The Millennium Catch
The Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin on salmon and seatrout catches indicate an encouraging start to the Millennium foranglers. Across Scotland rod catches of salmon were some 25% higherthan in 1999, a 96% increase on the 1995-99 five-year average.
Sea trout catches were also better, up by 18% on 1999 and 109%better than the 1995-99 five year average.
So how did the Spey compare against this overall improvement? Theindications are that the overall salmon and grilse catch for theriver was 8736, just 12% short of the long-term average. The rodcatch of summer salmon and grilse both improved on the poor returnsof 1999. However the spring component was a disappointing 36% lowerthan the previous year.
This pattern is similar across Scotland and the Spey Board haveencouraged a range of conservation methods including catch andrelease, fly only and reduction in fishing effort to protect thisvulnerable component. Despite the gloomy picture for “”springers”” theoverall catch for the Spey was welcome news after the poor returnsduring 1999.
The Millennium catch also began to reflect the changing nature ofthe fishery with an increase in the numbers of salmon caught andreleased. Of the total salmon and grilse captured, 16% were returned.Reports from the 2001 season indicate that this trend has continuedwith a much greater number of salmon returned.
The Spey has long been recognised as one of Scotland’s finestsalmon rivers but it also supports a prolific run of sea trout. Theaverage sea trout catch in the Spey for each decade has steadilyincreased. The 3952 sea trout caught in 2000 is in keeping withrecent trends during the 1980’s and ’90’s. Indeed this puts the Speyclose to the top of the sea trout league with only the Tweed and theSolway Firth rivers providing better sport.
Steelheads in the Spey?
One particularly interesting catch was reported to the researchstaff this summer when an angler fishing Castle Grant hooked andlanded two large Rainbow trout. Both fish were in excellent conditionand from their size and coloration it appeared that they had been tosea. Analysis of their scales confirmed that this was the case.
Rainbow trout are stocked into a number of locations within thecatchment but to date searun examples have been rare. There is noevidence that rainbows spawn within the Spey so it seems unlikelythat a run of steelheads will develop!
Notice to all Proprietors
The Spey Fishery Board A.G.M. will be held at the Garth HotelGrantown-on-Spey on Thursday, 8th November, at 2.00pm.
