TV presenter Robson Green has promised to return to the River Dee next year for a suitably “extreme” marathon challenge.
The actor-turned-presenter recently enjoyed a two-day fishing trip in the Banchory area with his partner Zoila, and told the River Dee Trust he would “never forget” his experience there.
With the guidance of ghillie Colin Simpson, he caught a salmon, lost another and played two seatrout before they also got away, at the Invery and Tilquillie beat.
Meanwhile, Zoila stayed at the Lower Blackhall and Banchory stretch of the river, and also played then lost one fish.
The Extreme Fishing presenter – who is no stranger to the River Dee, after officially opening it last year, said: “I caught a beautiful 4lb grilse that actually fought like a ten-pounder.
“It was in really good condition, and I saw another 60 or 70 in the first evening.
“Of all the rivers in Scotland and Britain, if I were to go to cast a line it would be the Dee.”
Marathon effort
Mr Green said he was planning to come back to the river in 2022 for the trust‘s 24-hour fishing marathon, following the success of this year’s event.
The #FishDee24 challenge, which was held last weekend, involved groups of three anglers fishing for three-hour shifts between 11pm on Friday and 11pm on Saturday, and raised £16,000 for work to help the river.
Mr Green said: “You don’t have to run this marathon, you just have to fish for 24 hours.
“If you can, please get involved. The reason this river is so spectacular and so beautiful is because so many people invest in it, are passionate about it and take care of it.
“You’ll be catching some of the best Atlantic salmon in the world. What a great thing to do. I’ll see you there.”