River Dee Fishing Report – Week 37 commencing 5th October 2026
The last full week of the season followed a familiar pattern, producing 110 salmon and grilse for the rods. Sport was steady if unspectacular throughout September, but last week felt like more of a grind as the fish came on and off the take. With the upper beats now closed, catches remained well spread, from Altries & Lower Drum upstream to Birse and Aboyne Water.
Water levels eased through the week before a modest lift towards the weekend. It was another small freshening rather than anything truly newsworthy. The week began dry and, in times past, I might have quipped that it was ‘unusually mild for October’. That no longer seems to stand up in light of the continued absence of a late-season frost.
The week began with 16 salmon on Monday, followed by 12 on Tuesday and 20 on Wednesday. Park was consistently among the catches and produced the largest fish of the week, a salmon of 23lb on Tuesday. Wednesday brought fish from eight beats, including three apiece at Lower Crathes & West Durris and Birse, while salmon of 18lb were reported from both Lower Crathes & West Durris and Crathes Castle.
Thursday produced 15 salmon before Friday gave us the best return of the week, with 26. Park accounted for seven and Lower Crathes & West Durris six, with catches spread across ten beats. Upper Blackhall produced a salmon of 18lb. Another 21 followed on Saturday, including eight at Park and three apiece at Tilbouries & Middle Drum, Crathes Castle and Dess.
Park finished with 32 salmon for the week, followed by Lower Crathes & West Durris with 13, Crathes Castle with 11, Tilbouries & Middle Drum with 10 and Dess with nine. Seven sea trout were also reported.
Emmanuel Farinoli, a longstanding Park rod, enjoyed another good week, chalking up no fewer than three hat-tricks on successive days—Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. His catch included salmon of 23lb and 18lb. Visiting rod Esteban Salgado had three salmon between 8lb and 13lb over his two days, while Juan Salgado landed a nice 8lb fish from Greenbank. First-time rod Stuart Cormie had a very successful Saturday, landing a grilse and two salmon.
Around the beats there was the usual late-season scenario of pools holding reasonable numbers of fish, most of which remained stoically resistant to temptation. Jimmy Latimer landed his first Atlantic salmon on a Collie Dog at Woodend—many congratulations to him. Dess celebrated their 150th fish of the season, landed by the one and only Al Ward. Well done all concerned.
Outlook
We now have just four fishing days remaining, with the remaining beats below Aboyne Bridge closing on Thursday 15 October. The forecast suggests a mild and unsettled finish, with daytime temperatures of around 12–16°C. Rain is expected on Monday and early Tuesday, followed by brighter spells, before showers and stronger winds on Wednesday. Further rain is forecast overnight into Thursday.
Whether that brings another lift will depend on how much rain reaches the catchment. I think the ghillies would probably rather stick than twist on that score.
There is still time for a final flourish.
As ever, listen to your ghillie.
Ross Macdonald
Pictured – Jimmy from Pennsylvania with his first Atlantic salmon