Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

River Dee Damsels: Angling to get more women into fishing

The River Dee Damsels are keen to see more women getting into fishing. Gayle Ritchie hooked up with the group for a bash at the sport.

It can be a daunting world for women to break into.

From out-of-date boys’ club banter to a lack of female-friendly facilities, angling has long been thought of as a man’s domain.

And yet uptake among women has been steadily improving, thanks to people like Tara Spiers who are passionately promoting the sport.

Aberdeen-based Tara founded the River Dee Damsels in 2018 in a bid to get ladies together to head out fishing without fear of judgment.

Tara shows Gayle the ropes. Picture: Wullie Marr.

“I felt quite intimidated when I started going into fishermen’s huts,” Tara tells me, when we meet up on the banks of the Dee at Tilquhillie, near Banchory.

“There would usually be a lot of men talking about lines and fishing weights, but I just wanted to get out on the river and have a go.

“Fishing wasn’t on my radar when I was younger – there was no obvious pathway into it.

“I was fortunate my husband knew about it, but I was conscious that lots of ladies coming on ‘intro days’ on the Dee didn’t know how to progress once they’d learned to cast.

“That’s why I set up the Damsels – with a view to introducing newbies to the sport and having a bit of a ‘comfort blanket’.

“It was about being able to support each other while fishing in a friendly and relaxed environment.”

Cosy fishing hut

Before I join the Damsels on the river, I swill back coffee and munch on slices of Tara’s delicious cake inside the cosy hut.

There’s a huge spread of lunch laid on here, too, with everything from quiche to homebakes to chocolate, crisps, sandwiches and wine. It’s clear that the focus is not 100% on fishing, which suits me fine!

Enjoying cake and coffee inside the cosy fishing hut. Picture: Wullie Marr.

Easy wading

I’ve tried fly fishing before, but Tara is keen to get me into waders for a shot on the Dee, which she says is known as a “ladies’ river” because of its “easy wading”.

I’m not great, but after a few duff attempts, and with Tara’s instruction (although she modestly tells me she’s not an instructor), I see improvements.

It’s good exercise, a great way to relax, and wow – what a view up and down the river.

Getting the hang of it. Picture: Wullie Marr.

Tara reckons women are becoming far more visible on riverbanks thanks to social media.

“We’re posting pictures online, and people are seeing us and wanting to get on board,” she says.

“I think as women we have a degree of guilt about taking time for ourselves, but when you do, you realise how much you need it.

“When I get into the water, everything melts away. It’s the one thing that allows me to switch off.”

A salmon fly hooked onto a rod. Picture: Wullie Marr.

Accessible sport

Tara started fishing seven years ago and is keen to stress how accessible it is.

“It’s for all walks of life, not just the tweed-clad, hunting, fishing, shooting set,” she says.

“It doesn’t need to be an expensive sport. There are so many ways to get into it.

“The more people that fish, the more appreciation there will be for the river, the environment and conservation matters.”

A group of fishing friends at the hut at Tilquhillie. Picture: Wullie Marr.

Secluded beat

We catch up with some more Damsels at Lower Woodend, a secluded beat accessed via a private estate track a few miles from Tilquhillie.

Here, Jacqueline Robertson tells me she joined the group after feeling she had to convince some fishermen she knew her stuff.

“I was working at Orvis, a fishing shop in Banchory, and some of the clientele didn’t agree with my advice!” she reveals.

“I thought the only way they’d listen would be if I was to be seen on the river with a rod in my hand.

“I joined a Damsels ladies day and built up my confidence and knowledge and then did Fishdee24 in 2021, a 24-hour fishing extravaganza.

Jacqueline, Tara and Fiona at Lower Woodend beat. Picture: Wullie Marr.

Jacqueline always looks forward to her days out with the Damsels, describing them as “such a great laugh”.

“It’s not just about being in the water,” she adds.

“It’s about being in cosy fishing huts, eating amazing lunches, having great conversations. There’s no judgment. It doesn’t matter your background or knowledge.”

When I get into the water, everything melts away. It’s the one thing that allows me to switch off.”

TARA SPIERS

Fiona Robertson took up fishing after her grandfather, a keen salmon fisherman, passed away. “I love it!” she says.

“And there’s such a warm, welcoming atmosphere in the Damsels. Everyone encourages you.”

Casting on the Dee. Picture: Wullie Marr.

Tara says while the Damsels are bringing in beginners, they’ve also got some “really proficient” ladies catching salmon.

“Over the year we’ve got a range of days for all abilities,” she says.

“Complete novices can come to intro days where they get casting instruction and learn what fishing’s all about.

Tara Spiers gives Gayle Ritchie some top tips on how to fly fish. Picture: Wullie Marr.

“We do ‘women, wine and waders’ nights, ‘read the river’ afternoon teas to raise money for charity and fishing days on the Dee.

“Many of the ladies have become so confident that they’re off fishing by themselves. They’ve formed great friendships. I’m really proud of them all.”

Tara watches as Gayle lets her line drop. Picture: Wullie Marr.
  • Tara is a director of the River Dee Trust.
  • The first ‘ladies learn to fish day’ next season will be on March 17 2023. For more information see Facebook, Instagram or email riverdeedamsels@gmail.co.uk

Conversation