An annual star-studded celebration of angling on the River Dee has been cancelled due to the pandemic, but lucky fishing fans will get the chance to land a very special honour for the 2022 season.
Every year, the grand opening of the Dee’s salmon fishing season is marked with a special celebrity guest having the first cast, and throwing a quaich of whisky into the north-east waterway to keep the salmon in “good health”.
Famous faces who have made the first ceremonial cast over the years include Billy Connolly in 2010, Alexander Armstrong of Pointless fame in 2017 and actor and fishing television show presenter Robson Green in 2020.
But although today marks the start of the 2020 season, there will be no usual ceremony as the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board must abide by the current Covid restrictions.
Instead, the board has announced a new event to decide who gets the honour of taking the first cast of next year’s salmon fishing season.
The 24-hour fishing session, which will take place in June, will be open to 30 anglers who will be asked to pay an entry fee of £100 and raise sponsorship to help protect the river’s salmon and their habitats.
Cash generated will go towards the River Dee Trust, a charitable organisation dedicated to conservation of the waterway, and the communities and wildlife that depend on it.
As well as the grand prize of following in the wader-clad footsteps of celebrities who have launched River Dee seasons in previous years, participants will be able to reel in a number of other treats.
Lorraine Hawkins, director of the River Dee Trust, said she hopes the announcement will help make up for the loss of this year’s grand opening.
She said: “We are disappointed not to be able to hold our annual opening ceremony this year because of Covid, so we thought we would try to give our anglers and novices something exciting to look forward to this summer, while raising much-needed funds for our vital river work.
“It promises to be a fun event, fishing up to seven stretches of river through night and day in June, with local hotels providing catering.
“We have a range of prizes on offer, including the considerable honour of making the first cast at the 2022 opening ceremony for the person who raises most sponsorship for the River Dee Trust.”
Today also marks the launch of a new website, www.flyfish50.com to encourage young and novice anglers and get more people fishing.
The new platform will promote upcoming fishing events, promote the area’s salmon and trout fishing, and provide tips and guidance to aspiring anglers.
Ms Hawkins added: “We want to develop a new generation of anglers at a time of growing recognition of the sport’s benefits for health and welfare.
“We have invested a lot of time and effort in encouraging new anglers over the years, and I am glad to say that with the support of our partners and volunteers we are attracting more and more new people to angling.”
