To-day (06/02/2008)was a cracking day to be out on the river spring fishing. The sun was shinning and at last there was a dry day with the river falling to a better height.
Alan Wales was out with us at Stanley,Perthshire,Scotland on the Pitlochrie beat of the lower Tay. Having all ready landed a Kelt in the Wash House pool Alan was soon into another fish in Pitlochrie Pool off the Stanley bank. The fish charged off and was playing hard. As we were about to net the salmon it flashed on the top revealing a bar of silver! It's a springer we thought so we proceeded carefully to net it.
The salmon had sea lice on it but on examining the head you can see it had a Kype which meant it was a Rawner. Spot the single sea lice on the gill. What a disappointment but that's fishing at this time of year when you can catch all sorts. This fish had clearly made it back to the sea and then had re-entered the river a second time.
I can bet some inexperienced anglers would be counting this fish as a springer!
17 comments:
It hardly matters that it was a rawner, all you mad Christain (conservationists) would be putting it back anyway.
Was it not the one caught at Benchil yesterday?
Pity you all hide behind these silly comments with anonymous contributions.
Bob
It is hard to see what you are describing as a kype from the picture. Looks a cracking fish to me. However if you look at your posting for 19th January' which I assume to be the 27 pounder from Glendelvine. Does it not also have a Kype.
W Duncan
Question: When is a springer not a springer?
Answer: When it is caught at Stanley.
I'll bet Geordie (like many others) has chapped many fish like that one in the past, rightly so too.
Watcher
sea liced rawner.that fish is in far better condition than the one taken a benchill the day before.kype or no kype.was there scales taken.sea lice end the argument for me.congratulations to alan.
thomas devine
there must be many rawners put down as springers, with sea lice, here on the tweed,
stewart "kelso"
i sent a picture of the fish to a mate in ozz,he wants to know if it costs much to fish for rawner's i think he lost the meaning.the thing is it gave a good fight, and looked good, and it was nice to see it swim away.here's to me getting the genuine thing on my next visit,thanks too bob and goerdie for a good day.
alan wales
As you are obviously sensitive about some of the comments you are receiving there is a way you can have all comment makers register. Ask your Blog provider.
Having said that I'm sure you would agree it does add to the interest to have some of the "NUMPTIES" contributions.
Kev
this numpty has just looked through pictures of spring fish on tay web site, loch tay 16.5lb jan 2000 springer with kype.also a 27lb loch tay with kype that fish is on the tays own site.there are others all so.were these gillies wrong.the picture to me shows a fresh sea liced fish.if this was a rawner and returned to sea then came back this year,miles from it feeding grounds,it would have been a bag of bones.i have fished for salmon for over forty years.there must be many gillies taken such fish as springers,so maybe the spring catchs are a lot poorer than we think.i would love to here what the gillies of kyped spring fish have to say.
peter townsend (aberdeen)numpty
There is no doubt this is a very emotive subject at this time of year.
Having spoken to a lot more experienced anglers and ghillies a true springer has hardly has any kype to distinguish it from a female salmon. In fact at this time of year you could hardly tell the difference between the sexes of spring salmon. There is no doubt a kype indicates breeding intentions and spawning. The fish with kypes are very late autumn fish.
That fish is what i would call a black fish, so not a springer.Only the blind cannot see Bob.
Miss Ballantyne's fish had a bigger kype and seemingly it smoked well!
that looks a defo springer to me. unlike the kipper your claiming as a springer!!!
What about the 25lb fish from Cargill on Saturday 10th February?
The picture on the Tay's own website shows a clear kype!!
I think some of the preceding comments are a little harsh, but, Bob you have put yourself in the firing line by commenting so athouritively on the subject of rawner/spring/kelt/baggot etc.
You and Geordie are now --
The Hi-Di IDees.
Kev.
Kev
Are you suggesting Bob has opened a can of worms before the end of April.
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