Week Commencing 7th April 2014

It has been somewhat a difficult week on Speyside this week, there were plenty of fish to be seen but catches were not as good as the previous week.  I am not sure why this should be but it has been suggested that the water temperatures are close to where they are usually in May but the fish numbers are still of April. As predicted the river rose a little on Monday and started to drop back but on Wednesday night it rose again seeming to spur the fish to run even harder. The strong winds at the end of the week made some beat more like fishing in a dessert sandstorm rather than in Scotland. The forecast for next week is for some rain on Monday and Thursday with some brighter sunny conditions towards the weekend. The winds are forecast to be light. The tides build till the weekend; I always feel there are more fish on building tides than falling.

On the ornithological front I see the Sand Martins have arrived back as has the ospreys, I have been told the Sand Pipers have also arrived but have yet to spot one myself.

Catches: Again there have been fish caught from Grantown to the sea; it is really great to see the whole river catching fish. The Gordon Castle beats finished the week with about half a dozen the best over twenty pounds from beat 2. At Delfur Liverpool supporter Mike Broadey had four fish for his three days, almost as lucky as his football team!

Mike Broadey’s Fish

Rory Paterson with Mike’s Fish

Mike Broadey Delfur

Mike Broadey Again

The beat above Rothes started well with four landed on Monday. I hear Jim Fisher had two to his rod. Swedish author Pelle Klippinge was lucky to be invited to fish there on Thursday connecting with two fish in Piles Left, landing one and loosing the other at his feet.

Kinermony had a great week finishing the week with seven, Graham Ritchie had three of them.

Graham Ritchie Kinermony

Robert Carno Kinermony

Over the water Wester Elchies had three, pictured here is Neil Sproull with his fish from the Rhynd he unluckily lost a second from the Brock later the same day.

Neil Sproull Wester Elchies

Mark Taylor from Norway was kind enough to send me this picture of his fish from Delmunich Carron.

Mr David Sadowski’s party fishing Phones had two fish, to show how well the river is fishing Chairman Alan Williams’ had his first of the season from Craig Neish, probably at least two months ahead of usual. Andy Pelc sent me this photograph of  Knockando gillie Archie with his fish from Slioch, Phones.

Archie Phones

Upstream I hear that Ballindalloch had over half a dozen. Grantown was only lightly fished but managed to keep the total ticking along.