Week Commencing 3rd May 2015

Another strange week weather wise on Speyside  on Thursday morning there was a frost bad enough to require the car windscreen to be scraped – it was warmer in February! The river rose midweek and has slowly dropped back – now sitting around the footmark. The tides are building all week. The forecast for the coming week is still pretty cold for mid May with temperatures just struggling into double figures. There is some rain forecast but I do not think the levels will fluctuate much, although tomorrow afternoon will feel quite wet.

I expect the last of the hirundine to arrive mid-week when the swifts turn up. Today I heard my first cuckoo, but have yet to see one.

Catches: I am pleased to say that the catches seemed to have picked up a little, I am not getting too excited yet but things are a little better than this time last year. The Gordon Castle beats reached double figures for the first time this year. Delfur were around the same number. I am as usual grateful to Mark and Rory and the guests for this week’s photographs. It is good to see Alan Sheppard back on the river; he has wintered well!

 

Rothes, also, were in double figures, Henry Spence’s party was generous with their photographs I have included as many as I dare, the web-man worries about my data allowance. Sorry if I have missed anyone out!

 

Craigellachie had at least three that I have heard about.

Wester Elchies was lightly fished but still finished with seven, thanks to Graham Cooper for the picture of his fish and his brother-in-law gillie!

The Norwegians at Carron had eight, the best at 23lb  falling to Alan Williams (guest Norwegian) for the day.

 

They were also  at Phones and had a couple from there as well.

 

 

 

Grantown had a good week getting up to the mid teens and including a 29 lbr  on Monday, unfortunately I have not got a picture of the big fish, caught by Mr Les Nek from Pol Scroidan on Monday. I am grateful for a couple of pictures of Nigel Davies and his fish.

Gordon Armstrong had a day at Castle Grant and sent me this photo of his fish, Gordon said it was the first time he has fished the beat, but it won’t be his last!