TwinPeakes Fly Fishing Green Story

The focus of TwinPeakes Fly Fishing, since its inception in 2015, has always been to make the sport inclusive and to move away from the notion that it was only for the privileged and wealthy.   

 Our aim is to promote the sport of fly fishing to be accessible to all.  In turn this will raise awareness of the plight of the Atlantic Salmon and the urgent need to conserve Scottish Rivers and Lochs.

In Feb 2020 we set up the HQ of TwinPeakes Fly Fishing at the Milton of Crathes.  

Within one month the world was locked down.   

We knew how important fishing is to our community, so we set up a you tube channel to assist the fly-fishing communities online.   

Fortunately, in early summer 2020 fishing was one of the first sports that was permitted in Scotland, and within the restrictions at the time, we were able to welcome guests back on to the rivers.

Our Commitment of the environment

We have always recognised the plight of the Atlantic Salmon as stocks are reducing and were invited to be Ambassadors for the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST)in 2019 

 As Ambassadors of the AST, we are working to protect population of wild Salmon and Sea trout.  Our aim is to create a positive future for these at-risk species, using scientific research to understand their decline and supporting the trust through charitable donations to put evidence – based solutions into practice    

We also support the River Dee Trust, to who are working toward our vision of a thriving river supporting abundant biodiversity and binding strong the Deeside communities.  The river Dee is also a focus for intense freshwater conservation actions to help save the iconic Atlantic salmon, threatened and representative of all wildlife’s imminent threats.  We also work alongside landowners to maintain our surroundings, keep them free from pollution and the impact of the humans on our water courses.  

Health & wellbeing 

The benefits to health and well-being of fly fishing is without question, and a number of TV personalities are showcasing the sport and its benefits.   Robson Green, Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse to name but a few The benefits include physical activity, stress relief, improved co-ordination and balance and connection with nature All our team are passionate about their fly fishing, and we recognise the sport as extremely beneficial to their mental health.  We are fortunate to be able to encourage and facilitate the team to fly fish in company time.  We encourage our local community to get involved with fly tying in the winter months, by running events with some of the local celebrity fly tyer’s demonstrating their skill.  

Biodiversity and Environmental Impact 

For our business to survive we need to focus on increasing the stocks of Atlantic Salmon in the rivers. 

 TwinPeakes, operate the only community Disinfection station on the River Dee.  Through the disinfection of equipment, we are taking careful steps to make sure Gyrodactylus salaris, an extremely dangerous parasite, does not enter any Scottish water courses. 

  We encourage fishermen who have used their waders, boots and tackle outside the UK within the preceding 3 months to allow us to disinfect their kit free of charge.  

 We promote and follow Marine Scotland’s Best Practice on Catch and Release.  

By teaching guests, the merits of :     

- using appropriate fishing tackle

- playing and landing fish

    -  handling fish and how to release

  All of which increase the chances of survival of the released fish.  Catch and release is one of the most effective ways all anglers can contribute to the future of the sport 

Food and Drink

Our guests are provided with a fabulous deli style lunch provided by the Milton Brasserie, a local business which shares our belief in focusing of locally sourced produce and fresh ingredients from the finest food suppliers. 

 We use mineral water from Deeside Water which flows from natural springs nestled in the hills of the Cairngorms National Park.  Their bottles of water keep air miles to a minimum for us and their bottles are 100% recyclable including the caps and labels at most waste and recycling centres.  There glass bottles are made up of 35% recycled glass and are recyclable.

   Our fishing tackle and waders are sourced from international suppliers who share our beliefs.  Most of our waders are Patagonia brand. The owner Yvon Chouinard is transferring voting stock to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective which is a non-profit organisation fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature.  

Challenges and Next Steps

Although here at TwinPeakes we have done a lot and are proud of our green achievements we acknowledge that there's more to do.

  In the current climate of increased energy costs, we have examined our consumption and providers credentials. 

 Whilst we currently recycle our packaging, we propose to review our waste management policy.  We also encourage our customers to reduce, reuse and recycle.

 There is extremely limited public transport in this area, and we acknowledge that our travel is a significant contributor to our carbon emissions.  We are going to calculate our business’s carbon footprint and explore ways to reduce our emission.

  We will regularly review and improve our sustainability policy to ensure we are meeting our goals and staying up to date with the latest sustainable practices.