Salmon numbers in parts of the Dee are the best for 20 years

Chef and animal welfare campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was the first to cast off at the annual celebration.

It has been estimated that salmon numbers in part of the river are at their highest for 20 years.

A fisheries strategy to encourage more young people to get involved in angling was also unveiled at the event.

Mark Bilsby, river director for the Dee, said he was "delighted" Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall could attend and hoped he was impressed by the free-range nature of their salmon.

"Our fish range over several thousand miles as they go out to sea and then come back to spawn in their burns so you can't get much more free-range than that," he said.

The day's events were about celebrating the River Dee, he explained.

"We're proud of the river," he added. "It's shaped the valley here, it supports about 500 jobs in the rural economy and so it's important to celebrate the river."