Delagyle - River Spey
The moment we arrived at the fabulous Delagyle beat on the River Spey a few years ago, it was love at first sight. Since then, David (the ghillie on the beat) and his now wife Mhairi have become close friends. So in April this year when we were having our annual spring week’s fishing on the beat we were privileged and honoured to be invited to their wedding later in the year. The wedding was to take place at the Delagyle beat itself on the banks of the majestic River Spey on the day after the fishing season had ended. David had asked us whether we would like to fish on the last day of the season and of course, my wife and I jumped at the chance.
The beautiful Delagyle beat
The Spey had fished well earlier in the year with decent numbers of spring and summer salmon caught. However, in August and September the water dropped and it had become quite warm, making fishing difficult. There were copious amounts of fish in many of the pools but they were proving hard to catch.
The day before we were due to travel up to Speyside the heavens opened and it rained heavily. It quickly became apparent that there would be a decent rise in the water. We were well aware from previous years that this could make the last day of the season very productive as long as the water was not too coloured.
As soon as we arrived at the beat in the morning, David greeted us with a big smile. He looked very relaxed for a man that was embarking on his last day of freedom! The first thing David said to us was that he could not believe how lucky we were with the conditions. The water had risen considerably overnight and was running with a slight tinge to it. There were fish showing everywhere!
David gave us a tour of the grand marquee that had been erected a few days before the impending big day. It was beautiful and sat proudly on the banks of the Pol Mo Cree pool. What a breath taking location to have a wedding, something that most of us could only dream off.
We enjoyed a special dram with David in the hut marveling at our surroundings. Naturally, David had many duties to attend to before the big day, so he gave us some advice on where to fish and what flies to use and then got on with his chores. David did mention that he needed eight more fish to beat last seasons tally and that he was relying on us, so there was no pressure then!
As the water had risen overnight and was slightly tinged, we thought bright flies would be the order of the day. We both set up fifteen-foot fly rods with sink tip lines. My weapon of choice was a lightly dressed Cascade cone head tube fly while my wife opted for a Flamethrower. There were fish splashing all over the Pol Mcree pool, so we thought this would be good a place to start.
My wife started fishing at the head of the pool and I positioned myself fifty yards downstream from her. There were fish jumping everywhere and we were both just waiting for the line to tighten. While we were fishing, it was good to chat to some of the other wedding guests as they came to the hut to marvel at the magnificent venue. One of the guests, Alan, was a fellow angler and had not caught a salmon from the River Spey before. I therefore gave him a rod from the hut and advised him to have a cast at the tail of the pool, as there were a lot of fish showing in that area. I was just walking back to where my wife was fishing when I heard a shout. I turned around to see Alan’s rod was bent double. He was into a fish. I grabbed the net and went down to assist him.
The fish was giving a good account of itself running hard upstream. It did not appear to be massive but was certainly powerful. Alan did a good job keeping the fish under control. The fish came to the surface of the water mid-stream and we caught a glimpse of it. It appeared to be a coloured grilse. By now my wife had heard all the commotion and come down to join us. The fish took one further run towards the far bank before it was safely netted. Alan had caught his first ever River Spey salmon and was rightly over the moon. After a quick photograph, the fish was safely returned.
Alan's first Spey salmon
By now it was midday, so my wife and I decided to take a walk downstream to the bottom of the beat and fish the magnificent Gean Tree pool. The Gean Tree is situated on a right-hand sweeping bend on the river. It fishes well in a medium to high water, with fish lying close to the near bank. As we walked downstream, we could see the signs of early autumn all around us. The leaves on the trees were changing from green to gold and the foliage along the riverbank was beginning to die back.
As soon as we arrived at the Gean Tree, we were greeted by fish splashing. The water did appear a little clearer than first thing in the morning which was a good sign. My wife decided to fish the lower half of the pool while I started above her. The pool looked in perfect order and I was just waiting for my line tighten. Unfortunately for me, this did not happen but it was a different story for my wife. Towards the tail of the pool, she hooked a nice fish. Initially, it gave a long powerful run and stayed deep. It then came up to the surface rather acrobatically to reveal itself. It was a nice Sea trout. The fish then came towards our bank at a rate of knots and my wife struggled to keep adequate tension on the line. Thankfully, the fish was well hooked and after one further run, I netted the nice three pounder. The fish was in perfect condition and returned safely. We were now finally off the mark for the day.
A nice Sea trout from the Gean Tree
We continued fishing the Gean Tree pool. Peering into the water, much of the brown colour had disappeared which was good news. I was just casting my mind back to last year when my wife lost a big fish from the same pool when I suddenly got a savage take. The fish tore off downstream uncontrollably. I had no option but to follow it. My wife took her line out of the water as it went towards the far bank. I just watched my fly line and most of my backing empty from my reel at an alarming rate. I was beginning to panic now. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards the fish turned and started moving upstream. All of a sudden the line went slack and the fish was gone. I did not see the fish which was a pity but it felt substantial. It was almost lunchtime now so we decided to finish fishing the rest of the pool before heading back to the hut. It had been a very eventful hour. I was now fishing the tail of the pool and had just about come to the end when I got another take. This time, the fish did not do much initially. It appeared to be a head shaker which made me think that the fight might end in a similar fashion to the last fish I had hooked. The fish stayed deep at close range before coming to the surface. It was a coloured grilse around five pounds. After a strong run upstream, the fish was ready for the net and my wife made no mistake.
The first salmon of the day
We could not recognise the fishing hut at lunchtime. David's mother, Alison and Heather had done an amazing job using flora and fauna from the river bank to decorate it. The hut was transformed into a beautiful haven. The marquee was now a hive of activity with caterers milling about preparing for the big day. It was not only busy on the river bank as in the water the fish were jumping constantly. We soaked up the early autumn sunshine while enjoying our lunch. It had been a productive morning with two salmon and one sea trout caught from the beat. David reminded us that he only now needed six more fish in the afternoon to beat last season’s tally. Could we do it?
We therefore had a quick lunch and decided to get back to it. My wife was keen to fish the Delene pool just upstream from Pol Mo Cree. I had just put the lunch bag in the car and was about to start fishing again when I heard my wife shout. I knew she must have hooked a fish. I walked around the corner to see her rod bent double. This looked like a decent fish. The fish stayed towards the far bank and did not move. It then slowly but surely started to peel line of the reel at will moving downstream. The fish kept well down and then held it’s position. David joined us with the net. My wife appeared to have the fish under control regaining some line. We then caught a first glimpse of the big tail. It looked like a decent fish well into the teens. After one further run the fish came to the surface of the water and David made no mistake with the net. The fish weighed around seventeen pounds and after a quick picture was returned unharmed. By now the water was so much clearer and conditions were perfect. Was it a bit too optimistic to think that we would beat last year’s beat total?
A decent fish landed first thing after lunch
I decided to fish upstream from my wife in Delene. There were fish jumping everywhere. I felt very optimistic and rightly so. A third of the way down the pool my line tightened very close to the near bank. I had hooked another fish. This fish was powerful and kept close to the riverbed. It seemed to anchor itself mid-stream and there was little I could do with it. After sometime it decided to make a run towards the far bank. By now my wife was by my side with the net. The fish came to the surface towards the far bank. It seemed to be a nice fish. I managed to coax the fish slowly back towards the middle of the river before it began to tire. My wife did the honors with net. The fish was a coloured cock fish around seven pounds.
A cock fish caught from Delene
It was now mid afternoon so we decided to have a quick coffee with David. Unbelievably David still seemed to be quite relaxed which was quite surprising as the big day was now only hours away. David suggested that I had a cast at the tail of Pol Mo Cree, as he had seen a number of big fish in that area moving through the course of the day. My wife decided to go back up to fish the Delene Pool. I had been fishing for around thirty minutes and was covering some tasty looking boils behind which I knew there were fish lying when my line tightened once again. I then got one of the most ferocious runs I have ever experienced. The reel screamed as the fish tore off downstream. I was sure the fish was going to leave the pool and go into the rapids. Thankfully, I managed to apply some side strain on the fish and turn it’s head. It then just appeared to sulk mid-stream. The fish did not feel overly big. David could see from within the confines of the marquee that I was into a fish and appeared with the net. My wife being naturally nosey also came to investigate! We got our first glimpse of the fish as it came close to the bank. It was a cracking sea trout around five pounds in weight. The fish was in excellent condition. In spite of the long fight it did not take much reviving!
A cracking Sea trout
My wife then informed us that she had landed a salmon of around six pounds and another sea trout in Delene. We only needed three more fish now but it was late afternoon. I decided to fish down Pol Mo Cree once again. There appeared to be less fish moving now. I knew that with the conditions being perfect, perseverance was the key. I fished hard covering every inch of the pool to no avail. I had made my last cast and was going to fish the Delene pool for one last time when I got another take. This time, the fish took around midstream and quite gently. The take was about all that was gentle. The fish started to run hard upstream stripping line from the reel. It then came to the surface of the water. It was not massive but put up a good fight. I managed to tail the fish with minimum fuss. It was a fin perfect hen fish of around five pounds.
Another cock fish landed
We only needed to catch two more fish. By now it was after five and it was getting chilly. So where do you go when you need a fish quickly on Delagyle? It has to be the Delene pool. Thankfully it did not disappoint as almost within ten minutes of starting at the head of the pool I hooked a fish. It was another hard fighting cock fish which did not give up easily making three long hard runs before my wife did the honors with the net. We both decided that we would fish for another twenty minutes to see if could get the one last fish to beat last year’s total. My wife and I decided to concentrate our efforts at the tail of Delene where we had seen a few fish moving earlier in the afternoon.
I had not been fishing for more than ten minutes and was just about to recast when my line tightened close to the bank. I hooked the fish that if landed, would beat last year’s total. The fish felt heavy and started to strip line at will as it made a long surging run downstream into Pol Mo Cree. The fish then just sat mid-stream and sulked close to the river bed. There was little I could do with it. David was soon at my side as he could tell it was a good fish. I slowly managed to coax the fish towards me but it then decided to take a run upstream. I could feel the fish shaking its head violently which gave me a very uneasy feeling. The fish then came towards the near bank and sat at close range for what seemed an eternity. I felt that I had the situation under control. Suddenly without warning the fish turned it’s head and surged off towards the far bank and the line went slack. The fish was gone as was the opportunity of passing last year’s total. The temperature had now dropped and mist had started to rise from the water. David went back to the hut to make us a quick coffee before we headed back to the hotel. We got changed and packed away our rods. It had been an amazing final day of the season on the River Spey, with six salmon and few nice sea trout landed. If only the final fish I hooked had stayed on!
We walked over to the hut which was now looking like a beautiful oil painting. The sun was now setting on the River Spey season but the hut was a myriad of colour decorated so tastefully in beautiful lights and flowers for the special day. The marquee looked splendid and everything appeared to be in place for the big day which lay ahead. David emerged from the hut with a big smile on face. One of the other wedding guests, Colin had landed two salmon at the bottom of the beat which meant that eight fish had been landed for the day. This was great news as we had now passed last years total and could all enjoy a well-earned drink!
David makes the best catch of his life!
The following day my wife and I were privileged enough to be part of David and Mhairi’s special day. Everything was perfect from the ceremony to the speeches and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We have had a number of special days on the banks of the River Spey over the years but for us, this had to rank as the most memorable and one that we will never forget. Ironically, David had made the best catch of his life, the day after the season had ended on the banks of the River Spey at Delagyle!