News

River Doon – Smithston Rental Syndicate 2025

by Struan Candlish | Apr 10, 2025 | fishing | 0 Comments

There is now only one vacancy in for the rental syndicate 2025, for a Wednesday rod. The cost is £400 for the season. For further details, please contact the Syndicate via https://www.smithston.co.uk/smithston-rental-syndicate-2025 or email at...

Planting Trees on the Mauchline Burn with the Dunbia Group.

by Struan Candlish | Apr 3, 2025 | Events, Green engineering, Projects | 0 Comments

Last week we were joined on the Mauchline Burn by the Dunbia Group who donated £1000 towards planting trees across the project area. Despite it being a very dreich morning we planted around 150 trees with the group which was a massive boost to the burn. Ian and our...

Removing the Davington Weir on the Border Esk.

by Struan Candlish | Feb 13, 2025 | Conservation, General | 2 Comments

In October last year we removed a concrete weir on the Davington Burn, a tributary of the Border Esk. Having won the contract, we worked with Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to remove the weir and restore the burn to its natural state, reconnecting...

Wild Fisheries Fund Project Video.

by Struan Candlish | Dec 12, 2024 | Conservation, General, Projects | 0 Comments

We were recently joined by Jon Gibb for the Wild Fisheries Fund to look at the Maucline Burn (Ayr catchment) and Brockloch Burn (Doon catchment) where we have been busy fencing, tree planting and green engineering along with solving livestock watering issues. The...

Salmon Spawning 2024

by Stuart Brabbs | Dec 11, 2024 | Conservation, General | 0 Comments

As ever, the culmination of each year's hard work is rewarded by seeing fish successfully spawning in our rivers and burns across Ayrshire. Spawning activity has been noticeably slow to start this season although it is possible that a few fish spawned around 3 weeks...

Christmas Present Ideas!

by Struan Candlish | Dec 6, 2024 | Events, General | 0 Comments

With Christmas approaching rapidly it's time to start thinking about gifts for friends, family and partners. Why not treat someone to one of our fine art river maps showing named beats and major salmon pools with beautiful watercolours of key locations. We have prints...

Muck Water Path Erosion Update

by Struan Candlish | Dec 6, 2024 | Conservation, General, Green engineering | 0 Comments

This time of years see the staff spending more time in front of computers writing reports, developing funding applications with less time spent on the banks of our rivers and burns. This is before and after of some green engineering on the Muck Water at Dalmellington....

River Girvan Board Meeting and AGM

by Struan Candlish | Nov 28, 2024 | Events | 0 Comments

NOTICE OF MEETING RIVER GIRVAN DISTRICT SALMON FISHERY BOARD Date of Meeting: Wednesday 11th December, 2024 Venue: Carrick Centre, Culzean Road, Maybole,...