Kemnay Beat Summary

link to beat map

Kemnay water was purchased by the Association within the last ten years and is very much in its infancy as one of the Association beats. This is definitely a beat that fishes best for salmon in a big water. Much of the water is quite sluggish and not very many of the pools are what is imagined when thinking of classic salmon water. When the water is up by a foot or so though, the beat adopts a totally new character and most of the pools assume a distinctly ‘fishy' look.

This is our one beat on the Don where truly wild brownies can be caught, my personal best from Kemnay was a 4 ¾ lb trout taken on a dry Greenwell spider, and I have had a good number over 2 lb. Normally it is the second half of April and the start of May that gives you the best chance with the brownies. Summer evening rises, although not as prolific as they once were, are still worth visiting Kemnay for. I have never done particularly well at Kemnay for seatrout, either the beat simply does not suit them, or perhaps more likely, the bulk of the seatrout run does not go any further than the Urie, which joins the Don a few miles downstream.

The upper part of the beat is very easy going, with a public footpath running alongside the river down to the Academy above the School pool. Although you will see a few folk out taking a walk, it is by no means busy. The lower half of the beat is more secluded, but be warned, from the bottom end of the lower Chapel the going can be quite tough owing to the boggy nature of the banks.

Bridge pool

The beat starts up at the bridge within the village itself and unsurprisingly this pool is named the Bridge pool. It is a long pool and fish lie mainly from the bridge itself down to around the bend where there is a big alder tree on the South bank. There is a definite lie up towards the bridge, another one down where the path meets the river from the high bank, just in front of an old Gean tree and again down on the bend itself. I have been told by fishermen that fished herein days gone by that this was often a pool to produce big fish from this bottom lie, right in front of the Alder tree. The bottom section of the pool can give excellent sport with the dry fly, but I have never had much success for salmon down here.

The Dooker

From here, walking down stream you come to a small island with a bonny stream running down the side which progresses down into the next pool. It was from this stream that I had the big trout I mentioned earlier and it was feeding in water no deeper than a foot, sipping in olives, giving every appearance of your normal ¾ lb brownie. He was returned, so hopefully he may be back on station next spring, sipping in the olives. The pool that this stream runs into is generally known as the Dooker, as there is a sandy bay down beyond the middle of the pool where the kids go ‘dooking' or swimming in the summer. The pool itself is fairly shallow until taking a bend just above this sandy bay and the upper half is not much good for salmon. There are some super trout that rise, particularly over towards the North bank, which is lined with mature elm trees in the upper part of the pool. It is the lower half that is of interest to the salmon fisher. Like most of the beat it fishes best when the water is up by a foot or so. There is a distinct ridge of rock right out from the sandy bay, the main salmon lie is directly above this, although I have caught them right down onto the tail.

The Island

Immediately below the Dooker you come to an attractive, streamy little pool, one of the few places that looks good in a low water on the Kemnay beat. Although it looks like an ideal place for a salmon to stop during periods of low water, I have yet to land one from here. I have heard of the odd one being taken though. Again there are some cracking brownies in here. From here down, for a few hundred yards, the water is streamy, but fairly shallow.

The School

Kemnay academy sits more or less at the top of the bank from this little pool, which isn't really much more than a few casts worth. I feel I should cover it though as I have had a degree of success here when the fish are running. It has all the hallmarks of one of those gliding tails that fish are liable to take a breather in after negotiating section of rough water, which is immediately below it. Once the water drops though, it's not really worth the effort. Between here and the next pool, the Upper Chapel, is that section of rough water I mentioned. I have had trout to 3 lb from the back of the island here on the weighted nymph fish Czech style. A method particularly suited here.

Upper Chapel

This pool obviously takes its name from the old ruined chapel down on the North bank at the tail of the pool. There is a nice streamy neck to this pool which is unfortunately a bit on the shallow side. There are fish caught here though, the best of the lies at the neck are from the gate on the opposite bank down to the Alder trees opposite the sewage outflow. Yes, I'm afraid there is a sewage plant up off of our bank, don't let this put you off of visiting the lower part of the beat though as it is totally unobtrusive as far as the fishing is concerned. There are times when the lower half of the pool fishes well too, but once again you need the extra water to provide decent flow. The lower part of the pool is definitely one of the places to head for when the trout are rising as well, especially in amongst the big boulders.

Kemnay Main River

Kemnay Bridge

Just below the dooker

Lower Chapel

I have also heard this pool called the Dam, as it used to be dammed at the bottom with a lade directed down past the old mill at the limit of the beat. This is probably the most productive pool, I recall speaking to the previous owners husband who told me that he once had a thirty pounder from here. This is another long dead pool when there is no water. There is a huge stone half way down the pool and when the water is just lipping over the top of this stone is when this pool generally fishes best. The place to concentrate on is from just above this stone down to the tail. There are occasional fish caught up in the neck, but the bottom is the better half. It is worth fishing right down to the narrow gut just as the water spills over what remains of the dam as it is fairly deep. I have had a few fish right down here.

This brings us to the last few hundred yards of the beat, which, although it is not suitable for salmon, holds some tremendous trout. A mixture of strong streamy water and riffles, it is perfectly suited to fishing the nymph Czech style. This is water to rival any other trout stream on the Don, particularly when you consider that none of these ones have been stocked.