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The Deveron Fish and Catch Records 

 

The district has a well deserved reputation as top class angling river, with runs of spring, summer and often prolific runs of autumn salmon through to its season's end on 31st October. Deveron has the fifth highest salmon and sea trout catch in Scotland and currently holds the record for the heaviest UK fly caught salmon (61lb, caught by Mrs. Clementina “Tiny” Morison, on 21st October 1924).

 

River Statistics

 

Length of river system :
96km.

Catchment area :
1260km2

Ten year average (1998-2007):
Salmon and grilse 3166
Sea Trout 1019

The Season :
Feb 11 to Oct 31

 

Catch Statistics

The numbers of all fish caught (including returned fish) are submitted to the Board at the end of each season and are collated by the Clerk.

The returns for the 2010 fishing season submitted to the RDevDSFB showed an overall catch of 4042 Salmon and Grilse (2843in 2009) and 1362 Sea Trout (759in 2009).

The 2010 catch & release figures were 59% salmon & grilse returned with 73% sea trout returned.

Atlantic Salmon

They return from their feeding grounds in the North Atlantic to spawn in their natal burn. Mature Deveron salmon of around 11lbs to 15lbs are common and fish of more than 25lbs are reported annually. Fish enter the river throughout the year with around 200 springers being caught by June, summer fish run in good water whilst autumn salmon are abundant from September to the end of October when the season closes. The main grilse run, like many other rivers, are appearing in numbers in late July- August which is 6 weeks later than the traditional mid summer timing.

The average annual catch is around 3000 fish with recent highs of over 4000 in 2004, 2007, 2008 % 2010.

Sea Trout

A fighting fish often considered a more exciting catch than a salmon. It migrates annually to the sea and is frequently caught at dawn or dusk. Five pound Deveron sea trout are common with fish upto 10-12lbs not uncommon. Sadly, catches have declined from a high of 3500 to under 500 which is mirrored in many east coast rivers.

The Trust is actively engaged in trying to identify the reasons for this decline and is now a member of the Moray Firth Sea Trout Project (MFSTP).

The 'Brownie' or brown trout

The same species as the sea trout, but it stays in the river all year. The brownie is a classic 'breakfast fish' but can grow to more than 3lbs with specimens of over 5lbs caught regularly.

61 lbs Deveron Salmon – The Heaviest UK Fly-Caught Salmon

Morison record catch

Tiny Morison & her 61 lbs Deveron Salmon – The Heaviest UK Fly-Caught Salmon.

The day of the 21st October 1924 probably started off as any other, being the beginning of Autumn the leaves where probably turning deliciously golden as they do here on Deveronside and people where probably going about their daily business as they always did and I’m sure there was a hive of anglers on the river trying to catch that last trophy fish; in fact we can honestly say that we definitely know of one angler giving their rod a whip and a cast. On that day; here on Deveronside something occurred and you could say it included a slight piece of “magic”. At Lower Shaws on the banks of the River Deveron a record was smashed and a legend born. The fish in question was a Salmon weighing in at 61lb and a highly prised specimen and the angler being a local lady by the name of Mrs Clementina “Tiny” Morison. The record achieved was that the fish became the heaviest UK fly caught salmon. Little did she know at the time but here on Deveronside and on that day a legend was born. To this date and with the combined efforts of many generations of anglers passing by all the UK’s game angling rivers, the achievements of Tiny Morrison are still to be replicated. The 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'. It was caught on a 1.25'' “Brown Wing Killer”. On the day of her 'big catch', Mrs Morison had already caught other sizable fish - two of 16lb each and another of 12lb. 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”.

Colonel A.E Scott 56 lbs Salmon 1920 

Featured in The Illustrated London News on 11th November 1922 and is also in the 'Doomsday Book of Giant Salmon' by Fred Buller, this fish was caught by Colonel A.E Scott on 31st October 1920 with a size 1/0 'Brittania' fly. This large fish was 50'' long with a girth of 29''. The beat on which it was caught is not known. 

10lb 2oz Brown Trout

Another record fish in 2005

A 10lb 2oz brown trout caught by John Sheard of Keith in May 2005 on the River Isla - he also caught a 4lb brown trout during the summer. The larger fish could be a record brown trout caught in a river (as opposed to still water).


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