We are now taking enquiries and bookings for the 2009 season and should you be interested in booking up some excellent guided fishing on prime beats of the River Findhorn, please contact Ian@speycaster.net for further information.
For the week commencing July 27th-August 1st, 2009 we have fishing available for up to three rods on Drynachan Beats, Cawdor Estate. This is one of the best middle Findhorn Beats and in 2008, Drynachan recorded some 661 salmon/grilse for the season. If you are interested in booking up these any of these availabilities, please contact Ian@speycaster.net.
We have fishing available for up to four rods on Altyre Estate, River Findhorn July 9th-11th, 2009. There are two rods available from August 6th-8th, 2009. There is also availability for up to four rods from August 17th-22nd, 2009. If you are interested in booking up these any of these availabilities, please contact Ian@speycaster.net.
For the week commencing September 14th-19th, 2009, we have availability for two rods on Glenferness Estate. We also have availability on Altyre Estate for September 21st-23rd, 2009 for up to four rods. If you are interested in booking up these any of these availabilities, please contact Ian@speycaster.net.
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 |
Glen Mazeran Glen Mazeran Lodge available for up to 16 people with grouse shooting, stalking, and fishing for 2 1/2 miles left bank. |
George Goldsmith 48 North Castle Street |
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. |
The Estate Office |
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, |
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 |
Corrybrough Corrybrough Lodge available for up to 15 people. 1.7 mile right bank fishing. |
CKD
Galbraith |
Kyllachy Kyllachy house available for up to 16 people with single bank fishing extending to over 2 1/2 miles. |
CKD
Galbraith |
Moy Estate 4 miles both banks 1 mile left bank |
Irene Kavanagh |
Cawdor Estates Drynachan water - Consisting of the Ballachrochin, Daless, 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 |
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 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 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) 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 |
Logie and Relugas The Logie Estate fishing covers a total of some 3.25 miles 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 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 Tel: 01309 672213 email:
dmcc@medco.co.uk |
Altyre Total of over 2 1/2 miles of fishing off the right bank, 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 |
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
|
For more information
contact:
ian@speycaster.net or mike@speycaster.net
>>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