Thursday, June 30, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland Lower Tay, Perthshire, Scotland.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Lower Tay, Perthshire, Scotland.

The salmon fishing summer and autumn season is about to commence on the lower Tay in Perthshire, Scotland from Monday. Traditionally on the lower Tay the boats come off the river after the spring fishing for painting and maintenance. During that period the salmon fishing tends to be not so productive as the river temperature rises and the salmon bolt through the lower beats. That has certainly been the case this year with heavy rainfall as well. That is why the upper Tay has done so well.

The Stanley boats are all painted and ready to go.

The boats are now back on the river with the hope of a good summer and autumn run of Atlantic salmon.

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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Ghillies Gala Day.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Ghillies Gala Day.

The Tay Ghillies Gala Day is to be held at the Birnam Recreation Ground, Dunkeld, Perthshire on Sunday 31st July 2011 from 10am to 5pm.

All welcome.


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Sunday, June 26, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 25th June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 25th June 2011.

River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 25th June 2011.

The forth week of June on the Tay was fairly normal with good water conditions at the end of the week. Hopefully the river will remain settled from the recent rain and give us good prospects for this coming week.

The river was more settled at the end of the week after a spate on Wednesday and the river temperature settled around 55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 degrees Celsius giving the river favourable conditions.

54 salmon were reported last week and 35 sea trout.

On the lower river 21 fresh salmon were caught. The river temperature is coming up now encouraging the salmon to run hard. Sea Trout are running as well now giving the lower beats some good sport. The lower beats from Stanley upwards caught a few salmon over the week but this should improve if the river drops further in the coming week. Islamouth continues to be amongst the salmon as the river dropped on Monday. Then at the end of the week when the river settled after the Wednesday spate. The odd other salmon was recorded but the lower beats are looking for more settled weather and lower river levels. On the very lower Tay more salmon are being caught which is encouraging and hopefully will continue to improve. Sea Trout catches also improved this week on the lower Tay with Redgorton and Luncarty figuring in the catches.
Hopefully the river will remain settled this coming week, which should make for excellent prospects and improved catches.

The middle river reported 11. The current conditions are favouring the middle beats but more settled water levels would help.
Dunkeld House had a good day on Saturday with Willie Cummins landing 4 salmon up to 14 pounds on a Rapala, which is a memorable days sport in any ones fishing calendar. More information from this area would be welcome to expand on this report in the future.

On the upper river 19 were reported, this was far more encouraging and shows the spring salmon are reaching the top of the system with all the big water we have had recently.
The upper beats continue to catch as a run filters through the upper system.
At Dalguise Donald Cameron caught a beautiful 18 pounds sea-liced salmon at the Tail of The Bridge Pool on Wednesday.
The salmon fishing on the Tummel continues to flourish with a number of fish being caught of which quite a lot are not recorded on the Fishtay web site. It was yet again another good week for the Pitlochry Angling Club beats with several salmon landed on the fly. Perth Angler Steven Watt continues to have a good season on the club water landing several more this past week at Portnacraig. He commented that it has been the best season for a number of years. The lower Tummel has been doing reasonably well also. Gordon Nichol landed a cracking 22 pounds salmon from the Green bank, which was covered in sea lice on Tuesday. The count at the ladder now exceeds 3300.

The Isla reported 3 all from Coupar Grange.


Many thanks for all the pictures everyone sent me of spring salmon and all who have sent me their individual fishing experiences this and last season on the river.
I would be most grateful if you to do the same this season by emailing me at
robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in this report.

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Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Ghillies Gala Day 31st July 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Ghillies Gala Day 31st July 2011.

The Tay Ghillies Gala Day is to be held at the Birnam Recreation Ground, Dunkeld, Perthshire on Sunday 31st July 2011 from 10am to 5pm.

Co sponsored by Anglers Choice, Dundee, Binn Skips , Dalmore Whisky, Taybank Hotel, Dunkeld, Dunkeld Smoked Salmon and Hilton Dunkeld House Hotel.

Admission £4 under 16 free of charge.
Car Boot/Stalls £15.
All welcome.

Many attractions including Licensed Bar by the Taybank Hotel, Perth Youth Orchestra, Ice Cream, Candy floss, Bottle stall, Cake Stall, Big slide, Falcon display, Bouncy Castle, and BBQ.
Activities including Tug of War, Catch the raw egg, Egg and spoon race, Fly Casting, Handsome Hound, Face painting, and Wellie wanging to name a few.

Raffle with good prizes.

All money raised to be put back into the river Tay for improvements.

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Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 27th June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 27th June 2011.

River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 27th June 2011.
Currently the river is running at a good height after more rain and hopefully will settled for the coming week, this should give us excellent prospects for the coming days. There is currently a run of salmon and the sea trout for the time of year.

The weather is to remain unsettled at the start of the week with some rain showers and a dropping pressure however it looks much better for the end of the week with pressure rising again. The water temperature is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 degrees Celsius.The current weather conditions can be viewed here. Floating lines with sink tips are the order of the day!
Islamouth on the Tay.
The river temperature is rising and with fresh water, this will encourage salmon run throughout the river to be caught in all areas of the system. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the lower, middle and upper river. Sea Trout are also running the river and this should improve as the month goes on.

The river is running at a reasonable height meaning that salmon and sea trout will still be running and favour the lower, middle and upper Tay beats conditions permitting. The encouraging grilse run in Summer 2010 might suggest that we will see more 2 sea-winter fish this year, so let’s hope that some of these turn out to be the early-running bars of silver that we are all hoping for. A run of Multi-Sea winter salmon are also running the Tay with now several spring salmon being caught in the 20 plus pounds range which is superb news. A Malloch Trophy salmon is a real possibility!
Fly fishing on the Tay.
There is good availability throughout the river so why not have a go.

As to methods, Spinning from the bank, fly fishing with sink tip floating lines and harling are the favoured Tay pursuits at this time of year. Currently we have excellent fly fishing conditions on the Tay with a number of salmon being landed on the fly recently. There is plenty of day light in the evenings now so it is well worth a cast for sea trout.

Finally you are reminded that the Tay's conservation policy for the remainder of the season which is that all hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released. All coloured and gravid fish should be released. No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.
Worming in June, July and August only. During the months of June, July and August the Board requests that worming should only be undertaken with Circle Hooks or Shelton release hooks which are designed to help prevent deep hooking. Contact the Tay Board for details of suppliers.
Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations.

The Dunkeld Smoked Salmon Company are still doing a special offer at present until the end of June 2011 enabling any angler who returns a salmon to the river on the Tay system to be entitled to a 20% discount off the price of a side of smoked salmon from the shop in Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland.

To help you follow our guidelines I have included these helpful pointers.

How to SAFELY Release a Salmon
“The best method of releasing a salmon is to leave it in the water
and touch nothing but the hook with fingers or pliers.
“Whatever the method, care combined with speed, will give the fish the best chance of survival.”
Lee Wulff, Atlantic Salmon Journal Winter 1964/65

• Use barbless or pinched hooks
• Retrieve your fish quickly; release it immediately
• Keep the fish in the water
• Use rubber or knotless cotton net, if one must be used
• Cut the leader if necessary
• Remove the hook carefully
• Hold the fish gently in natural swimming position, facing upstream until it revives
• Don’t pump the fish. That is, don’t move the fish back and forth in the water.

How should hooks be removed?
Very Carefully
In quiet water, bring the wild salmon quickly within reach. Leaving the salmon in water and without squeezing it, remove the hook carefully with pliers or thumb and forefinger. If a net must be used, it should be rubber or knotless cotton. If necessary, cut the leader near the fly and spare the fish.
James McKay from Perth about to release a spring salmon at Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland.
The Science of Live Release
“Peer-reviewed science supports live release as a proven and effective conservation tool.”
Dr. Fred Whoriskey,
ASF Vice-President, Research & Environment

Studies in North America and Europe have shown live release works, and in some instances Atlantic salmon have been angled 2 and 3 times.
Science has shown that virtually all Atlantic salmon will survive when released, as long as the angler uses the proper techniques, refrains from angling in overly warm water, and does not overplay the Atlantic salmon.
Like athletes sprinting on a track, Atlantic salmon build up lactic acid in their muscle tissues when they are being played.
The Key is Oxygen – The fish need oxygen in order to recover and continue their journey.
To recover, Atlantic salmon need:
• careful handling by the angler to reduce stress
• to remain in the water where they can breathe and reduce the oxygen deficit in their tissues
• to be held in an upstream position for water to flow more easily across their gills

Photographing Your Spectacular Live Release Salmon.

Use a photo partner:

* Digital camera: make settings on the camera before you begin fishing or use a point and shoot film camera. Give it to your partner before the angling session.

* Whether a digital camera or a film camera, tell your partner to fill the frame, and take several images.

* If it is a film camera, be sure there is film in the camera. This may seem to be a simple matter, but mistakes do happen...

Let your Partner get into Position:

* Tell him/her what you are going to do. Alert your partner before you take the fish out of the water.

Support the Atlantic salmon:

* Carefully take the barbless hook out of the fish’s mouth. With rod tucked under your arm, move one hand to the base of the tail. With your other hand, support the fish under the forward part of its body. Keep it in the water, with the fish pointed upstream to help its recovery.

* If a third person is present, give him or her the rod to hold, so you can concentrate on the wild salmon.

Take the Picture Quickly:

* With your photo partner warned, raise the wild Atlantic salmon partially out of the water for less than five seconds - or consider leaving it semi-submerged for the photo instead!

Return the Fish to Continue its Spawning Run:

* Support the salmon underwater in a natural position facing the current, handling it as little as possible. Give it time to recover. The goal is for the wild salmon to swim away on its own.

* Digital cameras offer the opportunity to adjust the film speed to suit conditions. In low light, such as evening, morning, heavy cloud, or deep shadow, consider setting the speed to 400, to take care of both movement and the low light. Experiment beforehand on speeds above 400, as many digital images become heavily pixilated at greater sensitivity.

* Remember to adjust the white balance for deep shadow, to warm the image.

* Today’s print films even at 400 speeds are superb. Use 400-speed film at dawn, dusk or in shadow.

* Don’t forget to smile! Your photo is a valuable memory.

If you have any news or pictures of catches or experiences on the Tay and you would like to share them please email me on robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in this report.

Tight lines.



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Friday, June 24, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland June Fly Fishing at Portnacraig on the Tummel.

Salmon Fishing Scotland June Fly Fishing at Portnacraig on the Tummel.

This yet another salmon from the Portnacraig beat at Pitlochry caught by Steven Watt. He landed 3 salmon on a floating line this afternoon and lost at least 3 others. It has been a truly fantastic season there and maybe the best for some 20 years.
A fresh salmon landed on a floating line.

The latest count of salmon through the Pitlochry fish ladder as of this afternoon.

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Fly Fishing on the Upper Tay System June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Fly Fishing on the Upper Tay System June 2011.

The Tummel at Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland continues to offer superb fly fishing with the recent rains. The Tummel is running at a good height and salmon continue to run in there. The count through the ladder is now at 3203 as at this afternoon. This was a lovely fresh salmon landed by Steven Watt fly fishing the Portnacraig beat this afternoon.

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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland Smolt stocking on the Tay.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Smolt stocking on the Tay.

This is a frequently asked question on the river Tay in recent years. Dr David Summers has compiled this report and covers most of the avenues. The article can also be read on the www.fishthetay.co.uk web site. It certainly makes interesting reading.

Could smolt stocking achieve similar results for the Tay as in Iceland?
The stocking of salmon smolts has transformed catches from the River Ranga in Iceland. We are often asked whether this could happen on the Tay.
There are a number of issues which would have to be considered before deciding to embark on a large smolt stocking programme (e.g. what broodstock to use, where to release them, what effects returning fish would have on the existing population) but the most basic is, would there be a sufficient return to make it worthwhile?
This note reviews the available evidence on return rates from existing and past smolt stocking programmes in order to assess the return that might be expected. Evidence from Iceland is considered before evidence from the British Isles.
Icelandic experience
On the Ranga, in most years, the proportion of released smolts that have been subsequently recaptured by anglers has varied from between about 0.4% to 2% and exceptionally as high as 3% (Figure 1). This means a rod caught salmon might be produced for as little as £15 in a very good year and £100 at worst. Recaptures were particularly high from smolts released in 2007 and 2008. Thus, the main cause of exceptional grilse catches in 2008 and 2009 was a good recapture rate rather than increased numbers of smolts released.
Figure 1. Percentage of smolts released in the River Ranga which were subsequently recaptured as adults by anglers, 1989 – 2009 smolt years.

Could such results be expected in Scotland? To help answer that question we now consider results from monitored examples of smolt stocking in the British Isles.
River Tay
The Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory (FFL) released 25,000 microtaggedii smolts into the River Braan near Dunkeld between 1989 and 1998iii. In the years prior to the removal of the Tay estuary nets (i.e. before 1997), releases of one year old smolts produced an average recapture rate to the rod of 0.024% (i.e. 2 adults caught from 8,500 smolts released) and 0.153% (13 adults out of 8,500 smolts) to the Tay estuary nets. Two year old smoltsiv gave an average rod recapture rate of 0.042% (3 adults out of 7,220 smolts) and an average estuary net recapture rate of 0.208% (15 adults out of 7,220 smolts). However, for one year old smolts released in years after the nets were removed, the average rod recapture rate increased to 0.064% (2 adults out of 3,115 smolts) (although the recapture rate varied from 0% and 0.167% between years) and, for two year old smolts, to 0.08% (5 adults out of 6,253 smolts). These rates are much lower than the recapture rates of smolts released in the Ranga, even in its poorest years.
When smolts which had been reared in the wild in the River Braan were microtagged the recapture rate in Tay estuary nets was 5.14% compared to the 0.153% for hatchery smolts. None were recaptured by rods, but the numbers tagged were small. It is typically the case that wild smolts have a much greater survival than hatchery smolts.
River Carron
In the last few years there has been a well publicised hatchery scheme on the River Carron (Wester Ross) of which smolt releasing has been a part.
Over the period 2002 to 2004, microtagged smolts were released and these yielded angling recapture rates between 0.125% and 0.35%, which are again much lower than the general Ranga experience, but a bit higher than the Tay releases described above. Some of the smolts were treated with SLICE (an anti sea-lice chemical) but that did not apparently make any differencev.
River Lochy
Releases of hatchery reared smolts by the FFL in the River Lochy (Fort William) in the 1980s yielded recapture rates as adults of only 0.04% in one year and 0.08% in another.
Another programme of smolt release has been developed more recently. In 2009 some 35,000 smolts reared on a commercial fish farm (cages in a loch as opposed to tank reared) were apparently released. It is understood these fish were fin clipped. From numbers which were reported on a River Lochy fishing website, it appears that something like a dozen or so recaptures were made as grilse in the River Lochy in 2010 and only one 2SW fish was caught by 6 June 2011. That would imply a recapture rate of the order of 0.04%. It is also understood that over 2000 smolts were tagged with PIT tags in 2009 and that a very small number (less than ten) were detected in 2010 by a PIT tag detector sited in a fish pass on the river.
The relatively poor survival of the 2009 Lochy smolt release may partly be a result of extra mortality which emigrating smolts from that river appear to face as a result of fish farming. It is understood that smolts released in 2010 were fed before release with the anti-sea lice chemical SLICE and it is hoped this might improve return rates in 2011.
Kielder Hatchery
Most of the fish from the Kielder Hatchery on the River Tyne are stocked as parr in the autumn. However, some of its production has been stocked out in the spring some weeks before smolting. These “pre-smolts” might not perform exactly the same as fish reared right to the smolt stage, but some of these have been tagged from time to time and have yielded recapture results which are interesting nonetheless.
 From 1980 to 2002 micro-tagged pre-smolts were introduced into the River Tyne on an annual basis. The overall average recapture rate by rod and line in the Tyne over this period was estimated by the Environment Agency to be within the range of 0.035% to 0.1%ix. This figure might not be strictly comparable with the present day because more fish were recaptured by the drift net fishery at that time than were recaptured on rod and line and the drift net fishery has since been considerably reduced.
 In two years in the late 1980s some Tweed fish were reared at the Kielder hatchery and introduced into the Tweed after having been microtagged. The subsequent recapture rate by rod and line in the Tweed was 0% and 0.01% of the number stocked. More recaptures were made in net fisheries (0.025% and 0.08%).
 Between 1988 and 1994 over 76,000 pre-smolts reared at Kielder were microtagged and released into the Yorkshire Esk. Wild salmon smolts caught in a trap were also micro tagged in 1994. On average, 0.26% of the hatchery fish were recaptured by the North East drift net fisheries and 0.04% by anglers in the Esk. However, the wild smolts produced a recapture rate of 3.32% from the drift nets and 0.47% from the rods.
These results suggest that, even if the effect of the drift net fishery is factored in, the recapture rates of stocked pre-smolts are still a fraction of those reported for Ranga smolts. Kielder bred smolts also perform much less well than wild smolts.
Delphi Fishery
One place where smolt releasing has been more successful is the Delphi fishery in Co. Mayo, Ireland. The smolts are microtagged before release and this has provided excellent data.
Since 1991, recaptures of adult fish by anglers at the Delphi fishery have generally been somewhere between 0.25% and 1% of the smolts released (Figure 2), although several years were over 1%. This is much higher than that generally found in the British Isles. However, the rod recapture rate for grilse from the 2008 release, at 0.01%, was the poorest by far.
For most of the period, the majority of recaptures from Delphi smolts were not from the rod fishery but from coastal net fisheries and that was generally in the range of 1% to 3% (Figure 2), which is high relative to recapture rates of Kielder pre-smolts in the English drift net fishery. The fall in recapture rates from nets after the 2002 smolt year may partly reflect restrictions on netting, culminating in the cessation of drift netting after 2006. The later arrival of grilse in recent years may also have contributed to reduced exploitation in the years immediately before 2007. The rod recapture rate might be expected to increase now that the drift net fishery has closed, although that did not happen with the 2008 smolts.
It is also the case that, before the closure of the drift net fishery, with the exception of the 2005 smolt year (i.e. 1991 – 2004 smolt years), there is a significant positive correlation between the coastal netting recapture rate and the angling recapture rate. That is, with the exception of the 2005 smolt release (which may have been affected by the fact the net fishery was restricted), in years when there was a high rod recapture rate at Delphi the netting recapture rate was also high. That suggests interception by nets may not have been of a sufficient scale to have been the main cause of variation in rod recapture rates. Rather, it would imply that variations in the survival of released smolts were more likely to have driven variations in recapture rates in both fisheries. Indeed, recapture rates from Delphi smolts in the net fishery have been found to be positively correlated with the estimated pre- fishery abundance (PFA) of all wild Irish grilse, implying that the survival of released smolts parallels that of wild smolts. However, no correlation was found between Delphi rod recaptures and the PFA of wild grilse, although it was the case that the year with the lowest recapture rate (2008 smolts->2009 grilse) also had the lowest PFA of wild Irish grilse since 1991.
Figure 2. Recapture rate by rods and coastal nets as adults of smolts released at Delphi, 1991 – 2008 smolt years. Please note: 2008 data only consists of grilse returns.
If no net fisheries had ever operated between 1991 and 2007, more fish would have been available to have been caught by anglers at Delphi. If it is assumed that 15% of the fish that were caught by coastal net fisheries had instead been caught by anglers, then the expected angling recapture rates can be seen in Figure 3. The recapture rates for the River Ranga, where there is no netting, are also shown for comparison.
Figure 3. Actual recapture rates of released smolts as adult fish by rods at the Delphi and Ranga fisheries plus estimated recapture rates at Delphi had coastal net fisheries never operated (assuming an angling exploitation rate at Delphi of 15% in summer).
This suggests that, under a level playing field in terms of netting, return rates to the rod at Delphi would have been as good as the Ranga in some years, sometimes even better. However, the best years on the Ranga would have been much better than the best years at Delphi. Ironically, one of the best years for the Ranga (2008 smolts -> 2009 grilse) was by far the poorest for Delphi, and indeed for wild grilse in Ireland and Scotland.
That rod recapture rates at Delphi have generally been higher than the Scottish or Kielder experience, may be due to the fact that Delphi smolts have mainly been derived from line- bred strains of ranched smolts which appear to give better survival than smolts derived from eggs obtained from adult fish taken from the wild. This is explained more fully below.

Burrishoole
Like Delphi, the Burrishoole Fishery in Co. Mayo depends to a large extent on smolt releasing. This programme was set up several decades ago by what was then the Salmon Research Trust of Ireland. The facility is now run by the Marine Institute.
In the early years, smolts were produced from ova obtained from wild fish, but on their return to freshwater surviving adults were captured and ova were stripped from them to produce the next generation of hatchery smolts. It was found that by continuing this process for a number of generations the survival at sea increased and the hatchery reared smolts achieved survival rates more like those of wild smolts than first generation hatchery smolts.
Figure 4 shows estimated “pre-fishery” (i.e. prior to the drift net fishery) return rates for Burrishoole grilse to the Irish coast from 1980 onwards. There has been a long-term decline since the 1980s but, over much of the period, the return rate was between 5% and 15%. However, the return of the 2008 smolts was the lowest of all, only 1.8%, a finding echoed at Delphi. So poor was the return of grilse in 2009 (despite there being no drift nets) that the Marine Institute was concerned that they might not be able to maintain the ranching strain.
When Delphi started releasing smolts it was initially based on broodstock obtained from Burrishoole and wild Delphi fish. The smolts derived from wild Delphi fish survived less well than those from the Burrishoole stock. However, over time, the returns from “Delphi” stock have improved now that a number of generations of a ranched Delphi strain has developed.
Figure 4. Return rates to the coast of ranched strain smolts released from the Burrishoole Fishery, Co. Mayo, Ireland.

Unreported smolt releases
In addition to the examples described, we are aware that there have in the past been other attempts at smolt releasing in other rivers for which less information has been obtained. For example we are aware of such attempts on rivers as far apart as the Dionard and North Uist in the north and the River Test in Hampshire. However, such trials must not have not achieved their objectives presumably.

Discussion
It is clear that, in most years, Ranga smolts have much higher recapture rates than those which have been reported in the British Isles.
There appear to be several main causes of this difference.
 In some recent years, marine survival rates of all salmon in western Iceland have been much higher than in the British Isles. For example, the survival of wild salmon from the 2007 and 2008 smolt runs on the River Elliðaár, a small river at Reykjavík which is monitored by Icelandic government scientists, was of a level not seen in Scotland since the 1970s (Figure 5). Although reared Ranga smolts do not experience as high survival rates as wild smolts, they obviously also benefited from more favourable marine conditions in 2007 and 2008.

Figure 5. Marine survival of wild fish between smolt and return as grilse, River Elliðaár, Iceland, according to smolt year. Note: blanks represent years for which data are missing.

 Another factor is that, in Iceland and other high latitude countries, salmon appear to be more easily caught than in Scotland. Icelandic scientists estimate that 50% of grilse and 70% of salmon entering Icelandic rivers normally get caught on rod and line. Here it is nearer 10%. Perhaps Icelandic fish have a less suppressed appetite when they return to freshwater because of their closer proximity to the feeding grounds. But whatever the reason, it means that for a given number of released smolts two or three times the number of adults will subsequently be caught.
 On the Ranga, smolts are held in off stream ponds for a period prior to release. This
apparently improves return rates, or at least homing precision, and is sometimes
cited as a factor in the Ranga’s success. In contrast, the smolts released into the
Smoltyear
River Braan (Tay) referred to earlier were released straight into the river. Maybe that did contribute, in part, to the generally very low recapture rates of those fish. However, Carron smolts are also released via a pond system and their recapture rates were not much higher than those in the Braan.
On the basis of these studies, it would appear likely that if smolts were released in the Tay at the present time, even via release ponds, recapture rates would only be a small fraction of 1% and this would depend on where in the catchment the smolts were introduced. If, for example, the recapture rate was 0.25%, which is higher than that obtained from any of the batches of smolts released into the River Braan by FFL but making allowance for under- reporting, 400 smolts would need to be released to produce one rod caught fish at a cost of perhaps £200. Even to increase the Tay rod catch by only 10% (1000 fish) would require a very large rearing facility (40 tanks of 5 metre diameter) with running costs which might average about £200,000 per annum. If, in the event that a recapture rate of 0.25% was over- optimistic, the costs would be even higher.
Smolt releasing would produce its best returns in years when natural marine mortality is low which, in the Tay, would mean catches of wild fish would be good anyway. However, it may produce particularly poor returns in years when marine mortality is high and wild returns are also poor – precisely the type of year when we would most wish smolt releasing to be successful. A bad year will remain a bad year irrespective of what is stocked. A good example of that would have been 2009, the year when enquiries about Ranga style smolt releasing were most common. While the Ranga did have record catches, the Tay would most likely have had disastrous returns.
To conclude, could smolt releasing produce the same results for the Tay as Iceland? The answer, at the present time, does appear to be no, unless an extremely large financial outlay is made every year.


Fishing Salmon River, Salmon River, Fishing for Salmon, salmon Fishing Alaska, Fishing Alaska, Fly Fishing Salmon, Fly Fishing, Salmon Fishing Report, Trout Fishing, King Salmon Fishing, Salmon Fishing Forum, Salmon Fishing Scotland, Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland, River Tay Scotland, Scottish Salmon, Salmon Rivers Scotland, Fishing Tackle Scotland, Salmon Fishing Flies, Fly Fishing Flies.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Spring Salmon Fly Fishing on the Tummel, Perthshire, Scotland June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Spring Salmon Fly Fishing on the Tummel, Perthshire, Scotland June 2011.

This was a sea liced salmon caught on the Tummel today by Steven Watt. The news from the Tummel is that there are over 3000 salmon through the ladder in Pitlochry.

Fishing Salmon River, Salmon River, Fishing for Salmon, salmon Fishing Alaska, Fishing Alaska, Fly Fishing Salmon, Fly Fishing, Salmon Fishing Report, Trout Fishing, King Salmon Fishing, Salmon Fishing Forum, Salmon Fishing Scotland, Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland, River Tay Scotland, Scottish Salmon, Salmon Rivers Scotland, Fishing Tackle Scotland, Salmon Fishing Flies, Fly Fishing Flies.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Ghillies Gala Day 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Ghillies Gala Day 2011.

The Tay Ghillies Gala Day is to be held at the Birnam Recreation Ground, Dunkeld, Perthshire on Sunday 31st July 2011 from 10am to 5pm.

Co sponsored by Anglers Choice, Dundee, Binn Skips , Dalmore Whisky, Taybank Hotel, Dunkeld, Dunkeld Smoked Salmon and Hilton Dunkeld House Hotel.

Admission £4 under 16 free of charge.
Car Boot/Stalls £15.
All welcome.

Many attractions including Licensed Bar by the Taybank Hotel, Perth Youth Orchestra, Ice Cream, Candy floss, Bottle stall, Cake Stall, Big slide, Falcon display, Bouncy Castle, and BBQ.
Activities including Tug of War, Catch the raw egg, Egg and spoon race, Fly Casting, Handsome Hound, Face painting, and Wellie wanging to name a few.

Raffle with good prizes.

All money raised to be put back into the river Tay for improvements.

Fishing Salmon River, Salmon River, Fishing for Salmon, salmon Fishing Alaska, Fishing Alaska, Fly Fishing Salmon, Fly Fishing, Salmon Fishing Report, Trout Fishing, King Salmon Fishing, Salmon Fishing Forum, Salmon Fishing Scotland, Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland, River Tay Scotland, Scottish Salmon, Salmon Rivers Scotland, Fishing Tackle Scotland, Salmon Fishing Flies, Fly Fishing Flies.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 18th June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 18th June 2011.

River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 18th June 2011.


The third week of June on the Tay was fairly normal with good water conditions. Hopefully the river will remain settled from the recent rain and give us good prospects for this coming week.

The river was more settled from the previous week and the river temperature settled around 54 degrees Fahrenheit or 12 degrees Celsius giving the river favourable conditions.

69 salmon were reported last week and 13 sea trout.

On the lower river 25 fresh salmon were caught. The river temperature is coming up now encouraging the salmon to run hard. Sea Trout are running as well now giving the lower beats some good sport. The lower beats from Stanley upwards caught a few salmon over the week but this should improve if the river drops further in the coming week. Islamouth continues to be amongst the salmon as the river dropped back. Taymount, Stobhall and Ballathie continue to pick salmon up but are looking for more settled weather and lower river levels. On the very lower Tay more salmon are being caught which is encouraging and hopefully will continue to improve.
Hopefully the river will remain settled this coming week, which should make for excellent prospects and improved catches.

The middle river reported 10. The current conditions are favouring the middle beats with a good run and good water levels. More information from this area would be welcome to expand on this report in the future.

On the upper river 27 were reported, this was far more encouraging and shows the spring salmon are reaching the top of the system with all the big water we have had recently.
The upper beats continue to catch as a run filters through the upper system.
Neill Sproull sent this report from Upper Farleyer after a good day. “I Fished Upper Farleyer yesterday and managed to take a couple of fish on the fly. First was a lovely summer salmon of 12 pounds and second was 4 pounds grilse, both fish were sea liced and had obviously made rapid progress upriver. Both took a size 9 Cascade variant.
A great day on a stunning beat, myself and the other rods all saw a large number of fresh fish throughout the day most in the 12-15 pounds class with a few grilse in amongst them. My only surprise at the end of the day was that we did not have further success to report.” Thanks Neill.
The salmon fishing on the Tummel continues to flourish with a number of fish being caught of which quite a lot are not recorded on the Fishtay web site. It was yet again another good week for the Pitlochry Angling Club beats with several salmon landed on the fly. Gordon Nichol caught a 21 pounds fish on the Sawmill on Tuesday. The club have now had 181 salmon this season, which is fantastic. The count at the lader now exceeds 2500.

The Isla reported 7 all from Coupar Grange.


Many thanks for all the pictures everyone sent me of spring salmon and all who have sent me their individual fishing experiences this and last season on the river.
I would be most grateful if you to do the same this season by emailing me at
robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in this report.

Fishing Salmon River, Salmon River, Fishing for Salmon, salmon Fishing Alaska, Fishing Alaska, Fly Fishing Salmon, Fly Fishing, Salmon Fishing Report, Trout Fishing, King Salmon Fishing, Salmon Fishing Forum, Salmon Fishing Scotland, Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland, River Tay Scotland, Scottish Salmon, Salmon Rivers Scotland, Fishing Tackle Scotland, Salmon Fishing Flies, Fly Fishing Flies.

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 20th June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 20th June 2011.

River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 20th June 2011.

Currently the river is running at a good height after the recent rain and hopefully will remain settled for the coming week, this should give us excellent prospects for the coming days. There is currently a good run of salmon and the sea trout for the time of year.

The weather is to remain unsettled this week with some rain showers and a dropping pressure. The water temperature is around 54 degrees Fahrenheit or 12 degrees Celsius. The current weather conditions can be viewed here. Floating lines with sink tips are the order of the day!
The Tay at Stanley.
The river temperature is rising and with fresh water, this will encourage salmon run throughout the river to be caught in all areas of the system. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the lower, middle and upper river. Sea Trout are also running the river and this should improve as the month goes on.

The river is running at a reasonable height meaning that salmon and sea trout will still be running and favour the lower, middle and upper Tay beats conditions permitting. The encouraging grilse run in Summer 2010 might suggest that we will see more 2 sea-winter fish this year, so let’s hope that some of these turn out to be the early-running bars of silver that we are all hoping for. A run of Multi-Sea winter salmon are also running the Tay with now several spring salmon being caught in the 20 plus pounds range which is superb news. A Malloch Trophy salmon is a real possibility!
Playing a salmon fly fishing at Portnacraig on the Tummel.
There is good availability throughout the river so why not have a go.

As to methods, Spinning from the bank, fly fishing with sink tip floating lines and harling are the favoured Tay pursuits at this time of year. Currently we have excellent fly fishing conditions on the Tay with a number of salmon being landed on the fly recently. There is plenty of day light in the evenings now so it is well worth a cast for sea trout.

Finally you are reminded that the Tay's conservation policy for the remainder of the season which is that all hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released. All coloured and gravid fish to be released. No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.
Worming in June, July and August only. During the months of June, July and August the Board requests that worming should only be undertaken with Circle Hooks or Shelton release hooks which are designed to help prevent deep hooking. Contact the Tay Board for details of suppliers.
Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations.

The Dunkeld Smoked Salmon Company are still doing a special offer at present until the end of June 2011 enabling any angler who returns a salmon to the river on the Tay system to be entitled to a 20% discount off the price of a side of smoked salmon from the shop in Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland.

To help you follow our guidelines I have included these helpful pointers.

How to SAFELY Release a Salmon
“The best method of releasing a salmon is to leave it in the water
and touch nothing but the hook with fingers or pliers.
“Whatever the method, care combined with speed, will give the fish the best chance of survival.”
Lee Wulff, Atlantic Salmon Journal Winter 1964/65

• Use barbless or pinched hooks
• Retrieve your fish quickly; release it immediately
• Keep the fish in the water
• Use rubber or knotless cotton net, if one must be used
• Cut the leader if necessary
• Remove the hook carefully
• Hold the fish gently in natural swimming position, facing upstream until it revives
• Don’t pump the fish. That is, don’t move the fish back and forth in the water.

How should hooks be removed?
Very Carefully
In quiet water, bring the wild salmon quickly within reach. Leaving the salmon in water and without squeezing it, remove the hook carefully with pliers or thumb and forefinger. If a net must be used, it should be rubber or knotless cotton. If necessary, cut the leader near the fly and spare the fish.
James McKay from Perth about to release a spring salmon at Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland.
The Science of Live Release
“Peer-reviewed science supports live release as a proven and effective conservation tool.”
Dr. Fred Whoriskey,
ASF Vice-President, Research & Environment

Studies in North America and Europe have shown live release works, and in some instances Atlantic salmon have been angled 2 and 3 times.
Science has shown that virtually all Atlantic salmon will survive when released, as long as the angler uses the proper techniques, refrains from angling in overly warm water, and does not overplay the Atlantic salmon.
Like athletes sprinting on a track, Atlantic salmon build up lactic acid in their muscle tissues when they are being played.
The Key is Oxygen – The fish need oxygen in order to recover and continue their journey.
To recover, Atlantic salmon need:
• careful handling by the angler to reduce stress
• to remain in the water where they can breathe and reduce the oxygen deficit in their tissues
• to be held in an upstream position for water to flow more easily across their gills

Photographing Your Spectacular Live Release Salmon.

Use a photo partner:

* Digital camera: make settings on the camera before you begin fishing or use a point and shoot film camera. Give it to your partner before the angling session.

* Whether a digital camera or a film camera, tell your partner to fill the frame, and take several images.

* If it is a film camera, be sure there is film in the camera. This may seem to be a simple matter, but mistakes do happen...

Let your Partner get into Position:

* Tell him/her what you are going to do. Alert your partner before you take the fish out of the water.

Support the Atlantic salmon:

* Carefully take the barbless hook out of the fish’s mouth. With rod tucked under your arm, move one hand to the base of the tail. With your other hand, support the fish under the forward part of its body. Keep it in the water, with the fish pointed upstream to help its recovery.

* If a third person is present, give him or her the rod to hold, so you can concentrate on the wild salmon.

Take the Picture Quickly:

* With your photo partner warned, raise the wild Atlantic salmon partially out of the water for less than five seconds - or consider leaving it semi-submerged for the photo instead!

Return the Fish to Continue its Spawning Run:

* Support the salmon underwater in a natural position facing the current, handling it as little as possible. Give it time to recover. The goal is for the wild salmon to swim away on its own.

* Digital cameras offer the opportunity to adjust the film speed to suit conditions. In low light, such as evening, morning, heavy cloud, or deep shadow, consider setting the speed to 400, to take care of both movement and the low light. Experiment beforehand on speeds above 400, as many digital images become heavily pixilated at greater sensitivity.

* Remember to adjust the white balance for deep shadow, to warm the image.

* Today’s print films even at 400 speeds are superb. Use 400-speed film at dawn, dusk or in shadow.

* Don’t forget to smile! Your photo is a valuable memory.

If you have any news or pictures of catches or experiences on the Tay and you would like to share them please email me on robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in this report.

Tight lines.


Fishing Salmon River, Salmon River, Fishing for Salmon, salmon Fishing Alaska, Fishing Alaska, Fly Fishing Salmon, Fly Fishing, Salmon Fishing Report, Trout Fishing, King Salmon Fishing, Salmon Fishing Forum, Salmon Fishing Scotland, Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland, River Tay Scotland, Scottish Salmon, Salmon Rivers Scotland, Fishing Tackle Scotland, Salmon Fishing Flies, Fly Fishing Flies.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland Fly Fishing on the Tay June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Fly Fishing on the Tay June 2011.

The river Tay has been steadily dropping over the last week which has encouraged successful fly fishing.
Neill Sproull with a lovely fresh 12 pounds summer salmon caught fly fishing at Upper Farleyer.

This was a 10 pounds salmon from Islamouth caught by Alan McCaig from Bridge of Allan. Alan's salmon took a Collie Dog casting from the boat.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Fishing on the lower Tay June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Fishing on the lower Tay June 2011.

This was a 10 pounds salmon caught on the lower Tay Luncarty beat by Ghillie John Bennett today after a bit grass cutting.

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Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Fly Fishing on the Lower Spey.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Salmon Fly Fishing on the Lower Spey.

These are a few pictures of the Brae beats on the river Spey in Morayshire, Scotland. These are classic Spey fly fishing pools.
The Cruive pool on beat 4 at last light.

The tail of the Cruive pool looking down to beat 5.

The Pipe pool at the top of beat 4.

A lovely 10 pounds salmon caught on a Sun Ray from the Grassey Bank on beat 3.

The Grassy bank on beat 3.

The classic Otters Cave on beat 3 of the Brae beats on the Spey.

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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland June Fly Fishing on the Tummel 2011

Perth angler Steven Watt with a 16 pounds salmon from the Portnacraig beat on the Tummel in Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 11th June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 11th June 2011.

River Tay Salmon Fishing Report for week ending 11th June 2011.
The second week of June on the Tay was far more positive than the previous week with much better water conditions. There was also a remergence of some big multi sea winter salmon. Hopefully the river will remain settled from the recent rain and give us good prospects for this coming week.

The river was more settled from the previous week and the river temperature settled around 54 degrees Fahrenheit or 12 degrees Celsius giving the river favourable conditions.

89 salmon were reported last week and 14 sea trout.

On the lower river 39 fresh salmon were caught. The river temperature is coming up now encouraging the salmon to run hard. Sea Trout are running as well now giving the lower beats some good sport. The lower beats from Stanley upwards caught a few salmon over the week but this should improve if the river drops further in the coming week. Islamouth was back amongst the salmon as the river dropped back. A regular party on the Meikleour fishing’s had a superb day on Tuesday landing 8 on the fly. Later in the week opposite bank beat owner Alan Parker and his wife enjoyed some excellent sport landing 9 in 3 days. The lower Tay beats below Stanley have started to pick up a few salmon as well. Catholes, Benchil, Fishponds, Waulkmill and Fishponds all caught. Perth angler George McKinlay had a good 18 pounds salmon on Benchil late on Saturday afternoon.
Hopefully the river will remain settled this coming week, which should make for excellent prospects and improved catches.

The middle river reported 20. The current conditions are favouring the middle beats with a good run and good water levels. At the start of the week Dunkeld House had an excellent day on Monday landing 4 salmon up to 26 pounds. Dave Hockenull and Peter McGowan amongst the successful anglers.
At Newtyle Bill Carroll was the lucky angler to land a magnificent 32 pounds beauty on Thursday. Meikleour home beat then had a day to remember on Friday landing 6 and loosing a further 5.
More information from this area would be welcome to expand on this report in the future.

On the upper river 18 were reported, this was far more encouraging and shows the spring salmon are reaching the top of the system with all the big water we have had recently.
The Kinnaird beats, Edradynate and Farleyer continue to catch as a run filters through the upper system.
The salmon fishing on the Tummel continues to flourish with a number of fish being caught of which quite a lot are not recorded on the Fishtay web site. The lower Tummel has been fishing well with Paul Carter landing 2 salmon up to 20 pounds on Tuesday. The Pitlochry club Sawmill stream has been productive as well.
Gordon Nichol continued his success of last week with a lovely 14 pounds sea liced salmon from the Sawmill.
There are now well over 2000 through the Dam as of Sunday and there have been regular catches in Loch Faskally.
This was Jim Fishers account of a good evenings salmon fly fishing on the Tummel.
The Tummel continues to provide marvellous sport. An evening cast on the Tummel at West Haugh after dinner last night proved worthwhile. Starting at 9pm, I was quickly into a fish about 10 pounds on the Hover and a size 9 Park Shrimp. Later in the tail of the Sawmill Stream there were a good number of fish sloshing around which always raises
hopes and anticipation. Sure enough a long cast produced a solid pull which resulted in a beautiful cock fish about 15 pounds landed at 10.30pm. Both fish safely returned.
Thanks Jim and well done.

The Isla reported 12 all from Coupar Grange.


Many thanks for all the pictures everyone sent me of spring salmon and all who have sent me their individual fishing experiences this and last season on the river.
I would be most grateful if you to do the same this season by emailing me at
robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in this report.

Fishing Salmon River, Salmon River, Fishing for Salmon, salmon Fishing Alaska, Fishing Alaska, Fly Fishing Salmon, Fly Fishing, Salmon Fishing Report, Trout Fishing, King Salmon Fishing, Salmon Fishing Forum, Salmon Fishing Scotland, Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland, River Tay Scotland, Scottish Salmon, Salmon Rivers Scotland, Fishing Tackle Scotland, Salmon Fishing Flies, Fly Fishing Flies.

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 13th June 2011.

Salmon Fishing Scotland River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 13th June 2011.

River Tay Salmon Fishing prospects for week commencing 13th June 2011.
Currently the river is running at a good height after the recent rain and hopefully will remain settled for the coming week, this should give us excellent prospects for the coming days. There is currently a good run of salmon and the sea trout for the time of year.

The weather is to remain unsettled this week with some rain showers and a dropping pressure. The water temperature is around 54 degrees Fahrenheit or 12 degrees Celsius. The current weather conditions can be viewed here. Floating lines with sink tips are the order of the day!
The Tay at Stanley.
The river temperature is rising and with fresh water, this will encourage salmon run throughout the river to be caught in all areas of the system. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the lower, middle and upper river. Sea Trout are also running the river and this should improve as the month goes on.

The river is running at a reasonable height meaning that salmon and sea trout will still be running and favour the lower, middle and upper Tay beats conditions permitting. The encouraging grilse run in Summer 2010 might suggest that we will see more 2 sea-winter fish this year, so let’s hope that some of these turn out to be the early-running bars of silver that we are all hoping for. A run of Multi-Sea winter salmon are also running the Tay with now several spring salmon being caught in the 20 plus pounds range which is superb news. A Malloch Trophy salmon is a real possibility!
Playing a salmon fly fishing at Portnacraig on the Tummel.
There is good availability throughout the river so why not have a go.

As to methods, Spinning from the bank, fly fishing with sink tip floating lines and harling are the favoured Tay pursuits at this time of year. Currently we have excellent fly fishing conditions on the Tay with a number of salmon being landed on the fly recently. There is plenty of day light in the evenings now so it is well worth a cast for sea trout.

Finally you are reminded that the Tay's conservation policy for the remainder of the season which is that all hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released. All coloured and gravid fish to be released. No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.
Worming in June, July and August only. During the months of June, July and August the Board requests that worming should only be undertaken with Circle Hooks or Shelton release hooks which are designed to help prevent deep hooking. Contact the Tay Board for details of suppliers.
Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations.

The Dunkeld Smoked Salmon Company are still doing a special offer at present until the end of June 2011 enabling any angler who returns a salmon to the river on the Tay system to be entitled to a 20% discount off the price of a side of smoked salmon from the shop in Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland.

To help you follow our guidelines I have included these helpful pointers.

How to SAFELY Release a Salmon
“The best method of releasing a salmon is to leave it in the water
and touch nothing but the hook with fingers or pliers.
“Whatever the method, care combined with speed, will give the fish the best chance of survival.”
Lee Wulff, Atlantic Salmon Journal Winter 1964/65

• Use barbless or pinched hooks
• Retrieve your fish quickly; release it immediately
• Keep the fish in the water
• Use rubber or knotless cotton net, if one must be used
• Cut the leader if necessary
• Remove the hook carefully
• Hold the fish gently in natural swimming position, facing upstream until it revives
• Don’t pump the fish. That is, don’t move the fish back and forth in the water.

How should hooks be removed?
Very Carefully
In quiet water, bring the wild salmon quickly within reach. Leaving the salmon in water and without squeezing it, remove the hook carefully with pliers or thumb and forefinger. If a net must be used, it should be rubber or knotless cotton. If necessary, cut the leader near the fly and spare the fish.
James McKay from Perth about to release a spring salmon at Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland.
The Science of Live Release
“Peer-reviewed science supports live release as a proven and effective conservation tool.”
Dr. Fred Whoriskey,
ASF Vice-President, Research & Environment

Studies in North America and Europe have shown live release works, and in some instances Atlantic salmon have been angled 2 and 3 times.
Science has shown that virtually all Atlantic salmon will survive when released, as long as the angler uses the proper techniques, refrains from angling in overly warm water, and does not overplay the Atlantic salmon.
Like athletes sprinting on a track, Atlantic salmon build up lactic acid in their muscle tissues when they are being played.
The Key is Oxygen – The fish need oxygen in order to recover and continue their journey.
To recover, Atlantic salmon need:
• careful handling by the angler to reduce stress
• to remain in the water where they can breathe and reduce the oxygen deficit in their tissues
• to be held in an upstream position for water to flow more easily across their gills

Photographing Your Spectacular Live Release Salmon.

Use a photo partner:

* Digital camera: make settings on the camera before you begin fishing or use a point and shoot film camera. Give it to your partner before the angling session.

* Whether a digital camera or a film camera, tell your partner to fill the frame, and take several images.

* If it is a film camera, be sure there is film in the camera. This may seem to be a simple matter, but mistakes do happen...

Let your Partner get into Position:

* Tell him/her what you are going to do. Alert your partner before you take the fish out of the water.

Support the Atlantic salmon:

* Carefully take the barbless hook out of the fish’s mouth. With rod tucked under your arm, move one hand to the base of the tail. With your other hand, support the fish under the forward part of its body. Keep it in the water, with the fish pointed upstream to help its recovery.

* If a third person is present, give him or her the rod to hold, so you can concentrate on the wild salmon.

Take the Picture Quickly:

* With your photo partner warned, raise the wild Atlantic salmon partially out of the water for less than five seconds - or consider leaving it semi-submerged for the photo instead!

Return the Fish to Continue its Spawning Run:

* Support the salmon underwater in a natural position facing the current, handling it as little as possible. Give it time to recover. The goal is for the wild salmon to swim away on its own.

* Digital cameras offer the opportunity to adjust the film speed to suit conditions. In low light, such as evening, morning, heavy cloud, or deep shadow, consider setting the speed to 400, to take care of both movement and the low light. Experiment beforehand on speeds above 400, as many digital images become heavily pixilated at greater sensitivity.

* Remember to adjust the white balance for deep shadow, to warm the image.

* Today’s print films even at 400 speeds are superb. Use 400-speed film at dawn, dusk or in shadow.

* Don’t forget to smile! Your photo is a valuable memory.

If you have any news or pictures of catches or experiences on the Tay and you would like to share them please email me on robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in this report.

Tight lines.

Fishing Salmon River, Salmon River, Fishing for Salmon, salmon Fishing Alaska, Fishing Alaska, Fly Fishing Salmon, Fly Fishing, Salmon Fishing Report, Trout Fishing, King Salmon Fishing, Salmon Fishing Forum, Salmon Fishing Scotland, Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland, River Tay Scotland, Scottish Salmon, Salmon Rivers Scotland, Fishing Tackle Scotland, Salmon Fishing Flies, Fly Fishing Flies.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Anglers may take Perth Council to Court.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay Anglers may take Perth Council to Court.

Tay anglers may take council to court over 'incessant' rafting.


This is an article in the Dundee Courier today by Alan Richardson.
River Tay anglers are considering legal action against Perth and Kinross Council after it turned down a bid to legally restrict the number of rafters using the upper stretches of the river.
The Tay District Salmon Fishery Board, through Fish Legal, said an "incessant tide of rafts" has made angling "impossible" and wanted a byelaw to govern use of the economically important river.

The council threw out that request with little debate earlier this week, prompting a furious blast by Fish Legal, formerly the Anglers' Conservation Association.

The group's solicitor Robert Younger said, "It is hardly surprising that the council has not received any evidence in support of a byelaw, for the simple reason that they have not asked for any, despite my repeated requests to be allowed to do exactly this.

"This decision was reached without proper consultation. The first we knew of it was when it appeared in the local press."

Councillors at Wednesday's community safety committee meeting said there was no evidence rafters are abusing their rights-granted under the Land Reform Act — and urged the parties to get back around the table.

Tayside Police also opposes a byelaw, saying it would be practically unenforceable.

The Tay District Salmon Fishery Board, which has a legal duty to protect and enhance salmon fisheries, say catches have collapsed and capital and rental values of the fisheries have plummeted.
Failed 50-50 split

It called for a byelaw after claiming five years of negotiation involving the Land Access Forum, including an offer of a 50-50 split of river time, had failed.

Mr Younger said, "I believe that most people in the fishing community are happy to share the water with recreational canoeists and kayakers but unending flotillas of commercial rafts are an entirely different matter."

Michael Campbell, chairman of the Upper Tay Riparian Owners' Association, said, "It is very disappointing that, although the Local Access Forum stated so categorically that angling and rafting were simply incompatible and that they must operate independently and equally, these points were so conveniently ignored by Perth and Kinross Council."

David Summers, director of the Tay District Salmon Fishery Board, added, "There is absolutely no doubt that rafting activity has done very substantial damage to salmon fisheries on the Tay.

"The council has a duty to be even-handed and impartial in helping to resolve this impasse. It is regrettable that it appears to be biased in favour of the rafters."

Dr Alan Wells, policy and planning director for the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards, said, "The fishery owners were prepared to reach a compromise agreement with the rafting companies, and despite the support of the wider access forum, Perth and Kinross Council chose to disregard that."

A council spokesman said, "For a byelaw to be considered the council would have to be convinced that the nuisance merits criminal sanctions and that the byelaw could be effectively enforced.

"We have received no evidence to demonstrate that rafting companies have acted irresponsibly, or that commercial fishing interests have suffered economically as a result of rafting.

"In addition to this, it is difficult to see how such a byelaw could be enforced. The council does not have the staffing resources to enforce it, and Tayside Police has indicated that they cannot justify agreeing to the introduction of a byelaw.

"Without an enforcement agency it's unlikely that a byelaw would be confirmed by Scottish ministers. Overall, we do not think the introduction of a byelaw in this case is appropriate or practical.

"The most appropriate and sensible way of resolving this dispute is through voluntary agreement between the parties, and work should continue towards reaching that goal."

"There was no requirement for officers of the council to carry out any consultation in taking the matter to committee.

"The committee decided that it had not been presented with sufficient information by the fishing community that made the case for considering new byelaws."

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