River Spey- Delagyle 3rd Trip
It was the first week of September and the River Spey had been fishing well all season. When our good friend and ghillie on the Delagyle beat David Smillie informed us that he had a couple of rods available, we jumped at the chance of fishing this fabulous stretch of water once again. We had already fished Delagyle on a number of occasions earlier this year in the spring and had some success so we could not wait to get back up to Speyside and have a cast on some of Delagyle’s majestic pools.
Looking upstream towards the mouth watering Delagyle pool
We decided to make a weekend of our trip and stay in Aviemore after our days fishing. Neither of us fancied the prospect of driving up to Speyside, fishing and then making the long journey back to Perthshire in one day. I spoke to David the night before our fishing to see what conditions were like and within thirty seconds of talking to him my heart started racing in anticipation. David said that there had been a good spate earlier in the week and the water was now just dropping down to a perfect height for the beat. What’s more, the beat was full of fish and it was looking like they were going to have their best week of the season so far. This was music to my ears and I came off the phone shaking. Why the prospect of having a good day on the Spey and possibly catching a salmon makes a grown man shake is beyond me! When I told my wife about my phone conversation with David she almost became hysterical and said to me that we should leave immediately and stay in Aviemore that night, to make sure we would not be late the following day. Thankfully, I had a bottle of chardonnay close to hand and she became a bit more subdued after half a glass!
The River Spey at Grantown
Driving over the bridge at Grantown we could see the River Spey was in spate. It was significantly higher than when we fished it earlier in the year. We arrived at the hut and sat with David enjoying a coffee on the verandah. It was great to hear that the river had been fishing so well all season. David himself was delighted with the catches on the beat, as they had greatly surpassed his expectations for the year. Whist enjoying our coffee we saw numerous fish jumping in the pool in front of the hut. I could see my wife was like a coiled spring itching to build up her rod and get fishing. As the water was high and had a slight tinge of colour to it, David suggested that we assemble both fly and spinning rods. On the fly rods, we both decided to use sink tip lines coupled with one-inch copper tubes. My wife chose a gold bodied Willie Gunn and I opted for a flamethrower. On the spinning rods, we both decided to try our trusty Vision110s. David suggested that we went downstream and fished the Gean Tree for the first part of the morning, before trying the Pol Mcree pool in front of the hut.
Fishing the tail of the Gean Tree pool
My wife and I walked downed to the Gean Tree pool filled with excitement and optimism. Looking around we were reminded that the seasons were beginning to change and nature had its inevitable paintbrush out again. The once vibrant, bright green leaves were now slowly being replaced by the yellows and golds of autumn. The foliage on the riverbanks was beginning to die back and there was a crisp autumnal feeling to the morning. By the time we got the Gean Tree pool, we had already seen three fish move. The Gean Tree pool is one of my favourite pools on the beat. It lies on a sweeping right-hand bend. It has a number of large boulders down the entire length of the pool behind which the fish lie. The boulders create mesmerising boils and dark glassy patches which look so inviting. There is a good even flow down the entire length of the pool. At the tail of the pool, the river narrows significantly creating a deep channel, which is always a great spot to intercept any running fish.
My wife decided to fish the top half of the pool while I fished the tail. With the high water, any fish would be close to our bank and so a long cast would not be required. Looking overhead, it was nice and cloudy and there was a slight downstream wind. I had been fishing for only around ten minutes when I saw a colossal fish move next to my fly. It was one of the biggest fish I had seen all season and must have weighed in excess of thirty-five pounds. The fish was so big that it could not physically launch itself, instead flopping down into the water. I covered the fish a number of times to no avail. I fished the pool all the way down to the tail and did not get a touch. I could not believe it. The pool was stuffed with fish crashing around all over the place. I walked up to where my wife was fishing to learn that she had fared no better. I pointed out to her where exactly I had seen the big fish. My wife continued to fish down the pool while I decided to change my fly to something a bit more subtle than a flamethrower. I chose a half-inch Cascade bottle tube with a long wing. I had just finished tying the fly onto my leader when I heard my wife shout. I looked up to see that her rod was bent double and she was standing close to where the big fish had showed. I walked down towards her with the net. Her rod looked fixed and bent almost to breaking point. It appeared like she was stuck on the bottom. The only thing that signified she had hooked a fish was every so often the tip of her rod would bend forward then back. We both new she was into a good fish but was this the monster I had seen? The fish stayed midstream in the fast current and stuck to the riverbed like a limpet. Every time my wife managed to get three or four turns of line on to the reel the fish would slowly but purposefully pull away. After around ten minutes, the fish decided to move slowly upstream and started to headshake. At that moment the line went slack and the fish was gone. We were both gutted. It would have just been nice to have seen the size of the fish. How big was it? Well, that’s something we will never know. I left my distraught wife to fish on as I went back up to the head of the pool. She was not distraught for long as within three cast she was shouting again as she had hooked another fish. This time, it came up to the surface immediately and looked fresh. The fish gave a good fight, running hard towards the far bank on two occasions. Thankfully at this point David had come down to see us and as if on cue the fish was ready to be netted. David made no mistake and after a quick picture the fish of around ten pounds was safely returned. We both fished the pool down again but had no further pulls.
A great start to the morning
As it was almost midday, we decide to go back upstream and fish the pool in front of the hut, Pol Mcree. Pol Mcree is one of the nicest pools I have ever fished. It has a lovely fast run at the head of the pool. The main body of the pool broadens out and the current is even paced in high water. The fish lie all over the pool. The dark glassy tail of the pool is mouth-watering. The current picks up and there are some big boulders midstream that create superb lies. It was behind one of these boulders that I had caught a nice springer earlier in the year. My wife decided to start fishing at the head of the pool. I had not even made three casts when she shouted. I looked upstream and she was into another fish. The fish was strong and initially thrashed on the surface before sitting in the fast current on the far side of the river. From the way her rod was bending I could tell it was a decent fish. My wife gradually managed to gain some line slowly bringing it closer towards our bank. Every so often the fish would headshake, which is never a good sign. Finally after one long run upstream my wife managed to get the fish on to the surface of the water so I could slip the net underneath. The fish was a cracker, estimated at around twenty-five pounds. The smile on my wife’s face said it all and after a quick picture the fish was returned.
A twenty five pound Spey cracker!
I started fishing the bottom third of the pool and within minutes finally hooked a fish. The fish gave a good fight and at one point I though it was going to run out of the pool. Thankfully, I managed to turn its head and avert disaster. The fish was around seven pounds and had taken my Cascade bottle tube. Just before lunch my wife managed to land a nice sea trout of around four pounds. She said that it was one of the most savage takes she had ever had. The fish was coloured and returned safely to carry on its merry way. What a morning it had been. We had landed three salmon and a sea trout including a twenty-five pounder and that was not even mentioning the big fish that my wife had lost. We were in salmon fishing heaven!
After lunch David suggested that we continued to fish the Pol Mcree pool as the water was dropping and the pool was fishing well. My wife decided to fish the bottom half of the pool and I went up to fish the run. A long cast is not required at the head of the pool as there is a very deep channel that runs a rods length out from the bank in which the fish often lie. It had got much milder now and with the wind was dropping. The sun had just started peaking out through the clouds and it was a pleasant afternoon. I decided to try the spinner and put my trusty Vision110 into action. I had just fished half way down the run when I had a savage take. The fish cartwheeled out of the water as soon as it was hooked. It was nice fresh fish of around ten pounds. The fish then decided to run upstream into the head of the run before just sitting stationary in the hard current. Eventually, after applying some pressure, the fish came back down towards me. By this time, David was beside me with the net. After a little more thrashing and head shaking the fish was mine. After a quick photograph the fish was released. We had now both caught two fish and it was all to play for, so I thought. This was not the case as David informed me that my wife had landed a nice fish at the tail of the pool a few minutes earlier. I was gutted as I thought I had drawn on level terms with her.
The wife moves ahead again!
I could not believe it when I looked at my watch and it was almost four thirty. The afternoon had flown. I decided to fish down Pol Mcree once more as I knew it would be the last time this season. Fish were still showing in abundance but proving a bit more difficult to catch now. My wife was relaxing in the hut with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. Could I just catch one more salmon and a sea trout to make honours even?I fished the run at the head of Pol Mcree hard, covering every inch. There were plenty of fish moving but they did not seem to be interested. I had just got into the main body of the pool when my line tightened and my reel started screaming. I lifted the rod and whatever I had hooked did not appear to be heavy. The fish then acrobatically jumped out of the water twice in quick succession. It was a lovely sea trout of around three pounds. After one long run the fish was beaten. I managed to beech the fish and then release it unharmed. I told my wife the good news but she did not see it that way! I was now just one salmon behind her. As it was after six, we both agreed that we would fish for another half an hour and then call it a day. My wife started to fish the head of the pool and within what felt like seconds I heard her shout “fish”. I could not believe it. Just when I thought I was going to draw level with her for the second time that day she had hooked another fish. I grabbed the net reluctantly and went up to assist her. By the time I had got to her the fish had started to thrash on the surface of the water and then the line went slack. My wife had lost the fish and was not happy. I just laughed but this did not help marital relations! We had fifteen minutes left, so I made my way down towards the tail of the pool and started fishing. I looked up towards the hut and I could see my wife breaking down her rods. She was obviously confident of victory. I decided that I would have three more casts. On the second of the three casts my line tightened gently and I was into another fish. I shouted to my wife who had a look of disbelief on her face. She reluctantly came down with the net. The fish was around seven pounds and slightly coloured. It put a good fight for it’s size making three impressive runs. I was not taking any chances with this fish as it would be the equaliser. The fish came close to the bank and as the water was high, I chose to beech it on the grass. This was not of course, because I did not trust my wife with the net, or was it? My wife unhooked the fish and after a quick photograph with David the fish was returned. We both agreed to call a ceasefire to proceedings on what had been a memorable day. David’s company, knowledge and enthusiasm had been infectious as always. We had finished the day with three salmon and a sea trout each and the smiles on our faces stretched to the Cairngorms!
Honours even, after a memorable day!
That night, back in the hotel bar we reflected on what had been a truly amazing day. We both agreed it was such a special way to finish our fishing on the Spey this season. I said to my wife how fitting it was that we both finished on level terms for the day. She looked at me and smiled saying that there was no way I could say that, as three of the salmon I had caught did not add up to the weight of her twenty five pounder. Now I have seen many bad losers in my time, but I am beginning to think my wife is actually a bad winner!