Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Strengthens Catch and Release Code for 2010.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Strengthens Catch and Release Code for 2010.

No fish to be taken to save Tay stocks

This is an article in todays Dundee Courier about the river Tay season past and the strengthening Catch and Release code for 2010.

A 24 pounds Spring salmon caught on the Catholes beat at Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland in 2009 about to be released back to the Tay by Jim Brown.

AFTER ONE of the poorest seasons for many years, salmon anglers on the Tay are to be asked to return all the fish they catch from the opening day of the season on January 15 until May 31.

Unless the action is supported by anglers, the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board warns, “The continuing poor survival of grilse at sea and the poorer returns of spring fish means there is a real danger that spawning stocks could drop below critical levels.”

In the latest issue of its publication Tay Salmon News, the board statement says, “It is essential that we do all we can to preserve stocks.”

The board has therefore agreed to strengthen its existing conservation code for 2010 season.

This past season anglers were asked to return their first spring fish, and keep only one fish per day.

Now they are being asked to return all fish until May 31, and from June 1 to the end of the season to put back all hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10lb.

Anglers should also not take more than one clean fish a day, with all coloured and gravid fish being returned.

As was asked this year, the board is also requesting that all sea trout be returned and that worm fishing only be practised in June, July and August with Circle or Shelton release hooks, which cause less damage to fish, being used.

The change to a pure catch and release policy for spring fish will bring the Tay into line with the Dee, where such a voluntary policy has been in force for several years, and the North and South Esks where the Esk District Salmon Fisheries Board was successful in obtaining a bye-law which makes spring catch and release mandatory.

The Dee saw some 1689 spring salmon caught and released this year compared with 1912 the previous year.

Its reported 2009 total on the FishDee website was 5600, compared with 5113 in 2008 and the five-year average of 4550.

According to the FishTay website, the much larger Tay system saw only 916 spring salmon recorded on reporting beats this season compared with 1286 last year and a five-year average of 1261.

The season’s total on the website—which does not include all beats—showed an annual total of 1834 fish compared with 3069 last year and a five-year average of 3219.

The autumn fishing was also well down, with August seeing only 46% of the five-year average being taken, a figure which improved to 56% for September, and 78% for October 1 to 15 when the season ends.

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