River Dee
On the River Dee, we have fishings in the heart of the city
Overview
On the River Dee, we have fishings in the heart of the city, at Garthdee, Banchory Devenick, and Pots and Fords in front of our Bothy on Riverside drive.
Beat Summary
The main pool is the pumphouse pool almost directly opposite Sainsbury’s supermarket.
There is a gateway about 25 yards west of the last house on the right side on Leggart Terrace leaving Aberdeen. There is a layby area on the left before you cross the bridge over the leggart burn. You can see the actual pump houses down beside the river. Just follow the path down round to the left and the burn is the top of the pool.
Remember later in the season you need to book a session as detailed in the rule booklet.
Going further out the south Deeside road you will see a track leading through trees on the right leading down to a former farm. There is a car park there.
The Beltie pool is just down from the old fishing bothy/garage.
Walk upriver you come to a sharp left bend with a deep pool on the bend.
Continue upriver you come to old bridge parapets with a pool below.
Again continue upriver across boggy ground and you will see a shingle island. Fish down from the island towards the old bridge until it gets too deep. Difficult wading hard into the bank.
Drive further upriver you come to a church with an opening to your left with wide grass verges either side. Park on verge and cross road at side of hedge and there are steps down to the Manse pool at top of the beat.
Maps
As of the 1st of February 2022, the Kingcausie beat is available to ADAA members from Monday-Saturday. Pre-booking online is required the same way as booking a rod on the Culter beat in previous seasons.
Records of fishing on the Kingcausie beat go back to the 1500s when the current owner’s ancestor Henry Irvine bought the land from the Knights Templars.
At that time, netting was done from cobles and the fish transported by pack horse into Aberdeen for sale. Unfortunately, we do not have the catch returns from those dates, but Kingcausie remains a good beat, with historically good catches for a lower river stretch.
The fishing is split into 8 beats. There is good casting and wading on the North bank, with a slowly shelving river, which is very good for beginners and experienced anglers alike.
The Bridge Pool is a fast-running stretch below Maryculter Bridge. The Flats is from the bridge downwards with safe, unimpeded casting.
Powberry is a shingle beach, quite steeply shelving, but often attracting fish into the deep water under the south bank.
At low and medium water levels the beat fishes very well with 14 ft rod and floating line.
Parking
The best place to park for access to the beat is in the lay-by on the B979, as indicated in yellow on the google maps beat map below. Vehicle access from Beaconhill Road is unfortunately no longer available due to private residence.
Maps
Middle Drum is a Lower Dee beat situated between Peterculter and Drumoak offering
approximately 1 mile of fishing from the left bank where there is very little wading required.
As the beat is mainly fished from the bank it is an ideal beat for novice and elderly fishers
alike.
Middle Drum is a beat that can produce early season sport for spring salmon, good grilse
and salmon sport in the summer and autumn. With lifts of water levels, evening sea trout
fishing can be good.
The beat, which is opposite Tilbouries, has a very comfortable bothy with heating and
catering facilities for teas and coffees as well as a toilet. There is seating provided outside
and there are some benches on the beat.
There is a super lower pool on the beat called the Lawson which is approximately 750
metres long. The fish lie close into the Middle Drum bank and are easily covered with a
short cast. This pool is fished from the bank with comfortable walkways and mown grass
areas down the length of it.
The main upper pool is called Cairnton and is again a good pool at the neck and tail for
salmon and sea trout.
Maps
- Click here: Middle Drum Beat Map (Google Maps)
- Click here: Middle Drum Beat Map (PDF)
Upper Feugh Maps
Heughhead
Heughhead Fishing extends to 1 mile of left bank fishing on the River Feugh where fishing is separated into 2 beats, upper and lower and consists of 10 fishing pools.
These pools offer a challenge, requiring stealth and finesse when the river is low and clear.
The upper beat has five named pools: Rothwell’s Run, Duke, Burn, The Willows and Grilse.
The lower beat has five named pools; Stepping Stones, Heughhead, Upper Scolty, Lower Scolty and Embankment.
The riverbanks are well maintained and provided easy access to the 10 pools.
These are rich water that serve as important spawning grounds for salmon and sea trout in the Dee system.
Maps: