Update: River Don Bank Maintenance
Members will be pleased to know that Nicky and his Band of helpers have been kept busy over these past few days attending to the needs of just some of our River Don Beats, clearing away fallen trees and general riverbank maintenance, ready for the seasons opening at the weekend. Here are just a few examples of works undertaken.
Kemnay, Pitcaple
This short but additional fishing opportunity for Association members offers additional fishing on the middle stretch of the river. The fence at the roadside adjacent to the estate car park by the bridge has been made safe to enable easy access down to the riverbank. Overgrown rushes and alder trees have been trimmed back to enable unhindered casting. Members are advised that the small burn that runs into the river above the bridge is deep, and it would not be wise to try and wade across, it is best crossed by following the burn upstream where there is a safe crossing.
Lower Stoneywood
Members are aware this beat is a short continuation upstream from our Snuffies pool. Here the riverbank has been neglected for a considerable period and consequently recent storms have added even more branches to the already fallen entanglement of branches and debris that has accumulated with past floods. Thanks to Nicky and his team armed with chainsaws clippers and considerable grit, the bank is now cleared and welcomes anglers to try their luck on this newly acquired beat.
Grandholm:
Sadly, Storm Arwen brought down two huge trees on the North bank at the Smiddy and not only blocking access along the footpath but also these trees fell a fair way out into the river. To remove the lower part of the tree trunk heavy plant would be required. However, Nicky and his team expertly removed all the limbs and branches that blocked access along the public footpath at the location of these trees but very carefully and with much caution, his team cut those branches away in the river that would hitherto interfere with fishing. The attached photographs will show the amount of hard work that this task entailed.
Lower Parkhill North Left bank
Like the beats mentioned above recent storms we have experienced brought down quite a few overhanging branches along the riverbank and footpath on this beat, which if not cleared, would make an angling experience there more on parr to taking part an obstacle course in the Royal Marines. However, after consultation with a representative of the estate we are very fortunate that they offered to assist in removing fallen branches from the bankside paths and the water’s edge. But there is still some work to do mainly lopping branches that overhang onto the river. This work has been noted and beat convenor Lewis Baxter and Nicky will undertake to carry out this work over the next few days
