| River
Findhorn
On
the Findhorn we have availabilities from July through September on Altyre
Estate and Glenferness Estate.
We
have availability on Altyre Estate from September 27th-29th for two rods.
On Glenferness Estate, we have availability for two rods September 20th-25th.
Should
you be interested in booking up some excellent
guided salmon fishing on the River Findhorn, 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 Estate has three beats, all double bank fishing for up to three rods
per beat. These beats 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. 2008 proved to be a record
year for Drynachan with a total of some 661 salmon/grilse caught through
the season.
Below Drynachan,
the river descends into the Banchor fishings before flowing 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 just under 3,400 salmon and
grilse being caught in 2008. Figures record that between 2000 and 2007
catches on the Findhorn have increased by some 48%. 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 its salmon and is not frightened
to encourage conservation measures as seem appropriate. The last few seasons
have seen improving release rates with fifty-nine percent in 2007 moving
up to seventy-six percent of the total catch being released in 2008. After
April 30th of each season, fishing on the entire river is by 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 for approximately 3 miles
|
George Goldsmith
48 North Castle Street Edinburgh EH2 3LU Scotland
Tel: 0131 476 6500
email: info@georgegoldsmith.com
|
Glen Mazeran
Glen Mazeran Lodge available for up to 16 people with
grouse shooting, stalking, and fishing for 2 1/2 miles
left bank.
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George Goldsmith
48 North Castle Street Edinburgh EH2 3LU Scotland
Tel: 0131 476 6500
email: info@georgegoldsmith.com
|
Dalmigavie
Dalmigavie Lodge available for up to 15 people.
Runs for 4 miles right bank fishing available by the day
or week from May to July for up to four rods.
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The Estate Office Gedgrave Hall Gedgrave Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 2BX Tel: 01394 450247
Email: tracyranger@gedgrave.co.uk
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Tomatin
Tomatin House available for up to 16 people. The fishing
extends to around 2½ miles of single bank, with ten
named pools and numerous productive runs or lies in
between, there is a wide choice of fishing for up to six rods.
|
Mrs Diana Usborne, Tomatin House, Tomatin, Inverness-shire, IV13 7XX, Scotland, UK
Tel : +44 (0) 1808 511482
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Old Clune
Strathnoon Cottage available for up to 4 people.
Old Clune fishing beat contains 9 challenging pools with a
maximum number of 3 rods per day.
|
Tim Boles
Mobile: 0705 009 6616
Email: tboles@strathnoon.co.uk
Mrs Elizabeth Boles
Tel: +44 (0)1808 511208
|
Corrybrough
Corrybrough Lodge available for up to 15 people.
1.7 mile right bank fishing.
|
CKD
Galbraith
Lynedoch House, Barossa Place
Perth
PH1 5EP
Scotland
Tel: 01738
451600
email:
sporting@ckdgalbraith.co.uk
|
Kyllachy
Kyllachy house available for up to 16 people with single
bank fishing extending to over 2 1/2 miles.
|
CKD
Galbraith
Lynedoch House, Barossa Place
Perth
PH1 5EP
Scotland
Tel: 01738
451600
email:
sporting@ckdgalbraith.co.uk
|
Moy Estate
4 miles both banks
1 mile left bank
|
Irene Kavanagh Anderson Shaw & Gilbert 20 Church Street, Inverness
IV1 1ED
Tel: 01463 236123
|
Cawdor Estates
Drynachan water - Consisting of the Ballachrochin, Daless, and Dalbuie Beats
Drynachan offers over 6 miles double bank and half a mile
single bank.
There are 28 named pools - 3 huts - fishing for 9 rods.
|
Cawdor Estate Office
Cawdor, Nairn, IV12 5RE
Tel: 01667 404666
www.cawdor.com
email: bookings@cawdor.com
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Banchor
Banchor Beat is also known as the Laird's Beat of Cawdor
Castle to which it belongs.
The beat is served by a fine pedestrian suspension bridge,
fishes from the south bank with two rods, and extends to
about three quarters of a mile. The north bank is too sheer
or awkward for casting.
There is good holding water with nine named pools.
|
David Broadfoot
Cawdor Castle
Nairn, IV12 5RD
Tel: 01667 404401
email: David@cawdorcastle.com
or info@cawdorcastle.com
|
Lethen
5.2 miles left bank, 1.2miles right bank There are 45 named pools, 5 rods, 0 ghillie, 0 huts
The three rod Dunearn Beat is the top beat of the Lethen
water and offers the angler every type of pool and stream in
the Findhorn book.
The two rod Daltra and Altnahara Beats are let together and
rotate over the week combining to provide a superb variety
of angling opportunities as the river passes through the steep
Altnahara gorge and then moves to the open landscape of the
Daltra beat.
|
Ewen Brodie
Lethen Estate Office
Nairn, IV12 5PR
Tel: 01667 452247
email: lethenestate@btconnect.com
|
Glenferness
The Findhorn at Glenferness is very beautiful. The river is often narrow and rocky including many small runs and deep pools but there is endless variety including many big pools which fish well in a big river.
Glenferness Estate has 5 beats running from just below
Dulsie Bridge to Logie Bridge on the A939 Nairn to Grantown
Road. The beats are:
Altnaharra, Daltra, Mini Daltra (fished in rotation)
Church and Levrattich (both double bank)
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
Approx 2 miles double bank (fished from the left bank only) Maximum rods 2
Salmon fishing for a maximum of two rods on the River
Findhorn on a stretch of the river from a point close to where
the river runs past Daltullich Cottage, to approximately two
miles upstream at Logie Bridge.
|
Fiona Laing
Coulmony Estate Office
Edinburgh
Tel: 0131 3152775
www.daltullich.com
email: fiona@shortbreadhouse.com
|
Daltullich / Dounduff
The fishings comprise 2 beats for 2 rods. Each beat is fished
from the right bank only on alternate days, ie Daltullich is
fished Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and Dounduff on
Tuesday and Thursday. (Saturday is reserved)
Daltullich, the top beat, comprises 5 pools and Dounduff, the
lower beat comprises 10 pools. Both beats alternate daily
with Relugas.
|
Ian
Neale
Dallas Cottage, Dallas
Forres, IV36 2RY
Tel:
01343 890462
Mob
0771 3030429
email:
ian@speycaster.net
www.speycaster.net
|
Logie and Relugas
The Logie Estate fishing covers a total of some 3.25 miles of the River Findhorn with the downstream limit being about 9.5 miles from the river mouth.
The fishing is split into three beats; the Logie beat is fished
Monday to Saturday, the Middle beat (Relugas) on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday and the Top beat (Relugas) on
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
|
Logie Estate Office
Forres, Moray
IV36 2QN
Tel: 01667 458900
www.logie.co.uk
email: marilyn@logie.co.uk
|
Darnaway
Home, Lower Home, Lower Dounduff, Sluie and Meads of St. John. Approximately 7 miles of fishing.
The Darnaway Fishings comprise separately let beats
predominantly on the left bank of the river from the top end
of the Association Water to just below Daltulich Bridge.
Fishings are let on weekly and/or day per week basis and
prices fluctuate considerably depending on catch statistics,
etc.
|
Duncan McConnell Moray Estates Development Company Berryley
Darnaway
Forres
IV36 2ST
Tel:
01309 672213
email:
dmcc@medco.co.uk
|
Altyre
Total of over 2 1/2 miles of fishing off the right bank, split into upper and lower beats with fishing for 4 rods.
The beats are rotated from upper to lower on a daily basis
for a maximum of two rods per beat (total of 4 rods).
The upper beat is predominantly double bank with the lower
beat being single bank only.
There are some 11 named pools in total and a fishing hut
is situated on the lower beat.
|
Ian Neale Dallas Cottage, Dallas Forres, IV36 2RY
Tel: 01343 890462
Mob.0771 3030429
email: ian@speycaster.net
www.speycaster.net
|
Forres Angling Association Water
Offer 5 miles double bank fishing from Red Craig down to the
Sea Pool by Findhorn Bay.
Day and weekly tickets are available.
|
Forres Tackle Shop
97d High St, Forres
Tel: 01309 672936

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For more information
contact:
ian@speycaster.net or mike@speycaster.net
~
Photo Albums ~
>>To
view images of our growing online photo library which covers the prime
beats we fish on the Rivers Findhorn,
Dee, Spey, Avon, and Ponoi, please click
here
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