River Findhorn

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
Dallas Cottage, Dallas
Forres, IV36 2RY.
Tel. 01343 890462 Mob.0771 3030429
email:ian@speycaster.net www.speycaster.net
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