Salmon Fishing Scotland Ladies Fishing on the Tay, Perthshire, Scotland 2015.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Ladies Fishing on the Tay, Perthshire, Scotland 2015.

Upper Islamouth and Meikleour held a very successful ladies day on Saturday to boost the Angling for Youth Development charity, which was set-up to encourage more young people to try fishing as a hobby and steer them away from a life of antisocial behaviour. Claire Mercer Nairne hosted the event with the support of Anne Woodcock from Ladies Fishing, and a team of volunteer instructors. The focus was on casting, understanding the river and “catch & release” best practise. All the equipment was provided and a team of volunteer professional instructors coached the group of 10 ladies, of which most of them were beginners. Unfortunately no one caught a fish but there were a couple of close calls and several fish were seen including a Tay silver monster leaping out of the river several times. Claire was delighted that Dr Aileen McLeod, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, had responded positively to her invitation despite her busy schedule. Fiona Armstrong was also present as she is the patron of AFYD.

Claire is a new member of the Tay District Salmon Fishery Board and has been following closely the necessary wild fisheries reform proposals. She is a passionate angler and believes protecting the future of our salmonids while fuelling our rural economy with a thriving tourism industry should go hand in hand. She has sadly witnessed some unconstructive resistance during recent public meetings, and feels strongly that a gap between our government and some groups of the angling community should not be allowed to develop.

The “Ladies Days” had two purposes: introducing women to fly fishing in a friendly, approachable and enjoyable manner, while raising money for a laudable local charity. Teaching women safe angling skills and sharing with them our love for the river is a great way of promoting angling as a family-friendly activity and inspiring the younger generation. The beat owners are great believers in making fishing accessible for all and the charity they are supporting this year was Angling For Youth Development, which was formed in 2004 at the instigation of two Glasgow policemen. They had rightly perceived that by introducing young people to a worthwhile hobby like angling or fly-tying would help reduce anti-social behaviour.

Claire invited the Minister to come in her personal capacity to get an opportunity to get a feel about salmon fishing in a relaxed atmosphere, to talk about the Tay and the importance of salmon fishing in our rural economy, and to show how proprietors, charities and other stakeholders in the recreational fishing world can work together to promote the next generation of anglers.

The event was a tremendous success and they cannot wait to hold another similar event later in the year. They were delighted to hand a cheque for £1250 to young AFYD angler Katie, which will magically turn into £1562 after gift aid is completed! There was a huge thank you for Anne Woodcock from Ladies Fishing, instructor Cliff Johnston and Tom Brown, as well as Malcolm Anderson from Caledonia Fly and the beat Ghillies Calum and Daniel who have worked so hard for the event.

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