sunday there will be questions asked.
Otherwise there is nothing to stop you fishing  streamer on a Sunday, even if it seem sacrilidge and probably shouldn't be allowed as its not really in keeping with the Sunday fly fishing for trout concession, but that's just the personal opinion of someone who prefers the dryfly

Sandy

[Philippe Erieau]

Hi Sandy

Thanks a lot for your quick reply!

What i would say is, if you are fishing your streamers on a switch rod or any kind of double hander, then on a Sunday there will be questions asked.

I will not, i'll stick to my 9ft 6wt and a full sinker. Perhaps the stripping backet would make questions asked

Otherwise there is nothing to stop you fishing  streamer on a Sunday, even if it seem sacrilidge and probably shouldn't be allowed as its not really in keeping with the Sunday fly fishing for trout concession, but that's just the personal opinion of someone who prefers the dryfly

My main intent is to fish the dry fly as most as I can and with sight nymphing it will always be my favorite fly fishing method.
But then nothing happens near the surface  as it can occur often on the Don,  streamer fishing is a method I enjoy as much and even more than nymphing.

[Sandy Nelson]

streamer fishing is a method I enjoy as much and even more than nymphing.

Agreed  me too. There are a few guys who use a stripping basket even when dryfly fishing so that’s not unusual.

[Fred Hay]

An interesting discussion and I'll need to check but I seem to recall something in the legislation covering brown trout angling that the maximum line weight/tippet was 6lb breaking strain.

I'm sure that this was/is the maximum with which an angler could use and still claim he was fishing for trout above that it was considered he was fishing for salmon.
But to be fair I can't recall this ever being stipulated on a fishing permit.

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Philippe 

The Sunday fishing part of this question is a tricky one ........ personally, on a Sunday, I stick to light tactics that cannot be mistaken for anything other than brown trout fishing.

Cheers
Mike

[Philippe Erieau]

Hi Mike

Thanks for your reply.
that was my thoughts. I just don't want to be another one of these bl**dy french who don't respect the rules (that's one of our national specialty with wine and cheese).
I'll stick to 'classic' trout fishing if I come fishing on a sunday.
 

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Philippe

It makes no difference if you are a visitor or local    and we do like a bit of cheese and wine here too 

The policy of allowing trout fishing on a Sunday is a fairly recent thing on the Don ( a policy that was not without opponents ) and I think it simply makes sense to be careful that there can be no confusion regarding the tactics that we use on a Sunday.

I hope you enjoy your trip, May is a great month to be on both rivers

[Steven Kidd]

Hello,

Managed a couple of days on the River yesterday and today, less than ideal conditions, (it is freezing!), with a pest of a wind from the North.  Never seen a hatch of any sort.......but did manage to catch some fish .

Nothing this week on the dry fly, all on swing soft hackle spiders, best one a bonny fish of 14in.  Happy, .  Perseverance was key this weekend.

Photos, next report I promise.....waiting on a new phone and I hear work are giving me an Iphone12......(and they're apparently waterproof,  )

P.S. Remember in tough conditions.....the only way you most definitely wont catch a fish is if you stay at home.

Steven

[Eddie Sinclair]

Good effort Steven, perseverance always pays off.

No trout for me for a couple of weeks, off to the states on Tuesday for a couple of weeks.

Eddie

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Steven, good effort in the conditions this weekend  ...... water was warming up nicely too

[Mick Reid]

Sounds like you had a fantastic trip Mick.
Your timing was pretty good as the river has fished well this week.

We all had a good trip Sandy and enjoyed the Kemnay section.  Were back up again on the weekend of the  7th of May ( trying two different sections this time) so hoping the water warms up a bit and the wind is taking a day off.
Nothing beats a fishing trip away  and a beer or two at the end of the day.

[Mike Barrio]

They've arrived 

Always good to see the first flurries of the season!

[Michael Kearney]

They certainly have, Mike. My first day fishing the Don today after spending Saturday and Sunday walking some beats to familiarise myself with the river while shivering in cold winds. Today felt a little warmer. When I arrived at about 11am I saw Olive Uprights emerging and trout rising. A very strong emergence of March Browns started at about 2pm and fish continued to feed on top until about 3pm. I caught several good fish on my own tie of Sandy’s original CDC Spider. The fish have noticeable blue/grey colouration behind and below the eye, as is apparent in many photos posted on this forum. I like this river.

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Michael, good to read that you found some activity and that you're enjoying your time on the river 

[Sandy Nelson]

Well Friday fished well with a sporadic hatch of March Browns from 12 to about 1



One of them was the fish I had last Thursday, the difference in light makes it look like a different fish, but the spots are identical. Shows sensitive catch and release works



DHE in a 12 was the desired fly for the first 2/3rds of the hatch , then they started to ignore it



The last 1/3 of the rise was very spotty with a few fish picking up cripples so the CDC spider came back out



The bright afternoon didn’t bother them and the water temp was at 11 degrees so all was good



Saturday was different, the wind changed and was downstream and cooler. I saw one rising fish and he took a Spider.

Monday the water temp was down to 8/9degrees again and a touch of colour but there were hatches all day, early on some olives and then sparse March browns



Some smaller but pretty fish started to feed mid afternoon when there were some really small Large darks hatching



However then there was a great hatch of uprights at 3ish and that seemed to bring a good few up to the top



Prettiest fly of the year and based on the fish, possibly the tastiest too. Here’s hoping the water temp comes back up a bit this week and then the river will just explode

[Sandy Nelson]

Back to work for a couple of days rest before the next weeks 

So the last couple of days saw a few challenges



The OUs came off in small bursts from 10am through till 2pm



They continued through till 4.30 with some of the better flurries after 3 and some really nice fish showing late on



The odd sipper still taking the cdc spider at the end of the hatch. Although during the day 3 out 4 fish ignored any artificial where the other fish took first time. Go figure.



Wednesdays bright sun made for a really testing day with some cool beasties about



Hares and deer too, the fish however were more elusive. Resorting to a wee nymph produce a few from runs but you can’t be as selective on size 



There were fish taking olives in small pods here and there and one or two succumbed to the dry



So another totally different day down to wind direction and sunshine. The hatches are becoming pretty consistent with OUs and the odd March brown, plenty LDOs and even a good few spinners on the water. We also saw the first hawthorns of the year too.
Lots of food to get them up when the clouds hide the big bright ball in the sky. So roll on Monday 

[Mike Barrio]

Cracking pics Sandy, and things are looking promising for May - fingers crossed 

[Steven Kidd]

Hello,

I went out with my new rod today, and a fine fishing tool it is,

A strange day hatch wise.....11am through to 1pm very sparse dottling of olive upwings, much better hatch at 3pm but was quickly curtailed by a fair wind and the start of the rain.

I only saw the one fish rise  the whole day...., covered the fish with my clyde style team and the fish took my teal and black on the point.....I put it down to a wee fish, but then it jumped out the water and it was certainly decent......battle ensued with more heartstopping jumps and leaps and then I landed this one, ......(landing them is the hard part for me)





Never seen another fish the whole day.

Steven

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Steven 

[Steven Kidd]

Cheers Mike,

I've not managed to land on the right day at the right time yet.....limited to Saturdays at the moment........a few days holiday might be needed in May!,

Steven

[Sandy Nelson]

took my teal and black on the point

Making me wonder about Hawthorns already, we did see a few on Wednesday

Good news that the new rod is lucky

[Steven Kidd]

Making me wonder about Hawthorns already, we did see a few on Wednesday

Good news that the new rod is lucky

Yep, I saw a few also, hence the thinking......I had a Hen Blackie on the dropper to imitate the uprights.

Steven

[Allan Liddle]

Hi All

Good to see cracking fish.
Seems Don is suffering same as Deveron and Spey at the moment with very sparse, unpredictable to non-existent hatches and rock hard fishing.

Odd days are really good but it's a case of long days, long wanders and hard searching just now.
Rewards are good when you find the fish though 

[Sandy Nelson]

I’ve had a mate up from down south this week.
The river has been very tricky but we have had some good fishing.


We covered several beats until we found some pods of fish.



Fly soup for most days, with LDO’s and OU’s hatching in reasonable amounts for most of the days in the early part of the week



Wednesday saw the start of grannoms appearing but every fish seemed to be after something different so lots of changing flies



The rest of the week was more of the same, every time the sun came out the grannoms would hatch and the fish were hitting the pupa and occasional fly



So on top of the LDOs and OUs, we also had Large Brook duns , grannom, hawthorn and some other small sedges. Lots of spinners too. I caught a pair of Brook Spinners at it in the grass



So conditions are good, but be prepared to chop and change and cover a fish multiple times before they decide they want your fly. The Smolt hatch isn’t helping, they seem to be putting the trout off their game as usual



So we had a few good fish for the week but we had to work for them, which makes it all the more interesting



Hopefully the rain freshens things up a little next week and helps the smolts off to sea leaving the big browns to go back to eating flies