The salmon fishing season on the River Deveron has been officially opened after Scottish football legend, Colin Hendry, helped to bless the waters.
The Keith-born English Premier League winner joined a packed riverbank at Turriff on Saturday morning when he was given the honour of presenting this year’s Morison Trophy – which is presented to the fisherman or woman with the heaviest catch of the season – to Robert Craig.
Mr Hendry, who played for Rangers, Dundee and celebrated a title-winning season with Blackburn Rovers, won 51 international caps for his country.
And he was included in the Scotland national football team roll of honour in 2001.
Robert Shields, the founding member of the Deveron, Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust, was given the honour of toasting the River Deveron with a dram of Deveron malt whisky.
In addition to his trophy, presented to the fisher with the heaviest catch of the season, Mr Craig was awarded a new salmon rod, special fly box and a bottle of Deveron Malt from Dewar’s.
He reeled in a 34lb salmon from Kinnairdy.
Last night, Richie Miller, director of the River Deveron Salmon Fishery Board, described the weekend’s opening as “very successful”.
He said: “We had over 100 people there and we had Colin Hendry along, coming back to his roots, to present the trophy.
“Robert Shields, too, has been a great supporter of the river over the years.”
Snow showers had affected the region prior to the ceremony. But Mr Miller believes any remaining wintery weather will not affect anglers.
He added: “If it snows for many months, it could actually improve the fishing by drip-feeding water into the river.
“But we have never really had anything like that up here.”
The proceedings saw the official launch of a new enterprise by the river’s charitable trust.
The Deveron Smolt Tracking Project will build on evidence gained from last year’s research, which found a mortality rate of 60% for the species within the river, before they begin their migration to feeding grounds at sea.
The initiative, thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland, will tag about 40 smolts with special radio transmitters, which will allow project staff to determine the cause and location of their losses, and help plan future action to reduce the number.