CASTS ON THE DEE AND SPEY. By Iain D. Ogden.

2015 1st edition. 8vo paperback (146 x 205mm). Ppii,317. Colour photographs. Edition limited to 250 copies.

"Iain Ogden first began fishing for salmon while studying at Aberdeen University in the early 1970s. As a microbial biochemist in an Aberdeen Fisheries Research Laboratory he bought and renovated an old cottage on the Drum estate where he met and fished regularly with the late Archie Davidson - renowned ghillie on the Middle Drum beat of the Aberdeenshire Dee. The die of pursuing wild salmon with rod and line having been firmly cast he began fishing several times a week on the prestigious waters at Tilbouries and Park as a guest of their owners. Here he was witness to the last of the great spring runs on rivers covered in 'grue' where double figure catches were commonplace; and sporting lairds who gladly shared stories of even greater days when some estate totals repeatedly exceeded 1,000 springers annually. Inevitably, his passion for catching salmon led to the banks of many other Scottish rivers including the Spey, Deveron and Findhorn, and the Alta, Gaula and Orkla in Norway. He has now landed more than 1,000 salmon to his own rod. This book details a personal account of the casts, characters, traditions and wildlife encountered while fishing these classic rivers, and gives a rare insight into the way traditional salmon angling was conducted before the days of breathable waders, baseball caps and mass-marketing." Chapters include: Background; Archie; The three lairds; Tales involving ghillies; Tackle and tactics; Amusing and unusual moments; Special moments; Great catches; Tales from Norway; Adverse weather conditions; Biology and riverside flora and fauna; Sundry stories; Some historical perspectives; Final thoughts; Obituaries: Willie Gunn; Richard Waddington.