Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Happy New Year 2009.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Happy New Year 2009.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards. www.looncartoons.co.uk.

Happy New Year to one and all. Tight lines in 2009.
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Salmon Fishing Scotland Atlantic Salmon in the Almondbank Hatchery in Perthshire, Scotland.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Atlantic Salmon in the Almondbank Hatchery in Perthshire, Scotland.

This is a video of Alantic Salmon in a Tank at the Almondbank Hatchery, Perthshire, Scotland. These fish were caught up by Ghillies recently from the lower Tay.
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Salmon Fishing Scotland Almondbank Hatchery, Perthshire, Scotland.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Almondbank Hatchery, Perthshire, Scotland.

This is an underwater video of Atlantic Salmon at the Almondbank Hatchery in Perthshire, Scotland. These salmon are nearly ready to strip and were caught by various means in recent weeks. It has been very difficult to get brood stock this years due to fluctuating circumstances with the weather. Recently the Tay river bailiffs have been working round the clock to get as many eggs as possible into the Hatchery with the help of the Tay Ghillies. Well done all.
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Hogmanay 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Hogmanay 2008.

2009 is nearly upon us, let us hope it is a good one.
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Monday, December 29, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Fishing Humour 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Fishing Humour 2008.

I wonder how many of us have thought like this over the years. Compliments of the season to one and all.
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Friday, December 26, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Shooting Humour December 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Shooting Humour December 2008.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards. www.looncartoons.co.uk.

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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Christmas Greetings 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Christmas Greetings 2008.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards. www.looncartoons.co.uk.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperious New Year.
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Margaret The Stanley Lollipop Lady.


This is a story about Geordies wife-Margaret.
Lollipop lady is to moo-ve on

Dec 23 2008 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

MUCH-LOVED lollipop lady Margaret Stewart escorted the pupils of Stanley Primary School over the village’s Perth Road for the last time on Friday.

And Margaret (65) told the PA she plans to swap children for cattle in a bid to keep active during her retirement.

“I started as a lollipop lady 34 years ago because the local policeman who was around at the time asked me to.

“I said I’d do it until my youngest daughter went from Stanley Primary to Perth Grammar School.

“But now she’s married, and has children, and I’m still doing it!

“It was my 65th birthday in November and my husband Geordie bought me a cow, I couldn’t believe it!

“We’ve called her Flossie, she actually had a calf recently – we’re going to keep them on a green near our house.

“We haven’t given the calf a name yet but I might be a bit cheeky and name it after my husband,” she said.

Margaret is not the only person to be given a cow upon reaching a significant milestone.

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer was also given the unusual prize after winning the first of his five Wimbledon titles in 2003.

With four adult children and six grandchildren, the Stanley resident went on to say that – coupled with her impending agricultural activities – she has plenty to keep her busy.

But Margaret added that her time on the crossing holds many fond memories.

“I will definitely miss the job, especially the kids and the exercise.

“The crossing is a brisk five-minute walk from my house and I had to do that, there and back, three times a day.

“I could tell anyone who wanted to know the name of every child who goes to the school, I will miss being able to do that.

“But I’ve had a good run and I’ve enjoyed it and, I tell you what, I won’t miss the winters,” she said.

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Salmon Fishing Scotland Merry Christmas.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all and tight lines in 2009.
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Salmon Fishing Scotland Humourous Hunting Rebellion.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Humourous Hunting Rebellion.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards. www.looncartoons.co.uk.

It's Christmas and the Pheasants are on strike.
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Christmas Cheer December 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Christmas Cheer December 2008.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards. www.looncartoons.co.uk.

At Christmas we all rush around like headless chickens so for goodness sake sit down and have a rest and relax women and gents alike.
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Monday, December 22, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Humourous Natural Regeneration.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Humourous Natural Regeneration.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards. www.looncartoons.co.uk.

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Sunday, December 21, 2008

Salmon fishing Scotland Pheasant Hunting Humour in Scotland.

Salmon fishing Scotland Pheasant Hunting Humour in Scotland.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards. www.looncartoons.co.uk.

Hark the Herald Angels sing watch out for the Sloe Gin.
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Saturday, December 20, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Stalking Humour from Scotland December 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Stalking Humour from Scotland December 2008.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards.www.looncartoons.co.uk.

This post is for Kath and Brian. Merry Christmas have a good one.
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Friday, December 19, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Hunting Humour December 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Hunting Humour December 2008.

The Sporting Cartoons of Alasdair Hilleary: An online catalogue for Loon limited edition prints and postcards. www.looncartoons.co.uk.

The fox's lie in wait but if that Pheasant hits them they will get a sore one!
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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Atlantic Salmon being stripped of Eggs at the Hatchery at Almondbank, Perthshire, Scotland.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Atlantic Salmon being stripped of Eggs at the Hatchery at Almondbank, Perthshire, Scotland.

Video of an Atlantic Salmon being stripped in the Hatchery at Almondbank, Perthshire, Scotland.
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon in the Hatchery at Almondbank, Perthshire, Scotland.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon in the Hatchery at Almondbank, Perthshire, Scotland.

Video of Atlantic Salmon in the Hatchery at Almondbank, Perthshire, Scotland.

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Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Reintroduction of Beavers to Scotland.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Reintroduction of Beavers to Scotland.

This is a very serious issue as all Salmon boards in Scotland are trying to improve river habitat by freeing blockages such as falling trees to maximise the spawning potential but SNH are proposing to release beavers in Scotland which will then undo the work carried out by river boards at great cost. Salmon fishing is extremely important to the Scottish Economy and brings in millions of pounds and provides hundreds of Jobs in the rural community. What planet are these people on?

Beavers Face Off Against Salmon in Scotland

A former British cricket star is leading a group of celebrities who are concerned that reintroducing beavers in the country could be “catastrophic” for salmon fishing.


Beavers to Make a Comeback, After 400 Years
Retired cricket player and recreational salmon fisherman Sir Ian Botham says that a plan to bring beavers back into Scotland could seriously damage the country’s salmon fishing industry, which is worth about 75 million pounds per year. Native beavers have not been seen in the country in 400 years, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Other celebrity anglers who have joined Botham in his opposition include former ITN newscaster Fiona Armstrong, former Gordon Brown spokesman Charlie Whelan, and BBC Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman.

Four beaver families are planned for release in Knapdale, Argyll, in the spring. If the initial project goes well, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland plan to release hundreds more of the animals across the Scottish countryside as part of a six-year project. However, research suggests that dams built by beavers could cause 80 percent of salmon spawning locations to become blocked in several areas, which would in turn affect juvenile salmon numbers.

“Salmon stocks took a hell of a hammering in the ‘60s on a lot of rivers and are only just starting to come back,” Botham said to The Telegraph. “A lot of work and time and money has gone into developing these rivers and making sure they fulfill their potential and go back to what they were.”
Opinion & Analysis: “Is the reintroduction of beavers a serious threat to Scotland’s salmon stocks?”
Sources in this Story

* The Telegraph: Sir Ian Botham warns beaver plan could be catastrophic for salmon fishing
* The Scotsman: Cricket hero Botham among celebrity anglers who fear reintroduction of Beavers will decimate salmon stocks
* The Scotsman: Burning Issue: Is the reintroduction of beavers a serious threat to Scotland’s salmon stocks?
* findingDulcinea: Unsolved Sea Lion Death Spotlights Fight over Salmon
* findingDulcinea: UK Rabbit Policy Illustrates Animal Protection Conflicts
* The Independent: Washington plans mass slaughter of America’s mustangs

Andrew Graham-Stewart, a writer on salmon and salmon conservation issues, writes in the Scotsman that despite the beaver lobby’s claim that the animals are harmless, dams will have a serious effect on salmon numbers. He calls it “crassly irresponsible” for Scottish authorities to risk harming a $100 million pound industry that employs more than 2,000 people. “We are told that hundreds of years ago salmon and beavers co-existed happily in Scotland. Even if that were the case (and there is no way of knowing how the two species interacted back then), the situation now bears no comparison. Land use has changed beyond all recognition, and we now have a salmon angling industry which is entirely dependent upon there being adequate numbers of adult salmon to catch.”

“Introducing beavers into Scotland is a ludicrous proposition. They will upset the ecological balance—they’ll be wanting to bring back bears next,” Whelan said to The Telegraph.

But Simon Jones, Scottish Beaver Trial project manager at Scottish WildlifeTrust, points out that more than 25 European countries have been successful in reintroducing beavers in the past few decades and that they have been found to have a positive effect on wildlife. “If beavers were indeed a serious threat to salmon, there would have been scientific research and widespread active beaver management to show for this, which is not the case. If salmon were unable to get over or bypass beaver dams they would not be found above them—yet evidence shows they are.”

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Salmon Fishing Scotland Kelt Reconditioning December 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Kelt Reconditioning December 2008.

This is Steve Keay stripping a ripe female Atlantic Salmon at the Government Hatchery at Almondbank, Perthshire, Scotland. The salmon they keep in the tanks there are ready to spawn. These Atlantic salmon have been caught throughout the Tay system over the years by various methods and once they have spawned they are reconditioned as kelts to spawn again the following year. Several of the salmon have spawned in excess of 7 times. In fact one fish had spawned 11 times but unfortunately died.

These are the eggs in a trays. All the reconditioned salmon are spring salmon and they are put back into the various tributaries of the Tay system that they came from. There are only 3 rod caught salmon left in the Tanks and one was a springer i caught seven years ago.

The salmon in the tanks.
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Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Migrating Nature's top 40.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Migrating Nature's top 40.

The spectacle of the Atlantic Salmon leaping out of the water as it returns to its spawning grounds is one of the most dynamic migration displays to be seen anywhere in the animal kingdom.
Link to this spectacle here.
The Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) is a migratory fish which is 'anadromous' - this means that it migrates from the sea into fresh waters to spawn. There is just one species of Atlantic Salmon compared with the six species of Pacific Salmon.

During their journey the salmon undergo remarkable changes as they head for their spawning grounds. When the fish first enter the river system from the sea they’re a silvery colour. Then the males go through many radical physical and physiological changes. They stop feeding, their flanks change colour and they take on all sorts of hues – reds and greens – known locally as "taking on the tartan". Males also develop a pronounced jaw which lengthens to form a hook known as a kype, and their sexual organs develop.

The fish are driven by their hormones – it’s said that they can 'smell' the right river. When they arrive at their destination, the Salmon start leaping. They generally reach a height of around four feet, but this depends on the height of the water at the time. The highest Salmon leap in the UK is thought to be 11-12 feet. The Salmon sometimes dive down deep to get a bit of momentum for their leap so they can power their way upstream with maximum energy. They also have to rest and recuperate between a series of leaps.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Atlantic Salmon migrating to the Spawning grounds on the River Almond, Perthshire, Scotland.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Atlantic Salmon migrating to the Spawning grounds on the River Almond, Perthshire, Scotland.

This is the link to the BBC Nature top 40 where the leaping salmon came third. I guess for a lot of us it should be ranked first.
If you have not seen this video it is well worth a look.
The filming took place on the river Almond, Perthshire, Scotland last year when conditions were perfect.
Click here to get the full details.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland December 2008 on the River Tay, Perthshire, Scotland.

Salmon Fishing Scotland December 2008 on the River Tay, Perthshire, Scotland.
These were the scenes on a wintery day in Perthshire, Scotland on the river Tay as the sun went down to bring in another cold night. (09/12/2008)

This is at Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland looking south towards the Benchil beat of the lower Tay.

This is taken from the Caputh bridge looking up the lower Murthly beat on the middle area of the river Tay. This was where Miss Ballantyne caught her record salmon of 64 pounds in 1922.

This is Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland looking upstream from the bridge that goes over the Tay into Dunkeld.



The view looking down stream from the Dunkeld bridge.

The Newtyle beat just below Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland looking upstream from the Boil pool.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

nestra

Salmon Fishing Scotland Catholes River Tay, Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland Spring 2009.

The Catholes Syndicate has it's own Fish Tay web page. The pictures still have to go on but you can access more pictures by clicking here.
At the moment there are 6 rods still available on the Tuesdays and 3 on Thursdays.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland The Life Cycle of the Atlantic Salmon.

Salmon Fishing Scotland The Life Cycle of the Atlantic Salmon.

This is the time when most of the Tay salmon spawn and this will be especially so at the moment with very cold weather bringing the spawning on. It is very important to understand the life cycle of the Atlantic salmon and appreciate why we should try our best to preserve this special species.
Wild Atlantic salmon vary in appearance during their lifetime. Until the early 19th century the life cycle was not understood and documented, and Parr and Smolt were assumed to be different species of fish.

EGGS - Pea-sized orange eggs are deposited in riverbed gravel in autumn, and hatch the following early spring. As the eggs develop, the eyes of the developing wild salmon can be seen through the semi-transparent membrane.

ALEVIN - The partly transparent alevin hatch and remain hidden in the riverbed gravels, feeding from the attached yolk sac. They are about 2 cm or less than 1 inch in length.

FRY - Wriggling up from the gravels, fry begin feeding on microscopic life in the stream. They eventually reach a length of 5 to 8 cm./2 to 3in. before transforming into parr.

PARR - The vertical markings, called 'parr marks' appear, with a single red dot between. Parr remain in the river for 2 to 6 years, depending on water temperatures and food availability.

SMOLT - At a length of 12 to 24 cm/4.7 to 9.5 in. a springtime transformation of the parr takes place into smolt. A silvery sheen replaces the parr marks, and internally they undergo a complex transformation to survive in saltwater. On the downstream journey the odors of the smolt's native river are imprinted on its memory, to be recalled when it returns to spawn.

ADULT - Silvery hunters, adult wild salmon live one or more years at sea. Most populations follow lengthy migration routes to waters off southwestern Greenland where they grow rapidly on a diet of crustaceans and small fish. Other feeding grounds exist, such as waters surrounding the Faroe Islands north of Scotland, and some populations may stay closer to home rivers, such as those from the inner Bay of Fundy Rivers. Wild salmon that return after one year at sea are called GRILSE. Adult salmon return to home rivers, entering freshwater between April and November. Once in freshwater they stop feeding, living off accumulated fat reserves.
SPAWNING IN A REDD - In late fall the wild Atlantic salmon spawn. The female digs a 10-30cm/4-12 in. deep nest called a REDD in the gravel bottom of the stream. Her eggs and the milt from an adult male are released into the redd, the gravel replaced with additional tail thrusts. In some cases sexually mature male parr manage to fertilize a percentage of the eggs. In the painting parr are seen swimming nearby, looking for an opportunity. The female may lay 1,500 eggs or more for each kg./2.2 lb of body weight. - Thus a 12 pound female salmon will lay about 8,000 eggs, completing the life cycle.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Catch and Release statistics for the Tay 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Catch and Release statistics for the Tay 2008.

River Tay Catch and Release figures increased in 2008.
New powers to request recent catch statistics from proprietors has led to an estimated reported Tay spring run of 1,264 fish to the end May, 2008. Of these, 75% were released , which represents a year-on-year improvement of 25%, a massive leap forward from previous years. The figures also showed that the Tay grilse were late once again, the main run coming in August instead of July.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Annual General meeting and Board Election December 2008.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Annual General meeting and Board Election December 2008.

To-day (01/12/2008) was the Annual General meeting of the river Tay. The picture above shows John Milligan ( Chairman ) addressing the meeting. There was also an election of a new Tay board. Information to follow.
The chairmans report is below. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

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