Week Commencing 21st March 22

Hello again

It’s a gorgeous sunny afternoon here in Elgin, warm with blue skies as yet another week slips by.

It has been some week of weather on Speyside, not what we would expect for mid March and this has probably not made it ideal fishing conditions for the anglers that have been out, although some of the beats have picked away.

Before we look at the scores on the doors I would like to draw you attention to a couple of articles that we recently published on the Spey Fishery Board and Director, Roger Knight. These have been on social media but for those who do not dabble the links are below. Well worth a read.Please click on the heading in the article and this will open in a fresh window.

From ballistics to biodiversity: How one man traded weapons inspections in Iraq for saving salmon in Scotland

The Spey: Meet the people ‘connecting communities with the river’

Right to the score on the doors as we work our way upstream.

Andy Milne from Fochabers Angling Association advises another no score week for them. Waters conditions were near perfect but not many members and visitors out on the water. Fingers crossed for a fish soon.

David Buley at Gordon Castle/Brae Waters had a few rods out but again no fish to be seen and this was the same story at Orton advises Andy Gunn.

Fish seem to be keen to push through the lower beats just now so the ghillies and anglers can only hope they put the brakes on soon and take a breather!!

Delfur Head Ghillie, Mark Melville reports a very quiet week for them and fish seen pushing through hard. Here’s hoping the change in conditions forecast for this week will be of benefit to the lower beats.

Robbie Stronach at Rothes confirms only one fish for them last week. Paul O’Donnell being the lucky angler with a fine 7lb fish in the long pool. A few other pulls and one fish lost was the weekly summary.

Arndilly Head Ghillie Euan Reid starts his report as follows:- “What do you say about the weather? We’re more accustomed to this in June let alone awaiting the first hatches of March Browns which began to appear about midweek, with the trout fairly switching onto them on Friday and Saturday”

The Arndilly ghillies welcomed back Nick Smith and his party, 2 years ago they travelled up only to leave on the Tuesday as lockdown hit us. We had 5 this week with Laurence Hoskins and Luke Axel-Berg getting us going on Monday morning with a fish apiece, 6 and 8lb respectively from Jocks tail right and the tail of long pool. In the afternoon Nick had a bonny 9lb fish from the right side of the Soo, in the boat with Blair.
Nick Smith had a 6lb fish from the right bank of piles, down near the wires on Wednesday.
On Friday with the water at 9″ , Nick(periscope) Smith waded Jocks Tail from the left bank in the evening and hooked and landed a wonderful 19lb fish, with the rest of the party as an audience from the other bank. Anyone who knows the pool will understand how difficult that would have been. Well done Nick!
I’m off to look out all my winter clothes again for this week!

Easter Elchies Head Ghillie Orn Sigurhansson advises of a week of being in the right place and the right time. Thursday was the best day with 4 cracking springers landed.

Craigellachie hooked and lost a couple of fish but that was their action for the week according to ghillie, Dougie Ross but a good party of rods and a bit of craic made it a good week.

Aberlour Angling Club have had another bumper week, finishing with 6 fish landed. Four of the 6 fish landed have been to the rods of visiting anglers, with 2 for visitor Allan Crook, 2 for other visiting rods, one for Bruce Cameron and a first of the season for local angler Ally Miller. Many thanks to Kenny Davis for the update.

Wester Elchies on the opposite bank had 5 fish for the week to 5 different rods. Two of the lucky anglers being Peter Green and Chris Grant.

David Brand at Kinermony advises a great week for us landed 7, four fish on Monday , and lost as many ,Davy Dyce getting two on a size 8 Ally Shrimp, Neil Porter and Ali Henderson getting one each on gold bodied Willie Gunns , with Micheal Larg , Bob Alexander,and Bobby Watson the other successful rods.

Laggan ghillie Mike Murdoch advises thee did get a couple at the start of the week. Elliot Packer accounting for both, 7lb from Dalmunach and 13lb from Big Griggle.

Archie Bailey at Knockando Home Beat confirms that they are off the mark with 5 fish for their week, with Andrew Davy the lucky rod landing three of the five.

Lower Pitchroy also had a fish for the week according to ghillie Andrew Hall but they saw plenty fish in the second half of the week but playing hardball when it came to being caught.

Up the river at Caste Grant, Simon Crozier confirms that an eventful week was had at Castle Grant, great weather and some springer action. Five fish were landed and a few more lost. Monday was fishless. On Tuesday a fine 8lb fish was landed from the Garra on Beat 1. On Wednesday Kevin Grady on his first trip to the Spey had a morning to remember with one springer of 8lb landed and two more lost. A fine 17lber was taken from Beat 2 by Michael Thomas from Polchraine. On Thursday a fine 9lber was taken from the Garra on Beat 1 by Ray Cummings. The week ended with a fine 10 lb fish for Jack Zagar on his first trip to the Spey from the March pool on Beat 3. Fish were seen moving in many of the pools. Encouraging to see and here’s hoping for more to come

The week ahead will see a big change in conditions with the airflow swinging to a Northerly direction bringing in cold air for most of the UK. The forecast says we might get some of the white stuff but we will wait and see. Anyway it is definitely going to be considerably colder than the week just gone. We will wait and see if this helps the lower beats get a few fish.

Tight lines to those out and about

Sandy