I can?t pretend I have ever really been a fan of the ?fish pal? web site concept of promoting and selling fishing believing that, by the necessity of having extra middle men to pay, it probably pushes up permit prices and perhaps even adds to pressure on already hard pressed wild fisheries. As far as Fish Don goes, in its early days, it may even have knocked a few local noses out of joint.
It never really seemed to take off.
Fish Don seldom if ever seemed to be updated and was frankly a bit of an embarrassment to some of us locals here on Donside when we browsed active and dynamic sites like Fish Tweed, Fish Tay or Fish Dee.
Regardless of whether you approve of such sites or not, if they are going to be there the information really should, at the very least, be current and useful.
The good news is things have now started to change.
Former River Don Trust Chairman Dave Gordon (our own driverdave) has grabbed the bull by the horns (or maybe even the web site by the URLs) and aims to make Fish Don functional and useful.
While some may talk a good game, Dave typically plays fast and hard. Don?t get in his way!
Within a week of Dave taking over up to date reports have started to appear, fishing prospects are being updated and new beats have been added. Things are, at long last, looking up for Fish Don.
Take a look.
http://www.fishpal.com/Scotland/Don/index.asp?dom=Don
If you have any information that might be useful to Dave you can contact him on:
reports@riverdon.org.uk
Reports or any information can be general (in fact they really are best to be) and take account of conservation concerns.
Good luck with this project Dave, where do you get the energy?!!!
I granted Dave permission to use some of our forum photos on Fish Don.
There are now a few ugly mugs decorating the rejuvenated site.
Incidentally, I hear on the local grapevine that some believed I had taken over the running of Fish Don and there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth............... :roflmao as if I would have time for that when already running the best, busiest, most elitist and desirable Scottish based web forum. :D
Honestly, what a bunch! :roll:
Mark came out of it rather well I thought and the Sage bunnet makes a refreshing change from the more usual Orvis livery. :D
Luckily you can only see the back of Alex's heid. :lol:
Quote from: buzz on July 09, 2010, 09:05:49 PM
albeit i don't remember holding a fish nor wearing a baseball cap.
That's because I photo-shopped them in.
I just noticed Alex is wearing a Guideline jaikit. :shock:
There is just too much subliminal advertising goes on these days. :lol:
An update:
I don?t know how many of you have been following the progress of Fish Don since Dave Gordon took it by the scruff of the neck and gave it a much needed shake!
Progress has been excellent with regular reports and updates. Fish Don is now, at last, a dynamic and useful resource and not an embarrassment to the North East Angling community.
The Don needs people like Dave who actually get out there and play a hard game rather than just talk about it from the terraces.
While we are at it, a very hearty thank you to the members of this, The Wild Fishing Forum, who actively helped raise funds for the River Don Trust and paid for the underwater video camera that is now being used to help the Trust undertake various essential projects on the river.
Well done guys, yes we are the only forum that actively supports the River Don Trust by real action and not just empty words, but more than that it says much about the hard work and generosity of those who tied the flies, supplied the tackle and placed the bids.
You are a credit to both our forum and to Scottish Wild Fishing; we lead and others follow! :8)