|
| |
|
|
|
Salmon Fishing in Scotland River Dee
|
O.S Map 38
The River Dee
in Aberdeenshire is one of the "big four" salmon rivers in Scotland,
the others being the Spey, Tay and Tweed. Like the Spey, the Dee is
a long river, 90 miles from its source in the Cairngorms to the
North Sea at Aberdeen. The Dee has gone through a difficult time in
recent years but can still provide some of the best salmon fly
fishing in Scotland.
To view a larger scale map of a particular
section of the River Dee, click on a selected area of the maps below. |
|
|
Upper River Dee - Fishing Map
click on map to select an area to
enlarge
|
The maps on this website have been
reproduced with the permission of Collins Bartholomew.
Please note that these maps may date back several decades.
Much of the human detail will have changed but the character of the rivers and
lochs, and the trout and salmon in them, will be much the same as they have
always been.
In addition to the information provided
here, I would recommend that anyone planning a fishing or
walking trip in Scotland should equip themselves with a compass
and the appropriate Ordnance Survey map. The most useful of the
O.S. maps for the fisherman is the Landranger series, scale
1:50,000. For each of the lochs and rivers listed here, I have given the
relevant O.S. Map number. See Ordnance
Survey Maps. |
Middle River Dee - Fishing Map
click on map to select an area to
enlarge
Lower River Dee - Fishing Map
click on map to select an area to
enlarge
Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing on the River Dee
|
The best of the
fishing is in the lower sixty miles of river Dee, from Ballater down to
Peterculter, to the west of Aberdeen, although there is some excellent
fishing on the higher beats up as far as Braemar, including such famous
names as Balmoral, Invercauld and Abergeldie. From Ballater, the Dee
flows swifty down to Aboyne, through such famous beats as Dinnet, Glen
Tanar and Birse Castle. Between Aboyne and Banchory, we have world
renowned beats such as Dess, Carlogie, Ballogie and Cairnton, where
A.H.E.Wood, from 1913 to 1934, is said to have killed 3,490 salmon, most
of them on the greased line. Those days are gone but the Dee can still
offers some excellent salmon fly fishing, for which demand far outstrips
supply, the best beats at the best times being taken year after year by
the same rods.
Although runs of spring salmon are not what they used to
be, the Dee can still produce good spring fishing, some of the best in
Scotland and, with the cessation of netting at the mouth of the river,
it is hoped that the fishing on the middle and lower Dee might regain
its former glory. The total rod catch of salmon on the Dee is now in the
region of 5000 fish per season. The best times on the beats below
Banchory are February to May and again in September. On the middle
beats, up as far as Cambus O’May, the most productive months are
February, April, May, June and September, while the upper beats do well
from April to June and again in September.
|
River Dee at Ballater
River Dee at Cambus O May |
|
The sea trout
fishing can be excellent on the Dee, the most productive months being
June and July, when those prepared to persevere into the darkness of the
short summer nights can be well rewarded with exciting sport.
For more
information on the Fishing on the Dee see the
FishDee website. |
|
