River Dee Fishing Report – Week 20 commencing 9th June 2025
A week of warm and muggy weather that finally broke with a thunderstorm on Saturday, I headed out for a walk on the Deeside way with my two labradors and the heavens opened, and it lashed it down for a few hours, but it was most welcome and gave use a much-needed rise and refresh.
Around the beats
Last week there were 10 salmon caught, the largest being 16lb at Ballogie, and 37 sea trout with some as large as 4lb at various beats.
Starting with the Park beat, William Foster let me know that they had good coverage, albeit the weather was against them for most of the week. Sunshine and a dropping river made it challenging for the fishers; they fished hard though and were seeing fish. Fortunately, things improved with the cloud moving in and heavy rain on Saturday which saw the father and son team of Neil and young Ryan Taylor( winner of our Junior Trophy for 2024) Â land a cracking 9lb salmon and 3 sea trout between them. A great effort! Â I am reliably informed that the main hut gauge at Park beat is now at 10″, which is a huge improvement. We are all hoping for more rain and some new arrivals this week.Â
Along at Crathes Castle they had their first grilse to the rod of Tom Wood, this beat is just outside Banchory and has some availability this week coming.
Moving up the river to Banchory, Jordan Sinclair told me that Oliver Prentice had a 5lb grilse from the Hotel Pool on Tuesday, there were also 5 sea trout to the rods in the evenings.
Brian Brogan at Cairnton & Middle Blackhall mentioned that he welcomed the return of Ian Wilson’s party to the beat. A great group of very dedicated anglers who put the hours in even when the fishing is dour.  The week finished with 5 sea trout and a few fish lost with John Scott landing the largest sea trout at 4lb from the Grey Mare. Water height on Monday was sitting at 4” and by Saturday morning they were down to 0.5 inches, but the river did start rising a bit by afternoon with the Friday/Saturday downpours. Water temperatures were 55/60 Fahrenheit. The broods of young ducklings were giving beat visitors some light entertainment this week, darting around feeding on flies etc.Â
Jonathan Graves’s group were on Ballogie beat Thursday-Saturday last week and were visiting from the Wye Valley. I heard that Jonathan first came to Ballogie with his father way back in the 70’s, and he has been coming annually himself since the 00’s, he caught 4 sea trout on this trip. His cousin Simon Gale caught his first ever salmon on Saturday evening after the river rose, the largest on the river this week estimated at  16lb, that must have been quite a surprise to get a big fish as your first ever salmon and a great Dee memory made, congratulation Simon.
Chaz Booth at Aboyne Castle told me that Gareth Patterson had a salmon to his rod on a Redbutt Fly at 4pm on Saturday, then there were two seatrout for regular angler Peter Rejzner, one in Red Rock and one in Old Croy, both on a Sunray later on Saturday evening.Â
Working our way  further up the Dee,  on Aboyne Castle and Craigendinnie beats James Gervers was rewarded for a full week’s fishing with a 2lb sea trout out of Upper Fontie on Craigendinnie and a 4lb sea trout from Tanar Mouth off Aboyne Castle on a size 16 Crathie. I am reliably informed that with  35 years of loyalty to the beats the party have seen all conditions over the years!
Gordon Macdermid at Dinnet and Deecastle let me know that they had 2 salmon last week, both were grilse caught by Mike Noble. The first came from Lower Bobby on Monday and the 2nd came from Trochie on Thursday. There was also a sea trout each for Patrick Gibson and Geoff Stainton.
Other beats with fish to their rods this week were Tilbouries & Middle Drum, Upper Dum & Lower Durris, Little Blackhall & Inchmarlo, Sluie, Birse, Waterside & Ferrar, Headinch & Cambus and Crathie.
This coming week we really need some more rain, and I can see from FishPal that there is already a couple fish to the rods this morning as I type, so let’s hope that is a positive sign of fish coming into the river on the rise.
Tight lines.
Debbie Cooper
T: 07979 878971
Picture –Â Neil Taylor with a 9lb salmon at Park Beat on the Dee