Nestled in Aberdeenshire’s scenic landscapes, The Fife Arms provides access to exceptional fishing spots. Transitioning from luxury, anglers can explore the nearby River Dee, renowned for its abundant salmon population. Furthermore Loch Bainnie and Loch Vrotachan offers a tranquil setting for trout fishing enthusiasts. However you should be prepared for a long hike to reach them.
Moving beyond, the River Don offers some of the best trout fishing in Scotland, and a chance of a salmon. Amidst picturesque surroundings, fishing adventures take on a new dimension of beauty and serenity. To sum up, The Fife Arms serves as the perfect starting point for exploring Aberdeenshire’s rich fishing heritage.

How far is the River Dee from the Fife Arms?
Firstly the Upper reaches of the River Dee is about half a mile from the hotel. However its a 45 minute drive to the more productive middle beats like Ballogie, Carlogie and Commonty. Equally Kincardine makes a good option for two anglers, and they can get exclusive use of the beat.

Guided River trout fishing near the Fife Arms
Understandibly not all guests wish to target the elusive salmon. Aberdeenshire oofers many river fishing opportunities, easily reached from the hotel. Nearby, the River Dee offers trout fishing on various beats. Sometimes a salmon permit is required to gain access. However when you get exclusive use of a stretch, its worth it. Traveling north, the River Don is one of Europes finest trout streams. Located 1 hour 15 minutes North of the hotel is the magnificent River Deveron. We can offer a truly iimmersive trout fishing experience here.

Fishing tackle, wader hire from the Fife arms
For convinience we can provide premium fishing tackle and waders for our guests. However we do not hire fishing tackle or waders to non Alba guests. Moreover, the tackle we provide highest quality and inspiring enough to leave yours at home. Currently we use Sage, Orvis, Redington and Scott Mackenzie Fly rods

Typically a fishing day starts with a pick up at the hotel around 8- 8:30am. Thereafter there’s a 30-40 minute drive to the fishing hut. As a result, fishing usually starts on the river beat 9am to 9:30am.
Best time of the year to fish the River Dee and Don?
Traditionally the River Dee has been a productive Spring river. Consequently, many anglers target April and May for that elusive River Dee springer. This is a sought after prize for all game anglers. Summer fishing can be good if the river levels are fishable. However the last few years we’ve had dry summers, so it pays to keep flexible with tactics and switch venues in dry conditions. For example, the last two years saw low water conditions each summer and anglers used nymphing techniques in the deeper pots to catch fish. On some occasions, we swicthed to the River Ness or Spey, if the levels were better.

Finally Autumn runs of salmon are productive on these Scottish rivers. Naturally the fish are displaying Autumn livery and colour up, but still remain a prize for game anglers.
How far is the River Spey from the Fife Arms?
Firstly its just over the hour to reach the best beats of the River Spey from the hotel. The River Spey is one of Scotland’s best salmon rivers, and one of the world’s most iconic. We have four fishing guides available to guide on various beats of the Spey. It’s also possible to combine a day on the Spey fishing for salmon with a distillery visit.
