It is very encouraging to note that anglers continued to return substantial numbers of fish to the river on a voluntary basis. We hope that 2005 will show similar figures


Beat that...

Mrs Morison's 61 pounder wasn't weighed until 24-hours after it was caught and so some weight was certainly lost. Mr Harper, who attended to the catch, reckoned on a weight loss of 'a pound or two'.

Mrs Morison, a Stewart from Laithers - proud of her connection with Mary Queen of Scots - lived in a splendid mansion at Mountblairy where shooting and fishing parties were the order of the day.

On the day of her 'big catch', Mrs Morison had already caught other sizable fish - two of 16lb each. She wrote to her friend Lt. Col. W. Keith reporting the drama: 'I rushed down put my hands in his gills and dragged him up onto the bank. He looked enormous lying there - a huge male fish, well hooked but a beautiful shape and coloured. I had no idea what a prize he was. We sent him to Aberdeen to get a cast made'.

Charles Middleton was the Morison's chauffeur and although he was only 11-years-old when the big fish was caught he remembers the excitement.; 'The fish was enormous. They had to get a horse and cart to take it back from the river. It was smoked and we all got a piece'

Another record ??.

A 10 lbs 2 oz brown trout caught by John Sheard of Keith in May 2005 on the River Isla - he also caught a 4 lbs brown trout during the summer. The larger fish could be a record brown trout caught in a river ( as opposed to a still water ). The stomach contents were full of fresh water shrimp and gravel and no sign of it turning"ferrox" (cannibal).

Other Board contacts

Dee and Don
George Alpine, Paul and Williamsons, Investment House, 6 Union Row, Aberdeen AB9 8DQ. Tel: (01224) 621 621

Spey
W Cowie, R and R Urquhart, 121 High Street, Forres, Morayshire IV36 0AB Tel: 013096 72216)

Ugie
B Milton, Masson and Glennie, Broad House, Broad Street, Peterhead, AB42 6JA 01779 474271

Ythan
M Andrew, Estate Office, Mains of Haddo, Tarves, Aberdeenshire AB41 7LD 01651 851664