As always, we have some really exciting fishing to offer throughout the 2008 season. On the River Findhorn, we still have some guided fishing availabilities on Cawdor Estate with fishing at Drynachan for the week commencing June 9th - 14th and July 17th - 19th for two to three rods; we also have some availabilities on the Altyre Estate Beats through July and September; there is also availability on the Daltullich and Dounduff Beats at Logie on the River Findhorn for May 29th - 30th for two rods.
Most of our lodge parties are fully booked, however, we do have availability for up to four rods with catered accomodation in the Wooden House and fishing at Glenferness Estate for the week commencing August 31st - September 7th. Please contact ian@speycaster.net for further information.
The River Findhorn rises in the Monadhliath mountains and flows some sixty-five miles to the sea at Findhorn Bay. During its course, it traverses some of the most varied and magnificent scenery in Scotland.
As Thomas Henderson describes, in his marvellous book, The Findhorn: "The innumerable ridges of Am Monadh Liath stretch mile on mile eastward until by almost imperceptible degrees, they sink through pleasant wooded foothills into the coastal plain of the Moray Firth. From this great block of high land flow many streams, in general north-eastward, to the sea. The southern flank is drained by affluents of the Spey, the largest of those being the Dulnan (or Dulnain). The Nairn flows along the northern face. The interior mass of the plateau is the region of the Findhorn. Between the Findhorn and the Nairn the Muckle Burn has carved out a little valley of its own, a companion as it were, to the valley of the Lossie between the right bank of the lower Findhorn and the Spey. For the greater part of their courses all the valleys are narrow, deeply incised, difficult of access. The Findhorn has graven its bed most deeply of all into the glacial drift of the upper region of the plateau, the granite and gneiss of the middle section, and the old red sandstone of the seaward escarpment. Its narrow valley is cut deep into the soil of three of the fairest counties in Scotland-Inverness, Nairn and Moray-all once part of the great Province of Moray".
The
main headwaters of the river are the Eskin and the Abhain Cro Clach. The
Eskin rises far to the West as an impenetrable tangle of hills and gullies.
It often gathers water from storm fronts marauding onto the West coast.
The river, therefore, is subject to sudden rises and falls. 
Down
by the bay, the sun may be shining, but a sudden downpour at higher altitude
may send a torrent of peaty brown water through the gorges of the middle
river without the slightest warning of a summer storm. Even away from
this extreme, the Findhorn is still a spate river and drops back to low
water within days after all but the greatest of rises. In Spring, however,
the steady snowmelt from the corries of the Monadhliaths generally keep
the river at good fishing level well into May.
In
its upper reaches at Coignafearn Forest, the runs and riffles and some
deceptively big pools provide excellent spawning territory. This is the
home of Red Deer, Peregrine and Golden Eagle and is a truly wild place.
The river descends through the delightful wooded glades of Strathdearn
via Dalmigavie and Glen Mazeran on its route to Tomatin. Fish will normally
start to appear here in early May when the water has warmed sufficiently
(42° F) to allow them through the thermal barrier of the Poolie Falls
at Sluie. An excellent variety of fishing beats are available around Tomatin.
The swift streams provide excellent fly water when the river runs at a
good height. Below Tomatin, the river descends again into the largely
inaccessible terrain around Moy and Cawdor Estates. Here on Cawdor Estate,
we enter the Drynachan fishings, which is situated in a secluded six mile
stretch of the River Findhorn surrounded by 25,000 acres of Cawdor Estate
moorland bordering the Moray Firth. 
The
Drynachan Valley, known traditionally as the "Streens", which
refers to the many wooded springs and burns that join the River Findhorn
at this point. The moor is reached by four-wheel drive on sixty miles
of private roads supplying small bothies and lunching huts. The river
has three x 2 rods double bank beats which are let from April through
September. Some fine fishing pools are to be found here and not surprisingly
much of the fishing is taken by tenants returning year after year.
Below Cawdor the river descends into the upper gorge at Dulsie Bridge
onto the Lethen and Glenferness Estates. This is spectacular water, showing
a series of runs, pots and substantial holding pools nestling below the
high cliffs and granite outcrops supporting Scots Pine, Alder and Birch.
The angler must be able to Speycast to make the best of this fishing.
There are pools for every water height and for every part of the season.
The beats on Glenferness include Altnahara, Mini-Daltra, Daltra, Levrattich,
and Church. All of these two rod beats are very generous in length offering
wonderful high water pools and fabulous low water pools and streams for
classic summer grilse fishing. 
From
here at Logie Bridge the river descends further into Coulmony, Dunphail
and Logie Estate Beats before tumbling through the Poolie Falls at Sluie
and into the lower gorge at Darnaway. The Spring fishing can be excellent
here, as the early fish in March to April can be held back by the torrents
of snow melt water from upstream. Below Sluie is Altyre Estate with over
two and a half miles of stunningly picturesque salmon fishing meandering
through high sandstone cliffs. Below here are some four miles of excellent
double bank Association day and season ticket water at Forres, taking
us down to the brackish waters of the Sea Pool and the estuary into Findhorn
Bay.
"The
beauty of Glenferness"
The Findhorn season opens on February 11th and closes on September 30th. There has been no netting along the coast or estuary for over ten years and the runs appear to be steadily increasing with over 3,500 Salmon and Grilse being caught in 2006. The river continues to prosper mainly because the whole system and hatchery is carefully managed by the Findhorn District Salmon Fishery Board. The Board has a genuine interest in the welfare of the river and it's Salmon and is not frightened to encourage conservation measures as seem appropriate. The last few seasons have seen over fifty-six percent of the total catch being released (much higher on some beats) and after April 30th of each season, fishing on the entire river is fly only. The Board should be congratulated on their achievements and other fishery boards should follow by example.
Altyre Fishings
In addition to the other middle beats we also have access to the delightful Altyre beat on the Lower Findhorn which is situated below the Poolie Falls at Sluie, some six miles above the tidal sea pool on the Forres Angling Association water. The fishings here are divided into Upper and Lower beats offering over two and a half miles of private fly fishing for up to four rods.
There are some eleven pools winding through magnificent sandstone gorges of outstanding beauty. The Upper beat being totally double bank fishing. The river here is easy to fish which is, therefore, perfect for the beginner or more advanced casters.
This beat has been very consistant over the early Spring months of March through to April. Spring salmon tend to hold up below the Falls at Sluie until the water temperature rises above 42°F. It is also a great beat to fish for the grilse and summer salmon from July to late September, as they move from the tidal pools below and often rest up on some of the deep holding pools on the Altyre beat.
We have various weeks to offer on the Altyre beats with fishing for up to four rods with the options of accommodations at Dallas Lodge, local hotel, B & B or self-catering cottages through March to September. Please contact ian@speycaster.net for details of costs and available dates.
"Surely
there is no other river in the world so beautiful"
Charles St. John
Set out below are the main fishing beats/estates on the river (top down) with contact details, links and e mail addresses.
Coignafearn Double bank fishing |
CKD Finlayson Hughes Lynedoch House, Barossa Place Perth PH1 5EP Tel 01738 451600 email sporting@perth.ckdfh.co.uk |
Glen Mazeran 2 1/2 miles left bank
|
Englefield Estate Office Theale, Reading, RG7 5DU Tel 01734 302504 |
Dalmigavie 4 miles right bank fishing |
Estate Office Gedgrave Hall Gedgrave, Woodbridge IP12 2BX |
Tomatin House 2 miles left bank |
Tomatin House Diana Usborne Tel 01808 511482 Colin Glynne-Percy Tel 0131 6674030 |
Clune 3/4 miles right bank |
Alan Bell Balmenach, Hazelbank Tomatin, IV13 7YT Tel 01808 511 439 www.findhornfishing.com email allan@findhornfishing.com |
Corrybrough 1 mile right bank |
|
Freeburn 3/4 mile both banks |
|
Glenkirk 1 1/2 miles right bank |
|
Moy and Strathdearn 4 miles both banks 1 mile left bank |
Anderson, Shaw and Gilbert
Inverness
Tel 01463 236123
|
Cawdor Drynachan water - Ballachronin, Daless, Dalbuie 6 miles double bank |
Cawdor Estate Office Cawdor, Nairn, IV12 5RE Tel 01667 404666 www.cawdor.com email office@cawdor.com |
Lethen Dunearn Altnaharra and Daltra (rotation) In total 5 miles left bank |
Ewan Brodie Lethen Estate Office Nairn, IV12 5PR Tel 01667 452247 email lethenestate@farmersweekly.net |
Glenferness Altnaharra, Daltra, Mini Daltra (rotation) Church and Levrattich In total 2 miles left bank and 5 miles right bank |
Glenferness Estate Office Glenferness House Nairn, IV12 5UP Tel 01309 651202 email glenferness@lineone.net |
Coulmony 1 1/2 miles both banks |
Fiona Laing Coulmony Estate Office Edinburgh Tel 0131 3152775 www.daltullich.com email fiona@shortbreadhouse.com |
Logie and Relugas Top, Middle and Logie beats Total approx 3 miles right bank |
Logie Estate Office Forres, Moray IV36 2QN Tel 01309 611208 www.logie.co.uk email marilyn@logie.co.uk |
Darnaway Home, Lower Home, Lower Dunduff, Sluie and Meads of St John. Total approximately 7 miles left bank and 4 miles right bank |
Moray Estates Development Co Estates Office Forres, Moray IV36 0ET Tel 01309672213 |
Altyre Total of over 2 1/2 miles fishing off the right bank split into upper and lower beats with fishing for 4 rods |
Ian Neale |
Findhorn Angling Association Water 5 miles double bank fishing Day tickets available
|
Forres Tackle Shop
97d High St, Forres
Tel 01309 672936
|
For more information
contact:
ian@speycaster.net or mike@speycaster.net
>>To view images from our growing online photo library which covers the Rivers Findhorn, Dee, Spey/Avon, and Ponoi, please click here