River Ugie, North East Scotland

The River Ugie, once respected as one of the best sea trout rivers in the UK, is starting to see numbers of seatrout beginning to flourish, thanks to its present owners Lunar Fishing Company.

It’s fair to say that, Alec Buchan senior, founder of Lunar Fishing, has a personal relationship with the Ugie, situated in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

Alec and Lunar Fishing purchased the river in November 2007 for the good of the local people.

Since the purchase, the company has virtually transformed the river overnight.

In conjunction with SEPA, the banks have been levelled during the last six years, resulting in pleasurable fishing experience with easy access to six miles of river from the popular “Cruives Pot” all the way to the local favourite “Meetings.”

A fish counter has also been installed by the owners including digital imagery that enables Lunar to capture fish as they migrate upstream.

The Ugie, although a small spate river, has a healthy run of seatrout thanks to the annual hatchery programme.

The rivers hatchery programme ensures that over 100,000 sea trout fry are re-introduced back into the tributaries on an annual basis.

The river is netted on the middle to upper reaches annually and fish are held, stripped and re introduced back into the system via the rivers hatchery.

Thanks to the owners and their vision for this fantastic river, numbers of sea trout are very healthy indeed.

Fishing for seatrout one hour before dark is and well into the night will reap the best rewards.

Fish can be heard splashing while making their way upstream in numbers quite often.

The lower reaches (Cruives, Pot Sunken, Castle Stream and Stonemill) are best until end of May, before heading further upstream to Artlaw, Buthlaw and Meetings during June, July and August.

The last two years have witnessed the average fish increase in weight to over 3lbs.

There have been a few fish well over 5lb caught recently which sets the standard for a great battle with the fly rod.

Season, Weekly or daily tickets can be purchased from The Ugie Smoke House, Golf Road, Peterhead, which boasts the title of “the oldest smoke house in Scotland” built in 1585 and still going strong to this day.

Tickets can also be purchased from Fishpal.

www.riverugie.co.uk.